260: Start harvesting the golden韭菜 (a metaphor for retail investors)!

The imagined confrontation did not occur; there were only two young Household Servants guarding the entrance of the Xue Family’s grand residence.

Chen Heng glanced at the two, ignored them completely, and walked into the courtyard.

"Stop! Do you not know that trespassing into the Xue Residence is a capital offense?"

A young Household Servant, holding a dog-beating stick, glared at Chen Heng with his nostrils flared.

"Why waste words with this fool? Just beat him to death." The other Household Servant sneered, swinging his long stick down towards Chen Heng's crown.

"What, is it very comfortable to be a dog for an Aristocratic Clan?"

Chen Heng raised an eyebrow, and with a casual wave, a gust of wind swept through.

The Household Servant who swung the stick, along with the long stick in his hand, was plastered against the wall, becoming an exquisite mural of flesh and blood.

"Ah, ah, you!" The other Household Servant pointed at Chen Heng first, then collapsed to the ground, vomiting uncontrollably.

The scene was indeed quite gruesome, a large bloody mess.

"Scram." Chen Heng glanced at that Household Servant, who then scrambled away like a stray dog.

He had seen quite a few things with the Xue Family, but it was his first time witnessing someone being killed with a single wave of a hand.

This Xue Family probably got into big trouble; he had to run as fast as he could!

Stepping into the Xue Residence, Chen Heng was enveloped by refreshing floral scents and warm air.

One must know, outside it was at least forty to fifty degrees below zero, yet inside the Xue Residence, it felt as comfortable as the transition between spring and summer.

Moreover, the entire courtyard was filled with various blooming flowers, and even the pear trees nearby were laden with pears.

"How extravagant." Chen Heng sneered, ignoring the Household Servants and servants who were shouting at him, and continued to walk deeper inside.

Chen Heng's family was already considered very wealthy, but they only managed to ensure they wouldn't freeze to death.

For the Xue Residence to be so warm, he wondered how much fuel was consumed to achieve it.

Chen Heng, who had swaggered in, was predictably discovered by the Xue Family's disciples, who all giggled and pointed at him.

They seemed to completely disregard Chen Heng.

However, their thinking wasn't wrong.

How could a group of hunters living at the top of the food chain imagine that they would become prey today?

"You are all surnamed Xue, aren't you?" Chen Heng walked up to a young girl who was watching him, looking down at her from above.

"Is this inner courtyard somewhere you can enter?" The young girl put down the silver mirror in her hand, stood up, and glared at Chen Heng.

"A lowly Mortal! Who gave you the courage to stand and speak to this Young Miss?"

"Kneel!"

The moment those words were spoken, the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees immediately came alive, their branches transforming into sharp spears that lunged towards Chen Heng's throat.

"Quite miraculous." Chen Heng pinched the branch aiming for his throat with two fingers; the texture was surprisingly similar to steel.

"So, your Xue Family's ability is to control plants and trees, huh?"

"What...?" The young girl's mouth gaped open, utterly unable to believe that the Mortal before her had caught her 'Blossom Thorn' with one hand.

"Call out your elders and tell them I'm here to wipe out your entire Xue Family."

With a casual flick, the wooden spear turned into flying ash and scattered in the air, finally landing on the young girl's face.

"Did your brain get frozen, to think you can destroy our Xue Family?" The young girl sneered, her two legs transforming into roots that plunged into the ground.

"This Young Miss will let you know why you are Mortals..."

The young girl's voice abruptly cut off; a hand had already pierced through her chest.

A vibrant green heart was clutched in the palm, its blood vessels not even broken.

"You..."

"Do what you're told, you talk too much." Chen Heng wasn't willing to waste any more words on these parasites.

"Since you're unwilling to call them, then someone else will."

With that, Chen Heng tightened his grip, and the emerald green heart turned into a fleshy pulp, slipping from Chen Heng's fingertips.

"No..." The young girl's beautiful face instantly became covered in wrinkles, like the bark of a century-old tree.

It wasn't just 'like'; in mere seconds, the young girl had completely transformed into a shriveled, humanoid tree.

"No wonder it's so warm; if it were too cold, they'd freeze to death, what a joke."

Chen Heng roughly guessed what the Xue Family's ability was; it must be related to plants.

"Also, don't think I won't notice if you pretend to be dead."

Black flames ignited on Chen Heng's fingertips, setting the humanoid tree ablaze.

"Ah!!!!"

A piercing scream rang out, but it only lasted for a few seconds.

After a few seconds, the humanoid tree turned into a pile of ashes, and the System's notification sound echoed in Chen Heng's mind.

"[Killed a Yellow Rank Demon, gained five Optimization chances]"

It was impossible for the Aristocratic Families to deceive Chen Heng by feigning death; after all, he wouldn't miss any opportunity to earn gold coins.

That scream just now was quite effective; many Xue Family disciples emerged from the inner courtyard.

"Sister Lan!"

Those Xue Family disciples noticed the ashes on the ground and also saw Chen Heng standing nearby.

"You beastly Mortal! How dare you kill my Xue Family disciple! I will turn you into flower fertilizer!"

Several Xue Family disciples attacked simultaneously, and the plants in half of the inner courtyard began to writhe.

"Are these people idiots...?" Chen Heng scrutinized the attackers.

Were they so used to being high and mighty that they truly believed no one could kill them?

"Come on, my golden leeks."

It didn't matter if they were idiots; as long as they could drop gold coins, that was fine!

...Far away in the west of Heming City, Hong Feng suddenly looked up, wiping away the snot that had frozen on his face.

"This feeling, could it be Gang Leader Chen?"

Turning to look at his burly son, Hong Feng asked.

"That's right, it's Gang Leader Chen." Hong Lie's upper and lower teeth chattered, making a clattering sound.

But Hong Lie wasn't trembling from the cold, but from fear.

Chen Heng could be said to have left a profound psychological shadow on Hong Lie.

His proud physique had no ability to fight back against Chen Heng.

Because of this, Hong Lie almost became a recluse.

"I wonder if those treemen of the Xue Family can withstand Gang Leader Chen's torment."

Sniffling, Hong Feng looked at the Xue Residence, where commotion was coming from in the distance.

"It's best not to tear down the entire Xue Residence; it's quite warm inside..."

...A few minutes later, Chen Heng clapped the dust from his hands, satisfied with the additional one hundred fifty-six Optimization chances he had gained.

These twenty-odd Xue Family disciples were truly too weak; the strongest was merely a Yellow Rank high-level Demon.

The weakest even yielded fewer Optimization chances than that idiotic that woman just now.

"The appetizers are done; now it's time for the main course."

Looking at the various plants that once again surrounded him, Chen Heng realized that the larger golden leeks had arrived.

"Who are you, and why do you kill my Xue Family disciples?"

A middle-aged man's voice rang out from among the plants, filled with fury.