Chapter 120 - 103: General Temple

Chapter 120: Chapter 103: General Temple

With a dull THUD, Li Kang collapsed to the floor. White foam frothed from his mouth and his eyes rolled back in his head. He was completely unconscious.

"Boss!"

"Master Li!"

His underlings, their faces pale with shock, scrambled forward to help him up.

But no matter how they shouted or shook him, Li Kang remained unresponsive, as if he were dead.

"Quick, get him to a doctor!" one of the more clear-headed underlings shouted.

Scrambling, the men forgot all about the opera, lifted the unconscious Li Kang, and rushed outside.

The commotion naturally attracted the attention of the guests in the main hall downstairs and in the other private boxes. Curious gazes fell upon them, and a buzz of discussion erupted.

Meanwhile, on stage, Chen Ye had just finished reciting a line when he caught sight of the chaos in the second-floor box out of the corner of his eye.

A cold smirk played on his lips.

Mirage Palace Actor, Illusionary Performance.

’The Talent of this new Profession certainly hasn’t disappointed me.’

It turned out that after sensing Li Kang’s malice, Chen Ye had decided to test his new skills. Using his Professional Talent, he had dragged Li Kang’s Divine Spirit into an Illusion Realm designed specifically for him.

Moreover, this Illusion Realm would draw out the deepest darkness and fears from a person’s heart and amplify them infinitely.

’From the looks of it, the effect is quite good.’

When the opera concluded, Chen Ye returned for several curtain calls, as was customary, before the enthusiastic audience finally departed.

He had just returned backstage when Deng Ming, his round face flush with excitement, came rushing over.

"Boss Chen, something big has happened! That Li Kang... he’s gone mad!"

Deng Ming lowered his voice, but he couldn’t hide the gloating in his tone.

Apparently, after Li Kang was carried away by his men, he was taken directly to the best clinic in Sea Guardian Guard.

But despite consultations with all sorts of famous doctors, who tried every method they knew, Li Kang simply wouldn’t wake up.

The famous doctors were at their wits’ end. The only other explanation was that he’d encountered something malevolent.

So, the Li Family spent a fortune to invite a renowned high monk from within Sea Guardian Guard.

This master really knew his stuff. After setting up an altar by Li Kang’s bedside and chanting some scriptures, the comatose Li Kang actually began to stir.

He was awake, but he was also completely mad.

He kowtowed to everyone he saw, endlessly muttering, "I am guilty, I was wrong." Then, sobbing and sniveling, he confessed all the heinous crimes he had committed over the years—every last one, in exhaustive detail—leaving the members of the Li Family ashen-faced.

Seeing this, the master could only let out a long sigh. He shook his head and said to the Li Family, "This is a vengeful spirit demanding his life, an entanglement of karma. It is beyond human power to resolve. I advise you to prepare for the worst."

With that, he left without even accepting the generous payment the Li Family had prepared.

After listening to Deng Ming’s excited account, Chen Ye simply nodded, not paying the matter much mind.

In his eyes, Li Kang had brought this all upon himself and had no one else to blame.

Meanwhile, news of Li Kang’s madness spread quickly through the upper echelons of Sea Guardian Guard society.

People gossiped endlessly, but the consensus was that he had simply done too many evil deeds, provoked something unclean, and was now facing his retribution.

The Li Family even used all its connections to investigate what had really happened at the Guangle Building that night, but the investigation yielded nothing. In the end, they could only accept their misfortune.

Only Mr. Lu and Qi Shihao exchanged a look upon hearing the news. Each saw a hint of suspicion and shock in the other’s eyes, but they both held their tongues, tacitly agreeing to remain silent.

Seven days later, Li Kang was dead.

Before his death, his body festered and broke out in sores. He wailed in extreme agony for a full night before finally breathing his last.

With his death, his gray-market enterprises and shops were suddenly without an owner.

In the fight to claim these assets, Li Kang’s underlings came to blows, and his former partners became bitter enemies.

On top of that, enemies who held long-standing grudges against Li Kang also joined the fray. For a time, the entire underground power structure of Sea Guardian Guard was reshuffled, with endless conflicts erupting.

However, a few days later, once a new order was established and the power dynamics stabilized, everything fell quiet once more.

As for how many people died in the process, no one cared.

Just like that, a major figure who once called the shots in Sea Guardian Guard had vanished into thin air in a matter of days, ceasing to exist.

After the turmoil subsided, all was calm again.

In the days that followed, Chen Ye’s life became both fulfilling and orderly.

He spent his days either practicing his abilities or studying opera scripts.

He now performed only once a week at the Guangle Building.

But that single performance was enough to drive all of Sea Guardian Guard into a frenzy.

On the days of his performance, the street in front of the Guangle Building was invariably packed with people and carriages.

Tickets were scalped for astronomical prices, yet they remained nearly impossible to come by.

The grand residence that Mr. Lu had promised him was also delivered.

It was a sprawling, three-courtyard residence, complete with pavilions, verandas, and winding paths leading to secluded spots. The estate was even a bit larger than the entire grounds of the Qingchun Troupe.

Chen Ye didn’t refuse; he accepted it gracefully and moved in.

On moving day, Tie Dan, Chunyan, and all his other fellow apprentices from the Qingchun Troupe came to help.

As they looked at the magnificent residence and then back at Chen Ye, who was now famous throughout the city, their eyes filled with envy. But there was also an indescribable hint of restraint and distance.

They felt that Chen Ye was no longer a part of their world.

"This is my home now. You can all come and hang out whenever you want," Chen Ye said with a smile, patting Tie Dan’s shoulder. "If Master Guan scolds you, just run over here to hide." With just a few words, he dispelled the awkwardness that had formed between them.

Everyone immediately relaxed. They began to run joyfully in and out of the residence, exclaiming in constant amazement.