Suddenly, He Chao cast a malicious glance at Chen Feiyu and smiled with a sneer, "My friend, you look a bit unfamiliar. May I ask your name, and where do you work?"
Chen Feiyu set down his teacup and said, "My name is Chen Feiyu, and I work as a waiter at Yujia's aunt's restaurant."
Zhao Jun and the others burst into sneers of contempt.
"So a waiter it is. Well, that's not a bad profession. It really is... really quite a fitting match for Brother Chen." He Chao's disdain was plain for all to see.
Lin Yujia's expression shifted, and she said angrily, "He Chao, what is that supposed to mean?"
"My bad, my bad. I just didn't expect him to be a waiter, that's all," He Chao apologized with a smile, but looking at him, was there any trace of an apology?
Zhou Ruohua couldn't have felt more pleased. *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 stumbled in, reeking of alcohol.
They turned out to be Brother Snake and the bald man that Chen Feiyu had run into earlier at the shopping mall.
Since Chen Feiyu and Lin Yujia had their backs to the two men, they didn't recognize Chen Feiyu right away.
He Chao stood up and frowned. "Friends, did you walk into the wrong room?"
Brother Snake had indeed walked into the wrong room and was about to back out, but upon catching sight of Qin Danya and Zhou Ruohua, his burning desire flared up unmasked, and he decided to play along. "Little girls, our boss has taken a fancy to you. How about coming over and having a drink with him?"
The expressions of He Chao, Zhao Jun, and the other two abruptly changed. Zhou Ruohua and Qin Danya were their dates; having someone try to poach their women right in front of them was more than any man could take.
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Danya turned pale with anger.
He Chao's expression grew gloomy. "Listen here, we are people you can't afford to cross. If you leave right now, I can pretend this never happened, otherwise..."
Brother Snake let out a sinister, mocking laugh. "What the fuck, you actually dare to threaten me? Let me tell you, if this little hottie doesn't come and drink with our boss today, none of you are walking out of here alive."
Zhao Jun, the soccer team captain, had the fiercest temper. He had always held a torch for Qin Danya, and now that his goddess had been insulted, how could he hold back any longer? He lunged forward with a kick, sending Brother Snake crashing to the floor, and cursed, "Damn it, you're just asking for a beating!"
Seeing this, He Chao and Li Jianfeng didn't hold back either and waded into the fray.
Although Brother Snake and the bald man could handle themselves, they were already drunk and lightheaded, and combined with being heavily outnumbered, they were quickly knocked to the ground. They tucked their tails between their legs and fled, though as he left, Brother Snake shot them a vicious glare.
Chen Feiyu smiled with amused interest.
"Damn it, good thing they ran fast, or I would have crippled them for sure," Zhao Jun fumed with lingering resentment.
Qin Danya said with concern, "They've definitely gone to round up people. Shouldn't we leave here first?"
Zhao Jun boasted, "Great Goddess Qin, don't you worry, I'll protect you. No matter who shows up, I'll beat them to a pulp!"
Chen Feiyu inwardly shook his head.
Suddenly, an authoritative voice rang out from outside the doorway. "Oh? I, Jiang Tianhu, would like to see just who is so arrogant that they dare beat my men into a pulp on my turf?"
Immediately afterward, the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man wearing a blue Tang suit walked in. He looked somewhat frail, with a sinister expression and a sickly, pale complexion. On the thumb of his left hand, he wore a green jade thumb ring, and his right arm was wrapped around an extremely alluring woman wearing a high-slit red *qipao* that was intensely sexy and bewitching.
Behind him followed a number of henchmen, among whom were the battered and bruised Brother Snake and the bald man.
"Jiang... Jiang Tianhu?"
He Chao, Zhao Jun, and Li Jianfeng instantly panicked, their courage failing them.
Jiang Tianhu was known as the First Tiger of Mingji City, a notorious underworld figure. It was rumored that he was utterly ruthless, having once wiped out an entire rival family overnight with heads rolling everywhere. Furthermore, his connections reached the heavens, making him an arrogant and domineering presence throughout all of Mingji City.
