Chapter 97 Strength Beyond Wealth and Status
Chapter 97 Strength Beyond Wealth and Status
Li Yundong met He Shao's stare head on. If this prick thought he could intimidate him by getting in his face, then the guy had another think coming. Guns Li Yundong had stared down. Bullets he had dodged. Threats of destruction from an obnoxious prick couldn't even hold a f*cking candle. If nothing else, He Shao's behavior amused Li Yundong.
Honestly, the guy was like a tin can—empty inside, but noisy as f*ck.
"You've crossed a line, He Shao," Zhou Qin said. "I'm warning you. Back off."
He Shao's breath tickled Li Yundong's face as he laughed. "So this is all you got, eh? Relying on Zhou Qin to get you out of trouble every time? You're a pathetic loser. A penniless gigolo."
Li Yundong smirked and shook his head. Say what you want about me. Bark like a dog for all I care.
He Shao turned to Zhou Qin. "And you, Zhou Qin. Tsk, tsk. I never thought you would stoop to such a level. I mean, becoming someone's sugar mama? Really?" He Shao snickered. "Are you that horny? You know... If you needed a good f*ck, you could've just called. I bet I can outperform this wimp without even trying."
"He Shao, you—" Zhou Qin gasped. "Don't touch me!"
"Oh? I can't touch my own fiancé?" He Shao laughed. "If you need... services, there are far better options than using that gigolo." He Shao snickered, then glanced pointedly at Li Yundong's waist. "Tsk. Tsk. Come on, Zhou Qin. Even the cheapest dildo in the market is better than that."
"Shut up, He Shao... Shut. Up." Zhou Qin's voice had lost its usual aloofness.
He Shao took a step towards Zhou Qin. "Or better yet. You can have me. I'm available to you anytime, babe. And you won't even have to pay a single cent."
Li Yundong's hand shot out and grabbed He Shao's arm before it could reach Zhou Qin's waist.
Li Yundong realized that for all his big-talk, He Shao was surprisingly lightweight. All it took was a light shove from him and He Shao was already staggering backwards. Li Yundong smirked. Who's the wimp now, dipshit?
Li Yundong stepped forward and shielded Su Chan and Zhou Qin with his body.
"Watch your mouth," Li Yundong said coldly. "That's my friend you just insulted."
He Shao straightened his suit jacket with an angry scowl, then got in Li Yundong's face. He Shao grabbed Li Yundong's collar.
"Touch me again," He Shao growled, "and I will destroy you."
Li Yundong pressed his thumb and index finger on He Shao's wrist, smirking at the grimace he saw on He Shao's face. Li Yundong pressed down harder until He Shao's grip loosened.
Instead of letting go, Li Yundong kept his thumb and index finger on He Shao's wrist, then twisted He Shao's arm behind his back. He Shao groaned, then stumbled away when Li Yundong shoved him on the back.
Li Yundong snorted. F*cking lightweight...
He Shao regained his footing and shot a vicious glare at Li Yundong. "You f*cker—"
"Enough!" Zhou Qin yelled. "Leave now—"
Li Yundong silenced her with a raise of his hand. He took a step towards he Shao. "Destroy me, you said?" Li Yundong said in a casual tone. "And how do you suppose you can do that when you couldn't even stand in front of me for more than five seconds without falling on your ass?"
He Shao threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, so you still haven't figured it out yet?" He Shao sneered. "I guess a clueless bum like you wouldn't know." He Shao's eyes was filled with scorn when he snorted. "Fine. I'll explain to you how I can tear you to pieces."
He Shao got in his face again. "There are only two things you need if you want to rule over the world. One, wealth!"
He Shao pointed at the limo. "I have all the money in the world," he said loudly. "And you! You're a penniless nobody who doesn't even have parents!"
Okay. That stung. That really f*cking stung. Li Yundong took a calming breath through his nose. Walk away... just walk away. Keep a low profile, and don't cause any trouble. Too much exposure would risk his life. It would risk Su Chan's life too. Focus on what's important here. Just let it go, Li Yundong. You're better than him. You're better than him...
Li Yundong exhaled through his nose slowly and turned around to face Su Chan and Zhou Qin. Su Chan was watching him carefully. Zhou Qin was glaring at He Shao.
