Chapter 128: Three Days Later

The long-suppressed fury within Red Dragon and his men erupted at this very moment. These people had provoked them time and again—did they really think they were pushovers?

Yan He led the charge, followed by countless fellow disciples, rushing straight toward them. Refusing to be outdone, Red Dragon and his men let out a roar, leading their own "bodyguards" to meet the charge head-on.

The men behind Yan He were practitioners of the martial arts; while their strength was not extraordinary, they were certainly not ordinary people. However, when it came to the men brought by Red Dragon, every single one of them was a battle-hardened veteran who had truly lived through fire and blood.

The moment the two sides clashed, the vast disparity in their capabilities became immediately apparent. As soon as they collided, Yan He’s men were sent reeling by sheer brute force. In an instant, the front line collapsed to the ground.

A flicker of terror crossed Yan He’s eyes. He had never imagined that the men brought by Xiao Ye would be this fierce. A chorus of wails erupted from the crowd.

Red Dragon, charging at the forefront, plunged into the fray, his fists flying into the faces of two men beside him. They were sent sailing backward instantly, their blood and saliva mingling as they splattered onto the floor. Red Dragon felt a surge of excitement; it had been a long time since he had stretched his limbs like this.

Xiao Ye stood to the side, watching the scene with cold, unmoved eyes. They had brought this upon themselves; it had nothing to do with him.

With the addition of Red Dragon and his men, Yan He’s side was forced into a steady retreat, eventually pushed all the way to the center of the boxing gym. They were completely unable to withstand the relentless assault.

Just as Red Dragon and his crew were looking to finish them off, a resonant voice boomed from the main entrance of the gym.

"Stop!"

Everyone froze. Xiao Ye and his men turned to look. A man dressed in luxurious attire appeared at the entrance, his face etched with anger.

"Everyone, cease!" the middle-aged man shouted, striding inside.

Red Dragon exchanged a glance with Xiao Ye, who signaled for his men to stand down. The middle-aged man walked up to the group, his gaze dark and piercing as he swept it across them, finally resting on Xiao Ye.

"You are Xiao Ye?" the middle-aged man asked, his expression still grim.

"I am," Xiao Ye replied with a faint, calm smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man let out a loud laugh, leaving Xiao Ye feeling confused.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Yu Han, the master of the men you killed."

Xiao Ye nodded. He had already realized that the reason these people had invited him here today was for revenge. It mattered little to him; if they wanted vengeance, he would see if they truly had the capability to achieve it. What surprised him, however, was that Yu Han showed no immediate hostility.

"Let’s do this. I won’t say we are bullying you today. In three days, in front of all our peers in the world, I will issue you a formal challenge!"

Hearing this, Xiao Ye simply gave a slight nod. "I will come back in three days." With that, Xiao Ye led his men out of the boxing gym.

"I will be waiting," Yu Han said with a smile, though the bulging veins on his neck betrayed his true emotions.

Once Xiao Ye and his men had departed, Yan He approached Yu Han. "Master..."

"Say no more. Take the wounded to get treated. I have my own plans for the rest," Yu Han said, shaking his head and cutting Yan He off before beginning to mobilize his men.

***

The plane landed at Jianghai City Airport shortly after; the entire trip to the Jiangnan District had taken less than six hours. As soon as he exited the airport, he received a call from Old Liu.

"Xiao Ye, let's meet. I’m at a restaurant. The address is..."

Xiao Ye had a rough idea of what Old Liu wanted to discuss—it was undoubtedly about the aftermath of recent events. However, he had always met with Old Liu at the Liu residence; why would they suddenly meet at a restaurant?

"I’ll be there immediately."

Hanging up, Xiao Ye didn't overthink it and headed straight to the restaurant Old Liu had specified. Upon reaching the second floor and opening the door to the private room, he found a man he had never met sitting at the table, sipping tea. Several bodyguards stood beside him, exuding a menacing aura.

"Apologies, I have the wrong room." Xiao Ye sensed something was off and turned to leave, but the man spoke up.

"Xiao Ye, right? You’re in the right place. We were sent by Old Liu to meet you."

Xiao Ye understood instantly. These people must have taken control of the situation in the Jiangnan District and apprehended Old Liu, which was why they were luring him here. But how could these people have known?

"Where is the master of the Liu family?" Xiao Ye asked coldly, not wasting time. The man before him smiled.

"He’s under our control. If all goes well, he’s currently dreaming."

As the words left his mouth, a curtain to the side was pulled back, revealing Old Liu tied to a chair, completely unconscious. Xiao Ye made a quick assessment; fortunately, they hadn't harmed him.

"These underhanded tricks are useless. You’d be better off facing me head-on. If you have a grievance, take it out on me!"

"Good! I actually kind of like your temper!" Yang Qing said, slamming his hand on the table and lunging at Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye’s words resonated with him. He had come representing the Cheng family, but he hadn't expected to accidentally discover the alliance between Old Liu and Xiao Ye. He wanted to test Xiao Ye’s strength, and his personality had earned Yang Qing's begrudging respect. To show that respect, he decided to strike first.

The sharpness of his punch was unlike anything Xiao Ye had encountered before. The trajectory of the fist seemed to faintly tear through the air, carrying a powerful wind as it swung toward him.

Xiao Ye let out a cold snort, blocked the attack, and then exerted force to push Yang Qing back.

"You really do have some genuine skill!" Yang Qing somersaulted, landing on the back of a chair on his tiptoes, and praised him.

A clash between true masters happens in a split second; the moment their bodies made contact, Yang Qing had felt the extent of Xiao Ye’s level.

"It’s a pity. You and I are so similar in temperament, but I never make friends with dead men. Remember to be reborn into a better life in your next one!" Yang Qing sneered and lunged at Xiao Ye once more.

They exchanged several blows. Yang Qing’s intensity did not wane; if anything, his punching speed increased with every strike. Xiao Ye did not counterattack, choosing instead to focus on parrying.

After testing a few blows, Xiao Ye gauged that Yang Qing was only slightly inferior to Red Dragon. To reach this level without the kind of experiences they had endured was truly remarkable.