"I won't let you die an easy way. I'm going to break your dog legs and send you to Lord Long for punishment!"
"Get him—"
He snapped his fingers.
Nearly a hundred men aggressively closed in within a split second, pressing closer and closer, the killing intent growing heavier and heavier...
Chapter 4: A Whole Regiment?!
Facing the siege of a hundred men, Xiao Zining's eyes showed not a single ripple.
He turned his head to look at Xiao Feng. "Phoenix, has the reinforcement we called arrived?"
He couldn't be bothered to dirty his hands dealing with such street thugs.
"They're almost here," Xiao Feng replied.
The supervisor gave a disdainful laugh. "Calling people? Well, fuck, you're putting on quite a show. I'd love to see how many people you can summon!"
Just as his voice fell.
Outside the main gate, a figure stumbled in, kneeling on the ground with a face full of terror. "Supervisor, it's bad! People are coming from outside!"
The supervisor laughed dismissively. "What are you afraid of? Just this fellow, how many people could he possibly call?"
The man was shaking all over, stammering as he held up one finger. "One..."
"One?" The supervisor laughed sarcastically.
The man shook his head frantically.
"Ten?"
The man shook his head again, the terror in his eyes growing even deeper...
"A hundred?"
"O-One regiment!!" He finally forced the words out.
The supervisor trembled all over.
"Bang—"
"Bang—"
Deafening gunshots suddenly pierced through from the outside, reaching everyone's ears.
A flurry of heavy, rapid footsteps grew denser and closer like beating drums... A swarm of heavily armed soldiers surged in!
A whole regiment?!
Everyone's brains exploded on the spot, their legs turning to jelly. They instantly stopped in their tracks, trembling from head to toe...
The supervisor's face turned completely pale, looking even worse than if his own mother had died.
The surging soldiers instantly occupied the entire space...
Every single one of them wore a solemn expression.
Standing at strict attention.
From the dense crowd walked a middle-aged man in full military uniform, standing straight with medals hanging from his shoulder.
With a heavy thud, he dropped to one knee before Xiao Zining, his expression incomparably respectful!
"Your subordinate, commander of the 7th Regiment of the Fengcheng Garrison, pays respects to—"
Xiao Zining waved a hand. "Get up."
He didn't want to expose his identity just yet, so as to avoid unnecessary complications.
The hundred men present were all dumbfounded! Including the supervisor!
Their minds suddenly went completely blank...
An entire regiment!
With a mere wave of his hand, Xiao Zining could summon a whole regiment!
And this regimental commander knelt to pay homage to him—just who, exactly, was his identity?!
The commander of the 7th Regiment stood up excitedly, asking cautiously, "Young Master Xiao, how should these people be disposed of?"
A flash of killing intent flickered across Xiao Zining's eyes. "Leave none alive."
Clutching Xiao Yi, he walked straight out of this place without looking back...
Xiao Feng followed closely behind.
"Thud—"
"Thud—"
At that instant, the hundred-plus people, including the supervisor, felt the world spin around them. Terrified, they collapsed to their knees on the spot...
"Spare us..."
"We belong to Lord Long..."
A dense volley of gunshots rang out, and all sounds abruptly ceased.
A rich smell of blood instantly permeated the entire auction house...
Leave none alive.
"Handle this immediately!"
"Clean up the scene!" The regimental commander ordered coldly with a blank expression.
Outside.
Xiao Yi looked up curiously at Xiao Zining. "Brother, are you very powerful now?"
"Mn." Xiao Zining hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "From now on, with your brother here, no one can bully you."
"But..." Xiao Yi's eyes dimmed. "Mom and dad, after all, didn't get to see this day when you return home in glory."
"For the bloody vengeance of mom and dad, I will definitely make the Four Major Clans pay in blood!"
"The Four Major Clans in Fengcheng are at the zenith of their power, covering the sky with a single hand..." Xiao Yi said with a face full of worry.
She was worried her brother wouldn't be able to defeat the four great clans and would follow in their parents' footsteps. After all, she only had one family member left—
"Brother, why don't we leave this place far behind? I'm afraid that you..."
"Rest assured, in my eyes, they are mere ants." Xiao Zining's eyes were full of killing intent. "I will make them... repay it a hundredfold!"
Looking at the formidable Xiao Zining, Xiao Yi could only nod.
Xiao Yi suddenly said, "Right, Brother, you'd better go check on Sister-in-law and the others. I don't know if they've been given a hard time."
"Sister-in-law?" Murderous intent blazed in Xiao Zining's eyes. "That bitch Lin Hui is not worthy of being your sister-in-law. I will settle accounts with her slowly..."
