Chapter 23: Scum and Villainy!

Zhao Heihu was seething with rage today.

That afternoon, he had sent his most capable right-hand man, Gao Deyao, to handle a demolition project, only for him to return in defeat, claiming he had encountered a formidable master. Not only had the demolition failed, but they were now being extorted for thirty million!

The land occupied by the Xiao family villa was critical. Securing it would allow for the expansion of the surrounding villas into a high-end luxury district complete with large-scale commercial facilities—a massive project capable of generating billions in annual revenue. Furthermore, the successful completion of this project would allow Zhao Heihu to finally launder all his assets. It was, therefore, of the utmost importance to him.

Tonight, he had arranged to meet an expert, intending to have him secretly eliminate the obstacle to the Xiao villa demolition. Instead, he arrived to find his niece and nephew beaten to a pulp. This situation left him spiraling into doubt. Had his influence truly waned to such an extent that even some random stray dog dared to step on his head?

"Kid, you’re arrogant, but your luck is wretched! You shouldn't have crossed me today. If you had only beaten my nephew and niece, I might have just broken your leg and called it a day, but now..."

"You’ll be chopped into pieces and fed to the dogs!"

Zhao Heihu’s face was cold, his words dripping with murderous intent. He took a slow step forward, heading toward Duan Lingxiao.

"Wait!"

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Zhao Heihu. A figure stepped out from the side. It was none other than Gao Deyao, who had led the demolition crew at the Xiao villa that afternoon. His left hand was still wrapped in bandages.

"Old Gao, what’s the meaning of this?" Zhao Heihu frowned.

"Brother Tiger, this is the guy I told you about!" Gao Deyao’s face turned ghastly. He hadn't expected to run into Duan Lingxiao again while out for dinner. Looking at Duan, he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Sir... we meet again."

"Indeed we do. Where is my compensation?" Duan Lingxiao offered a playful smile.

"Ah, this!" Gao Deyao’s face collapsed. He had wanted to pay, but Zhao Heihu refused; he wasn't willing to part with thirty million, and he certainly wasn't going to give up the Xiao villa land. That was precisely why they were meeting tonight—to figure out how to solve this "problem," which was really just a euphemism for eliminating Duan Lingxiao. Who would have thought they would run into the man himself? Still, he wasn't overly worried.

The master Zhou Tianhao, whom Zhao Heihu had invited today, was far more terrifying. While Duan Lingxiao could hold off a bulldozer with one hand, this master could shatter a two-foot-thick wall with a single punch. Compared to him, the latter possessed far more prestige and power.

"It seems you have no intention of honoring the compensation. I hate dishonesty most of all," Duan Lingxiao’s eyes turned cold.

"Kid, you beat our men and demanded compensation—fine! I’m magnanimous, so I won't hold that against you. But you humiliated and beat my nephew and niece; that is unacceptable!" Zhao Heihu narrowed his eyes. "Tell you what, consider the Xiao villa land the compensation."

He scanned Duan Lingxiao from head to toe, unable to detect even a shred of martial aura. He looked no different from an ordinary person. One had to understand that martial artists were fundamentally different from commoners; their blood, energy, and spirit underwent a qualitative change after training. Masters could easily sense these differences. Yet, Zhao Heihu felt nothing. Duan Lingxiao felt like a pool of still water. Could a person like this really stop a bulldozer with one hand? Was he bluffing?

"Unacceptable? Then let's stop talking," Duan Lingxiao said indifferently. "If I don't see the thirty million by nine o'clock tonight, I don't mind making a special trip to wipe out the Black Tiger Hall before I go to sleep."

*Hiss—*

The crowd gasped in shock, unable to believe their ears. Zhao Heihu’s aura was overwhelming; everyone around them was shrinking back, terrified to make a sound. Yet, Duan Lingxiao had the audacity to threaten the destruction of the Black Tiger Hall if they didn't pay? He was truly asking for death!

Zhao Heihu’s face turned dark; everyone could feel the fury radiating from him. Gao Deyao shrank back; he dared not offend Zhao Heihu, but he also dared not offend Duan Lingxiao. He was caught in a living hell.

"Boss Zhao, is this the master you spoke of?" Just then, a man dressed in a white martial arts uniform with black cloth shoes spoke up. He looked to be in his thirties and had a hideous scar across his face that gave him a terrifying presence.

"Brother Hao, that’s him!" Zhao Heihu replied, his tone remarkably respectful. This was the martial artist he had invited from Jinling, Zhou Tianhao. Years ago, Zhao Heihu had done him a small favor, and in return, Zhou had agreed to help.

Upon hearing the name, those in the crowd who were well-informed gasped. "Is this the Zhou Tianhao who fought eighteen martial artists in a row at the Jinling martial arena five years ago, winning every single match, known as the 'Peerless Iron Fist'?"

"I heard he studied under a Heaven-realm master and spent years in the overseas mercenary world, honing his skills on the battlefield. He progresses terrifyingly fast. Someone once put a bounty on his head, and he hunted them across three provinces before successfully killing them!"

Clearly, Zhou Tianhao’s reputation was significant, far greater than Zhao Heihu’s. Only now did the crowd notice that Zhou’s fists were more than twice the size of a normal man's. His knuckles were thick and his veins bulged, resembling two massive iron hammers.

"Hmph!" Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly. Glancing at Duan Lingxiao with an air of superiority, he said coldly, "Do as Boss Zhao said: hand over the land, kneel and apologize, and then get lost!"

He waved a hand, looking at Duan Lingxiao with utter disdain. Based on Zhao Heihu’s description, he had been excited to meet a super-expert, hoping for a fight to hone his skills. But seeing him in person, he was deeply disappointed. Young, arrogant, weak aura, no martial fluctuations. All in all, a waste of space. Someone like this wasn't even worth his time.

"Where did this scarred-face come from?" Duan Lingxiao frowned, shaking his head in annoyance. "Kneel and apologize now, and I might spare your life. Otherwise, stepping on trash like you is a waste of my energy."

Duan Lingxiao spoke calmly, his hands behind his back.

"You're courting death!" Zhou Tianhao’s face shifted, his eyes flaring with murderous intent. In his view, he had already been incredibly generous. He hadn't attacked; he only asked for an apology and the land, which would have at least saved the boy's life. But this lowly brat was so arrogant and reckless—he deserved to be torn to shreds!

"You little bastard, you’re quite arrogant. I’ll twist your head off and turn it into a chamber pot, then throw your corpse into the river to feed the fish!" Zhou Tianhao’s arms tensed, his muscles and bones creaking. A massive, blood-chilling aura radiated from him, striking terror into the hearts of the onlookers.

"Truly arrogant, but arrogant people die young," Zhao Heihu said coldly. Since Zhou Tianhao was already enraged, he would simply sit back and watch as the boy who didn't know his place was torn to pieces.

"Good, good, good! You’ve provoked us, now you must die!" Zhao Guofeng and Zhao Mengru sneered, their eyes flashing with malice.

"Oh, really?" Duan Lingxiao casually picked up a disposable chopstick from the table. Then, forming his fingers into a blade, he flicked the chopstick. A surge of internal energy wrapped around it, turning it into a sharp blade that shot out from his palm with lightning speed!