Suddenly, He Chao cast a malicious look at Chen Feiyu and smiled. "My friend, you look a bit unfamiliar. May I ask your name and what you do for a living?"
Chen Feiyu put down his teacup and said, "My name is Chen Feiyu. I work as a waiter at Yujia's aunt's restaurant."
Zhao Jun and the others burst into contemptuous laughter.
"A waiter, is it? Well, not a bad profession. It really suits Brother Chen... suits him to a tee." He Chao made no attempt to conceal his disdain.
Lin Yujia's expression changed, and she said angrily, "He Chao, what do you mean by that?"
"My bad, my bad. I just didn't expect him to be a mere waiter, that's all," He Chao apologized with a smile, though there was not the slightest trace of apology in his demeanor.
Zhou Ruohua felt immensely gratified. *You stinking loser, let's see you keep putting on airs now!*
Suddenly, with a loud clatter, the private room door was pushed open, and two men walked in, reeking of alcohol.
They were none of the others than Snake and the bald man whom Chen Feiyu had encountered earlier at the shopping mall.
Since Chen Feiyu and Lin Yujia had their backs to the two newcomers, the men did not recognize them.
He Chao stood up and frowned. "Friends, did you walk into the wrong room?"
Snake and his companion had indeed entered the wrong room and were about to back out. However, upon catching sight of Qin Tanya and Zhou Ruohua, Snake made no effort to conceal his burning desire. Deciding to play along, he said, "Little ladies, our boss has taken a fancy to you. How about having a drink with him?"
The expressions of He Chao, Zhao Jun, and the other two men instantly shifted. Zhou Ruohua and Qin Tanya were their dates; having someone try to poach their women right in front of them was more than any man could stomach.
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Tanya were fuming, their faces turning pale with anger.
He Chao's expression darkened. "Friends, we are not people you can afford to offend. If you leave right now, I can pretend this never happened. Otherwise..."
Snake let out a sinister, mocking laugh. "Damn it, you actually dare to threaten me? Let me tell you, if this little hottie doesn't go drink with our boss today, none of you are walking out of here in one piece."
Zhao Jun, the captain of the soccer team, had the fiercest temper. He had always harbored a deep crush on Qin Tanya, and now that his goddess was being insulted, how could he possibly hold back? Without a second thought, he lunged forward and kicked Snake to the ground, cursing, "Fuck, you're just asking for a beating!"
Seeing this, He Chao and Li Jianfeng did not hold back either and waded into the fray.
Although Snake and the bald man could handle themselves in a fight, they were already drunk and unsteady on their feet. Combined with being outnumbered, they were quickly beaten to the ground and forced to scurry away with their tails between their legs. Just before leaving, however, Snake shot them a venomous look.
Chen Feiyu wore an amused smile.
"Damn it, good thing those bastards ran fast, otherwise I would've crippled them for sure," Zhao Jun grumbled bitterly.
Qin Tanya said with concern, "They've definitely gone to round up some people. Shouldn't we leave first?"
Zhao Jun boasted, "Don't you worry, Goddess Qin, I'll protect you. No matter who comes, I'll beat them to a pulp!"
Chen Feiyu inwardly shook his head.
Suddenly, an authoritative voice echoed from outside the doorway. "Oh? I, Jiang Tianhu, would love to see just who is so arrogant that they dare beat my men into the dirt?"
Immediately following the voice, the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man wearing a blue Tang suit walked in. He looked somewhat frail, with a sinister and sickly pale expression. On the thumb of his left hand, he wore a green jade thumb ring, and his right arm was wrapped around a deeply alluring woman dressed in a high-slit red cheongsam that was striking and seductive.
Behind him followed a crowd of underlings, among whom were the battered and bruised Snake and the bald man.
"Jiang... Jiang Tianhu?"
The expressions of He Chao, Zhao Jun, and Li Jianfeng instantly turned frantic and cowardly.
Jiang Tianhu, known as the First Tiger of Mingji, was a notorious figure in the underworld. It was rumored that he was utterly ruthless, once wiping out an entire rival family overnight with heads rolling in the dust. Moreover, he had connections reaching the highest heavens, making him a tyrannical existence throughout the entire Mingji City.
To say nothing of He Chao and the others, even if their fathers were standing here right now, they would still have to respectfully address him as "Brother Tiger."