Xiao Yi hurriedly spoke up. "I'm not talking about Lin Hui. I mean Bai Xining—"
Bai Xining!
Xiao Zining's heart trembled.
Bai Xining was the woman he had a fateful relationship with five years ago by a twist of fate...
"Also, Brother, there is one thing you've never known," Xiao Yi said slowly. "Sister-in-law gave birth to a pair of fraternal twins for you..."
At that moment, Xiao Zining's mind exploded!!
Fraternal twins...
He had become a father?!
Chapter 5: An Ungrateful Wolf Knocks on the Door!
"I—I've become a father?" Xiao Zining was astonished.
Then, his face filled with pleasant surprise.
"That's right." Xiao Yi nodded. "Those two little fellows are so crafty. In the past, Mom, Dad, and I would occasionally go secretly to see them."
"The little ones are quite lovable."
"However..." Xiao Yi sighed and said, "Sister Bai Xining accidentally became pregnant back then, and the Bai family wanted to demand compensation from our Xiao family. She refused to yield even unto death, and in the end, her entire family was driven out of the Bai family. Life has been very hard for them now."
"Before, Dad, Mom, and I wanted to welcome her back to the Xiao family, but she flatly refused and wouldn't even allow us to approach the two babies."
"What happened back then hurt her deeply."
Hearing this, a sense of guilt rose in Xiao Zining's heart.
Although what happened originally wasn't his intention and he had been framed by others, it had indeed caused immense hurt to Bai Xining.
This time, upon his return!
He would use all his strength to compensate them!!
He couldn't imagine how Bai Xining had silently endured being pointed at and scorned in every possible way over these years, while also enduring a ten-month pregnancy and the hardship of raising two children all by herself...
At this thought, he felt an even deeper sense of indebtedness toward Bai Xining.
"Let's go home first." Xiao Zining was silent for a moment, then spoke. "Phoenix, drive."
The three of them got into the jeep and headed toward the old Xiao family residence.
——
Meanwhile.
The old Xiao family residence.
A group of people arrogantly barged in, led by a fat, middle-aged man.
"Clear this place out for me immediately. Take all the valuable things."
"Throw away anything we don't want."
The fat middleman walked with his hands behind his back, looking like a man pointing out the landscape.
"Yes—"
The group behind him scattered in an instant, starting to ransack the Xiao residence.
"What are you doing!"
An angry voice came as an elderly man walked out from inside, his eyes splitting with rage at the scene before him.
He was the housekeeper of the Xiao family.
Chen Fu.
"Old Fu," the fat middleman chuckled. "What could I be doing? Naturally, I'm moving all the valuable things here away."
"Anyway, this old Xiao residence is about to be auctioned off. Instead of letting outsiders profit, it's better to benefit me, a loyal veteran who has worked hard and dedicated decades to the Xiao family."
"Wang Zhong! You beast, how can you face the master by doing this?"
Chen Fu roared angrily.
"How did the master treat you in the past? Their bones aren't even cold yet, and you—"
"Don't mention that fellow to me!"
Wang Zhong's eyes turned cold, and he shoved Chen Fu to the ground. "I climbed to the position I have today through my own efforts, and it has nothing to do with him! Understand?"
"Search!"
"Search thoroughly!"
Wang Zhong's eyes were full of greed. With a bit of luck this time, they might even unearth quite a few valuable antiques, calligraphy, and paintings.
That was all money!
As for Xiao Chuan, the man was already dead; who gave a damn about respect anymore!
Wang Zhong swaggered into the ancestral hall of the Xiao family and sneered upon seeing the memorial tablets of Xiao Chuan and his wife.
Bah, you deserved it!"
Back then, Xiao Chuan had given him a helping hand, giving him the chance to rise and build his current tens of millions in net worth.
Yet precisely because of that, he especially hated this fellow!
Every time others brought him up, they said he only had Wang Zhong's current success because the richest man Xiao Chuan had pulled him up on a whim!
How could someone as arrogant as him endure other people's idle gossip?
While Xiao Chuan was alive, he could only bow and scrape like a dog; now that Xiao Chuan was dead, couldn't he kick a man while he was down?
"President Wang, the Xiao residence has been completely looted, and quite a few things have been found!"
"Good."
Wang Zhong nodded and shouted darkly, "Smash this ancestral hall for me, smash their memorial tablets!"
"No!!" Chen Fu stumbled in from outside the door, collapsing heavily to his knees as he grabbed the hem of Wang Zhong's trousers and begged bitterly...
"Wang Zhong, I beg you, I beg you... don't smash it..."
Chapter 6: From Now On, You'll Spend Your Life in a Wheelchair!
