A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 1152 Show Mercy When You Can

His men bowed before him while a storm brewed behind him, ready to unleash its power upon his call. His wife rested within his arms. He stood proud and strong, like a triumphant hero. The cold winds stirred, sweeping dust and dirt off the ground and coloring the skies yellow with earth.

Ye Fan's eyes swept across the heavens and the earth, the distant clouds and faraway lakes, and the men and women of Jiangdong.

He did not utter a word. Yet, everyone could feel and submitted willingly to his quiet authority.

Their eyes were filled with nothing but respect and awe when they looked at Ye Fan.

Qiu Mu-Cheng gazed up at Ye Fan as she lay in his arms. A mesmerizing smile blossomed on her face as she stared at the look of authority on his face.

Her heart brimmed with love and

contentment.

Was this her husband?

It was. This was Qiu Mu-Cheng's husband.

She had never experienced such bliss before.

She recalled the endless suffering and injustices that she had endured when she had been living with the Qiu family.

She had lamented about how the heavens had been unjust to her.

Yet all Qiu Mu-Cheng felt now was gratitude.

She thanked the fates and the gods for giving her the chance to know such an exceptional young man and was grateful for her marriage to this man.

Yet, despite all her happiness, she could not help but feel a sliver of loss stirring inside her.

The more exceptional Ye Fan showed himself to be, the greater her sense of loss.

When Ye Fan had first married into the Qiu family, they had had to endure endless hardships and suffering. Despite the terrible times then, Ye Fan had seemed like a real person then.

But now, Ye Fan was the supreme leader of Jiangdong and a powerful martial artist whom the country and the government treated with caution and respect. Men like Li Hong-Ze who were amongst the uppermost echelons of their society accorded Ye Fan with utmost respect. It struck Qiu Mu-Cheng then. Her husband was now a powerful man who stood above them all.

In the past, Qiu Mu-Cheng had labored tirelessly as a CEO of Mufan Group not because she had wanted the money but because she had wanted to prove that she was Ye Fan's equal.

Now, she realized that Ye Fan was simply too exceptional. No matter how hard she tried, she would never stand on equal footing with him.

She was slowly realizing that she wasn't worthy of this man. She couldn't keep up with him at all.

The independent and competitive Qiu Mu-Cheng was convinced that a long-lasting romantic relationship was built on equality. Both partners had to be the equal of the other.

But she knew very well that there lay a vast chasm between her and Ye Fan. Sooner or later, she was going to end up as a mere trophy wife.

She did not reveal her thoughts and instead kept them buried deep inside her.

Ye Fan naturally knew nothing of these thoughts.

His eyes swept across the crowd and landed on Chen Ao.

His mirthless and arrogant laugh reverberated in the air and sent the temperature plummeting.

"So, Chen Ao, do you still think that I'm a lost cause and that you made the right decision in pledging your loyalty to the Lu and Xur families?" Those words dropped like bombs in their midst.

It was the first thing that Ye Fan had done after Lu Cang-Qiong and the others had left. He questioned Chen Ao.

He had spared Chen Ao's life when he had realized the latter's betrayal and he had made the Chen Ao a promise.

He wanted Chen Ao to see for himself who would emerge victorious in this battle between Ye Fan and the Lu and Xur families.

Ye Fan had been true to his word.

Having fulfilled his promise, he questioned Chen Ao again.

Chen Ao paled instantly and, with a sudden tremor, slid to the ground. A powerful figure of influence in Jiangdong had collapsed to the ground in the face of Ye Fan's intimidating interrogation. His eyes shone with terror. He did not say a word for the longest time.

Then, he laughed.

His eyes dark with despair, he looked like a man who knew that his time was up.

He struggled to his feet, fell limply against the wall, then laughed bitterly. "That's right, Mr Chu. You've won. You're the victor. You've proven that I'm the one who's blind and ignorant. I'm the one who underestimated you, Mr Chu."

Li Er and the others were visibly affected by Chen Ao's laughter of utter defeat.

The man did not fight his fate. Instead, he said firmly, "Mr Chu, do what you have to do. I'm honored to die by your hand and I'm honored to have served such an exceptional man like you. I die with no regrets. He did not beg for his life, nor did he burst out into terrified tears. He appeared exceptionally calm in the face of death.

That was because he had expected this.

Ye Fan was a loyal and devoted man. Men like him abhorred betrayal.

Chen Ao had never expected Ye Fan to forgive him for what he had done.

He was simply receiving the punishment that he deserved.

"Alright. Chen Ao, I let you live for too long. It's time that you be on your way," said Ye Fan with a mirthless smile. Without any hesitation, he raised his arm and was ready to send his palm slashing down on Chen Ao.

Li Er and the others lunged at Ye Fan and stopped the latter.

"Please, Mr Chu, don't do it. Think of what Chen Ao's done for you in the past and the loyalty that he's shown you. Please spare his life!" blurted out Li Er. He couldn't bear to let his old friend die by Ye Fan's hand.

"That's right, Mr Chu. Chen Ao made a mistake but that was because he thought you were dead. He wouldn't have betrayed you otherwise. Think of how loyal he'd been to you in the past! When the Xur family amassed an army and tried to stage an attack, Chen Ao rushed all the way from Jiangdong to warn you of the danger. That alone is proof of his loyalty to you!" said Lei San as he tried to persuade Ye Fan from killing Chen Ao.

Wang Jie-Xi and many others who had some say in Jiangdong began pleading with Ye Fan as well.

"Please, Mr Chu, show mercy and spare Chen Ao's life! Please!"

Their voices rose in unison as they pleaded for Chen Ao.

Chen Ao might have been slightly overbearing at times, but he had never done them wrong.

He had been the one leading them before Ye Fan had established his authority in Jiangdong. They respected him greatly.

That was why many of them had followed Li Er and Lei San's lead and started to plead for Chen Ao.

"A betrayal is a betrayal. He may have a thousand or ten thousand reasons for committing a betrayal, but that doesn't change a wrong into a right. I don't care what all of you have to say and whether you're all out to stop me from killing Chen Ao. I'm going to kill him today!" thundered Ye Fan.

Li Er and the others wouldn't stop pleading with Ye Fan.

"Mr Chu, please show mercy and spare him. You're the ruler of Jiangdong. You should set an example for the rest of us and do what's right."