462: Chapter 462 Something Happened to the Ye Family?

After dealing with Ling Juexiao, Ye Tian's speed increased even further.

Not long after, the silhouette of a city appeared on the distant horizon.

Shui Qingdie pointed at it and asked, "Junior Brother Ye, is that Luo City?"

Ye Tian narrowed his eyes as he looked, watching the city where he had grown up gradually enlarge in his vision. His heart couldn't help but beat a little faster. "Yes."

"Luo City isn't very big; my Family is in the east of the city."

He introduced it briefly to Shui Qingdie, his tone filled with nostalgia.

He recalled playing in the city as a child, remembered the Family Grand Competition, and thought of the battle against Lin Batian of the Lin Family and the Black Cloud Stronghold.

Thinking that he would soon see his mother and meet those familiar elders and companions, a look of deep anticipation appeared on his face.

Over the past two years, he had experienced too much life-and-death slaughter and schemes while traveling; only the Ye Family could stir warmth in the softest part of his heart.

The two landed in a secluded spot a few miles outside the city and switched to walking into the city.

The reason he walked back to the Ye Family was that Ye Tian feared that flying through the air would be too ostentatious and might disturb the common folk in the city.

However, when he and Shui Qingdie walked into the gates of Luo City, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.

The streets were much quieter than in his memory.

Although there were pedestrians coming and going and most shops were open, the pedestrians mostly walked in a hurry, their eyes cast down, with little smile on their faces, and even a look of numbness.

Some familiar shops along the street also looked somewhat dilapidated, with sluggish business.

A few passersby looked up and saw Ye Tian; they were stunned for a moment, then expressions of surprise appeared on their faces, and they hurriedly lowered their heads and walked away quickly, not even daring to take a second look.

Ye Tian's brows slowly furrowed.

This was not normal.

Although Luo City was not large, it had always been peaceful and prosperous, with a rich atmosphere of daily life.

Furthermore, given his reputation in Luo City back then, even if he hadn't returned for two years, being recognized shouldn't have elicited such a reaction of fearful avoidance.

The ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

"Junior Brother Ye..." Shui Qingdie also sensed the heavy atmosphere and gently tugged on Ye Tian's sleeve, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.

Ye Tian did not answer, his pace unconsciously quickening as he walked toward the direction of the Ye Family in the east of the city.

Shui Qingdie quickly followed, not asking any more questions, but vigilantly observing their surroundings.

Just as they turned a street corner, an old shopkeeper in a cloth shop nearby, who was tidying up fabrics at the entrance, inadvertently looked up and caught a glimpse of Ye Tian.

The old shopkeeper was stunned at first, rubbed his eyes, and after seeing Ye Tian's face clearly, the fabric in his hands dropped to the ground with a thud.

He looked as if he had seen a ghost, glanced around in a panic, and then fiercely beckoned to Ye Tian, his lips trembling, yet he dared not shout out loud.

Ye Tian's heart sank, and he immediately walked over.

He knew this old shopkeeper; his surname was Zhou, and his cloth shop had previously received some care from the Ye Family; he was an honest and decent person.

"Shopkeeper Zhou?" Ye Tian asked in a deep voice.

"Ye... Young Master Ye?! Is it really you? You, why have you returned?!"

Shopkeeper Zhou grabbed Ye Tian's arm, pulled and dragged him into the cloth shop, nervously poked his head out to check the street, and then hurriedly closed the shop door and bolted it.

"Shopkeeper Zhou, what on earth has happened? Why are you so flustered?"

Ye Tian asked quickly, the unease in his heart reaching its peak.

Shopkeeper Zhou's face was full of terror, and he lowered his voice, saying urgently, "Young Master Ye, you, you must run! Don't go home! Leave Luo City immediately, as far away as possible!"

"Why?" Ye Tian's gaze sharpened.

"A, about half a year ago, a group of fierce and wicked people suddenly came to the city!"

Shopkeeper Zhou's voice trembled: "The leader is a middle-aged man, and they all call him Peng Wanli!"

"As soon as these people arrived, they were very aggressive and domineering, robbing many shops; they even dared to touch the properties under the City Lord's Mansion! The Ye Family and the Chen Family bore the brunt of it, and several of their marketplaces and medicinal fields were forcibly occupied by them!"

The Peng Family? Ye Tian was stunned; he had never heard of this Family.

"What about the City Lord's Mansion? Did the Ye Family and the Chen Family just let them bully them?" Ye Tian asked, puzzled.

"They resisted, of course they resisted!"

Shopkeeper Zhou smiled bitterly, his face full of fear: "The City Lord personally led people there, and the Ye Family Head and Chen Family Head also went. But... but that Peng Family was too strong! Especially the Family Head, Peng Wanli, who is even more powerful than our City Lord! In that conflict, the City Lord's Mansion, the Ye Family, and the Chen Family all suffered heavy losses, and many people died..."