"This..."
Those people hesitated a bit. Smashing the ancestral hall was going a bit too far.
"What? Can't you understand human speech?" Wang Zhong snorted coldly.
Seeing that Wang Zhong was angered, they reluctantly nodded. "Alright!"
"Smash it!"
"Smash it to pieces!"
Chen Fu's eyes split with grief as he pleaded, "You can't do this! Wang Zhong, I'm begging you! I'm kneeling and begging you..."
Wang Zhong grinned hideously and waved his hand, knocking Chen Fu to the ground.
"It's no use even if you kneel. Today, I, your father, am definitely smashing this place!"
"Do it!"
Just as they were about to smash the entire ancestral hall to smithereens...
"Let me see who dares!!"
An angry roar rang out, and a tall figure strode in through the door with powerful, dragon-like steps. A pair of starry eyes carried chilling frost, and his momentum was like a rainbow.
"You... are you Xiao Zining?"
Wang Zhong showed a trace of astonishment. "Heh, you rapist, you still dare to come back? Now that your parents are dead, who else is going to protect you?"
"Wang Zhong, you ungrateful wolf, you really are devoid of conscience. Did you forget how my parents treated you back then? And now you actually send people to smash their ancestral hall? Good, very good!"
Xiao Zining was filled with rage.
"Don't talk to me about those things!" Wang Zhong sneered. "You're nothing more than a stray dog right now! What do you have to stop me? Today, I'm smashing this place for sure!"
Just as his voice fell, Xiao Zining's body had already vanished from where he stood.
The next moment!
He appeared right in front of him instantly!
"You dog! Today I'll cripple you and make you kneel before my parents... to atone for your sins!" Xiao Zining's tone was icy.
The next instant, he kicked out.
"Ah—"
Wang Zhong's kneecap was shattered on the spot, and with a thud, he dropped to a single knee.
"Kowtow!"
In an icy tone, Xiao Zining kicked his other lower leg as well.
Wang Zhong dropped to both knees simultaneously!
Xiao Zining stepped down hard on his head.
Slamming his entire face ruthlessly against the floor, pressing it flat!
"Ah—!"
"Xiao Zining, you—you fucking court death!"
Twisted with pain, Wang Zhong let out an angry roar. "Attack! Attack! Everyone attack together and cripple him for me!"
The men swallowed hard, none daring to make the first move.
"Whoever cripples him gets one hundred thousand from me!"
One hundred thousand!!
Hearing those words, everyone's eyes lit up! Gritting their teeth, they swarmed forward...
Xiao Feng's tall, slender figure moved, rushing forward like an agile leopard. At the same time... screams rang out one after another!
She charged straight into the crowd, sweeping through them. In less than five seconds, all those men were lying on the ground wailing, either with broken arms or broken legs...
"A bunch of trash, and you dare make a move against my master?" Stepping on the chest of one of the men, Xiao Feng sneered disdainfully.
"Th-This—" Wang Zhong's eyes bulged, gasping in cold air continuously as he trembled. "Zining, good nephew, I'm your Uncle Wang. Think of the past..."
"From now on, you'll spend your days in a wheelchair." Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Zining stepped down twice more, breaking Wang Zhong's hands as well.
He hated ungrateful wolves most in his life!
"Ah—" Wang Zhong rolled his eyes back and passed out cold from the agony on the spot.
Xiao Zining cast a cold glance at the men on the ground and commanded imperiously, "Take him and get lost!"
"Yes, yes, yes—"
Terrified, breaking out in cold sweat and trembling all over, those men finally endured their severe pain and left the Xiao residence in disgrace.
Xiao Zining looked up at the two memorial tablets hanging high in the ancestral hall, dropping heavily to his knees as tears instantly streamed down his face...
"Dad, Mom, your unfilial son Xiao Zining has come back to see you!"
Chapter 7: Meeting Father and Children!
Xiao Yi's eyes were also red.
She sobbed softly.
With sharp eyes, Xiao Zining vowed, "Dad, Mom, I will definitely make all the masterminds be buried with you!"
"I'll chop off their dog heads to... avenge you!"
Chen Fu wept bitter tears. "Young Master, you've finally returned. While the Master and Madam were alive, they missed you every single day..."
"After the Master and the others died, even their bodies couldn't be found. It's just a cenotaph..."
Hearing this, Xiao Zining felt an even heavier blockage in his chest, his eye sockets turning red.
After his parents died, they had to suffer such humiliation, unable to even find their remains... The Four Major Clans were hateful!
After paying respects to the Xiao couple.
Xiao Yi asked hesitantly, "Brother, should we go see Sister-in-law?"
