Published: February 11, 2025
Guo Yi might never understand why, as a secret weapon, he, who could rival several high-ranking officials in the guild president's eyes, could die so easily. Was the gap between him and his opponent really that vast?
What he didn't know was that if things had been laid out clearly, and he had faced Ye Zhongming in a straightforward battle, he might have lasted a bit longer. Instead, he foolishly thought he could solve the problem with a sneak attack, which brought him right to Ye Zhongming's front.
So far, among evolvers of equal level, or even those a level above, none have been able to match Ye Zhongming in close combat.
The death of the captain impacted the entire team far more than the sudden appearance of the mutated trees. These warriors had envisioned many possible scenarios, but none were like this.
They were powerful, but they needed a leader. Now that their leader was dead, what were they supposed to do?
"Clap! Clap!" The sudden applause gave these warriors a sense of reassurance, and they quickly withdrew from the attack, forming a V-shaped formation around the person clapping.
"I used to think my subordinates were foolish, which is why Cloud Summit Villa could still exist, but now it seems it has little to do with my subordinates. It's because you are too strong," said the president of the royal guild, lowering his hands. Although he praised Ye Zhongming with his words, his eyes were filled with hatred and disgust.
There was also a deep, unyielding frustration.
Training Guo Yi had cost him a lot of effort. It could be said that he had never been as meticulous even when raising his own son.
Guo Yi was the beginning of his ambition, the source of his ambition, and the backbone he relied on to dominate the five rings society and stand atop the world.
But now, this person had turned into a corpse, lying not far from him, with eyes bulging and filled with the same deep resentment as the president.
Ye Zhongming looked at this aging man who showed no signs of aging and slightly lowered his head. When he raised it again, he asked, “You must have paid quite a price to kill me?”
“Worth it.”
“Why?”
At this point, all other useless discussions felt pale and futile; there was only confusion about the cause and effect.
Ye Zhongming couldn’t understand why the president of the royal guild was so obsessed with killing him here.
Because if other forces found out about this, the banquet of Ming Shui would likely come to a sudden halt. The leaders of those forces wouldn’t continue to take risks in a situation where they could be attacked at any time.
Moreover, from this point on, the reputation of the five rings society would suffer a significant blow. No one would want to do business with them; after all, the five rings society was not the only option, and the Ogre Chain was their equally matched competitor.
Once they lost the trust of other forces, the foundation of their existence would crumble. The organization might split apart, and they would completely withdraw from the forefront of the national district, becoming an inconspicuous existence.
There was also a possibility of becoming prey in the eyes of others, being completely devoured.
Under such danger, what kind of hatred drove the royal guild to act against Ye Zhongming?
Ye Zhongming didn’t understand, so he wanted to ask.
Was it the conflict between the royal guild and Cloud Summit? Or was it because a son of the royal elders was killed by Ye Zhongming? Or perhaps it was about status in the apocalypse?
These seemed insufficient to justify the hostility. Ye Zhongming had always believed that in the apocalypse, there might be grievances without reason, but there would never be two forces engaging in costly mutual attacks without cause.
Sometimes, an organization does not entirely belong to one person. Even if the leader has significant power and exhibits centralized behavior unmatched in peacetime, they should not treat their subordinates as fools. When a decision harms the interests of most members, there will be resistance.