Cold light flickered in Ye Tian's eyes, and he continued to ask, "What about my mother? How is the Ye Family now?"

This was what he cared about most.

"Madam Ye... I don't know the specifics, but the Ye Family is being suppressed severely by the Peng Family, and life is very difficult. People from the Peng Family often go to... to cause trouble."

Shopkeeper Zhou hesitated for a moment, his fear deepening: "Right! Just now, when I came to close the shop, I seemed to see that Guest Elder of the Peng Family taking several people, heading toward your Ye Family with a fierce Aura! Young Master Ye, you must not go back! If you run into them, it's over! You must leave quickly!"

People from the Peng Family were at the Ye Family right now!

Ye Tian's heart trembled violently, and killing intent instantly rose from the bottom of his heart, almost impossible to suppress.

Mother!

"Many thanks to Shopkeeper Zhou for informing me!"

Ye Tian quickly clasped his hands to Shopkeeper Zhou, then turned, pulled open the shop door, and sped off toward the direction of the Ye Family!

"Junior Brother Ye!" Shui Qingdie exclaimed, and she also quickly used her movement technique to follow.

From the few words just now and the fearful look on Shopkeeper Zhou's face, she also understood that the Ye Family was likely facing a huge crisis, and her heart also tightened.

Ye Tian increased his speed to the limit; the scenery on both sides of the street retreated rapidly, and passersby only felt a gust of wind sweep past, unable to see any figure at all.

He had only one thought in his heart: Faster! Faster!

He absolutely could not let the people from the Peng Family hurt anyone in the Ye Family! And he absolutely could not let anything happen to his mother!

Within a few breaths, the familiar gate of the Ye Family came into view.

However, the scene before his eyes made Ye Tian's heart ache fiercely.

The imposing Ye Family gate from his memory now had its paint peeling off.

The corner of the plaque at the entrance, which symbolized the glory of the Ye Family, was actually damaged in a large area.

A young man wearing the attire of a Ye Family guard was holding a blade, leaning against the side of the gate, his face full of fatigue and fear, his eyes scanning the empty street from time to time.

Hearing footsteps, the guard started violently, instantly straightened his body, drew his waist blade with a clang, his hands trembling from nervousness, and shouted sternly at Ye Tian and Shui Qingdie: "Wh... who is it?! Stop! This is the Ye Family! Qu... quickly get away! Otherwise, I will call for help!"

His voice carried fear, yet he braced himself, refusing to retreat.

Ye Tian paused his steps and looked at this unfamiliar young guard.

He could feel that the other party only had the cultivation of the third or fourth level of the Qi Gathering Realm, and his Aura was unstable, clearly in a very poor state.

Had the Ye Family actually fallen to the point of using such guards to watch the gate?

He had no time to explain, nor did he have the heart to blame the other party for their rudeness.

He just looked into the guard's eyes and quickly spat out two words: "Ye Tian."

"Ye... Ye Tian?" The guard was stunned at first, then his eyes widened abruptly, the blade in his hand dropped to the ground with a clang, and he stood stunned on the spot.

It was only after Ye Tian had entered the gate for a long time that he tremblingly spoke: "You... Young Master Tian?!"

Once inside the Ye Family, that sense of dilapidation and Aura became even more obvious.

The flowers and plants in the courtyard had not been trimmed for a long time, looking somewhat messy.

Traces of blade slashes could be seen on the pillars of the corridor.

The servants were nowhere to be seen, and the entire front courtyard was empty, terrifyingly quiet.

But soon, he heard a commotion coming from the direction of the training ground in the inner courtyard!

Ye Tian's eyes turned cold, and he sped off in the direction of the sound.

Shui Qingdie followed closely behind.

As they approached the training ground, what he heard was the arrogant and wild laughter of a man:

"Hahaha! Little girl, your skills are not bad! You are even more lovely! Tell me, with such a beautiful face and such a good figure, staying in this broken place like the Ye Family, which is about to finish, isn't that a waste of heavenly gifts, and too much of a grievance to yourself?"

"Why not come back to the Peng Family with me? I guarantee you will eat well and drink well, and enjoy endless blessings! Why bother fighting and killing here, asking for trouble?"

Immediately after, a stubborn female voice rang out: "Peng Wang! Clean up your mouth! If you dare to talk nonsense again, be careful lest I tear your mouth apart!"

Hearing this voice, Ye Tian's heart tightened instantly, because he recognized this as the voice of Ye Ruyi!

That stubborn, sharp-tongued, yet resolute woman from his memory.

Ye Tian quickly increased his speed and rushed to the training ground.