Chapter 149: I Am Your Backup

Li Wenhao's slap hit empty air, and he flew into a furious rage, raising his leg to give Sun Yibin a kick. However, Sun Yibin dodged it once again. This time, Sun Yibin quickly retreated a few meters, then said in a deep voice, "Li Wenhao, please show some self-respect." Sun Yibin felt an overwhelming sense of grievance in his heart. Subjected to Li Wenhao's insults time and again, he could do nothing but endure.

To Sun Yibin, Li Wenhao, this father-scurrying scion, was as weak as an ant. Yet the Li family behind Li Wenhao was a colossal entity, so powerful that Sun Yibin did not dare to harbor even the slightest thought of resistance. There was simply no helping it—who told Li Wenhao to choose a good father when he was reincarnated!

"If you make another move, don't blame me for being discourteous," Sun Yibin warned, though it was merely a warning. He did not dare to fight back at all; on one hand, he could not afford to provoke the Li family, and on the other, he did not want to cause trouble for Ling Tian.

Li Wenhao cursed profusely, "Damn it, you bastard actually dared to dodge! Kneel before me right now and slap your own face, or this matter won't end today." With that, Li Wenhao pointed down at the floor.

Li Wenhao's two bodyguards also stepped forward with gloating expressions and said to Sun Yibin, "Oh, and here I thought it was someone important. Turns out it's just Sun Yibin. You've got quite a bit of nerve, actually daring to disobey the young master's orders. Have you grown tired of living?"

Sun Yibin shook his head helplessly. It seemed he would have to suffer grievances again today.

The two bodyguards stood on Sun Yibin's left and right sides respectively, mocking him, "Sun Yibin, you used to lecture the two of us quite often, but today the tables have turned. The two of us brothers are going to teach you a good lesson on how to be an obedient dog."

Sun Yibin looked at the two lackeys with utter contempt, wearing a scornful expression as he said, "I am not like you two. I am a human, and you are dogs."

"A dog? That's right, we are Young Master Li's dogs, and what's more, we are obedient dogs." As the two bodyguards spoke, they smiled at Li Wenhao, acting as though being dogs was a thoroughly enjoyable sensation. And indeed it was. As Li Wenhao's lackeys, they usually received plenty of perks: eating meals without paying, harassing beauties without fear of being sued, and playing with women for free...

Sun Yibin felt complete despair. These two men were truly beyond saving—far from feeling any shame, they took pride in it.

Li Wenhao said smugly, "See that? You should be just like them, and act like an obedient dog. Kneel down immediately and apologize to me. I simply don't believe I can't put you in your place today." Li Wenhao pointed at Sun Yibin, then pointed at the ground beneath his feet, issuing an order to him.

The two lackeys had already prepared to make a move, ready to strike the moment Sun Yibin disobeyed.

Ling Tian, who was sipping tea, put down his teacup, turned to Zhang Ding standing beside him, and said, "Go tell Sun Yibin he can fight back. He can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn't kill them. Also, tell him that no matter what happens, I am his strongest backing."

Zhang Ding, who had long since been unable to watch any longer, ran excitedly toward Sun Yibin. Before even reaching him, Zhang Ding shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother Sun, the boss said to beat them to death! No matter what happens, the boss will have your back!"

Ling Tian, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly spat it out. With a laugh and a curse, he muttered, "That rascal Zhang Ding really knows how to pass along a message, though hearing it does get the blood pumping."

Sun Yibin was hesitating. Given his personality, asking him to kneel and apologize to Li Wenhao was an absolute impossibility. Even though he had retired from the military, he still retained a soldier's pride—he would rather die standing than live on his knees. However, his only concern right now was that he was afraid of causing trouble for Ling Tian.

At that exact moment, Sun Yibin heard Zhang Ding's shout, and more than half of his doubts vanished. At the same time, he glanced back at Ling Tian. When he saw Ling Tian nod, a surge of fury erupted within him on the spot. He swiftly reached out with both hands, grabbed the lackeys standing on his left and right, and forcefully shoved them down toward the ground.

The self-righteous lackeys had never expected Sun Yibin to suddenly erupt. By the time they heard Zhang Ding's shout, Sun Yibin had already made his move. Their combat skills were inferior to Sun Yibin's to begin with, and caught completely off guard, they were slammed directly into the floor, performing a live-action faceplant.

Several front teeth mixed with blood flew out of their mouths, clattering onto the ground, while their heads rang with a deafening buzz, nearly knocking them unconscious.

"You... you actually dared to strike!" Several of the lackeys' front teeth had been knocked out, causing them to lisp noticeably when they spoke.

"Weren't you two very eager to play just a moment ago? I'll gladly keep you company," Sun Yibin sneered. Following that, he struck again, delivering a kick to each of their necks. The movements were swift and filled with explosive force, knocking them both out cold instantly. After dealing with the two lackeys, Sun Yibin turned his cold gaze toward Li Wenhao, who was standing there dumbfounded with shock.

Sun Yibin said in a deep voice, "Young Master Li, your dogs have been taken care of. Do you have anything else to say?"

The moment he heard Zhang Ding's shout, Li Wenhao knew that Sun Yibin had thrown his lot in with Ling Tian. With a fiend like Ling Tian acting as his backing, Sun Yibin truly dared to beat him up, and he, damn it, wouldn't even dare to retaliate.

