Chapter 65: The Eccentric Man

“You two, attack together!” The Red Ghost gritted his teeth and barked at the remaining men.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a tournament? So you’re resorting to anger now?” Xiao Ye laughed and addressed the Red Ghost.

“I’m telling you, these are the rules—our rules. Surely you don’t still believe in that nonsense?” The Red Ghost shouted back, eyes blazing with fanaticism.

Xiao Ye didn’t fear these men; on the contrary, that man’s provocation had awakened the bloodthirsty side of his nature, now restless and eager.

The two men vaulted onto the stage. Xiao Ye realized these must be the strongest among the ten, and since there were two of them, he dared not be careless.

One was tall, the other short, with a striking difference in build. Their gaze toward Xiao Ye was nothing like the others; their eyes were filled with pure killing intent, void of all else.

“All right, enjoy yourself,” the Red Ghost chuckled. At his signal, the two men lunged at Xiao Ye.

Their attacks were swift, and with a pincer movement, they forced Xiao Ye into a precarious situation.

Against four fists, two hands can hardly prevail. The two, though different in height, coordinated seamlessly, their combined assault posing a genuine challenge for Xiao Ye.

The Red Ghost’s excitement surged again; he alternated between shouting wildly from below and hopping about like a madman.

“That’s it! Hit him again! Finish him off quickly!” the Red Ghost yelled, red light flashing in his eyes, as though he wished to devour Xiao Ye alive.

The aura emanating from the Red Ghost was strange; Xiao Ye sensed his presence fluctuated, at times intense, at others weak—decidedly unusual.

For now, Xiao Ye focused on defending himself as he pondered a counter. Soon, he found his opening.

The two attackers’ techniques were nothing more than the street-fighting tricks Xiao Ye had used before reaching the Western Territories—lacking any true form or discipline.

Other than overpowering force, they posed little real threat to him.

Having analyzed their fighting style, Xiao Ye knew he only needed to use a bit of real technique, and he could easily kill them both.

Again, the two closed in, alternating blows at him—relentless and fierce. But to Xiao Ye, their speed was now plain and visible.

Quicker than either of them, Xiao Ye slipped past their punches, throwing his fists in a sweeping motion, striking both opponents squarely on the chin.

Here, where nerves and breath converge, one blow was enough to lay both men flat and send them into unconsciousness.

The two were hurled backward, staggering several steps before barely regaining their footing. They clutched their jaws; though not knocked out, Xiao Ye had dealt them a heavy blow.

“How does that feel?” Xiao Ye smiled, withdrawing his fist as he watched them calmly.

He was, in fact, a little surprised. These two were not his match in strength, yet their resilience was remarkable; most trained fighters would already be unconscious after taking a hit like that.

Not only did they remain standing, but they even pressed forward for another attack—enough to earn Xiao Ye’s grudging admiration.

Once more, the two regained their senses and charged at him.

After all, they still had numbers on their side. No matter how strong Xiao Ye was, they believed that together, they had a chance to kill him.

They were still too young—everyone here was—utterly oblivious to the reality before them.

As they lunged again, Xiao Ye found himself growing bored; he’d already gauged their abilities, and continuing this game no longer held any appeal.

No matter their coordination or the ferocity of their assault, in the rounds that followed, they couldn’t even graze the hem of Xiao Ye’s garment, while their wounds only grew worse.

On the sidelines, the Red Ghost’s grin faded. The disadvantage that his two men now faced was obvious, even without seeing it.

“If this goes on, both will die up there—this Xiao Ye…” The Red Ghost ground his teeth, clenching his fists even tighter. He, too, shrugged off his jacket and vaulted onto the stage.

At that moment, Xiao Ye was trading blows with the two men. Seeing the Red Ghost’s menacing arrival, he laughed and said, “So these are your precious rules? Very well, I’m curious to see if the three of you together can manage to defeat me.”

Such confidence from Xiao Ye made the Red Ghost’s fury burn all the brighter. Ten men, yet not one could touch Xiao Ye—a fact that gnawed at him relentlessly.

“I am the rules!” the Red Ghost thundered, and the three of them charged at Xiao Ye as one.

Three fists struck at once, and for a split second, Xiao Ye felt a strange disorientation—he couldn’t even tell whose arms were whose as they battered him, forcing him to retreat step by step.

After several backward steps, Xiao Ye planted his foot forcefully and barely managed to stop. The combined might of the three was impressive, even threatening to surpass his own.

“I can’t play around any longer. If this continues, something could go wrong,” Xiao Ye thought, tension tightening his back as he faced his opponents.

He had to cripple the other two. Among the three, only the Red Ghost posed any real threat; it was time to eliminate the others.

This was simple. He just needed to wait for the right moment and use a technique to render them incapable of fighting.

This time, Xiao Ye stopped going head-to-head with all three, knowing that a direct confrontation would only drain his strength.

After several exchanges, the Red Ghost failed repeatedly to land a blow. Each miss only fueled his agitation, and he pushed himself faster still—yet could not even touch the man before him.

“Coward! Weakling! Dare you face me head-on?” the Red Ghost bellowed, chasing after Xiao Ye.

But Xiao Ye was unmoved—the Red Ghost was not his primary target; his first priority was to kill the other two.

He kept probing for an opening, and at last he found it—finally, the Red Ghost could not shield both men completely. They failed to dodge, and Xiao Ye seized one, wrenching the man’s arm with brutal force, breaking it in three places.

The man crumpled to the ground, screaming in agony—a sound that could chill the blood.

Seeing his companion fall, the other man lost all composure and lunged at Xiao Ye in a frenzy.

“Stop! Don’t move!” the Red Ghost shouted from behind, still some distance away. If Xiao Ye caught this man too, the Red Ghost would be too late to help.

But it was already too late. Xiao Ye found another opening, locked the man’s lower body in a vice grip, and a sickening crack echoed through the air, drilling into the ears of all three.