Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO-Chapter 604: The Threat of the Ye Family

"How can you look down on yourself like this?"

But while Xu Ke felt he was at a disadvantage in the confrontation with the Ye Family, none of the three men across from him thought so.

Yuan Shang crushed out his cigarette and looked at Xu Ke. "Do you know who put up the strongest fight against the Ye Family in all of Tianhai before you came along?"

"The Wang Family," Xu Ke answered without a second thought. Apart from the Wang Family, no other family had engaged in such a bloody feud with the Ye Family.

"Think about it," Yuan Shang said, tapping the table. "Putting you aside for a moment, Wong Qifu's ability alone has been enough for her to contend with the Ye Family until now. With you in the picture, isn't that enough to topple them?"

"You don't have to be overly modest with me. Just look at all the trouble you've stirred up in the month and a half since you appeared in Tianhai. I believe no family would think you're incapable."

After Yuan Shang finished, the other two nodded in agreement.

Duan Chongfeng, who spent his days inside his commerce company monitoring events in Tianhai, knew Xu Ke's exploits like the back of his hand. Even Tang Yingchang, who had been recuperating at Wang Yu's villa, had heard of his deeds. Xu Ke's rise was marked by a minor incident every three days and a major one every five. Most critically, the man had barely suffered a single loss.

Under these circumstances, everyone felt that if Xu Ke and his wife Wong Qifu combined their strengths, they would sooner or later reach the pinnacle of Tianhai. For Xu Ke to be so self-deprecating now struck them as excessively humble.

This was especially true for Tang Yingchang. I don't think for a second that Xu Ke's strength is insufficient to stand against the Ye Family! How could the puny Ye Family possibly compare to the Medical Saint's Successor? Xu Ke's sights are set on the stars; he's looking at organizations on the level of the Northern Dragon Guard and the Southern Territory Army, or even higher-level behemoths like the Assassin's Alliance and the Martial Alliance. A Ye Family, holed up in their own little corner, is nothing to worry about. Xu Ke is just bolstering others' morale while diminishing his own!

However, after hearing Yuan Shang, Xu Ke let out a laugh. "What if I told you that without me, Qi Fu could handle the Ye Family with ease?"

"But with me involved, her path will become much harder. Would you believe that?"

The three men were stunned by his words.

"How could that be?" Tang Yingchang exclaimed. Does Xu Ke think that one plus one equals zero in his and Wong Qifu's case? That conclusion is just too bizarre.

"The Wang Family could contend with the Ye Family not just because of Qi Fu's own methods, but also because of Wong Ting," Xu Ke said with a relaxed smile, showing no unease when speaking of his rival in love.

At these words, the expressions of the three men shifted. They weren't fools; they understood his meaning perfectly.

The Wang Family had appeared to be holding its own against the Ye Family because Wong Ting was still pursuing Qi Fu. In other words, as long as Qi Fu was willing, Wong Ting would have undoubtedly lent his aid. This forced the Ye Family to be cautious, daring not to launch a fierce, all-out assault, instead opting to slowly chip away at the Wang Family's power.

Otherwise, how could the Wang Family—sabotaged from within by the likes of Wang Tianlu and with Wong Qifu yet to establish absolute authority—possibly compare to Ye Yunfeng, who had forged the Ye Family into an ironclad unit? The Wang Family was walking a tightrope every day, in an extremely precarious position.

But that was no longer the case.

Starting last month, the Huang, Ye, and Qin Families had begun to show their hostility openly. Not only that, but the Long Capital Grand Alliance had also sent two elders, one after the other. They were mobilizing the resources of the Martial Alliance branches in every prefecture-level city in the province with the clear goal of completely crushing the Wang Family's faction.

"The Ye Family is strong," Xu Ke said softly. "Although many from the older generation are dead, Ye Lao'er's fate remains unknown. No one can say for sure if he's still alive. Ye Taiqing, the Fourth Master, just made an appearance, and his strength goes without saying. And Ye Feng is also very powerful. At only thirty-one, he's at the Innate Initial Stage, with talent that surpasses ninety percent of all martial artists."