Let alone He Chao and the others, even if their fathers were here, they would still have to respectfully address him as "Tiger Bro."
"Tiger... Tiger Bro, we didn't know they were your men just now. We truly didn't mean to offend you," He Chao said with a ingratiating smile.
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Danya were girls and hadn't heard much of Jiang Tianhu's reputation. Zhou Ruohua angrily taunted, "He Chao, are you even a man? They were clearly the ones bullying us first, and you're actually apologizing to them?"
He Chao's expression twisted, and internally he wanted to curse Zhou Ruohua to death. *Damn it, that's the ruthless Jiang Tianhu we're talking about! A single word from him could get you gang-raped, and he'd still walk away scot-free afterward. For you to mouth off at him now—isn't that just seeking your own death?*
The woman in the *qipao* draped herself entirely over Jiang Tianhu and giggled, "Tiger Bro, looks like this little girl is looking down on you."
Jiang Tianhu stroked her smooth skin and sneered, "Alright, this little girl's got some spine. Baldy, which one of them threw the punches? Break him for me. Let's see who dares to move."
Lin Yujia shrank into Chen Feiyu's arms, trembling with fright.
The expressions of He Chao and the others shifted dramatically. Zhao Jun and Li Jianfeng were filled with a mixture of remorse and panic as they looked to He Chao for help.
He Chao immediately piped up, "Tiger Bro, my dad is He Tian'an at the state-owned enterprise. He's had drinks with you before."
"Oh, so you're President He's boy?" Jiang Tianhu paused slightly and said, "Fine, I'll give President He some face..."
Before He Chao and the others could even feel relieved, Jiang Tianhu continued, "The men each lose an arm, and take all the women away to have a few drinks with the brothers tonight as an apology."
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Danya turned pale with terror. In their eyes, He Chao's father was already a towering figure of high status, yet Jiang Tianhu wasn't giving him an ounce of face.
Only then did the two girls realize what kind of terrifying monster they had provoked.
He Chao, Zhao Jun, and Li Jianfeng turned ashen, their legs shaking with fright.
The bald man laughed wildly, grabbed a beer bottle, and smashed it over Zhao Jun's head. Blood splattered everywhere as he cursed, "Fuck you, let's see you hit me again, you motherfucker!"
Brother Snake's eyes lit up with predatory glee as he chuckled and walked over, reaching out to grab Lin Yujia from Chen Feiyu's arms. Suddenly, a massive force struck him, sending him flying backward to crash in a pathetic heap right at Jiang Tianhu's feet.
"You want to break their limbs, I have no objections, but did you ask for my permission before trying to take these three beauties away?" Chen Feiyu stood up, casting a sideways glance.
"Brother Yu..." Lin Yujia looked at Chen Feiyu with worry in her eyes. Chen Feiyu gave her a reassuring look to let her know she was safe.
Brother Snake scrambled up and suddenly shouted, "That's right, it's this punk! Tiger Bro, the incident at the shopping mall last time was all his doing."
Jiang Tianhu's expression darkened. "Small world, enemies really do cross paths. Break him for me, and then throw him out to feed the dogs!"
At his command, Brother Snake, the bald man, and Jiang Tianhu's thugs surged forward, leaving only a cold-faced young man standing behind.
"Watch out..." Lin Yujia cried out in alarm.
"Overestimating your capabilities!"
Chen Feiyu let out a cold snort and suddenly lunged forward. In less than tens of seconds, Brother Snake and the others were all knocked flat on the ground, struggling frantically but unable to get back up.
Everyone present—including Tiger Bro and the young man behind him—was struck dumb with shock.
Lin Yujia, Zhou Ruohua, and Qin Danya, in particular, stared in utter astonishment.
The next moment, Chen Feiyu walked up to Brother Snake and sneered, "When you tried to drag my date away just now, was it this hand you used?"
With that, Chen Feiyu brought his foot down hard. With a crisp *crack*, Brother Snake's right hand was reduced to a shattered mess of broken bones.
Jiang Tianhu's expression grew utterly dark. "Good kid, you actually know a few tricks. No wonder you dared to disrespect me, Jiang Tianhu. Leng Dao, break him for me. Let him know that I, Jiang Tianhu, am the law around here!"