"Come on," Li Yundong said, taking Su Chan's hand. "Time to go. Let's not let shallow people and their shallow thoughts get to us."
Li Yundong moved past He Shao, pulling Su Chan with him.
He Shao blocked his way. "Hey! Where are do you think you're going, huh? I'm not done talking to you yet."
Li Yundong kept walking, but stopped when he felt He Shao's palm on his sternum. It took every ounce of Li Yundong's will power not to grab that hand and break every single bone in it. Stay cool, Li Yundong. Stay cool.
The pressure on his sternum was gone.
He Shao held up two fingers. "Number two. Power."
Li Yundong could feel his own brows shooting up to his hairline at that arrogant declaration. He wondered why God hadn't sent a bolt of lightning from the sky and roast this piece of trash already.
He Shao snapped his fingers, then waved his hand a few times.
Liu Chuan clambered over towards He Shao like a f*cking lapdog.
Li Yundong shook his head in disgust. He wondered if Liu Chuan ever felt a bit too airy or ventilated down there. After all, even the smallest pair of boxers in the market would feel a little loose on a man with balls the size of peanuts. Scratch that. Liu Chuan should just shop for panties from now on.
"Yes? He Shao?" Liu Chuan asked.
Instead of answering, He Shao slapped Liu Chuan right across his cheek. Liu Chuan crashed to the ground and rolled a few times.
Li Yundong stared at He Shao with wide eyes.
Holy Mother of God... Who does this guy think he is?
Li Yundong could feel the flames of ire raging in his chest, begging to be unleashed. How could anyone be capable of such atrocious behavior? This had gone far beyond bullying; this was f*cking tyranny.
"The man I just slapped is the son of a famous businessman," He Shao roared. "But so f*cking what!"
Li Yundong shook his head.
He Shao gestured his arms wildly. "I can do whatever I want with him and walk still away with it! I'm untouchable!"
Li Yundong glanced at Zhou Qin, whose expression remained unreadable despite the circumstances.
And at that moment, the final piece of the puzzle clicked inside Li Yundong's head. Finally, he got it. Now he understood the reason behind Zhou Qin's distrust of men and people in general. Being forced to marry a lowlife like He Shao would disillusion just about anyone.
Then, another thought occurred to Li Yundong.
What if Zhou Qin didn't reject those men because she had anything against them or because she deemed them unworthy of her attention?
Okay, well, maybe she did find some of those men unworthy, but what if that wasn't her only reason for rejecting them?
What if she was trying to protect those guys from He Shao?
In hindsight, it made sense.
The moment Zhou Qin agreed to date a guy, she would literally be painting a huge target on his back.
The poor dude would end up on He Shao's shit list, and there was nothing Zhou Qin could do to protect him from He Shao because, apparently, even Zhou Qin's family was big on the whole arranged marriage idea. Hell, it was probably Zhou Qin's father's idea to begin with!
In other words, whomever Zhou Qin agreed to date was pretty much screwed.
Li Yundong cast a glance at He Shao.
Well, he certainly wouldn't put it past that son of a bitch to have a guy murdered just for expressing romantic interest in Zhou Qin.
What a f*cked up world to live in.
How? How did Zhou Qin endure this shit for so many years?
He Shao's laughter pulled Li Yundong out of his thoughts.
He Shao was now kicking at Liu Chuan, who was still sprawled on the ground. "You!" He Shao pointed down at Liu Chuan. "I just slapped you. Do you have problem with that?"
Li Yundong lowered his gaze to the ground. He studied Liu Chuan face, which was now flushed either due to shame or He Shao's strike. Probably both. Liu Chuan looked completely subdued and defeated. The guy didn't even dare raise his head.
Seconds later, Liu Chuan shook his head meekly.
He Shao sneered, and once again, Li Yundong found himself staring at He Shao's smug expression.
"You see that?" He Shao raised his brows. "Do you get it now?" He Shao threw his head back in laughter.
Whispers from the crowd drifted to Li Yundong's ears. Apparently, Liu Chuan's admirers—well, former admirers—were now mocking Liu Chuan's cowardice. Li Yundong also heard a couple of mentions about how the "Hero of Tiannan University" should step up and "teach that arrogant snob a lesson."
