Chapter 57: Is That All I'm Worth to You?

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Is That All I’m Worth?

Xu Yun glanced up at the flamboyantly dressed Jin Wenwu. “Trying to intimidate me? You’ve picked the wrong guy, kid.”

Muscles twitched visibly along Jin Wenwu’s cheekbones. As the young lord of Hedong’s eastern district, when had he ever been treated with such contempt? Even without Jin Biao as his father, he could still command the respect of thousands.

“Help them move out,” Wen Qing ordered without letting her son say another word. With a wave of her hand, more than a dozen burly, fierce-looking men barged in, their demeanor aggressive, as if bent on tearing the place apart.

Just ten days ago, the lifeblood of Ruan Qingshuang’s efforts had been destroyed by the Four Wolves Gang. Now, ten days after its rebirth, someone else wanted to lay waste to it. Xu Yun would never allow it. This medicated cuisine restaurant—unless Ruan Qingshuang herself gave up on it—he would not permit anyone to so much as scratch it. Never mind that the lease wasn’t up; even if it were, he wouldn’t leave for such a heartless landlady.

A wave of murderous intent surged forth, like a tempest crashing down upon the thugs who had broken in. In an instant, a bone-chilling terror overtook them. Under the weight of Xu Yun’s overwhelming aura, they found themselves unable to take another step. That presence was truly terrifying.

Jin Wenwu’s face darkened: killing intent! He felt a chill, yet his fighting spirit remained undiminished. After all, Wen Qing had sent him to train under underground masters for years—he’d seen the world, faced so-called experts.

But Jin Wenwu seemed unaware that even among so-called experts, there were different leagues. Counting on his years of training, he fearlessly launched a sneak attack, swinging his leg at Xu Yun’s left ear!

Xu Yun raised his left arm instinctively, blocking the attack. A smile played at his lips; this guy was interesting. No wonder the Jin family dared to expand their power—turns out they had a son who’d learned a bit of real skill.

After that kick, Jin Wenwu’s composure clearly faltered. He hadn’t expected his full-force strike to fail to move his opponent in the slightest. The scrawny, rustic-looking man before him could still afford to smile.

Perhaps out of sheer unwillingness to concede, Jin Wenwu threw another punch. Xu Yun, with a casual lift of his left wrist, parried the blow, and, almost simultaneously, drove his right fist with explosive force into Jin Wenwu’s chest. The impact left Jin Wenwu nearly breathless.

Xu Yun didn’t give him a chance to recover; he pressed the advantage, his fist unceremoniously striking toward Jin Wenwu’s head. Although Jin Wenwu’s chest had taken a heavy blow, he managed to dodge, keeping his wits about him. Yet Xu Yun’s fist suddenly turned into a knife-hand, chopping down on Jin Wenwu’s neck with force.

With that blow, Jin Wenwu staggered far across the room, crashing heavily to the floor.

Xu Yun wasn’t finished. In a flash, he stepped forward, landing a solid kick to Jin Wenwu’s ribs, sending him flying out of the restaurant and crashing onto the pavement at the entrance, where he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wen Qing’s face was stricken with panic—she couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d paid top dollar for her son’s master, Zuo Leng, a formidable figure. Her son had indeed improved greatly under his tutelage in recent years. She’d pinned her hopes of dominating Hedong on him!

“I’m going to kill you…” Jin Wenwu, having been kicked out the door by Xu Yun, somehow forced himself up, his eyes fixed on Xu Yun like a wounded, mindless beast—battered, yet desperate for a final fight.

Staggering but determined, Jin Wenwu re-entered the restaurant, his gaze cruel and venomous. Wen Qing, dazed with fear, didn’t even try to stop her son from courting death.

“You want to die? I’ll oblige,” Xu Yun said coolly, done playing games. He’d thought this guy had some skill, but he wasn’t even at third-rate entry level.

Suddenly, Jin Wenwu’s arms tensed, and he lunged at Xu Yun with shocking speed, jaws bared to reveal razor-sharp teeth—clearly aiming to tear out Xu Yun’s throat.

As expected, Xu Yun’s heavy fist, packed with layers of strength, crashed directly into Jin Wenwu’s face. The charging body flew backward like a severed kite, crashing to the ground.

With that punch, everything was settled—Jin Wenwu was nothing more than a moth hurling itself at a flame in Xu Yun’s eyes. As Jin Wenwu made that desperate, final lunge, Xu Yun couldn’t help but think of a man from the underworld—Hyena.

The gang of toughs looked shaken. Their young master was no ordinary playboy—normally, he fought like a tiger, taking out street thugs in seconds. Yet now, he hadn’t even had a chance to fight back.

Suddenly, the door of Jin Wenwu’s black Prado swung open. A pair of polished leather shoes touched the ground, followed by a tall, lean figure stepping out.

Wen Qing snapped out of her daze and rushed out to cradle her half-dead son, her fury turning on the tall man. “Zuo Leng! I paid you so much, and my son’s nearly beaten to death—now you show up?”