Leng Dao stepped forward abruptly, drawing a pair of razor-sharp short blades. A fierce fighting spirit radiated from him as he said, "Will you break your own arm, or do you want me to do it?"
"Too much chatter. If you want to fight, then fight," Chen Feiyu said indifferently.
"Then prepare to meet your maker!" Leng Dao gripped his dual blades, his feet springing off the ground as he shot toward Chen Feiyu like an arrow off a bowstring. The chilling blade light sliced through the air in a blinding arc.
The man was cold, and his blades were even colder!
"Tiger Bro, with Leng Dao making a move, I reckon this kid is a dead man for sure," the *qipao* woman said with a seductive smile.
Jiang Tianhu nodded smugly. "Naturally. Don't let the fact that Leng Dao is only around thirty fool you; he's been studying martial arts under a master since he was a child, and he's already a Late-Stage Qi Harmonization expert—easily among the top five powerhouses in all of Mingji City.
Especially his dual-blade technique, which he inherited from a famous school in Luoyang. It's said that when both blades are unleashed, they can sever flowing water and even bridge realms to fight opponents above his level. Just last year, relying on those two blades in his hands, Leng Dao publicly cut down an Early-Stage Nether Penetration expert.
In my view, while this kid has a few tricks up his sleeve, against Leng Dao, he probably won't even be able to take a single blow."
As Jiang Tianhu spoke, he even shook his head, as if he had already seen the scene of Chen Feiyu's head parting from his shoulders.
The expressions of He Chao and the others changed drastically. Although they knew nothing of martial artists, they had once heard their elders vaguely discuss the ranks of martial arts, and they knew that the Heqi Stage was already a rare powerhouse in the modern world.
No wonder Jiang Tianhu had been able to run amok in Mingji City for so long—it turned out he had such a martial arts expert by his side.
He Chao's face turned ashen, his heart filled with absolute despair.
***
Meanwhile, Leng Dao had already rapidly closed the distance to Chen Feiyu. Raising his dual blades high, he suddenly brought them down in a ferocious downward slash, intending to execute Chen Feiyu on the spot!
Suddenly, a blur flashed across Leng Dao's vision, and Chen Feiyu's figure vanished entirely, 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 Chen Feiyu could move so fast as to evade Leng Dao's attack.
The *qipao* beauty's jaw dropped as if she had just seen a ghost.
Startled, Leng Dao whipped his dual blades around to stab backward in a fluid, natural motion without a single hitch, fully displaying his mastery of the blade.
Regrettably, Chen Feiyu was even faster, having already widened the distance between them.
With both blades striking empty air, Leng Dao wore a grave expression for the first time. "Let's see you take this next blow."
With that, he crossed his blades and, springing back like a coiled spring, lunged straight at Chen Feiyu, roaring, "Dual Blade Cross Slash!"
Jiang Tianhu said excitedly, "Leng Dao's actually pulling out this move! That Early-Stage Nether Penetration expert last year was decapitated by this exact strike. Since Leng Dao is using his ultimate technique, the outcome is decided."
Leng Dao's dual blades crossed and parted sharply, carving a dazzling cross in the air as they vowed to cut Chen Feiyu down.
"Brother Yu, watch out..." Lin Yujia covered her little mouth in fright. Even Qin Danya and Zhou Ruohua couldn't bear to watch.
"You're far too weak."
Suddenly, Chen Feiyu stood rooted to the spot and spoke indifferently.
As if to prove his words, facing the razor-sharp, merciless blade attack, Chen Feiyu abruptly reached out his left hand and grabbed forward.
The next moment, the ferocious blade light came to an abrupt halt. The razor-sharp edges of the dual blades were firmly and steadily pinched between Chen Feiyu's fingers.
"What?"
Leng Dao was shocked, Jiang Tianhu was shocked, and everyone else was left dumbfounded.
Leng Dao's unstoppable strike—a blow capable of slaying an Early-Stage Nether Penetration expert by bypassing cultivation realms—had been casually caught between someone's fingers?