Xiao Zining's heart trembled, and he nodded slightly.
——
Meanwhile.
The Wang family residence.
"What?!"
"Xiao Yi was rescued by Xiao Zining? Wang Heng was killed? That was Lord Long's establishment! How could that guy—"
A middle-aged man looked horrified, his dark gaze terrifyingly grim.
He was none other than the head of the Wang family, Wang Wei.
"Brother, you must avenge little Heng!"
Another middle-aged man, Wang Jian, knelt on the ground weeping. Wang Heng was his only son, and yet he had been killed—how could he accept it?
"Rest assured." Wang Wei nodded. "I will definitely get justice for him!"
Xiao Zining!
After fighting in the Northern Territory for so many years, this fellow actually didn't die?
He really had a cat's nine lives!
And he was so daring as to kill someone from the Wang family?
"This guy... should have some skills now. I heard even the local garrison was alarmed. Let's go investigate his background first!"
Wang Wei pondered.
"However, so what if he's made something of himself? In Fengcheng, we Four Major Clans are the sky! Even if you come back, you're dead for sure!"
The Wang, Li, Zhou, and Han families.
In Fengcheng.
Covered the sky with a single hand.
A mere Xiao Zining couldn't stir up half a wave.
Five years ago, they could toy Xiao Zining to death, and five years later, they could do the same!
"Also, the engagement banquet between Lin Hui and Wang Hao must not be delayed."
"Send an invitation to Xiao Zining. On that day, I want him to become the laughingstock of the entire city!"
"We'll humiliate him properly first, and then kill him like a cat playing with a mouse to vent our hatred..."
——
The jeep stopped outside a dilapidated residential complex.
The environment was messy.
A pungent stench hung in the air.
Xiao Zining's heart trembled wildly.
Over the years, Bai Xining and the children had been living in this kind of environment?
His eyes were filled with guilt.
Suddenly, his gaze froze, locking onto a spot beside a garbage can on the roadside.
Two dirt-covered little children stood on the street, looking completely helpless.
A middle-aged couple stood there, hurling abuses at the two kids.
"Hao Hao, Doudou!" Xiao Yi couldn't help crying out.
And Xiao Zining's heart trembled violently at that very moment...
"Stop!!"
He roared, kicked the car door open, and stepped out. Looking at the two children, his gaze became incomparably, infinitely gentle...
"Two little beggars!"
"Little bastards with mothers but no fathers, pay up! Pay up immediately!"
"You caused my car to be scratched. If you don't call your family over to pay a few hundred thousand, none of you are getting away..."
Looking at the fierce and vicious middle-aged pair, the little boy tightly shielded the little girl, fear in his eyes, yet looking resolutely unwavering.
"Doudou doesn't have money... and you were the ones who drove into us..."
"Auntie, please don't be angry, okay? It's Doudou's fault... This is all the money Doudou earned from picking up bottles today..."
The little girl looked wronged, finally stretching out her dirty little hands to hold out a handful of scattered, loose change, offering it to the middle-aged couple.
"Please don't tell Mom, Grandma, and the others, okay? If they find out we went out to pick up bottles again, they'll scold big brother again..."
Xiao Zining's eyes stung, tears flooding his entire eye sockets!
Seeing the loose change totaling less than five yuan, a wave of anger surged in the middle-aged woman's chest.
"Slap—" She knocked the money down with a single sweep. "You think you can dismiss me with a few yuan? I'm going to beat you two little bastards to death today!"
With a ferocious expression, she raised her palm and brought it down fiercely!
Chapter 8: You're Not Worthy of Being Their Father!
"You aren't allowed to bully my sister!"
The boy stepped forward, shielding his little sister behind him. Watching the palm enlarge before his eyes, he trembled all over, yet did not retreat a single bit!
However, the slap never landed.
The woman's hand was firmly caught by a powerful grip!
"Bullying two little children, don't you feel any shame?" Suppressing the fury in his heart, Xiao Zining asked coldly.
"Who the hell are you? Daring to meddle in our business," the middle-aged woman demanded arrogantly. "Get lost—or you'll be sorry."
"How much? I'll pay," Xiao Zining said indifferently. "Take the money and get lost."
"You?" The middle-aged couple looked at him with utter disdain. "Twenty thousand? Can you afford that?"
"Stinking poor ghost!"
"Get lost, get lost, get lost—"
Xiao Zining's gaze darkened as he said coldly, "Asking an exorbitant price?"
"So what if we are asking an exorbitant price! If you don't pay, I'm going to break these two little bastards' dog legs!" They spoke shamelessly.
"Mister..."
"No, don't give them money..."