An Dongye saw that Dongfang Chaonan was determined and knew she couldn’t stop him. She had no choice but to plead with Ye Xiu, "Little brother, my master is as stubborn as a mule; that’s just how he is. Please don’t take it to heart. When the fight starts, please hold back—don’t kill him, alright?"

The moment Dongfang Chaonan heard this, anger surged within him. "Cuihua, what do you mean? What’s this about him holding back? Are you saying your Eldest Martial Brother can’t beat this little punk, Ye Xiu?"

An Dongye ignored him and continued to wait for Ye Xiu’s response.

"For your sake, I won’t kill anyone," Ye Xiu said with a nod.

Upon hearing this, An Dongye finally felt relieved.

"This little punk is infuriating." Dongfang Chaonan, his head practically square with rage, shouted, "Dazhuang, go! Chop this punk to pieces for me!"

"Yes, Master!"

With a pointed, monkey-like face, the skinny Dongfang Dazhuang—all 1.5 meters of him—leaped into the air, brandishing a two-meter saber.

Seeing this, Qin Qing and Chloe quickly stepped aside, smiling as they watched the spectacle unfold. Meanwhile, Dongfang Chaonan and An Dongye’s other martial siblings looked on with complete confidence. Don’t be fooled by Dongfang Dazhuang’s 1.5-meter height or his skinny, monkey-like appearance. As Dongfang Chaonan’s eldest disciple, his strength was immense. In their view, Ye Xiu was just a doctor. Even if he could kill Jiao Fuping, he was definitely no match for Dongfang Dazhuang.

"Heaven and Earth Slash!"

Dongfang Dazhuang leaped over two meters into the air, roaring as his two-meter saber, imbued with a force that could split the heavens and the earth, descended toward Ye Xiu’s head.

He struck with his full power!

His attack was his Ultimate Move!

Just as Dongfang Dazhuang, Dongfang Chaonan, and An Dongye’s other martial siblings all thought Ye Xiu would be cleaved in two by this strike, Ye Xiu raised his right hand. He extended his index and middle fingers, making a peace sign.

He caught the two-meter saber between those two fingers. The 1.5-meter-tall Dongfang Dazhuang was left suspended in midair, his feet dangling helplessly.

"His strength is pathetic. Get someone else. This guy barely weighs a few ounces, clothes and all. I’d feel bad hitting him. What if I punched him and he just fell apart? That wouldn’t look good." Ye Xiu casually tossed Dongfang Dazhuang aside and said to Dongfang Chaonan with a grin.

Qin Qing and Chloe’s faces still held calm smiles, as they had anticipated this outcome all along. An Dongye wasn’t surprised either. She had personally witnessed Ye Xiu kill the Fire-Water Judges, but it was a secret she and Dong Fangbai had kept to themselves.

However, Dongfang Chaonan and An Dongye’s martial siblings, who were unaware of Ye Xiu’s true capabilities, were completely dumbfounded.

"How is this possible?"

Dongfang Dazhuang was a master who had surpassed the War God level—a Second Realm War God, and a top-tier one at that. Yet his full-powered slash had been stopped by two of Ye Xiu’s fingers. This meant their power levels weren’t even in the same league.

"Good lad, I underestimated you." Astonished, Dongfang Chaonan sized up Ye Xiu from head to toe. The Killing Intent and hostility in his eyes had vanished, replaced by admiration. "Not bad, not bad at all. Our Dongfang Family loves making friends with the strong. Your strength has earned my respect. From now on, we’re brothers."

Saying this, he walked over, slung an arm around Ye Xiu’s shoulder, and led him into the hotel like they were the best of friends.

Ye Xiu’s face instantly darkened. What the hell? You want to be brothers just because you can’t beat me? Is this the so-called integrity of the Dongfang Family?

The group made their way to the private room An Dongye had reserved in advance.

"Oh my goodness, this room is just gorgeous!" Upon entering the private room, Dongfang Chaonan and An Dongye’s martial siblings behaved like country bumpkins visiting the city for the first time, fascinated by everything they saw.