"B-Brother Tiger, we didn't know they were your men just now. Please forgive our offense," He Chao forced a flattering smile.
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Tanya, being women, hadn't heard much of Jiang Tianhu's reputation. Zhou Ruohua snapped with sarcastic indignation, "He Chao, are you even a man? They were the ones who bullied us first, and you're still apologizing to them?"
He Chao's face drained of color, and inwardly he wanted to curse Zhou Ruohua to death. *Damn it, that is Jiang Tianhu, the ruthless lunatic who could have you gang-raped with a single word and walk away scot-free! By yelling at him, aren't you courting death?*
Beside them, the woman in the cheongsam draped herself entirely over Jiang Tianhu and giggled, "Brother Tiger, it seems this little girl looks down on you."
Jiang Tianhu stroked her smooth skin and sneered, "Alright, this little girl has quite some backbone. Baldy, who was the one who threw the punches earlier? Cripple him for me. Let's see who dares to stop you."
Lin Yujia shrank into Chen Feiyu's arms, trembling with fear.
The expressions of He Chao and the others shifted dramatically. Both Zhao Jun and Li Jianfeng felt a wave of regret as they cast pleading glances toward He Chao.
He Chao immediately piped up, "Brother Tiger, my father is He Tian'an from the state-owned enterprise. He's even had a drink with you before."
"Oh, so you're President He's boy?" Jiang Tianhu paused slightly before saying, "Fine, I'll give President He some face..."
Before He Chao and the others could feel a sense of relief, Jiang Tianhu continued, "The men each lose an arm, and take all the women away to spend the evening drinking with my brothers to make amends."
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Tanya turned pale with fright. In their eyes, He Chao's father was already an untouchable figure of high status, yet Jiang Tianhu wasn't giving him any face at all.
Only then did they realize what kind of terrifying monster they had provoked.
He Chao, Zhao Jun, and Li Jianfeng turned as pale as earth, their legs trembling uncontrollably with fear.
The bald man burst into raucous laughter, snatched up a beer bottle, and smashed it over Zhao Jun's head. Blood splattered everywhere as he cursed, "Fuck, that'll teach you to hit me!"
Snake's eyes lit up with malicious glee as he grinned and stepped forward, reaching out to grab Lin Yujia from Chen Feiyu's arms. Suddenly, a massive force struck him, sending him flying backward to crash headfirst into the floor right at Jiang Tianhu's feet like a dog eating mud.
"You want to cripple them, I have no objections. But did I give you permission to take these three beauties away?" Chen Feiyu stood up, casting a sideways glance at them.
"Brother Yu..." Lin Yujia looked at Chen Feiyu with worried eyes. Chen Feiyu gave her a reassuring gesture to let her know she was safe.
Snake scrambled to his feet and suddenly shrieked, "Aha! It's you, you little punk! Brother Tiger, the incident at the mall the other day—he was the one who did it!"
Jiang Tianhu's face darkened as he ordered, "Small world, isn't it? Cripple him for me, then throw him out to feed the dogs!"
Upon hearing this, Snake, the bald man, and Jiang Tianhu's subordinates all surged forward, leaving only a cold-faced young man standing behind them.
"Be careful..." Lin Yujia cried out in alarm.
"Overestimating your own abilities!"
Chen Feiyu let out a cold snort and suddenly lunged forward. In less than a dozen seconds, Snake and the rest of his crew were all beaten to the ground, struggling and unable to get back up.
Everyone present—including Tiger and the young man behind him—was utterly shocked.
Lin Yujia, Zhou Ruohua, and Qin Tanya, in particular, stared with their jaws dropped in disbelief.
The next moment, Chen Feiyu walked right up to Snake and sneered, "When you tried to drag my date away just now, was it this very hand you used?"
With that, Chen Feiyu brought his foot down hard. With a sickening *crack*, Snake's right hand was crushed into a compound fracture.
Jiang Tianhu's expression grew completely grim. "Not bad, punk. You actually know a few moves, no wonder you dared to disrespect my Jiang Tianhu. Leng Dao, cripple him for me. Let him know that I, Jiang Tianhu, am the law around here!"
Leng Dao stepped forward abruptly, drawing a pair of sharp short blades. Radiating intense battle intent, he said, "Will you break your own arm, or do you want me to do it?"
"Too much talk. If you want to fight, then fight," Chen Feiyu said indifferently.
