Instead of getting angry, Ruan Hui just laughed, as if he had expected this all along.
"Interesting, interesting..."
It was as if a decent toy had finally amused him. He even clapped his hands lightly, full of praise.
Understanding the unspoken command at once, a security guard to the side stepped forward, dragged the middle-aged man in the gray suit away, and shoved his head into the pool.
"Young Master Ruan..."
GLUG GLUG GLUG...
He struggled frantically to get up, but it was useless. His entire head was held underwater as the pool water flooded his mouth and nostrils.
All movent rapidly faded until he was drowned alive and tossed onto the side of the pool.
"You know, I really hate it when people don’t listen."
A smile once again touched the corners of Ruan Hui’s lips as he finally turned his head to look at Guo Yun and the other three.
Guo Yun trembled, his face pale with terror. The few people behind him also quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look Ruan Hui in the eye.
"Brother... Brother Ruan Hui..." Guo Yun forced himself to try and explain.
"No need."
Ruan Hui waved a hand, cutting him off. "I have my own arrangents for this matter," he said lightly. "For now, you just need to stay in the inner city."
As his words fell, Guo Yun and the other three exchanged a look, all letting out a reluctant sigh of relief.
Then, seeing that Ruan Hui seed to be in a good mood, Guo Yun opened his mouth and apprehensively asked about another matter.
"Brother Ruan Hui, about your promise to us... the matter of crippling that mud-leg..."
"Soone will take care of it."
Ruan Hui slowly sat up, his tone casual.
A servant at his side quickly draped a dry robe over him as a crowd of figures gathered around.
"He’s just a wild dog with a bit of a bite, that’s all."
"Once we’ve dealt with the people protecting him, it won’t be too late to kill him."
...
...
「That evening, at dusk.」
Warm, cleansing water sprayed from the showerhead, trickling down through his hair, over his scalp, and along the streamlined contours of his muscles.
The fatigue from a day of training and the sticky sweat coating his body were all washed away in this mont.
Lu Chao stood in the Jinshi Boxing Hall’s shower room, quietly enjoying this mont of peace.
"Hah!"
A few minutes later, he let out a long breath.
The rising steam turned to white mist, and his jumbled thoughts resurfaced, mingling with the sound of trickling water.
Zheng Wu’s words had served as a reminder.
The ambush in the wilderness was too much of a coincidence; it seed suspicious.
’I even suspect soone in the city is an inside man for the warlord Lu Shan. How else would they have known our route?’
’Power...’
’I need more power.’
Although he didn’t know what the mastermind’s goal was, a sense of urgency grew in Lu Chao’s heart.
He desperately wanted to improve again, to gain more ways to protect himself so he could handle a crisis in any situation.
SPLASH!
Finally, he wiped the water from his face and turned off the faucet.
After drying off, he quickly changed into dry clothes and walked out of the boxing hall.
’If I can master the Fierce Roar Skill, my ability to protect myself will definitely jump to another level.’
Walking down the street with a satchel slung over his shoulder, Lu Chao, dressed in a black cotton track jacket, gradually cald his mind and began to reflect.
The Fierce Roar Skill was proving more difficult to cultivate than he had anticipated. After several straight days of practice, he still felt like he was missing sothing.
It wasn’t because of the so-called power generation techniques or training thods, but the crucial step of fusing his killing intent with his aura.
’According to Master Luo’s guidance this afternoon, to rge killing intent into my aura, I first have to learn how to control this will.’
Walking through the alleyways weaving between buildings, Lu Chao headed straight for the nearest streetcar platform, his thoughts wandering with each step.
’It’s like how water is formless and seems unable to be held, yet it can take on different shapes in a container, to be picked up and put down.’
’The relationship between killing intent and aura is the sa. I have to learn how to put this will into a new "container" and fuse them into one. In other words, it’s best to find a suitable opponent to provoke my killing intent... But where can I find soone like that?’
With Master Luo’s afternoon advice echoing in his mind, Lu Chao brushed past one person after another until he reached an intersection.
At so point, smoke from cooking fires had begun to rise from the concrete buildings on both sides, carrying the aroma of food. Under the overpass diagonally ahead, a few old n were still playing chess by the trees in the planters.
The crimson afterglow of dusk shone from across the street, stretching the shadows of potted plants, houses, and telephone poles across the crosswalk at his feet.
He just needed to pass through the alley under the overpass ahead to reach the streetcar platform by the shortest route.
But his footsteps halted. Lu Chao looked ahead.
Two figures blocked his path, standing directly in front of him as if they had been waiting for a long ti.
"I am Zhao Dongwu of the Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall."
The young man on the left cupped his fist in his palm, a smile on his lips as he announced his na.