He Shao was now sauntering towards him like some pompous diva. "Money! Wealth! Status! Power!" He Shao punctuated those words with each step before finally stopping in front of him. "That is how I can destroy a nobody like you." He Shao's lips twisted into an ugly smirk. "Starting with your love life... when I make your woman mine." He Shao reached out with his filthy hands to touch Su Chan's face.
Something inside Li Yundong snapped. People could mock him all they wanted, but nobody touches his Su Chan. Nobody.
"You son of a bitch!!!!"
Li Yundong moved forward with a speed that he didn't even know he possessed. He grabbed He Shao by his throat, and then hoisted the bastard off the ground with a powerful jerk of his arm. He Shao released a series of gagging sound from his throat, but Li Yundong ignored them. He stared hard into He Shao's eyes. "Touch my girlfriend again, and I will end you."
Li Yundong had never felt this much anger before. And every ounce of that anger was now being channeled into the fingers curled around He Shao's throat. He tightened his fingers, slowly squeezing the life out of this piece of trash.
Li Yundong's ears rang. Through the ringing, he could hear voices—two voices—speaking to him. The voices were muddled and distinct, like a cacophony of overlapping echoes. He couldn't make out the words.
Suddenly, he felt a pricking sensation on his back, right between his shoulder blades, like someone had poked a needle there.
The ringing in his ears morphed into distinct words.
"...Li Yundong, calm down... He's not worth it."
"Beloved... beloved... Don't let him get to you. He'll never have me, okay? Never. I'm yours. Always. Let him go, beloved. Let him go. People are watching us…"
A strange wave of calmness washed over Li Yundong.
Zhou Qin and Su Chan were now standing on each side of him, pulling him back from God knows what he'd been about to do. A wheezing sound caught his ear, and he realized that he was still holding He Shao in the air in a choke hold. He Shao's face had turned an unhealthy shade of scarlet.
Another wave of anger swept through him at the sight of He Shao's face. How dare he try to touch Su Chan. How f*cking dare he! How dare he treat people like trash just because he was rich.
Li Yundong unleased a loud roar, pouring every ounce of frustration into his voice.
"Li Yundong!! Stop!! You're gonna kill him!" Zhou Qin's frantic voice sounded beside his ear. "He isn't worth it! Don't throw your life away because of him!"
"Beloved… Come on… Just let him go, okay?"
Li Yundong's roar diminished into a growl. Then, he hurled He Shao into the air.
He Shao flew across the pavement and crashed into the limo.
"Hey! My car! Watch the car..."
Liu Chuan's voice was quickly drowned out by a chorus of cheers.
"Yeahhh!!!! That's the way! Go, Hero of Tiannan University!"
"Hell yeah!!! Kick his ass! Show the bastard who is boss!"
Li Yundong felt another sharp prick on his back. It was the same spot, right between his shoulder blades. Another wave of calmness flooded him, but this time, it came with something else—mental clarity. Li Yundong could feel his breathing evening out and the pounding on his temples subsiding. The next thing he knew, he was staring right into Su Chan's beautiful eyes. Su Chan's were hands cupping his face.
"Shh… Shh... It's alright now, beloved. It's alright."
Li Yundong covered Su Chan's palm with his hand. "Did you do something? Why do I suddenly feel so..."
Li Yundong struggled to find the right words.
"Calm? Tranquil?" Su Chan said.
"Yeah. Something like that."
"I stimulated your Lingtai."
"Between my shoulder blades..." Li Yundong sighed, then nodded. "Right. Thanks."
That would explain the pricking sensations he felt earlier. She must've poked a needle into his back.
"Li Yundong..."
Zhou Qin's voice made him turn.
"Let's just get out of here," Zhou Qin said, though her gaze was focused on He Shao, who was already up on his feet.
"Mmm!" Su Chan bobbed her head a few times, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "We can't risk any more exposure. They might be watching."
Li Yundong had a pretty good idea which "they" Su Chan was referring to. Could that crazy Ruan Hongling girl be watching as well?
Li Yundong nodded. "Alright. Let's get out of here."
"Where do you think you're going! I'm not done with you yet!" He Shao yelled.
Seriously? After I just tossed you into a car?