"Then prepare to meet your maker!" Leng Dao gripped his blades in both hands and pushed off the ground with a powerful spring. Like an arrow released from a bow, he shot rapidly toward Chen Feiyu, the piercing glare of his blades slashing a dazzling arc through the air.
The man was cold, and his blades were even colder!
"Brother Tiger, with Leng Dao making a move, I reckon this punk is a dead man for sure," the cheongsam-clad woman simpered seductively.
Jiang Tianhu nodded proudly. "Naturally. Don't let the fact that Leng Dao is only around thirty fool you; he has studied martial arts under masters since he was a child, and he is already a master at the Late Qi Unification stage. In all of Mingji City, he ranks in the top five for sheer strength.
In particular, his twin-blade technique was inherited from a renowned Luoyang school. It's said that when his dual blades are unleashed, they can slice through rushing water and even allow him to challenge opponents above his weight class. Just last year, relying solely on the blades in his hands, Leng Dao publicly executed a warrior at the Early Nether Penetration stage.
In my view, while this kid has a few tricks up his sleeve, he probably won't even survive a single strike from Leng Dao."
As he spoke, Jiang Tianhu even shook his head, as if he had already foreseen Chen Feiyu being decapitated.
The expressions of He Chao and the others changed drastically. Although they knew nothing about martial artists, they had occasionally heard their elders whisper about the hierarchy of martial dao, knowing that the Qi Unification Stage was already a rare and formidable realm in the modern world.
No wonder Jiang Tianhu had been able to act so tyrannical in Mingji City for so long—he had such an absolute powerhouse by his side.
He Chao's face was ashen, his heart filled with utter despair.
***
Meanwhile, Leng Dao had already rapidly closed the distance to Chen Feiyu, holding his dual blades high before bringing them down in a fierce, brutal slash meant to execute Chen Feiyu on the spot!
Suddenly, a blur flashed before Leng Dao's eyes, and Chen Feiyu vanished from his sight, sending a jolt of shock through his heart.
"Your speed is far too slow." Chen Feiyu's voice came from behind him, sounding somewhat disappointed.
As if he had just been slapped across the face, the smile on Jiang Tianhu's lips instantly froze. He never imagined that Chen Feiyu's speed would be terrifying enough to evade Leng Dao's attack entirely.
The cheongsam-clad beauty dropped her jaw wide open, looking as though she had seen a ghost.
Startled, Leng Dao whipped his dual blades backward in a fierce, fluid, and natural thrust without the slightest hint of obstruction, fully displaying his mastery over the blade.
Regrettably, Chen Feiyu was even faster, having already widened the distance between them.
With his attacks hitting empty air, Leng Dao wore a grave expression for the very first time. "Let's see you take my next strike."
With that, he crossed his blades and, like a coiled spring, violently launched himself toward Chen Feiyu, roaring, "Twin Blades Cross Slash!"
Jiang Tianhu yelled in excitement, "Leng Dao is actually using this move! Last year, an Early Nether Penetration expert was decapitated by this exact strike. Since Leng Dao is pulling out his ultimate technique, the outcome is decided."
Leng Dao's twin blades crossed and split apart, carving a brilliant cross through the air, swearing to cut Chen Feiyu down.
"Brother Yu, be careful..." Lin Yujia gasped, her little mouth agape. Even Qin Tanya and Zhou Ruohua could not bear to watch.
"You are too weak."
Suddenly, Chen Feiyu stood his ground and spoke indifferently.
As if to prove his words, facing the intensely fierce blade, Chen Feiyu abruptly reached out his left hand to grab it.
The next moment, the piercing glare of the blades came to an abrupt halt. The sharp edges of both blades were firmly and steadily pinched between Chen Feiyu's fingers.
"What?!"
Leng Dao was shocked, Jiang Tianhu was shocked, and everyone present was struck dumb with disbelief.
Leng Dao's unstoppable strike—one that could even surpass his rank to slay an Early Nether Penetration master—had been effortlessly caught between someone's bare fingers?
Could it be that Chen Feiyu was a master at the Mid Nether Penetration stage?
Jiang Tianhu broke out in a cold sweat.
Immediately following this, Chen Feiyu threw a fierce punch straight into Leng Dao's chest.
