Chapter Six: The Power of a Single Move

“Big Brother, this kid is really disrespecting you. Cripple him.” The Bald Man seized the opportunity to fan the flames, secretly delighted. With Old Wolf backing him this time, he was sure Ling Tian’s days were numbered. He was already imagining urinating on Ling Tian’s head to finally erase his previous humiliation.

Old Wolf shot Bald Man a vicious glare and barked, “Shut up! This isn’t your place to speak.”

Ling Tian turned his gaze on Bald Man, grinning wickedly. “I told you before—if you dared come again, I’d finish you off for good.” With that, he strode toward Bald Man.

The dozen meters between them vanished in an instant for Ling Tian. By the time Bald Man registered what was happening, Ling Tian was already standing before him. Old Wolf, standing to the side, said nothing, seemingly still stunned by Ling Tian’s ghostly movement.

“I’m here to keep my promise and destroy you completely.” Ling Tian seized Bald Man’s shoulder with one hand and squeezed lightly. There was a sickening crack as bones snapped—collarbone and scapula pulverized. Bald Man let out a shrill cry and fainted on the spot. Even if he were rushed to the hospital, he’d spend the rest of his life bedridden.

Letting the unconscious Bald Man slump to the ground, Ling Tian turned to Old Wolf, dusting off his hands nonchalantly. “So, you’re Old Wolf? Looks like you might have some skill.”

Old Wolf’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. The young man before him was terrifyingly ruthless—he’d crippled Bald Man without so much as a change in expression, as if such violence was a trivial matter.

Calm, decisive, ferocious, and exuding utter confidence—these qualities in one man made him truly formidable.

In all his years in the underworld, Old Wolf had met many masters, but none could compare to this young man before him.

“I am Old Wolf of the Dayi Boxing Hall. Today, at Young Master Gu’s request, I came to resolve our dispute. I hope you’ll show some respect.” The recent events had already shaken Old Wolf’s resolve, though he didn’t realize he was already contemplating retreat.

Between experts, momentum is often half the battle—and Old Wolf had already lost on that front.

Ling Tian snorted derisively, sweeping his gaze up and down Old Wolf. “Show you respect? How much is your respect worth per pound?”

“You… You’re refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit! Our Dayi Boxing Hall may not be big, but we’re not to be bullied either.” Old Wolf invoked the Boxing Hall’s name, clearly escalating the conflict. If he lost today, he’d have reason to let the master of the hall intervene.

“Go back and tell your master this is already the second offense. If there’s a third, I won’t hesitate to cripple him myself.” Ling Tian casually picked up a scrap of paper from the ground, then a dry tree branch as thick as a finger with his other hand.

“Tell me, do you think this sheet of paper can cut through this branch?” Ling Tian turned to Old Wolf, a mocking smile playing at his lips.

This was something straight out of a martial arts novel, and Old Wolf sneered. He’d met plenty of experts, even those who could crush stones with their bare hands, but using a piece of paper to cut through a branch—he’d only seen that on TV.

Old Wolf shook his head. “I really can’t believe that.”

No sooner had he spoken than his eyes widened to their fullest. He rubbed them hard, unable to believe what he’d just witnessed: the thin scrap of paper sliced through the branch as easily as a sharp blade through tofu, leaving the branch in two neat pieces.

After a long pause, Old Wolf burst out laughing, pointing at Ling Tian. “Trying to fool me with cheap tricks, kid? I’ve crossed more bridges than you’ve walked roads.”

In Old Wolf’s mind, Ling Tian must have secretly pre-broken the branch.

“I almost fell for it just now. Come on, let’s see what you’ve got—let me show you what real martial arts are.” Old Wolf rolled his shoulders and assumed a fighting stance.

Ling Tian looked at him with disdain, beckoning with his hand. “You stole my line.”

“Courting death!” Old Wolf lunged like a starving wolf descending the mountain, aiming a punch at Ling Tian’s chest—the classic Black Tiger Steals the Heart.

Ling Tian shook his head, flicking his hand in a seemingly casual motion. His palm struck Old Wolf’s shoulder with blinding speed, swatting him to the ground as easily as if he were a fly.

Old Wolf, believing himself able to withstand any blow, struggled to rise. But the searing pain from his shoulder shattered his last reserves of strength.

He writhed twice, then gave up. Any movement brought excruciating pain, and whatever strength he mustered vanished instantly.

