Hua Ershao (Second Young Master Hua), Qin Lan, might have been a notorious playboy known to everyone on S2's East Dawn Star. But on S3's South Continent Star, Baoli City, he was merely a banished, down-on-his-luck young master. His only entourage was his seemingly dull personal bodyguard, A-Kuan, and a limited amount of money insufficient for lavish spending. There were no other perks or privileges.
Nowadays, Qin Lan had considerably toned down his previously arrogant and domineering nature. Even when faced with provocations from the Ning family's young lady—someone he considered insignificant—a few days prior, he had chosen to swallow his pride. His family's patriarch had warned that if he caused any more trouble, he would be directly expelled from the Hua family. Though he wasn't sure if the old man truly had that resolve, he knew he had already crossed a line this time. Stirring up further trouble, even if it didn't lead to expulsion, would likely mean a miserable existence going forward.
Hearing in the last couple of days that someone had slapped that arrogant Ning girl's face into a pig's head had thrilled Qin Lan. Even though it wasn't his doing, it gave him immense satisfaction. In the past, he would have handsomely rewarded such a "brave warrior" and even taken him on as a小弟. But now, as a young master in disgrace, he lacked the capital to recruit followers. Even if he flaunted the banner of the Hua family, one of the Empire's five great clans, no one would likely believe him.
Watching Bai Hao's disappearing figure, Qin Lan shed the disappointed expression from his face and smiled. "A-Kuan, what do you think of him?"
The seemingly dull A-Kuan scratched his head. "If I'm not mistaken, that person's combat skills should be quite good."
"Oh?" Qin Lan was slightly surprised. He was quite clear about A-Kuan's capabilities. In terms of pure skill, A-Kuan could easily rank within the top ten among the Hua family's bodyguards, which was precisely why the patriarch had assigned him as his personal guard. If A-Kuan said the other party's skills were "quite good," then they truly were.
After a few seconds of silence, a trace of regret appeared on Qin Lan's face. He said softly, "What a pity. No matter how skilled he is, he's no match for the Ning family. Power and influence are far harder than fists."
...
Exiting the gates of Qin Yuan Academy, Bai Hao headed straight for the maglev train station. However, after walking only three or four hundred meters, he suddenly stopped, his gaze locking onto three men walking briskly towards him from not far ahead.
The three were dressed like typical thugs. The leader appeared to be in his thirties, with a thick gold chain around his neck, his arms bare, revealing clear muscle definition and a tiger-head tattoo near each shoulder.
Bai Hao's heart sank slightly. In truth, he had spotted them from over a hundred meters away. It wasn't their attire that stood out, but the fact that their gazes were fixed on him the entire time, with one of them even pointing in his direction.
"What must come, has come," Bai Hao inwardly sighed. He didn't choose to run. Instead, he walked straight towards them. He had to face what was coming. Given the Ning family's power, running would likely be futile anyway. It was better to confront it bravely.
"You, kid, are you Bai Hao?" The three men reached Bai Hao and immediately surrounded him. The leader spoke coldly.
Bai Hao's expression remained calm, his fists clenched. Judging by their simple movements, these weren't formidable opponents. Dealing with them wouldn't be difficult. So, he wasn't overly worried. He gave a slight nod.
"Then we've got the right guy. We have something to discuss. Come with us," the burly-looking leader said brashly.
Bai Hao chuckled lightly and replied unhurriedly, "Say it here."
The leader frowned, his expression turning fierce. "What? Refusing a polite toast, so you prefer a forced one?"
Bai Hao's tone remained unchanged. "Sent by the Ning family?"
"The Ning family?" The leader showed a flicker of surprise. Actually, he didn't know who had sent them; he was just following his boss's orders. Hearing "Ning family" from Bai Hao, his first thought was the Ning family, the head of Baoli City's four great clans.
The leader paused for a few seconds but didn't dwell on the Ning family issue. His boss had given him a job, and he would carry it out. He glared at Bai Hao and said coldly, "You sure you won't come with us?"
Bai Hao replied directly, "Yes."
The leader's eyes instantly blazed with fury, a fierce look crossing his face. "Fine. In that case, we'll have to inviteyou to come."
With that, the leader gave a look to the other two, then his right hand shot out to grab Bai Hao's shoulder. The other two men also moved instantly, seemingly intending to subdue Bai Hao immediately.