"Just ignore him, Yundong..." Su Chan whispered beside him. "Don't risk your life because of a silly man like him..."
Zhou Qin was already walking away.
Li Yundong nodded, took Su Chan's hand, and turned around.
Then, out of nowhere, another voice sounded, a voice that Li Yundong had never heard before in his life.
"Children, children, children! What a bunch of annoying brats. Now get out of my way before I hurt your tiny asses."
Li Yundong swiveled around to identify the owner of that voice. He did the quick scan of the area, but he didn't see anyone other than the crowd, He Shao, and Liu Chuan.
Liu Chuan was now standing beside He Shao, apparently to help keep He Shao upright.
The voice sounded again.
"I said out of my way, you punks!"
All of a sudden, a commotion broke out among the crowd. The students were now screaming in fear. Seconds later, the crowd was forced apart when someone barreled through it and leaped onto the hood of the limo.
It was an old man dressed in a dark, Wong Fei-hung style robe. The man had a strange beard, which looked like a mouse's whiskers. Li Yundong glanced at Zhou Qin, who was staring at the scene with a frown.
"You know him?" Li Yundong asked.
Zhou Qin shook his head.
The old man leaped down from the limo. "Out of my way, punks!" The old man pushed He Shao and Liu Chuan away. The guy seemed pretty strong for an old man, since He Shao and Liu Chuan nearly fell over after that shove.
He Shao recovered first. "Hey! Watch it, old man! Which mental institute did you escape from, huh? Do you know who I am?"
The old man tilted his head to one side and studied He Shao for a moment. "No idea who you are. And I don't care."
"Don't know who I am…" He Shao started laughing like he'd just been told the funniest joke ever. "You have a death wish old man."
The old man sneered and stroked his whisker-like beard. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Children these days... No respect for their elders at all." The old man released a derisive chuckle. "Not even the Chief Executive of Hong Kong has the guts to speak to me with that kind of tone, let alone a nameless punk like you. Get out of my sight. Seeing your face puts me in a bad mood."
Whispers broke out among the crowd again.
"Come on. Let's just go," Li Yundong said, turning around to leave.
"Hey! You there! The guy with the two pretty chicks!"
Li Yundong froze, then slowly turned back around. He gave Su Chan's hand a reassuring squeeze when he felt it tense inside his grip. Li Yundong lifted his gaze and stared ahead. The old man was looking right at him.
"Yes?" Li Yundong said.
The old man chuckled. "Well—"
"Hey! I wasn't done talking to you, old man!" He Shao reached for the old man's shoulder, but the old man grabbed He Shao's hand instead and twisted it into a gruesome joint lock. He Shao's knees hit the ground as he screamed.
"Chin Na..." Su Chan whispered.
Li Yundong glanced at Su Chan, who was now watching the old man intently. She seemed to really know what she was looking at, which, of course, didn't come as a surprise to Li Yundong anymore.
Li Yundong himself had seen Chin Na in action through a video featuring a demo during the International Martial Arts Festival. From what he remembered, the martial art focuses exclusively on joint lock techniques.
In another video, he saw a teenage girl bring a massive—as big as Dave Bautista—bodybuilder to his knees with just a twist of the poor guy's thumb.
So yeah. Pretty badass stuff.
He Shao's screams filled the area. Admittedly, hearing that bastard scream felt somewhat satisfying.
The old man bend down and patted He Shao's cheeks a few times.
"Didn't your parents teach you to respect your elders? Tsk, tsk, tsk…" said the old man. "Or do I have to do their job for them."
"Aaarrrrggghhhh!!!" He Shao's hand was twisted in the opposite direction.
Li Yundong cringed. Shit… That has got to hurt like a bitch.
"Argh, what a bother. Just get out of my sight, you pest." The old man eased the pressure on He Shao's hand. "I have business with that man"—he pointed at Li Yundong—"over there. And you're wasting my precious time."
Li Yundong tensed up.
Business with me? But I don’t even know you.
"Oh! So that's how you wanna play it, old man! You'll regret touching me, you old fool! You're dead man walking I'm telling you!" He Shao yelled. "You're dead meat!"
The old man glanced down at He Shao. "Oh... you annoying little pest."