"Sun Yibin, don't think that just because you have Ling Tian covering you, you can do whatever you please. Offending our Li family will bring you a miserable end. Even your master Ling Tian is just a grasshopper after autumn—he won't be jumping around for much longer." As Li Wenhao spoke, he retreated step by step, his legs beginning to tremble.

Sun Yibin was merely trying to intimidate Li Wenhao; he didn't actually dare to beat him up. Even though Ling Tian had just said he could beat them to death, he still couldn't strike. Once he hit Li Wenhao, it would mean becoming a mortal enemy of the Li family—a consequence he could not bear, and in his view, one that Ling Tian could not withstand either.

Ling Tian put down his teacup, flashed to Sun Yibin's side, and said indifferently, "Sun Yibin, didn't I have Zhang Ding tell you just now that you could beat them to death?"

"I do not allow my people to suffer even the slightest grievance."

"No matter how big of a mess you make, as long as your actions are upright and your conscience is clear, I am your most powerful backing."

Hearing these words, Sun Yibin felt his blood boil. He silently congratulated himself on choosing the right person, as these words were immensely invigorating. Yet, when it came to actually harming Li Wenhao, he still had reservations. "Young Master Ling, he is the eldest young master of the Li family after all. With the Li family backing him, beating him like this will offend them."

Ling Tian laughed heartily and said, "Sun Yibin, the Li family? To me, they aren't even worth a fart. The Li family exists purely to be slapped across the face."

"Young Master Ling, you mustn't speak so recklessly. The Li family has deep foundations; it is best we do not provoke them." As someone who had once served as a bodyguard for the Li family, Sun Yibin understood its power better than anyone.

Knowing that Sun Yibin meant well, Ling Tian smiled and said, "Watch closely and see how it's done."

With that, Ling Tian grabbed Li Wenhao, who was preparing to flee, raised his hand, and delivered a fierce slap. On the spot, Li Wenhao began bleeding from the corner of his mouth, and a molar flew out. Yet Li Wenhao did not even dare to let out a single fart, only staring at Ling Tian with a face full of terror. He had long since been scared out of his wits by Ling Tian.

"Look closely. This is what we call slapping someone in the face," Ling Tian said, turning his head toward Sun Yibin.

Sun Yibin was completely dumbfounded. He knew Ling Tian was formidable, but he never imagined Ling Tian would be formidable to this terrifying degree—daring to strike even the eldest young master of the Li family. The crucial point was that Li Wenhao, who had been shouting arrogantly just moments ago, had taken a beating without even daring to utter a sound.

"I heard earlier that you wanted my brother to kneel and slap his own face in front of you. Well, now you should know what to do, right?" Ling Tian said to Li Wenhao, while loosening his grip on the latter's left hand.

Under Sun Yibin's shocked gaze, the eldest young master of the Li family—a figure immensely powerful in his eyes—dropped heavily to his knees with a thud. Wailing both left and right, Li Wenhao began frantically slapping his own face in a desperate, ferocious manner. The resounding smacks echoed through the entire hall, and the most absurd part was that Li Wenhao was hitting himself with such vigorous enthusiasm, as if he weren't beating his own face at all.

Sun Yibin had no inkling of Li Wenhao's current mindset. In Li Wenhao's view, beating himself would at most result in a few days of pain, but if Ling Tian took action, he would either end up dead or crippled. Therefore, it was better to hit himself hard; perhaps Ling Tian would be pleased and spare him.

What on earth was going on here?!

Was he too nervous and hallucinating? Sun Yibin slapped his forehead hard, trying to snap himself awake, but when he looked at Li Wenhao again, Li Wenhao's face was already swollen from the blows, and he was hitting himself with even greater fervor.

Sun Yibin felt his brain could no longer process the situation. Given Ling Tian's supreme strength, effortlessly annihilating Li Wenhao was something Sun Yibin accepted and could understand. But there was one thing Sun Yibin truly could not fathom, no matter how hard he racked his brains: why on earth would the dignified eldest young master of the Li family be so obedient to Ling Tian, dropping to his knees instantly upon command and even slapping his own face?

"Sun Yibin, do you want to try it yourself?" Ling Tian turned to look at the stunned Sun Yibin.

Sun Yibin asked hurriedly, "Young Master Ling, is this really okay?"

Ling Tian nodded and said, "If you don't believe me, ask Li Wenhao."

Sun Yibin bent down and said to Li Wenhao, who was busy slapping his own face, "Li Wenhao..."

Before Sun Yibin could finish his sentence, Li Wenhao acted as if he had just seen his savior, nodding frantically as he said, "As long as you're happy, hit me however you like! Just as long as it doesn't kill me, please, go ahead and try!" With that, under Sun Yibin's collapsing gaze, Li Wenhao actively thrust his face forward, wearing an expression of absolute eagerness.

Li Wenhao felt like crying his eyes out. Fearing that Ling Tian wouldn't be satisfied, he was beating himself desperately until stars danced before his eyes. However, if Sun Yibin were to do the honors, he figured Sun Yibin would at least spare him out of consideration for his father, Li Fumin.

Sun Yibin was left utterly speechless. What kind of madness was this? Li Wenhao, who had been swaggering arrogantly just moments ago, was now wagging his tail and begging for mercy like a pug before him. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, even if beaten to death, Sun Yibin would never have believed this was real.

"I'm begging you, please hit me a few times!" Li Wenhao pleaded with a mournful, weeping expression.