Could Chen Feiyu be a Mid-Stage Nether Penetration expert?
Jiang Tianhu broke out in a cold sweat.
Immediately following this, Chen Feiyu threw a punch straight into Leng Dao's chest.
Leng Dao let out a muffled grunt, a mouthful of blood spraying from his lips as he was sent flying backward to crash heavily against the wall, causing spiderweb-like cracks to splinter across the surrounding masonry—a truly startling sight.
Leng Dao, defeated in a single punch!
Lin Yujia cheered happily, "Brother Yu, you're amazing!"
Zhou Ruohua and Qin Danya experienced a mix of shock and joy, which was immediately followed by a wave of bitter remorse as they recalled how they had previously sneered and mocked Chen Feiyu. Both bit their lips, a faint regret welling up in their hearts.
He Chao's expression turned intensely ugly. Earlier, he had turned coward, lacking even the courage to put up a fight against Jiang Tianhu. Yet Chen Feiyu—the very person he had looked down upon—had not only stepped up, but had also displayed such awe-inspiring might.
This stark contrast made him feel like an absolute fool. He also knew that after this incident, not just Lin Yujia, but even Zhou Ruohua and Qin Danya would hold deep gratitude toward Chen Feiyu.
*Damn it, if I'd known this would happen, I never would have come here!*
At this thought, He Chao glared viciously at Zhou Ruohua.
Chen Feiyu toyed with the dual blades in his hands and slowly walked toward Jiang Tianhu.
Jiang Tianhu's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to make a run for it, a sudden chill hit his neck—Chen Feiyu had already arrived before him, pressing a blade against his throat.
The *qipao* beauty shrieked in terror and tumbled to the floor, her *qipao* hem shifting apart to reveal a scandalous expanse of flesh. Chen Feiyu accidentally caught a glimpse, causing his breathing to grow somewhat hurried as he quickly turned his head away.
*Damn it, even Jiang Tianhu is no match for him. What a useless trash!*
At that exact moment, inside the private room across the hall, Li Tongwei was sitting at a banquet. He had just happened to see Jiang Tianhu and Chen Feiyu clash and had been more than happy to watch Jiang Tianhu teach Chen Feiyu a lesson.
Never did he expect Chen Feiyu to be so formidable that even Jiang Tianhu would fail.
"Fine. Taking revenge with my own hands brings the greatest pleasure," Li Tongwei sneer, picking up his phone and dialing a number. "Hello, Chief Zhou? It's me, Li Tongwei..."
Unaware of Li Tongwei's actions, Chen Feiyu pressed the blade against Jiang Tianhu's throat and sneered, "Now, I am the butcher's knife and you are the fish on the block. Do you yield?"
Jiang Tianhu's expression shifted, and he put on a ingratiating smile. "Brother, it was my eyes that failed to recognize Mount Tai; I didn't realize you were a Nether Penetration expert, so please forgive me. However, I answer to the Xie Family of Mingji City. Killing me is one thing, but if you offend the Xie Family, even as a Nether Penetration expert, I'm afraid you won't come out ahead."
"Nether Penetration? What the hell is that?" Chen Feiyu inwardly frowned. As a cultivator who had lived 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 hadn't expected Jiang Tianhu's backer to be the Xie Family, but that certainly explained why he could act so lawless and unbridled in Mingji City.
Seeing Chen Feiyu frown in silence, Jiang Tianhu assumed he was afraid, which bolstered his confidence. "Brother, you haven't really suffered any losses anyway, so why don't we just let this matter rest here?"
Chen Feiyu sneered, "Kneel down for me!"
He infused his words with true qi, 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 stared in absolute shock, their minds reeling with disbelief.
Could it be that Chen Feiyu wasn't even going to give face to the Xie Family?
Lin Yujia felt that Chen Feiyu was the epitome of masculinity, her eyes brimming with tenderness, while Qin Danya and Zhou Ruohua felt an even heavier pang of regret in their hearts.
Was Jiang Tianhu arrogant? Without a doubt.
Was Jiang Tianhu domineering? Assuredly.