The tall, stubbly man looked hungover, his voice sluggish. “You paid me to train your son. Getting beaten is part of the process—he won’t die.”

“I want you to kill that man inside!” Wen Qing, frantic for her son, was consumed with hatred for Xu Yun, wishing she could tear him apart.

Zuo Leng’s voice turned cold as ice. “Do you think I’m your family’s servant?”

Wen Qing suddenly realized she had no right to command this man. Her arrogance vanished, replaced with pleading. “Zuo Leng, I’ll pay you—a million! Kill the man inside and I’ll give you a million!”

By then, Xu Yun had stepped out of the restaurant, smiling faintly. “A million? Come on, is that all I’m worth?” Then, glancing at the tall man, he said dismissively, “Hyena, I suggest you don’t take this job.”

The lean man shuddered, all traces of his hangover vanishing. He stared in shock at the unremarkable figure before him. “Who are you?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter,” Xu Yun replied with a wave of his hand, unconcerned. “But I advise you not to do anything foolish. Dying for a bit of money isn’t worth it.”

The tall man’s name was Zuo Leng. Once a notorious figure in the underworld, ruthless and decisive, he’d earned the nickname Hyena—until he vanished from the scene some years ago.

Back then, Xu Yun’s organization had frequent run-ins with various underground groups, so he knew all about such people. Hyena had once caused a major stir, earning a bounty before disappearing. Who would have thought he’d fallen so far as to become a “tutor” for hire?

“Hmph, I wasn’t planning to kill you… but since you’re courting death.” Zuo Leng’s eyes gleamed with savagery, like a true hyena. “Anyone who knows I’m still alive must die!”

Xu Yun narrowed his eyes as a chilling aura exploded from him. This mere second-tier fighter dared to boast so brazenly? Xu Yun would show him what it meant to seek death.

Zuo Leng gathered his strength and shot forward with a sudden burst, a lightning-fast punch aimed straight at Xu Yun’s face. The speed was so astonishing that it left everyone stunned—who’d have thought such a scrawny frame could unleash such power?

But Xu Yun was no slouch. With a sidestep, he effortlessly evaded the blow and, seizing the moment, hooked his foot to trip Zuo Leng, sending him off balance. Xu Yun’s arm swung down like a hammer!

Zuo Leng’s tall, thin body slammed into the concrete. As he tried to rise, Xu Yun appeared in a flash, seizing him by the throat and giving him no chance to breathe. Xu Yun’s right fist crashed into his face!

Any true expert could see it—if Xu Yun had used half his strength against Jin Wenwu, now he was using half again as much against Zuo Leng.

Xu Yun knew, though Zuo Leng’s skill was a tier below his own, he could never afford to underestimate an opponent. His master had always said: if your opponent is at the entry threshold, and you take him lightly, he’ll have the power to hurt you.

Zuo Leng felt the pressure on his throat, unable to breathe; his face turned a deep, eggplant hue. His retinas became engorged with blood, pressure building, and a hot rush surged to his head. He clawed desperately at Xu Yun’s vise-like fingers, kicking frantically in the air. Even as his jaw threatened to dislocate from opening so wide, only trickles of air reached his lungs. His organs seemed to twist together, and a powerful sense of impending death overwhelmed him…

Suddenly, Xu Yun hefted Zuo Leng up and drove a kick into his abdomen. The nearly six-foot man folded in half and flew sideways, crashing heavily into the black Prado, nearly toppling the massive vehicle.

Slumped on the ground, Zuo Leng coughed violently, forgetting for a moment the searing pain coursing through him. He gulped in air greedily, billions of red blood cells carrying oxygen through newly freed arteries, flooding his brain, limbs, and organs.

When he finally realized he was still alive, Xu Yun was already standing before him.

A deep, suffocating fear made Zuo Leng’s fingers tremble. He was utterly no match for the man before him, whose strength outstripped his by a thousand leagues.

“I told you, didn’t I? Dying for money like that isn’t worth it,” Xu Yun said coolly. “I won’t kill you. But you can go kill the woman who nearly got you killed.”

Zuo Leng snapped back to his senses, then his sharp gaze shot toward Wen Qing, making her shiver all over—those were the eyes of a killer.

Wen Qing’s previous arrogance was gone. Her legs nearly buckled beneath her.

“But if that woman decides to transfer the property to me, you’re not allowed to touch her,” Xu Yun added, slapping Zuo Leng hard across the face. “Got it?”

Zuo Leng didn’t dare protest. Nodding, he grunted in assent.

Wen Qing nearly wept with relief, her voice shaking. “I’ll get the deed right away…I’ll transfer the property to you right now…”

Faced with someone who could dispatch even the devils she’d hired, Wen Qing chose life without hesitation. With life, anything is possible; without it, what’s the point of power or money?

As the saying goes, better to live humbly than die gloriously.

“Really?” Xu Yun grinned, his tone utterly without menace. “Auntie, I’m no robber. How about this: I’ll give you a hundred yuan, you write me a receipt, and consider the house sold. How about it?”