Leng Dao let out a muffled groan, spat a mouthful of blood, and flew backward through the air, slamming heavily into the wall and causing spiderweb-like cracks to splinter across its surface in a terrifying display.
Leng Dao defeated in a single punch!
Lin Yujia cheered in delight, "Brother Yu, you're amazing!"
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Tanya were both stunned and thrilled, but the next moment, recalling how they had previously mocked and sneered at Chen Feiyu, the two women bit their lips as a faint wave of remorse surged through their hearts.
He Chao's expression turned unimaginably ugly. Earlier, he had turned coward and lacked even the courage to resist Jiang Tianhu, yet Chen Feiyu—whom he had despised—had not only stepped forward but also displayed divine might.
This stark contrast made him feel like a complete fool. Furthermore, he knew that after this incident, not only Lin Yujia, but even Zhou Ruohua and Qin Tanya would harbor deep gratitude toward Chen Feiyu.
*Damn it, if I had known this would happen, I never would have come here.*
At that thought, He Chao glared viciously at Zhou Ruohua.
Chen Feiyu tossed the twin blades in his hand as he slowly walked toward Jiang Tianhu.
Jiang Tianhu's face turned ashen, and just as he was about to make a run for it, a sudden chill hit his neck—Chen Feiyu had already appeared right before him, pressing a blade against his throat.
The cheongsam-clad beauty let out a piercing shriek and collapsed to the floor. The slit of her cheongsam parted, causing a generous display of her charms to spill out. Chen Feiyu accidentally caught a glimpse, his breathing turning somewhat hurried as he quickly averted his gaze.
"Damn it, even Jiang Tianhu is no match for him? What a useless piece of trash!"
At that exact moment, inside the private room directly across the hall, Li Tongwei was sitting down for a banquet. He happened to witness Jiang Tianhu and Chen Feiyu cross paths and had been looking forward to watching Jiang Tianhu teach Chen Feiyu a lesson.
Never did he expect Chen Feiyu to be so monstrously powerful that even Jiang Tianhu would fail.
"Fine. Taking revenge with my own hands brings the most pleasure, anyway." Li Tongwei sneered, picking up his phone and dialing a number. "Hello, Bureau Chief Zhou? It's me, Li Tongwei..."
Unaware of Li Tongwei's actions, Chen Feiyu kept the blade pressed against Jiang Tianhu's throat and sneered, "Now, I am the knife and you are the fish on the cutting board. Do you yield?"
Jiang Tianhu's expression shifted as he forced a flattering smile. "Brother, it was my eyes that were blind; I didn't recognize that you were a master of the Nether Penetration stage, and I ask for your forgiveness. However, I answer to the Xie Family of Mingji City. It's one thing for you to kill me, but if you offend the Xie Family, even as a Nether Penetration expert, I'm afraid you won't come out unscathed."
"Nether Penetration stage? What kind of nonsense is that?" Chen Feiyu inwardly frowned. As a cultivator who had grown up in the mountains since childhood, he was unfamiliar with the ranks of martial artists.
The expressions of He Chao, Zhou Ruohua, and the others shifted once more. They never expected Jiang Tianhu's backer to be the Xie Family, though that finally explained why he could act with such lawlessness in Mingji City.
Seeing Chen Feiyu frown in silence, Jiang Tianhu assumed he was afraid, which gave him a renewed sense of confidence. "Brother, you haven't really suffered any losses anyway. Why don't we just let this matter rest here?"
Chen Feiyu sneered, "Kneel down for me!"
He infused his words with true qi, employing a technique akin to the Buddhist Lion's Roar. Jiang Tianhu's knees buckled, and with a heavy *thud*, he collapsed onto the floor.
He Chao and the others watched with their jaws hanging open, overcome with shock.
Could it be that Chen Feiyu didn't even care about giving face to the Xie Family?
Lin Yujia felt that Chen Feiyu exuded boundless masculine charm, her eyes filled with tenderness like water. As for Qin Tanya and Zhou Ruohua, the remorse in their hearts grew even heavier.
Was Jiang Tianhu arrogant? Absolutely arrogant.
Was Jiang Tianhu tyrannical? Beyond a doubt.
Yet the notoriously tyrannical Jiang Tianhu couldn't even put up a slight resistance against Chen Feiyu's roar, dropping to his knees in public with cold sweat pouring continuously from his brow.
Anyone witnessing this scene would surely have thought the world had gone mad.