Yet this same arrogant and domineering Jiang Tianhu had been brought to his knees by a single shout from Chen Feiyu, unable to put up even the slightest resistance as he knelt publicly on the ground with cold sweat continuously pouring from his brow.
Anyone witnessing this scene would surely have thought the world had gone mad.
At this very moment, that was precisely what He Chao and the others were feeling.
With a haughty gaze, looking down from on high, Chen Feiyu said indifferently, "Apologize."
Jiang Tianhu's mind was locked in inner conflict.
"Apologize! I won't repeat myself a third time!" Chen Feiyu said coldly, while his left hand applied a slight pressure, driving the short blade straight into the floor in front of Jiang Tianhu until only the vibrating hilt remained humming.
Jiang Tianhu's expression changed dramatically, his eyes filled with humiliation as he lowered his head and muttered, "S-sorry."
He Chao and the others were dumbfounded. Even their fathers had to act extra polite when meeting Jiang Tianhu, terrified of offending him, yet Chen Feiyu had not only forced Jiang Tianhu to his knees, but was also compelling him to apologize publicly.
With Chen Feiyu being this terrifying, what if he held a grudge and came after them for mocking him earlier?
At this thought, cold sweat broke out all over He Chao and the others once again.
Chen Feiyu toyed with the other short blade and said indifferently, "I ask you, do you know where you went wrong?"
The look of humiliation in Jiang Tianhu's eyes grew even more intense. Flexible as he was, he was still a local overlord of Mingji City's underworld—when had he ever been humiliated like this?
"Even though you're a Mid-Stage Nether Penetration expert, you aren't invincible in Mingji City. Do you really want to fight me to the bitter end?" Jiang Tianhu demanded angrily.
"To the bitter end?" Chen Feiyu chuckled playfully. "You're welcome to 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 recovery, launched a surprise attack, springing up from the ground to hurl himself at Chen Feiyu with even greater speed.
"Watch out..."
Lin Yujia, Qin Danya, and Zhou Ruohua all cried out in alarm simultaneously.
"A cornered beast putting up a desperate struggle—nothing more. Still utterly pathetic."
Chen Feiyu said with disdain. With a slight flick of his right hand, the other short blade instantly shot through the air, trailing a dazzling beam of light as it plunged straight into Leng Dao's shoulder. Carrying unstoppable momentum, the blade carried both man and weapon backward before pinning him viciously against the wall, leaving the hilt vibrating with a humming sound.
Lin Yujia had the smallest courage and turned somewhat pale from fright.
Chen Feiyu stood with his hands behind his back and said proudly, "Well? Got any other moves? Bring them all out together, I'll take them all."
Despair filled Leng Dao's eyes. Chen Feiyu was simply too powerful; there was no room to fight back at all.
"Alright, now it's your turn." Chen Feiyu looked down at Jiang Tianhu and smiled contemptuously. "Let me ask you again: where did you go wrong?"
Jiang Tianhu had already deeply experienced Chen Feiyu's might and invincibility, leaving his heart filled with despair. However, being able to earn the title of the "First Tiger of Mingji City" meant he definitely had substance.
With a roll of his eyes, Jiang Tianhu suddenly said, "Spare my life, and I'll tell you a secret—a secret I guarantee you'll be interested in."
A flicker of curiosity crossed Chen Feiyu's eyes. Anyway, given his absolute strength, he wasn't afraid of whatever tricks Jiang Tianhu might try to pull. Pondering for a moment, he said, "Yujia, you guys head back first."
"But... but..." Lin Yujia was still hesitant, but Zhou Ruohua made a decisive judgment and pulled her away. As for He Chao and the three guys, they had been on pins and needles anyway and immediately acted as if granted a pardon, scrambling away in a panic.
"Alright, what's this secret? You can tell me now," Chen Feiyu said, sitting straight down in his seat.
Jiang Tianhu asked awkwardly, "Would you mind letting me get up first?"
Chen Feiyu gave a slight nod. Jiang Tianhu let out a breath of relief as he scrambled to his feet, and his very first action was to 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 burst of blood to spurt everywhere.
Leng Dao turned pale as a sheet, but he stubbornly bit his tongue and didn't utter a single groan.