The old man's strange robe billowed as though a breeze had blown around it. Li Yundong's scalp tingled. Something wasn't right with that picture. There was no breeze; the surrounding air was completely still.
Then, it happened.
The old man gave the sleeves of his dark robe a quick and powerful flick. Air currents, strong and powerful ones, swirled around the old man like a mini cyclone. Li Yundong's instincts took over. He burst forward and shielded Su Chan and Zhou Qin with his body. Screams of terror blended together with the strange howling of the wind, enveloping them like a blanket.
Several seconds later, it was over.
Liu Chuan and He Shao dropped to the ground at least five meters away from where they had been, both trembling in fear.
The old bastard had just thrown two grown men into the air with just a flick of his robe.
Great. More X-men shit to deal with. Just f*cking great.
Li Yundong surveyed the area. The students were all down on the ground with hands covering their heads. None of them were seriously hurt. He turned around. Su Chan was hiding behind his body, but her eyes showed no fear at all. Instead, she was eyeing the old man intently. Zhou Qin seemed terrified but composed.
"Is he one of the people after us?" Li Yundong whispered to Su Chan. After what? The drug in his body? Su Chan?
Su Chan kept her eyes on the old man. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter. We've gotta get out of here."
He agreed. This old man was dangerous. He'd never seen a move like that before.
The old man was now smoothing down his robe and saying something to He Shao, but Li Yundong didn't care. He and Su Chan were already beside Zhou Qin, helping her to her feet.
"Are you alright?" Li Yundong asked Zhou Qin.
Zhou Qin nodded shakily.
"Where's your car? We've gotta go. Now."
"I parked in front of a restaurant near campus."
"Is it far?"
Zhou Qin shook her head, but steadily this time. "Just a five-minute walk from here. Come on, follow me."
The three of them broke off into a sprint, heading in the opposite direction, away from the scene.
Li Yundong had barely taken two steps when the old man's voice sounded behind him. "Hey... I didn't say you could leave, young man! We still have some unfinished business, you and I!"
Li Yundong turned his head around but kept running. The old man was staring at them, but he wasn't chasing them.
Li Yundong looked to the front again.
"Don't stop," Li Yundong said firmly. "Just keep running."
"Stop! Or I'll kill this girl!"
Li Yundong stopped short, then turned around slowly. Shit… The old man had a female student in a choke hold.
Dammit to hell...
Su Chan and Zhou Qin had stopped running as well.
"Come back here," the old man said. "Like I said, you and I have unfinished business."
Li Yundong took a deep breath and mobilized his Qi to his Shenting. Eryue came to life in the form of the buzzing in his ears.
"Zhou Qin," Li Yundong said. "Take Su Chan to your car and get out of here. Call the cops once you're inside your car."
"No! I'm not leaving you!" Su Chan protested.
"Don't argue with me, princess." Li Yundong started walking back towards the old man. "Go. Now."
Li Yundong kept walking without looking back, though he knew from the sound footsteps behind him that the girls had complied with his request. Then, the old man yelled again. "Now, now! I didn't say the two girls could leave!"
Li Yundong stopped walking and cursed under his breath. He turned around. Su Chan and Zhou Qin had stopped running as well.
"Your business is with me, not with them," Li Yundong said loudly.
The old man chortled. "You think I'm an idiot? They'll just call the police once they're out of here." Then the old man turned to address the crowd. "You hear me, kids? None of you leave till I say you can!"
Li Yundong muttered another curse, then shared a look with Su Chan. Su Chan gave him a slight nod.
"Hey! Stop dallying and come over here! All three of you!"
Li Yundong sorted through the buzzing in his ear for the sounds near the old man. He heard a whimper from the girl and the old man's breathing. Using his telescopic vision, he zoomed in, focusing on the old man's fingers around the girl's throat, where dark bruises had already formed. Li Yundong zoomed out. "Let the girl go first!"
"No. You get over here first, or I'll crush her windpipe!"
The girl whimpered again. Li Yundong clenched his jaw.
"Zhou Qin... Whatever happens, I want you to stick close to Su Chan, okay?"
"Okay..." Zhou Qin's reply was firm and steady.
"Come on, girls. Let's head over there before shit happens," Li Yundong said.
Right. Who was he even kidding. Shit had already happened.
