Chapter 142: Old Lu Deceived Me So Cruelly

Thud!

A massive RV, carrying several members of the Hongying Society, plunged into the Pearl River, sending a plume of water surging dozens of meters into the air. Max, gripping a protruding rock and dangling in mid-air, witnessed the entire scene.

"Fuck!"

With a powerful flex of his arm, he pulled himself back onto the ground. By then, Chen Xi and Meng Meiren were already surrounded by the Hongying Society members who had disembarked from the other four vehicles. Meng Meiren, wielding a pair of Nepalese kukri knives, picked a direction and charged forward with reckless abandon, forcing the encirclement outward by dozens of meters. Chen Xi, trapped in the thick of the crowd, twisted her wrists with fluid grace, landing palm strikes on her enemies; each blow was accompanied by the sickening sound of tearing ligaments and breaking bones. Max sneered, pacing the perimeter of the battlefield like a man on a casual stroll, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Suddenly, three figures came charging into the fray, hollering at the top of their lungs!

"You bastards! Who gave you the right to break into Brother Lu’s home and cause trouble..."

"Mo Chong, Mo Dong, follow me! Let’s beat these sons of bitches to death!"

It was Wan Quan, who lived nearby, along with the brothers Mo Chong and Mo Dong. The seventh-tier fighter Wan Quan arrived with the Mo brothers, immediately alleviating the immense pressure on Meng Meiren and Chen Xi, as the group Max had brought consisted of top-tier elites. Chen Xi held her own well; as a ninth-tier expert, she could still crush these Hongying Society members, whose average strength was around the fifth or sixth tier, with ease. However, the seventh-tier Meng Meiren could not withstand a gang assault and was already showing signs of defeat.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wan Quan unleashed a set of Tiger-style punches, instantly sending the three men surrounding Meng Meiren flying, clearing a path for him.

"Brother, are you alright?" Wan Quan asked.

"I can still hold on. Thanks! By the way, who are you?" Meng Meiren replied.

"I’m Brother Lu’s little sidekick, Wan Quan. And you?"

Meng Meiren paused for a moment before nodding. "I am Meng Meiren, also Brother Lu’s underling."

Back-to-back, the two fought together, and the pressure eased significantly. While dispatching the enemies in front of him, Wan Quan asked, "Who are these people?"

"They are spies working for foreigners," Meng Meiren said. "They want to wipe out Brother Lu’s entire family while he’s away!"

"Damn it! These murderous scumbags!"

No sooner had Wan Quan finished speaking than a shrill cry from Mo Chong echoed from a dozen meters away: "Augh!"

They turned to see a two-meter-tall giant grabbing Mo Chong by the throat, hoisting him high into the air, and then swinging him in a massive arc before slamming him into the ground.

Thud!

The very ground trembled from the impact. It was impossible to tell if Mo Chong was still alive.

Mo Dong, his eyes bloodshot with rage, sprinted forward and unleashed a powerful Vajra leg strike in mid-air.

Boom!

Max turned and met the kick with a heavy punch. Mo Dong, despite his momentum, was sent flying backward instantly, his entire right leg going numb.

"Stay away from him!" Chen Xi shouted sharply. "He’s a tenth-tier expert!"

Hiss!

A tenth-tier expert?

Wan Quan realized then that he had stumbled into a battle he had no business fighting. With Mo Chong and Mo Dong only at the third and fourth tiers respectively, how could they possibly withstand such overwhelming power?

"Mo Dong, find an opening and take your brother away immediately. You two can't participate in this fight."

"Young Master Wan, what about you?"

"I’m seventh-tier; I can at least help Brother Meiren share the pressure."

"Understood!"

...

The courtyard was filled with the glint of cold steel. A swarm of silver swallows danced in the air like Chen Xi’s personal talismans, circling around her and catching several enemies off guard with sneak attacks. Chen Xi’s prowess was evident; while engaging in close-quarters combat, she still had the capacity to control the blades. Among ninth-tier experts, she was undoubtedly one of the best.

Max could no longer tolerate her rampage. He strode into the fray, his iron fist striking from behind. Chen Xi twisted her supple waist, thinking she had dodged the sneak attack. However, Max seemed to have anticipated her movement, abruptly redirecting his punch to strike her directly in the spine.

Boom!

