CHAPTER 1426: CHAPTER 1426: RESTORING PATRIARCHAL AUTHORITY! (SECOND UPDATE)

After the celebration banquet, Zhou Zheng finally witnessed the enormous influence of Ye Qiu.

That night, many of his company’s partners all demanded to terminate their contracts, and even the employees started to resign voluntarily.

In a single night, the whole company was empty.

After bringing his uncle back to the Zhou family, his uncle narrated the night’s events to the Zhou family members, immediately drawing all their eyes to Zhou Zheng. Those family members of the Zhou family, who previously valued and were close to him, suddenly turned their gazes into those of hatred.

"Get out of the Zhou family, because of you, the century-old foundation of the Zhou family has been destroyed overnight."

"Who else could you have provoked? Why did you cross that Mr. Ye? Even the four great families of the past were brought to their knees by him. Who do you think you are? It wasn’t enough to provoke him; you even dragged the Zhou family’s name into it. Now the Zhou family is utterly ruined by you, and we cannot even stay in the Capital City," another uncle scolded.

"We won’t leave the Capital City, I don’t believe Ye Qiu can do anything to us. Does he dare to commit murder?" Zhou Zheng was still arguing logically.

"Ha, ha, you think it’s just talk? In the Capital City, who dares to disrespect him without consequences? Even without his intervention, we’d be driven out of the Capital City. If you really provoked him, even if the Zhou family were erased from existence, who could do anything to him?"

"Isn’t there any law and order? I don’t believe the authorities will do nothing," Zhou Zheng said.

"Law and order? Do you think the law covers everything? Ha, ha, that’s for ordinary people like us. But is the person you provoked ordinary?"

"He is the world’s foremost warrior, the War God of China, a god-like figure. Do you think you can bring him to justice? Zhou Zheng, wake up. Do you think China’s push for martial arts culture is arbitrary? Those in power recognize that when humans reach a certain level of strength, they can rival gods, and Ye Qiu is that deity now."

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Zheng felt as if he had lost his last ounce of strength and collapsed, sitting weakly on the ground.

"A god... I’ve provoked a god? Ha ha... A god!" Zhou Zheng laughed, muttering to himself, as if he had gone insane.

The Zhou family moved out of the Capital City, and even the Zhou family members who had authority in the Capital had been transferred to other regions. Within three days, there was indeed no longer a Zhou family presence in the Capital City.

Of course, this referred to Zhou Zheng’s prominent family, not ordinary Zhou families.

This incident caused considerable discussion in the Capital City, revealing Ye Qiu’s influence. Throughout it all, Ye Qiu never lifted a finger, yet numerous forces helped quietly push, leading to the Zhou family’s silent exit from the Capital City stage.

Song Jie reported this to Ye Qiu, who merely responded with an "oh" and paid little attention, as his focus was entirely on the women in front of him.

Evidently, his attendance at the party last night with Fang Sijie had been discovered by all the women, who were now jealous and had come looking for him to settle accounts.

Ye Qiu was surrounded on all sides, not given a chance to escape by the women.

"Hmph, tell us honestly, where were you last night? Were you with that woman?" Shen Mengchen questioned after glancing at Shangguan Mingyue.

Ye Qiu would not confess. He decided not to say a single word. The more he spoke, the more he would infuriate the women. If they learned he spent the night with Fang Sijie, they’d tear him apart.

Ye Qiu refused to speak, and the women confronted him for quite some time until Shangguan Mingyue, the big sister among them, spoke up, allowing Ye Qiu a temporary reprieve.

"You all leave first; I will speak to him alone," Shangguan Mingyue told the others.

"Hmph, big scoundrel, you must have been up to no good." Shen Mengchen glared at Ye Qiu scathingly.

Lin Qiao’er didn’t say a word, only left a mark on Ye Qiu’s waist.

Of all the women, Mu Wanqing was the gentlest, using no violence, but her teary, reproachful eyes filled Ye Qiu with guilt.

Once the three women left, only Shangguan Mingyue and Ye Qiu remained in the room.

"Still not ready to confess?"

"Uh... I..." Ye Qiu really couldn’t say it. He didn’t want to lie to Shangguan Mingyue, but admitting to spending a night with another woman in front of a woman he loved who also loved him just wasn’t something he could bring himself to do.

Shangguan Mingyue looked deeply into Ye Qiu’s eyes, her lips parting slightly, "Actually, even if you don’t say, I can guess. Do you think they don’t understand?"

Ye Qiu lowered his head, resembling a child who had done something wrong.

"I heard yesterday..."

Ye Qiu’s head shot up, looking at Shangguan Mingyue in disbelief, wanting to ask her: How do you know so well?

Shangguan Mingyue continued, "Don’t bother with how I know."

"Were you following me?" Ye Qiu asked in surprise, then immediately shook his head, "Even if you followed me, you couldn’t possibly know such details."

Shangguan Mingyue just looked at Ye Qiu’s bewildered face and didn’t say anything, only smiling gently, revealing no emotion.

"How do you know?" Ye Qiu couldn’t help asking.

"Guess," Shangguan Mingyue responded with a mysterious smile.

Suddenly, Ye Qiu froze, muttering, "Could it be... she... told you?"

Shangguan Mingyue nodded, "Didn’t expect her to tell me such a thing, did you?"

The thought that Fang Sijie would tell Shangguan Mingyue made Ye Qiu have a bold hypothesis — were they like sisters all along?

"Actually, I went to see her before. We had a bet, which I lost," Shangguan Mingyue said.

"What kind of bet?"

"Betting who would be first..." as Shangguan Mingyue spoke, her face reddened, this wasn’t something one would expect from a woman as much like a fairy as her.

Ye Qiu finally understood. He indeed hadn’t been with Shangguan Mingyue first, but rather Fang Sijie.

"I thought we’d be together first. Caroline is another matter, I don’t mind. But being late by one step makes me unhappy," Shangguan Mingyue’s words carried a hint of complaint.

"So... you kept me in the dark," Ye Qiu chuckled bitterly, he was previously so torn about how to handle all the women, only to find out they had already resolved it among themselves.

As a man, Ye Qiu planned to reassert his authority, or he’d be a disgrace, wouldn’t he?

"Because of your actions last night, which caused me to lose the bet, you owe me compensation," Shangguan Mingyue said.

"How should I compensate?" Ye Qiu frowned.

"Who do you take me for?"