Li Yundong walked towards the old man, making sure to keep Su Chan and Zhou Qin behind him. When he was three feet away from the old man, he stopped and stared into the old man's eyes.
"We're here," Li Yundong said. "Now let her go."
The old man uncurled his fingers around the girl's neck. The girl stumbled away and broke into a coughing fit. A few of her friends rushed over to support her.
The old man smirked. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Li Yundong."
What the f*ck? The hair on the back of Li Yundong's neck stood on end. Clearly, someone had put the old man up to this. Was it Xie Fei again? Did Zhao Yujian's parents blame Li Yundong for their son's demise? Did they hire this guy to avenge Zhao Yujian?
Li Yundong mobilized his Qi to his leg and arm muscles. Like it or not, he had to prepare for the worst. This guy was clearly dangerous. And that strange robe of his. Li Yundong still hadn't figured out how it worked.
"Who are you? And what do you want from me?" Li Yundong asked.
The old man chuckled. "Now we're getting somewhere."
The old man stepped forward and performed a Bao Quan Li (T/N: A hand gesture used by Chinese martial artists when they greet each other; right fist pressed against left palm).
"A pleasure to meet you, Li Yundong. I'm Lin Youfa from Foshan."
First Mount Longhu. Now Foshan. It was like he was running a f*cking travel agency around here.
"What do you want from me?"
Lin Youfa smirked. "You don't have to know what I want. You're going give it to me anyway."
Li Yundong tensed up. What's that supposed to mean? Is he after the drug?
"Pardon me for doing this..." Lin Youfa said.
Do what? What the hell was this guy's problem—
Lin Youfa's fist came flying to his face at the same time Zhou Qin screamed.
Instincts took over. Li Yundong caught Lin Youfa's fist with his hand, but Lin Youfa managed to wrench his fist free before Li Yundong could follow up with a counterattack.
Lin Youfa laughed and began circling around him. "Nice reflexes. Not many people can catch a punch like you just did."
Li Yundong glanced to his side. Su Chan was about six feet to his right, crouching in front of Zhou Qin. She must have reacted and pulled Zhou Qin away the moment she noticed Lin Youfa moving.
Li Yundong wanted to smack himself for his own carelessness. He would've been able to anticipate the punch before it was thrown if he had used Xianjue earlier. And of all the things he could've done to stop the punch, he had chosen to catch it, which was a stupid thing to do since Lin Youfa was clearly a Chin Na master. One wrong move and Li Yundong would end up trapped in some deadly joint lock. Well, that won't happen again.
Lin Youfa kept circling him as though he was looking for an opening to launch his next strike. Li Yundong began to take slow steps away from the crowd. From the looks of it, things could get ugly, so it would be best to lead Lin Youfa away from the crowd lest an innocent bystander got caught up in the fight. It didn't seem like Lin Youfa had noticed his plan yet; he was still walking around Li Yundong in circles while Li Yundong gradually led them away from the crowd.
"Why are you doing this?" Li Yundong said, making sure that his Qi was still at his Shenting. "There's no reason for us to fight."
"That's for me to decide," Lin Youfa said.
"I don't want to fight you," Li Yundong said in a warning tone.
Lin Youfa laughed. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, boy."
So be it then.
Li Yundong's Xianjue responded to his will and came alive in a burst of white light. A strange sensation washed over his body, and he knew instantly that he was in clairvoyant mode. He fast-forwarded the vision in his head and he saw through Lin Youfa's next three attacks.
So that's the robe's purpose... I see…
Lin Youfa was still circling him when Li Yundong turned off Xianjue's clairvoyant mode. Li Yundong stopped moving; he was already far enough from the crowd.
"Last chance to back out," Li Yundong warned. "I don't want to hurt you..."
Lin Youfa sneered. "Oh, it's still too early to tell who's gonna get hurt."
Lin Youfa charged forward and, just as Li Yundong anticipated, Lin Youfa's dark robed billowed around his body, causing the air to pick up speed. The purpose of the robe was to distract Lin Youfa's opponent with the air currents and also to conceal the direction of his kicks. A pretty decent trick, but it wouldn't matter; Li Yundong already knew which direction Lin Youfa's kick would come from thanks to Xianjue.
"Shadowless kick!!" Lin Youfa yelled.
