Chapter Seventy-Four: The Sword Saint, Ye Zhiqiu

Xiao Hei actually lost? Fatty truly hadn't expected this outcome at all; his expression instantly grew much graver. He knew exactly how strong Xiao Hei was. Although he didn't know what the two brothers, who had originally fled after committing murder, had experienced in the Southern China District, upon their return they were completely transformed. Da Hei was still manageable—he had always been a hulking enforcer nearly two meters tall, so his growth to over two meters wasn't too shocking. The real surprise was Xiao Hei, who used to be a scrawny, rural youth barely one meter sixty, but now had grown into a giant almost two meters tall. Even eating dinosaur meat and going through a second puberty couldn't account for such a change!

Though the situation was bizarre, the brothers' altered appearances now meant there was no need to worry about being recognized or wanted by the authorities. Fatty was a loyal man—if he hadn’t been forced to, he would never have let them go on the run. Now that they were back, he would of course provide for them. But it quickly became apparent that these two had become real treasures! Whatever they had gone through out there, they returned as formidable fighters. How formidable? To put it bluntly, the crew Fatty had brought today—if they weren't allowed to use weapons... no, to be precise, if they weren't allowed to use firearms or other hot weapons—even all of them together wouldn't be a match for Xiao Hei alone!

Fatty was absolutely certain of this after witnessing Xiao Hei's strength yesterday. The previous night, not long after the brothers had returned, they volunteered to fight for him. Seeing their builds, Fatty hesitated but ultimately agreed, not expecting too much—after all, fighting wasn't just about size. But the results left him utterly stunned. In the underground black market of the capital, Xiao Hei alone helped him win forty million federal credits; the so-called "Somi Giant Bear," an underground boxing king, had his skull smashed by Xiao Hei in a single blow. The scene was so brutal that even the regular audience of underground fights nearly vomited, only to erupt into wild cheers and screams right after. Fatty’s reputation soared in their circle overnight!

Spotting a business opportunity immediately, Fatty resolved to invest heavily in these two former brothers. The trip to City C today was to liquidate some assets and fully back the brothers. Yet that very evening, they ran into Guo Lang’s group.

Are all young masters these days so formidable? Fatty was still in shock. People always said the Central Asian District was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—that a cleaning lady could be a reclusive master, or that an old man with missing teeth might be able to catch bullets barehanded—but that was supposed to be the stuff of novels! And the fight just now... it was Fatty’s first time seeing Xiao Hei go all out, and his immediate reaction was: why did this all feel so surreal?

Everyone felt similarly, as if they were watching a martial arts film—except the real thing, without special effects, was so much more thrilling!

Chen Kaimin, sweating a little, thought to himself: “Is this really the same son of the district chief of Caiyun District that Huang Kai claimed to have bullied since childhood? Is he sure it’s the same person?” Then he paused, having the nagging feeling that their group had forgotten something... What was it?

Clap! Clap! Fatty smacked his hands together. “Truly eye-opening for me, Fatty. Young people these days are more terrifying one after another!” His chubby face was actually rather affable when he smiled, but inwardly he was heavy-hearted. First, there was the kid who smashed a bottle over his head, and now this...

Just how many hidden experts were on the other side? He should be grateful they hadn’t launched an all-out fight just now. If the other group had a few more like this, his crew might have been wiped out right here. Judging by their initial playboy attitudes, their backgrounds were definitely not ordinary. Even if his whole criminal crew were beaten to death, the other side likely wouldn't suffer any consequences at all!

A bead of cold sweat slid down Fatty’s forehead at the thought. Still, he was reluctant to admit defeat and apologize outright. So he forced himself to say, “How about this—your friend seems badly hurt, and we can’t wait to finish all five rounds. Let’s settle it now.” He gestured toward Huang Kai, whose hand had been nailed to the door outside and had already fainted from the pain.

Everyone froze, including Guo Lang and Young Master Gong, who both awkwardly twitched their mouths. Damn, they’d completely forgotten about that guy!

Chen Kaimin’s group quickly caught on as well. “Ah, that’s what we forgot!” Should they bring him in now? But if they did, wouldn’t that just confirm they’d completely forgotten about him? Better to play it cool—he’d fainted, after all. They could call an ambulance once everything was finished.

Everyone exchanged glances. Though no words were spoken, they all seemed to instantly understand one another and nodded in silent agreement.

Guo Lang looked at his companions and silently mourned for poor Huang Kai.

Fatty, on the other hand, hadn’t noticed their little act. Instead, he turned and said, “Let’s do it this way—Da Hei, you’re up!” Then, turning back with a hint of negotiation in his tone: “If I lose, I’ll apologize. If I win, we’ll call it even, how about that?”

Before anyone else could respond, Young Master Gong said, “Fine...” Then he turned to Chen Kaimin, “What do you say?”

Chen Kaimin’s face twitched. “You already agreed, why even ask me?” He could only force a smile and nod, “No problem...” But he was already plotting: “Even? Like hell! As soon as I get out of here, I’m calling the police to have you all arrested. Let’s see if you still act tough then. When the time comes...”