He wore a cyan Martial Arts uniform, his physique lean and powerful, his posture as straight as a spear.
Lu Chao narrowed his eyes slightly. He had a vague feeling the man looked familiar.
"Zhou Lin, Cangyun Martial Arts Hall."
The young man on the right had choppy, longish hair and wore a cloud-patterned Martial Arts uniform. His face was impassive, his cheekbones slightly prominent, revealing no expression as he, too, stated his identity.
For a mont, his brow twitched.
Lu Chao recalled the people who had frequently co to the Jinshi Boxing Hall to issue challenges and spar shortly after the martial arts tournant had ended.
Back then, there was one from Cangyun Martial Arts Hall—quite a scher—who thought Lu Chao was a soft target, only to be soundly defeated.
’That person’s na was, I think, Lv...’
"Lv Chengfeng is my junior brother."
The young man with choppy hair nad Zhou Lin spoke in a cold tone, glancing sideways at Lu Chao as if he had read his mind.
"He lost the last spar and was injured by you because his skills were inferior."
"And now, I hear you’ve also broken through to the Professional Level, so... I’ve co to ask for a lesson."
His gaze was as cold as a knife, and he intentionally stressed the words "ask for a lesson."
Lu Chao’s intuition sensed a Life Energy of over fifty points. This was clearly a veteran Professional Level fighter.
"And you?"
Lu Chao was silent for a mont before looking at the man from Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall on his right.
It was only then that he rembered who the man was. He had challenged Shen Tianchen back when they were at the Fighting Level, only to be defeated, humiliated, and forced to leave in disgrace.
And now... he had officially broken through to the Professional Level.
"Heh heh."
Zhao Dongwu gave a faint smile and once again cupped his fist formally. "That defeat back then, losing to Junior Brother Shen... It’s sothing I find hard to forget."
"So, after reaching the Professional Level, I had planned to have another spar with him, but who would have thought he’s a cripple now."
He sneered, a look of disdain on his face, before changing the subject. "So, I heard Junior Brother Lu is quite skilled. I’ve co especially to ask for so pointers."
As his words fell, Lu Chao slowly started to understand what was going on.
Although this was his usual route to and from the boxing hall, it would be impossible for them to intercept him so perfectly halfway unless they had planned it in advance and tailed him several tis.
’Besides, if this is a spar, why not do it at the boxing hall? Why out here?’
"And if I don’t agree?"
Lu Chao replied calmly.
A light breeze blew between the three of them, stirring up dust.
Below the low concrete buildings on both sides of the road, people gradually noticed sothing was amiss, casting glances from outside the supermarket and barbershop.
"It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree."
Zhao Dongwu wasn’t annoyed. Instead, he chuckled. "Junior Brother Lu is a Patrol Officer, after all. He likes being a dog for the higher-ups. How could we argue with a dog?"
"After all..."
He sneered, "If we really broke the dog’s legs, wouldn’t the Patrol Departnt have to co and arrest us?"
The atmosphere fell silent. An old, gray [Pingtuo] sedan brushed past the three of them, driving under the nearby overpass.
The slipstream it left behind rustled the air, causing the ad posters plastered on a telephone pole to shake.
Seeing the provocation and contempt in the man’s eyes, Lu Chao didn’t answer, rely turning his head to look at the other person.
"You’re a smart man."
Zhou Lin crossed his arms, his gaze cold and condescending. "We can’t afford to provoke the Patrol Departnt, but no one can find fault with a spar between martial arts halls."
"Leave standing up or lying down. You have to choose one."
’So, they’re targeting Jinshi Boxing Hall?’
His brows gradually relaxed as Lu Chao finally figured out their intentions.
’The hunting party had an accident and Shen Tianchen was crippled, and right after, they show up with challenges and provocations.’ He had a vague idea of who was behind these two.
"So that’s how it is."
Having understood the key point, Lu Chao took off his satchel and carefully hung it on the branch of a tree in a roadside planter.
Seeing this, Zhou Lin gave a mocking smile, his eyes full of contempt. He started to flex his wrists and slowly approached. Zhao Dongwu, on the other hand, just shook his head derisively, the amusent in his eyes deepening.
’He actually dares to accept?’
’Later, out of respect for the Patrol Departnt, I’ll just break one of his arms and...’
"Being a dog for the Thunder Extre Martial Arts Hall? It’s not that shaful."
Suddenly, a voice from across the way interrupted his thoughts.
Lu Chao stood his ground, tilting his head. "To be honest, if you hadn’t announced your affiliations, I wouldn’t have rembered any Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall or Cangyun Martial Arts Hall. I would’ve just thought you were so small-ti punks."
"By the way..."
Lu Chao smiled faintly. "What were your nas again?"
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