Outrageous / Demented / Insane

"Ruo Xi, child, say something already!" Old Lady Lan said with displeasure, her face stern.

In her view, an unmarried girl's earnings rightfully belonged to her family—and should be managed by the elders!

Lan Ruoxi glanced at the old woman coldly and replied, "Sorry, I don’t want to lend it. An Yi, let’s go."

Old Lady Lan trembled with rage as she stood up. "You—you come back here! You ungrateful wretch!"

Lan Yihe, standing nearby, wasn’t as foolish or naive as his mother.

He dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly, his voice choked with tears. "Ruo Xi, your uncle was wrong! I admit all my mistakes! Just lend me two million—it’s nothing to you, but it’s life or death for me!"

There was no denying that Lan Yihe’s crying act was heart-wrenching enough to move anyone to tears.

But despite his forehead turning bruised from banging it against the floor, Lan Ruoxi didn’t even look back, striding out of the villa with unwavering resolve.

Old Lady Lan shook with fury. "Ungrateful child! Absolutely ungrateful!"

Once the two were out of sight, Lan Yihe climbed to his feet, his expression turning vicious. "You little brat, just you wait! If I don’t ruin you, I’ll change my surname!"

"A crow that somehow flew onto a branch and thinks it’s a phoenix!"

If he couldn’t even deal with a mere girl, how could he ever survive in Jiangbei City?

Whoosh!

At that moment, a figure flashed before Lan Yihe like lightning.

Lan Yihe paled, his body trembling. "A-An Yi! W-what do you want?"

An Yi cracked his knuckles leisurely. "Fatso, Ruo Xi let you off, but I didn’t."

"D-don’t come any closer!"

Thud!

An Yi swung his leg in a powerful kick, slamming it straight into Lan Yihe’s face.

Two bloodied teeth went flying.

Lan Yihe howled in pain as his obese body was sent flying like a ball, crashing into the wall with such force that cracks spiderwebbed across it.

"Ah, that feels much better."

An Yi grinned, exhaling in satisfaction before walking away without another glance.

Old Lady Lan’s wails soon followed.

"Oh, my son! What sin have we committed? Your teeth—they’re gone!"

"Mother, don’t be angry. It’s not worth ruining your health over that girl."

Lan Yihe, covered in injuries, hobbled over with a bowl of porridge.

Old Lady Lan scowled, raising her cane to strike him. "How dare you eat now! How will you repay that two-million loan? They’ll kill you!"

Lan Yihe dodged, pleading, "Mother, please! That brat just kicked me half to death—I don’t have a single spot left unhurt!"

Old Lady Lan’s face remained dark, still seething over Lan Ruoxi’s defiance.

But she knew—Lan Ruoxi wasn’t the same helpless girl she once was.

Lan Yihe licked his lips hesitantly before suggesting, "Mother… why don’t we sell the villa? It’s old, but the location’s good. It’s worth at least four or five million—more than enough to repay the debt."

"You dare even think about the villa? Over my dead body!"

Old Lady Lan swung her cane again.

Dodging, Lan Yihe sighed. "Mother, just eat your porridge. It’s getting cold."

Old Lady Lan glared at him. "That wretched girl Ruo Xi—I’ll make sure she pays for this! She thinks she can marry whoever she wants? Not on my watch!"

"Yes, yes, Mother. You’re absolutely right."

Lan Yihe forced a smile.

As Old Lady Lan took a sip of the porridge, the corner of his lips curled.

"Yihe, don’t worry. I’ve told you—this house will be yours eventually..."

Old Lady Lan rambled on, but sweat began beading on her forehead, her face growing paler by the second.

"You’ve been saying that for five years! But I can’t wait anymore! If I don’t repay them, they’ll kill me!"

Lan Yihe looked up, his gaze icy as he stared at his mother with a twisted smile.

"Mother… you won’t blame me, will you?"

"You—you—"

Old Lady Lan clutched her stomach, the pain intensifying.

Thud!

She collapsed, the bowl of porridge shattering on the floor.

Horror dawned on her face as a terrible realization struck her.

"You’re only seventy, still so healthy—you could live another ten years! If you don’t die, how will I ever get the money?"

Lan Yihe kicked the bowl aside, his expression cold and cruel as he loomed over her.

"Tell me, what era do you think this is? Still clinging to those outdated clan rules! Just because my brother was the eldest son, everything went to him—even the inheritance! Why? Because he was the ‘rightful heir’? Do you have any idea how much I hated him for that?"

"Yihe… you—you—"

Old Lady Lan’s eyes widened in terror as another thought struck her.

"Yi Feng… was it you—?"

"So what if it was?"

Lan Yihe’s grin turned monstrous. "I hate you!!"

Old Lady Lan shut her eyes in agony, tears streaming down her face. "Such sin… such sin..."

Finally, Lan Yihe watched as her breathing stilled.

He staggered back, trembling violently, as if all strength had left him.

He… had actually gone through with it.

Ring!

The sudden shrill of his phone made him jump, cold sweat drenching his forehead.

He gulped, answering shakily. "H-hello? Young Master Xue?"

"How’s the money coming along?"

A lazy voice drifted through the line.

Lan Yihe’s voice quivered. "A-almost ready."

"Hah! I saw everything. Impressive—even we of the Five Venoms Sect aren’t that ruthless!"

Young Master Xue’s amused tone sent chills down Lan Yihe’s spine.

He’d been caught!

"Don’t misunderstand—I wasn’t spying on you. A nobody like you isn’t worth my attention. But your methods… I like them. How about joining the Five Venoms Sect?"

Lan Yihe knew exactly who he was dealing with. Overwhelmed, he stammered, "R-really? Th-thank you, Young Master!"

The call ended.

Lan Yihe exhaled shakily.

Looking at his mother’s lifeless body, he steeled himself before bursting into loud, dramatic sobs.

"Mother! Mother! Wake up! Look at your son! Someone help! Help—!"

---

In the lobby of a Jiangbei City hotel...

"What a deranged bastard."

Five Venoms Sect’s Young Master Xue Ming swirled his wine glass, gazing at the nightscape outside as he muttered to himself.

Rui Rui, dressed in a red dress, sauntered over, her voice dripping with false allure.

"Senior Brother, when are we moving out?"

Despite her plunging neckline, her flat chest did little to enhance any seductive appeal.

Xue Ming took a sip. "Not yet."

Just then, Yuan Yuan, clad in black combat gear, approached grimly.

"Senior Brother, our scouts at the frontlines—all dead."

Xue Ming’s eyes narrowed. "Night Emperor’s work?"

Yuan Yuan clenched her teeth and nodded.

The mere thought of that despicable bastard made her chest ache with fury!

It felt as though a great sword were hanging over her heart.

Xue Ming curled his lips into a sinister smirk: "So they’ve found out. Time to signal the retreat—unless they all want to die there."

--