Duan Chongfeng picked up the thread, sighing. "If it weren't for you and Wong Ting, he would undoubtedly be the number one of Tianhai's younger generation."

"Haiming is pretty good, too," Yuan Shang couldn't help but add. Chen Haiming was only twenty-nine and already at the Postnatal Late Stage, so it seemed he also had a shot at the title.

"That depends on fate," Duan Chongfeng said with a wry smile.

Xu Ke smiled. "Now isn't the time to discuss that. The Ye Family is formidable. If we don't bring them down, I believe none of our ventures in Tianhai will be secure. Don't you agree?"

There was another point Xu Ke left unsaid. The pill technique Ye Yunfeng had displayed during the gymnasium competition also made him wary. To be honest, I'm not afraid of someone at the Innate Great Perfection stage. I'm not afraid of things I understand. However, I am always wary of methods I don't.

"From the Ye and Huang Families kidnapping me, to the media offensive, the ambush, the kidnapping of my sister, the Martial Alliance selection tournament, and the recent incident on the Haisui Expressway that was practically an open assassination attempt—I can confirm that Ye Yunfeng's next moves will be even more intense," Xu Ke stated calmly. "Before, he was just testing the waters. Once he learns I've broken through to the Innate Initial Stage and have the ability to confront the Ye Family head-on, the real storm will arrive."

The three fell silent again, the atmosphere growing heavy. It was clear they agreed with him. Ye Yunfeng hadn't taken Xu Ke seriously before, but Xu Ke was progressing at an alarming rate. It would be impossible for Ye Yunfeng not to feel the pressure now.

"But," Xu Ke continued, a grim smile touching his lips, "since we know an attack is coming, why defend passively? We should strike first. He's screwed me over so many times. It's about time I returned the favor, right?"

His words dripped with killing intent. Ever since Li Lang had told him the Ye Family was planning to kill him, he had been preparing his revenge. They had constantly been the aggressors. Now that he had reached the Innate Stage, it was his turn.

But as he finished, the three men's solemn expressions turned bizarre. "Could you please not phrase it in such an ambiguous and disgusting way?" Yuan Shang grimaced. "What in the world is going through your head…"

Tang Yingchang said nothing, but his expression was also unnatural. Xu Ke's choice of words was a little too raw.

"Never mind, never mind," Xu Ke said with a laugh, his smile lightening the tense atmosphere considerably.

"But based on your logic, the Ye Family, the Huang Family, and the Qin Family are all your enemies," Yuan Shang said after a moment of thought. "The Ye Family is the strongest among them, so why target them first?" Shouldn't you go after the weakest link? Why is Xu Ke trying to take down the toughest one right from the start?

"Because," Xu Ke said, exhaling slowly, "the Huang and Qin Families lack the Ye Family's foresight and sense of crisis."

"If we pressure the Ye Family, Huang Zhendong's personality will come into play. He loves to profit from others' misfortune and reap the rewards of their conflict, so he won't make a move. Granted, Huang Sheng is smarter than Huang Zhendong and more far-sighted, but he's the type who won't go all-in if he has an escape route. So, unless we push him into a dead end, the Huang Family won't make any major moves to help the Ye Family."

"As for the Qin Family, they believe their primary interests are overseas. They'd benefit whether the Ye Family or the Wang Family collapses, so they definitely won't interfere."

"But Ye Yunfeng is different. If we were to target the Huang or Qin Family first, the Ye Family would undoubtedly come to their aid with thunderous force."

During the last ambush on Xu Ke, although Huang Zhendong had proposed the plan, it was the Ye Family who had put up the most money and had specifically brought Ye Taiqing in from Long Capital. Xu Ke had heard all of this from Li Lang.

From this, it wasn't hard for him to deduce how the Ye Family would react if the Huang or Qin Family were targeted.