“My Bone-Splitting Hand isn’t bad, is it?” Ling Tian looked down at Old Wolf. “I don’t want to spill blood in front of the children. Go back and tell your master—I don’t want there to be a third time. Now get lost!”

Despairing, Old Wolf closed his eyes. Years of hard training had made him the top enforcer in Yunhai City, yet he hadn’t withstood even a single move from this young man.

Lying on the ground, Old Wolf caught sight of the branch Ling Tian had sliced with the paper. Up close, he gasped involuntarily, realizing how fortunate he was that Ling Tian had shown mercy.

The branch had a clean, slanted cut—obviously made by a sharp blade, not broken. But Ling Tian had had no knife or weapon in his hand, which meant…

Old Wolf didn’t dare dwell on the thought. What kind of master was this? An inner-strength martial artist, without a doubt—the kind of expert rare even in all of Yunhai City.

With a little brother’s help, Old Wolf struggled to his feet and slunk away from the orphanage, climbing into the car at the gate.

Once inside, he ordered his men to dump Bald Man’s body into the Yangtze for fish food. If not for that fool, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.

“Big Brother, want me to bring a few guys with weapons and finish him off?” one of his men suggested.

Old Wolf shook his head and sighed. “To deal with someone like him, I’m afraid only the Hall Master himself stands a chance.” He added silently—even with the Hall Master, victory wasn’t certain. “Let’s go straight to Young Master Gu. We need to change our plans.”

Watching the car drive away, Ling Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief. His wounds had only just stabilized; he wasn’t ready for a full-on confrontation with this so-called Young Master Gu. He just hoped that guy would leave the orphanage alone for now.

What Ling Tian needed most now was to recover quickly—either by finding a place rich in spiritual energy or by obtaining rare medicinal treasures.

“Director, it’s settled,” Ling Tian said, moving to support the old director back into a seat.

“That’s good.” The old director, though not worldly, felt reassured seeing even Old Wolf was no match for Ling Tian.

Just then, Ling Tian’s phone rang. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number—not one of his brothers. Who could it be?

He answered, and a hurried voice came through at once: “Where are you? The Li family is searching all over for you.”

“For me? Planning to buy me coffee?” Ling Tian recognized Mu Qingcheng’s voice.

“You’re still joking? Li Wenhao may be a playboy, and not of high status in the family, but he’s still a Li. Hitting him is an insult to their face. They’ve already put a million-dollar bounty on your head. I suggest you leave Yunhai City at once and lay low.” Mu Qingcheng sounded frantic.

As a daughter of a prominent family, Mu Qingcheng knew exactly how powerful the Li family was—an old clan with a hundred-year foundation in Yunhai, with influence in both official and criminal circles. Not even the Mu family could intervene without getting burned.

“I’ll try to make peace with the Li family, even if I have to pay a price,” Mu Qingcheng said through gritted teeth. She’d decided to stand up for Ling Tian, since the trouble had started because of her.

Ling Tian hadn’t expected Mu Qingcheng to put herself on the line for a fiancé in name only, going up against the Li family for his sake. He was genuinely surprised.

“I’ll handle this myself. Don’t get involved,” Ling Tian replied coolly. “Call the Li family now and have them contact the Gu family.”

“What? Don’t tell me you’ve gotten into trouble with the Gu family, too. My god, you’re a walking disaster. You’ve only been in Yunhai for a day and a half, and you’ve already offended two of the four great families. What exactly are you trying to do?” Mu Qingcheng was nearly driven to tears by frustration. She no longer knew how to describe Ling Tian.

What kind of fiancé had her grandfather chosen for her? A trouble magnet, clearly.

After catching her breath, Mu Qingcheng asked, “Were you sent by heaven to punish me?”

“Don’t worry. As soon as they speak on the phone, this whole affair will be over,” Ling Tian said with a confident smile.

Mu Qingcheng grumbled, “So mysterious—who knows what you’re up to. By the way, when are you coming to the company?”

“I’m not exactly an expert at anything. If I show up, I’d just be freeloading. Is there any rush?”

“I’m done talking to you.” With that, Mu Qingcheng hung up angrily and dialed the Li family.

A long while passed before Mu Qingcheng recovered from her shock. Although the Li family was tough in their words, they made no further moves.

“Ling Tian, just who are you?” Mu Qingcheng propped her chin on her hand, gazing out the window, her mind filled with thoughts of Ling Tian.