At this very moment, that was precisely how He Chao and the others felt.
Chen Feiyu stood with a commanding aura, looking down from above as he said indifferently, "Apologize."
Inside, Jiang Tianhu was locked in a bitter internal struggle.
"Apologize! I won't repeat myself a third time!" Chen Feiyu said coldly, while his left hand exerted a slight pressure. The short blade pierced into the ground directly in front of Jiang Tianhu, leaving only the hilt vibrating with a low hum.
Jiang Tianhu's expression changed drastically. His eyes filled with humiliation, he lowered his head and muttered, "S-Sorry."
He Chao and the others were dumbfounded. Even their fathers had to treat Jiang Tianhu with utmost courtesy whenever they met him, terrified of offending the man. Yet Chen Feiyu had not only forced Jiang Tianhu to his knees but also compelled him to issue a public apology.
With Chen Feiyu being this terrifying, what would happen if he held a grudge and sought revenge for the mockery earlier?
At that thought, cold sweat broke out across He Chao and the others once again.
Chen Feiyu twirled the remaining short blade in his hand and asked indifferently, "Let me ask you, do you know where you went wrong?"
The look of humiliation in Jiang Tianhu's eyes intensified. Though he knew how to bend with the wind, he was still a dominant overlord of Mingji City's underworld—when had he ever been humiliated like this?
"Even though you are a Mid Nether Penetration master, you are not invincible in Mingji City. Do you really intend to fight me to the bitter end?" Jiang Tianhu demanded angrily.
"To the bitter end?" Chen Feiyu chuckled playfully. "You can give it a try and see if you have what it takes."
Suddenly, Leng Dao, who had been severely injured and had just undergone a brief moment of internal recovery, staged a sudden counterattack. He sprang violently off the ground, lunging toward Chen Feiyu with even greater speed than before.
"Watch out..."
Lin Yujia, Qin Tanya, and Zhou Ruohua cried out in alarm all at once.
"A cornered beast's desperate struggle—nothing more. Still utterly pathetic."
Chen Feiyu spoke with utter contempt. With a slight flick of his right hand, the other short blade instantly shot forward like a bolt of lightning, cutting through the air with a brilliant flash of light before piercing straight into Leng Dao's shoulder. The momentum of the blade remained unexhausted, carrying both man and weapon backward until he was nailed ruthlessly into the wall, emitting a low, vibrating hum.
Lin Yujia had the most timid disposition and turned somewhat pale with fright.
Chen Feiyu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, speaking with proud arrogance. "Well then, what other tricks do you have? Bring them all out together. I'll take them all on."
Despair filled Leng Dao's eyes. Chen Feiyu was simply too powerful; there was no room for any counterattack whatsoever.
"Alright, now it's your turn." Chen Feiyu turned his gaze toward Jiang Tianhu and smiled with scorn. "Let me ask you again: where did you go wrong?"
Jiang Tianhu had already deeply experienced Chen Feiyu's formidable and invincible might, leaving his heart filled with despair. However, being known as the "First Tiger of Mingji," he was definitely a man of real substance.
Rolling his eyes, Jiang Tianhu suddenly blurted out, "If you spare my life, I'll tell you a secret—and it's a secret you will definitely be interested in."
A flicker of curiosity crossed Chen Feiyu's eyes. Besides, backed by such overwhelming strength, he had no fear of any tricks Jiang Tianhu might try to pull. Pondering for a brief moment, he said, "Yujia, you girls head back first."
"But... but..." Lin Yujia was still hesitant, but Zhou Ruohua made a decisive judgment, immediately grabbing her hand and pulling her away. As for the three men—He Chao and his companions—they had been sitting on pins and needles, and hearing what sounded like a pardon from the heavens, they scrambled away in a panicked rush.
"Alright, what's this secret? You can tell me now." Chen Feiyu sat down directly in his seat.
Jiang Tianhu asked awkwardly, "Um... would you mind letting me get up first?"
Chen Feiyu gave a slight nod. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jiang Tianhu scrambled to his feet. The very first thing he did was rush over to Leng Dao and say, "Brother, bear with it." With that, he yanked the short blade out of Leng Dao's shoulder, causing a fresh spray of blood to instantly erupt.
Leng Dao's face turned ashen white, yet he gritted his teeth and endured the pain without letting out a single groan.