Li Yundong leaped to his left side.
SWISH!
The front kick missed his groin.
Then, Li Yundong parried the follow-up punch with his left hand.
Now he's gonna try to use Chin Na on me...
Li Yundong ripped his arm away before Lin Youfa's fingers could close around his forearm, and then jumped backwards to put some distance between them.
Silence reigned over the crowd as Lin Youfa stared at him in disbelief.
"You've lost," Li Yundong said coldly. "Now get lost."
Lin Youfa roared, then charged at him again. Li Yundong didn't even have to use Xianjue to parry and avoid the flurry of attacks that Lin Youfa launched at him. Those attacks were frenzied and uncalculated, which made them predictable.
Li Yundong kept parrying and dodging Lin Youfa's frenzied strikes. At one point, he realized that Lin Youfa had forced him back towards the crowd. Shit. Was he planning to take a hostage now that he knew he was on the losing end? But what's the point? I literally gave him the chance to walk away just now.
Li Yundong dodged another kick. The kick left an opening in Lin Youfa's defense, which Li Yundong decided to capitalize on.
Li Yundong delivered his first punch of the fight.
Much to Li Yundong's surprise, Lin Youfa blocked the punch with his forearms instead of dodging it. The force of the punch pushed Lin Youfa back a few feet.
Lin Youfa's back crashed into the limo.
"Hey! Watch the car!" Liu Chuan yelled from God knows where.
Lin Youfa pushed away from the limo and pounced on Li Yundong again. Lin Youfa threw another punch, which Li Yundong parried with ease.
Okay. Time to end this stupid fight.
First, he had to disarm that robe. That tornado move earlier seemed pretty deadly if it could send two grown men into the air. Best if he didn't give Lin Youfa a chance to pull that shit again. But how? How do I disarm the robe?
Suddenly, Li Yundong had an idea. He relaxed his stance and held out his hands in front of him in a gesture of peace.
"Come on, sir," Li Yundong said, making his voice as soothing as possible. "Why do we have to fight when we have no quarrels with each other? I don't even know you."
Li Yundong slowly approached Lin Youfa, keeping his hands out in front of him the whole time. That's it, old man. Use your Chin Na. Grab my hand...
"Even if I did wrong you in some way," Li Yundong went on, "isn't it better if we talk things out and come to a peaceful resolution?"
Li Yundong inched closer again.
"Come on... What say we stop this violence, eh? We can go have a cup of tea. Or grab some beer. Whichever you prefer. My treat."
Li Yundong stopped walking, then reached out as if to offer Lin Youfa a handshake.
Li Yundong focused his hearing on the sounds from Lin Youfa's feet. The moment Lin Youfa's feet moved, Li Yundong would be ready to act.
That's it... that's it... Use your Chin Na...
Lin Youfa's hand shot out.
But Li Yundong flipped his palm over and grabbed the sleeve of Lin Youfa's robe moments before Lin Youfa could wrap his fingers around his wrist.
Hah! Got you now, old man!
Li Youfa stared back at him with wide, fearful eyes.
Li Yundong yanked the fabric backwards with all his might, but Lin Youfa twisted his torso and leaped backwards at the same time. The sleeve was ripped off, but the robe was still on Lin Youfa.
The plan had failed.
Li Yundong cursed and tossed the torn sleeve aside.
The robe billowed again.
SWISH!
A strong gust of wind hit Li Yundong right in the face. Li Yundong hissed when he felt the stinging sensation in his eyes. Li Yundong covered his eyes with his hand and tried to get his Xianjue to work, but it was no use. The pain in his eyes was too distracting. He couldn't focus.
Footsteps sounded in front of him. Li Yundong blinked his eyes desperately, but his vision remained a blur. Shit, shit, shit... Lin Youfa was probably going to attack and he couldn't see a f*cking thing.
"Yundong!!!!" Su Chan's scream speared through his heart, throwing him into panic. Should I retreat? No. The old man would just keep coming.
Argh! To hell with keeping a low profile!
Li Yundong made a split second decision. He mobilized his Qi as fast as he could, using it to connect his three Dantians together—the Bridging of the Three Gates.
Please work... Please work...
Li Yundong cocked his fist back and punched the air in front of him with all his strength.