Chapter 78: The Summons

Ling Tian gently flicked his wrist, and the ropes binding Wang Yong snapped in two. Freed, Wang Yong immediately spat out the lace underwear that had been stuffed into his mouth. “Pah…pah, damn, that reeks. Foreign girls might look good, but they sure have a strong scent, and their pores are huge… Damn it, those two vixens actually used their panties to gag me, now my whole mouth tastes like musk.” Wang Yong grumbled endlessly, sounding like a nagging old woman.

Once Wang Yong finished venting, Ling Tian pointed at the bag full of cash on the floor and said, “Pick it up, we’re leaving.”

Wang Yong opened his mouth wide and blew a breath toward Ling Tian. “Boss, tell me, does my breath stink?”

Ling Tian scolded with a laugh, “Get out of here. You couldn’t even handle two foreign women—you’re a disgrace to Chinese men.”

Wang Yong protested, “I had them under control in bed, didn’t I? Who knew they liked to play rough, tying me up when I wasn’t looking. Damn, I’d like nothing more than to skewer them both right now.”

Ling Tian chuckled, “Keep dreaming. With your stamina, you’re lucky you weren’t drained dry. Enough, don’t waste time—we need to get back.”

Wang Yong hoisted the hundred-pound bundle of cash onto his shoulder and strode out of the room. Ling Tian couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement; the power of money truly was something. If it had been a pile of junk, Wang Yong would never have managed to lift it, but when it was cash, he carried it with ease.

Before leaving, Ling Tian turned to Tiger and said, “Your Azure Dragon Hall is impressive in Yunhai City, but don’t forget—there’s always someone stronger. Compared to true martial artists, you’re nothing. Today, I’m letting you live. If you cross me again, death would be a luxury.”

Leaving Tiger and Panther alive was intentional on Ling Tian’s part; he wanted them to report what had happened today. If the hall master of Azure Dragon wasn’t an idiot, he’d know what to do.

After Ling Tian left, Tiger’s taut nerves finally relaxed. He slumped onto the sofa and drained two cups of tea before catching his breath. He realized the pressure Ling Tian exerted was overwhelming; from start to finish, the situation had been firmly under Ling Tian’s control. It was as if Ling Tian were playing chess and Tiger was just a piece on the board.

It wasn’t that he was stupid; it was that the other was simply too powerful.

Panther handed Tiger a cigar, lighting it for him. “Third Master, should I call a doctor to check your injuries?”

Tiger shook his head, taking a deep drag on the cigar, his expression gloomy. “These are just minor wounds—won’t kill me. Didn’t you notice he went easy on us? If he’d really wanted to, I wouldn’t have lasted a minute. Who would’ve thought we’d encounter such a master in Yunhai City?”

Panther lit a cigar for himself and sat across from Tiger. “Third Master, for someone so young to have such strength, he must have an extraordinary background.”

Tiger nodded approvingly. “As the saying goes, ‘The wealthy study martial arts, the poor study literature’—an eternal truth. To learn martial arts, you need a good teacher, proper nutrition, and even after ten years there’s no guarantee of success. With reading, you can pick up a book and learn something. So yes, for someone this young to reach the level of energy cultivation, even with talent, he must have had an excellent teacher. I suspect his master is a reclusive expert. From now on, our Azure Dragon Hall must avoid dealing with him. If we ever cross paths, we must treat him with utmost respect—even if it means swallowing our pride.”

When had members of the Azure Dragon Hall ever had to swallow their pride? Panther gave a bitter laugh. “Are we just going to keep enduring this? Letting some kid walk all over us?”

A fierce look flashed in Tiger’s eyes. “Once the Hall Master finishes his retreat, all our problems will be solved.”

“Is the Hall Master about to break through?” Panther asked excitedly. The Hall Master was the founder of the Azure Dragon Hall and its most powerful member. Rumor had it that a decade ago, he’d already reached the threshold of energy cultivation. Now, after this period of secluded training, if he broke through again, he’d be a lower-stage energy cultivator.

But thinking of Ling Tian’s displayed abilities—his speed, raw power, catching a crossbow bolt barehanded, defeating Panther with a single strike—Tiger, who had always revered the Hall Master, felt a flicker of doubt. A nagging thought crept into his heart: even if the Hall Master emerged, could he really defeat Ling Tian? The strength Ling Tian had shown was enough to plunge him into despair.

What nonsense was he thinking! The Hall Master was the top fighter of the Azure Dragon Hall and one of the strongest in all of Yunhai City, with a wealth of combat experience. How could he possibly lose to some young upstart? The Hall Master would definitely defeat him—yes, definitely.

Tiger repeated this to himself, trying to convince himself that everything would be fine once the Hall Master returned.

Panther nodded. “Third Master, I’ll make the arrangements right away. What about Liu Zhiping?”

The mere mention of Liu Zhiping’s name made Tiger grit his teeth in rage. This whole mess had been caused by him. Of all people to provoke, he had to pick a living nightmare. Was he blind? At this moment, Tiger would rather offend one of the city’s four great families than cross Ling Tian.

At least the four great families were reasonable and could be negotiated with. Ling Tian, on the other hand, was a madman—one who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

“Kill him immediately and feed him to the dogs out back,” Tiger snarled. “And send word to all our brothers—starting today, keep your eyes wide open and don’t mess with that harbinger of disaster. Wait for the Hall Master to return.”

Panther took note of each instruction. “I have it all down.”

Tiger thought for a moment, then added, “Contact the black market sellers—buy more special military crossbows. No, buy more handguns and silencers. And none of those old Black Star pistols—I want the newest models. As long as we’re satisfied, money is no object.”

Panther was secretly delighted. The Third Master was preparing for all-out war, just like a Western boxer pulling back his fist for a full-power punch. “I’ll take care of it right away.” With that, Panther hurried out of the room.

“Damn it, after all these years of hard training, my Tiger Claws are ruined.” Once Panther had left, Tiger examined his right hand. Of the five fingers that could gouge holes in stone, four were broken, the bones shattered. Even if he recovered, the hand was crippled—he would never be able to use his martial arts again.