"Eldest Martial Brother, come look! The table in this restaurant actually has a piece of glass on it, and it spins!"

"This tablecloth is beautiful! When we’re done eating, I’m taking it home to make a jacket for my mom."

"Cuihua, eating at a place like this can’t be cheap, can it?"

Ye Xiu, Qin Qing, and Chloe watched the goofy members of the Dongfang Family and felt a pang of sympathy. They had lived in the deep mountains for generations, guarding something unknown for an illusory mission, completely cut off from the outside world.

"Brother Ye, please, have a seat, don’t be shy," Dongfang Chaonan enthusiastically invited Ye Xiu to sit. "Cuihua is treating us to this meal, so just make yourselves at home." He then pointed at Qin Qing and Chloe, asking, "Brother Ye, and these two ladies are?"

Heh, Cuihua’s treating, but I’m the one paying the bill... Ye Xiu thought sarcastically before making the introductions. "This is my wife, Qin Qing, and this is Chloe."

"My, oh my! Brother Ye, you’ve found yourself a wonderful wife! She’s even prettier than the belle of our village," Dongfang Chaonan exclaimed boisterously.

Ye Xiu: "..."

Qin Qing: "..."

Chloe: "..."

Right.

"Ahem..." Ye Xiu coughed awkwardly to change the subject. "An Dongye, aren’t you going to introduce everyone?"

An Dongye nodded. "You’ve already met my master. The one who just fought you is my eldest martial brother, Dongfang Dazhuang..."

Ye Xiu, Qin Qing, and Chloe were too drained to even comment on the Dongfang Family’s naming conventions. Dongfang Dazhuang was a skinny, bony man who stood at only 1.5 meters tall, which hardly suited the name Dazhuang, meaning "Big and Strong."

"This is my second martial brother, Dongfang Erlang," An Dongye said, pointing to a rugged man who stood two meters tall with a full, bushy beard and a large axe in each hand. He was the living image of the historical figure Li Kui.

Heh, he’s the one who should be called Dazhuang... Ye Xiu mused.

"Brother Ye, hehe..." Dongfang Erlang greeted Ye Xiu with a simple-minded grin.

"And this is my fourth martial brother, Dongfang Meili," An Dongye said, introducing the last person.

Ye Xiu, Qin Qing, and Chloe all drew a sharp breath, staring at the fourth martial brother in shock. He had long, flowing hair, an extremely pretty face like a social media influencer, and was dressed in a tight shirt and pants made of garish floral fabric. On his feet were a pair of embroidered cloth shoes with thick, layered soles, and he was currently admiring himself in a small hand mirror.

"He’s a man?" Ye Xiu asked, stunned.

"Oh, what’s wrong?" Dongfang Meili simpered at Ye Xiu, fluttering his eyelashes. "Don’t you think I’m manly enough?"

Heh. With that body, those clothes, and that attitude, do you really not have a clue if you’re a man or not? This is just absurd. Is there a single normal person in the entire Dongfang Family?

Ye Xiu took a deep breath and asked, "Where’s Dong Fangbai?"

An Dongye just chuckled evasively.

"Brother Ye, while we’re waiting for the food, why don’t you check on Dazhuang, Erlang, and Meili?" Dongfang Chaonan said eagerly. "They’ve all been afflicted with the Blood Poison. See if you can actually cure them. If not, my only option is to take them to Medicine King Valley."

"Alright," Ye Xiu nodded.

"Me first! Let me go first!" Dongfang Meili stood up and sauntered over, swaying his hips as he extended a delicate left hand to Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu placed his fingers on Dongfang Meili’s wrist to take his pulse. Just as he was about to begin, he felt Dongfang Meili’s right hand reach over and begin to gently stroke his own.

Feeling a jolt as if he’d been electrocuted, Ye Xiu snatched his hand back and stammered in panic, "You, you, you, don’t do that! We can talk this out! Just... just keep your hands to yourself!"