Bai Hao had anticipated this. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. As the leader lunged, he moved. His figure shifted towards the man on the left, dodging the leader's grab. Simultaneously, his right elbow snapped up, driving straight into the left-side man's abdomen.
"Ah..."
The man on the left was clearly half a beat slower than Bai Hao. A clean, sharp elbow strike to his abdomen elicited a cry of pain. He immediately hunched over, clutching his stomach. Clearly, Bai Hao's attack wasn't light.
The exchange lasted only a split second. But what utterly shocked the leader was that in that brief moment, not only had all three of their attacks missed, but one of them had suffered a heavy blow, seemingly seriously injured.
The leader's face immediately darkened. He glared at Bai Hao, who had already shifted several meters away, and asked softly, "Little Hei, you okay?"
Little Hei was the man clutching his stomach. After the initial cry, he continued to groan. Hearing the leader's question, he managed to force out a few words, "I... I'm... okay."
Bai Hao watched the two men eyeing him like tigers eyeing their prey, yet he acted as if nothing was wrong. "I don't want to fight. It won't do any of us any good."
The leader snorted angrily. "Kid, you're asking for it. Erzi, let's get him together!"
The other man, Erzi, immediately nodded and pounced at Bai Hao, his right fist raised high, aiming to smash down on him.
Bai Hao shook his head helplessly. With their skill level, these two truly posed no threat to him. He sidestepped slightly, easily evading Erzi's punch, and simultaneously delivered a swift kick to the man's abdomen. The man was kicked over, hands clutching his stomach, curled on the ground, groaning in pain.
At the same time, the leader's fist also shot towards Bai Hao. His skills were noticeably better than the other two; his punch was faster, carrying a whistling force.
Seeing the rapidly approaching fist, Bai Hao remained unflustered. His pupils contracted slightly. His left hand formed a palm and met the punch head-on.
Slap!
The fist struck the palm, producing a sharp sound.
The leader's expression shifted slightly, surprise flashing in his eyes. The power behind his punch was at least several hundred pounds. Yet, striking the other's palm felt like a bull charging into a muddy sea—the force was instantly and almost completely dissipated. The fraction that reached Bai Hao's palm was probably less than one-tenth, naturally causing no harm.
Despite his shock, the leader reacted quickly. He immediately tried to retract his right fist and strike with his left. However, in the next instant, he felt his right fist was immobilized, held as if in a vice, accompanied by a crushing pain.
Bai Hao gave him no chance to pull back. The moment the leader's fist struck his left palm, his hand abruptly closed, firmly gripping the fist. He then applied significant pressure.
The leader gasped, the veins on his arm bulging as he tried with all his might to pull his right hand back. But after several seconds, he found his fist still held motionless in Bai Hao's grasp. Clearly, his strength was far insufficient to break free.
"Hmm?!" The leader's face paled, sweat beading on his forehead. He had exerted all his strength, yet it was completely ineffective. A wave of horror washed over him. This outcome could only mean the other's strength had reached a level he couldn't hope to match.
Bai Hao looked directly at the leader, a cold glint in his eyes. "I said I don't want to fight. It's no good for either side. Since you wouldn't listen, don't blame me."
With that, Bai Hao's left hand, gripping the fist, suddenly increased its crushing force.
Crack!
A sound of bone crunching came from Bai Hao's left palm.
"Ah..."
The leader let out a sharp cry of agony, feeling as if his right hand had been instantly crushed by the other.
However, in the next moment, amidst the pain, a surge of violent rage erupted from him. With a roar, he swung his left fist at Bai Hao.
A cold light flashed in Bai Hao's eyes. He hadn't expected the man to still try to attack him at this point. Truly overestimating himself. To be honest, this seemingly fierce punch posed no real threat. He snorted coldly, his right hand already clenched into a fist, meeting the attack with even greater speed and force.
Thud!
A dull impact.
Fist against fist. It came down to whose fist was harder, more forceful.
Bai Hao was very confident in his fist, especially when facing an opponent who was strong on the outside but weak within. This confidence bordered on arrogance.
The leader felt as if his fist had instantly collided with a block of iron. Intense pain once again flooded his nerves. This time, he didn't cry out, but his face contorted grotesquely.
Bai Hao released his left hand, his gaze steady on the man. Calmly, he asked, "Still want to fight?"
The leader withdrew his right hand. Both hands now hung limply. Sweat streamed down his forehead. Hearing Bai Hao's words, he instinctively shook his head.