He was already fantasizing about all sorts of revenge scenarios in his mind.

Seeing no objections, Fatty nodded at Da Hei, the towering giant who had been standing at the back. Finally, he stepped forward.

Since everyone had already seen Xiao Hei’s entrance earlier, they weren’t too surprised, but the trio of Guo Lang, Xie Lin, and Young Master Gong all narrowed their eyes. This guy... was extraordinary!

From his physique and aura, Da Hei looked similar to Xiao Hei to the casual observer. But for Xie Lin and Young Master Gong, their expressions grew serious at once—they both felt this man put even more pressure on them than Xiao Hei had.

Guo Lang watched even more carefully. At the lower ranks, one could often judge someone’s level from physical details—a skill honed through twenty years as a Bronze Knight in his previous life. For low-level professionals like them, who were constantly on the front lines, a sharp eye was critical—knowing who you could provoke, who you couldn’t, who posed a real threat, and who you might take a risk against. A moment’s carelessness could get you wiped out by some passing powerhouse.

Whether facing a close-combat fighter or a mental-type mage, Guo Lang had his own unique way of sizing people up. To survive twenty years on the front lines as a Bronze, you needed real skills.

Da Hei was remarkable—Guo Lang sensed it immediately. His muscle control and breathing were smooth and steady; his physical foundation was exceptionally strong. He probably wasn’t a pure agility type, but every muscle fiber worked in perfect harmony with his movements. As he shifted his stance, there was not the slightest hint of awkwardness or imbalance.

At this stage, that was extremely rare. After bloodline injections, people evolved so rapidly that their control over their own bodies was often limited—most, perhaps only twenty percent. If you didn’t build a solid foundation early, the higher your parameters rose, the less control you’d have, until you might even lose it altogether, let alone evolve further.

High-agility types had somewhat better control, but only by constantly training could they make their bodies truly obedient. Yet this giant had done an exceptional job. So far—apart from Alice—Guo Lang hadn’t seen anyone at this level, not even in his previous life.

How could someone this gifted not have become famous in his past life? Guo Lang was puzzled. Did he fall by the wayside? Otherwise, with his potential and growth, he would’ve been among the elite ranks later on.

While he pondered, Da Hei strode forward. His movements were calm, yet there was an overwhelming, mountain-like presence about him, almost suffocating.

Guo Lang and Young Master Gong exchanged glances. If Xie Lin didn’t fight, only the two of them could possibly take on this giant. Guo Lang himself didn’t want to fight this match—he wasn’t confident. Yes, even against the famously formidable Xie Lin and Young Master Gong from his previous life, he had a solid chance of victory—at least ninety percent. But against this black giant, he truly wasn’t sure.

“May I fight you?” Da Hei’s voice was gentle, utterly at odds with his fierce appearance. If you only heard him, you’d think he was a kindly uncle.

Guo Lang was taken aback, realizing Da Hei was speaking to him. The next moment, he nearly lost his composure—why me? This didn’t make sense. Wasn’t that flashy guy with his arm around the beauty a much more obvious target? Did he look easier to bully?

Unable to figure it out, Guo Lang asked, “Why me?” pointing at Young Master Gong as he spoke. “Don’t you want to spar with him?”

“Hm...” The other man rubbed his bald head, grinning sheepishly. “Fighting him wouldn’t be interesting. I’d rather fight you.”

“Wow!” The crowd began to jeer, even Chen Kaimin’s group eyeing Young Master Gong with a bit of schadenfreude.

Xie Xiaoqin shot the giant a resentful glare, muttering inwardly, “Another one jealous of Brother Shaolin!”

Young Master Gong stiffened, a green glint flickering in his eyes, but then chose to remain silent. He had no desire to tangle with this giant—he sensed real danger from him.

“You think I’m stronger?” Guo Lang asked, a bit smug.

“Um... I don’t know,” Da Hei replied with an honest smile. “I just don’t like his style.” He pointed at Xie Lin. “You and that brother don’t like him either, do you?”

Guo Lang and Xie Lin both smiled. Indeed, they weren’t fans of Young Master Gong’s earlier act of showing off to ordinary people—truth be told, they rather looked down on it.

Finding their temperaments in sync, Guo Lang extended his right hand with a smile. “I’m Guo Lang. What should I call you?”

The other man heartily extended his right hand as well. “They all call me Da Hei. As for my name...” He seemed a bit embarrassed, hesitating before finally muttering, “My name is Ye Zhiqiu.”

Everyone, especially Guo Lang’s group, was stunned. That name... it usually belonged to the protagonist of a novel, right? Someone sharp-featured, cold and elegant, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, dressed in white... But a two-meter-tall black-skinned giant? What were his parents thinking? Did they have no sense of reality?

Guo Lang was also stunned, but for a different reason. That name—Ye Zhiqiu—was also the name of the legendary Orc Sword Saint in his past life.