Chen Xi was forced to dash forward several steps to absorb the impact, but she couldn't suppress the sweetness rising in her throat, spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood. This was the power of a tenth-tier expert: a single punch was enough to cause internal injuries to a ninth-tier master!

"Sister Chen Xi!"

Meng Meiren and Wan Quan broke through the encirclement, shocked to see Chen Xi in such peril. As they moved to support her, Chen Xi barked, "Don't come over here!"

She pushed off the ground, performed a side-flip to perfectly dodge a follow-up combination from Max, and leaped five or six meters away upon landing.

"Don't engage him head-on! Stall for time—we only have a chance if we wait for Lu Ye to return!"

Max sneered and said in broken Chinese, "Sorry, Lu Ye isn't coming back."

"He fell into my trap. My men intercepted and killed him on the airport expressway."

Chen Xi felt as though she had been struck by lightning. "What did you say?!"

Max laughed. "Your brother didn't go alone. The top assassin, Tang Qianyan, died with him."

"Little brother... Little Yan..."

Hearing the horrific news, Chen Xi’s heart spasmed, leaving her gasping for air. Her body trembled, and she clenched her fists, roaring with murderous intent, "I’ll kill you for this!"

Max mocked her with disdain, "You’re a ninth-tier. What do you have to fight me with?"

Just then, a man’s baritone voice reached his ears.

"One ninth-tier isn't enough, but what about two?"

Everyone turned their heads to see a middle-aged man slowly walking out of the house, his face etched with bottomless gloom and hatred.

Chen Xi was devastated. "Godfather, why did you come out? Go back inside!"

Lu Yuqing ignored her, his eyes locked onto Max. "Was my son truly intercepted and killed by your design?"

Max held his head high, laughing maniacally. "That's right. Ten minutes ago, I received a report from my men. Lu Ye has already been blown to pieces..."

Boom!

Without any warning, Lu Yuqing suddenly struck out with his palm, slamming it into Max's chin. What followed next left everyone’s jaws on the floor!

Parting the Wild Horse's Mane, Grasping the Sparrow's Tail, Step Forward, Deflect, Parry, and Punch, Single Whip, Closing Hands...

A perfect sequence of Tai Chi!

A faint, mist-like energy swirled around Lu Yuqing’s fists. The fluid, continuous chain of defensive and offensive maneuvers caught Max completely off guard. Chen Xi was stunned—her godfather was a ninth-tier expert?

As Lu Yuqing’s offensive wave neared its end, he noticed Chen Xi still in a trance.

"Girl, what are you waiting for?"

"Oh, right!"

Chen Xi leaped to the other side, forming a pincer movement with Lu Yuqing!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Max stabilized his stance, retreating as he fought, parrying Lu Yuqing’s blows. Every one of Max’s punches carried hundreds of pounds of brutal force, but against Lu Yuqing, it felt like hitting a mound of soft cotton. The gentle, redirection-based force of Tai Chi effortlessly neutralized the majority of his power.

Slash!

A black dagger pierced through Max’s shoulder blade from behind, emerging from his chest. Chen Xi’s sneak attack had landed!

But before they could celebrate, Max spun around with speed exceeding human limits, landing a vicious kick directly into Chen Xi’s abdomen. She flew back like a kite with broken strings, tumbling across the ground for several meters before coming to a stop. When she climbed back up, she couldn't help but vomit another large mouthful of blood.

The blade seemed to have caused only a minor, superficial wound. Max reached behind himself, pulled the black dagger out, and tossed it aside.

Lu Yuqing bent his knees and sprang back, kicking Max to create a safe distance. He had watched in horror as Chen Xi took that kick.

A tenth-tier expert was truly terrifying!

Even with two top-tier ninth-tier masters working together, they were still being completely suppressed. He feared they wouldn't survive this night.

Max walked toward him with an arrogant gait, sneering, "Keep fighting! Don't you want to avenge your son?"

Lu Yuqing shook his head and sighed, "This vengeance cannot be had. It is I, the father, who is useless."

"Since your son hasn't gone far on the road to the afterlife, I'll send you to join him."

Max raised his fist high, aiming to crush Lu Yuqing’s skull...

At the critical moment, a dark shadow suddenly streaked through the air and slammed into him.

Boom!

Max was sent flying over ten meters away.

Standing in front of Lu Yuqing was Lu Ye, who stared at him with a complex expression. "Old Lu, you fooled me so well!"