Yang Dong never expected this.

Why would Xu Ke suddenly strike after everything he'd said? Hadn't he already accepted the IOU?

But his questions would never be answered. Yang Dong's eyes bulged as he stared at Xu Ke in horror. Then, his body went limp, and he collapsed, his eyes filled with deep regret.

Why... why did I have to run my mouth like that?

THUD.

Yang Dong lay lifeless on the ground, blood streaming from his seven orifices. Although Xu Ke had attacked him after Mr. Yi Ju, he had died even sooner.

Seeing this, Qiu Mingli and the security guard who brought the IOU were scared out of their wits.

Why did Xu Ke suddenly attack? Why kill Yang Dong over a simple disagreement?

"Fair is fair. You returned the IOU, and I returned a punch," Xu Ke said nonchalantly, retracting his fist.

Whether Yang Dong could hear him depended on how tenaciously he clung to life.

He'd never intended to let Yang Dong go. The moment Yang Dong plotted to have Yi Ju kill him and Qiu Mingli, Xu Ke had already resolved to send both of them to the underworld.

Spare a venomous snake? Xu Ke wasn't that foolish.

As for whether killing Yang Dong would provoke retaliation from the Dapeng Trading Company or lead them to target Qiu Mingli... Xu Ke figured they would have done so anyway.

"Seek peace through struggle, and peace will survive; seek peace through compromise, and peace will perish." Xu Ke understood this principle well.

Meanwhile, the security guard was dumbstruck. An IOU for a fatal punch... how could those two possibly be equal?

"Alright," Xu Ke said, turning to the security guard with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Remember to tell your boss that Yang Dong and Yi Ju tripped and fell on their own. It has nothing to do with me."

Seeing Xu Ke's seemingly harmless appearance, the security guard was now trembling with fear.

What kind of ruthless monster was this? He killed two people on the spot and acts like nothing happened. What is he?

"Yes, yes..." the security guard hastily bowed and nodded.

It was then that the other security guards realized something was wrong. Their view had been blocked by Xu Ke and the guard delivering the IOU, so they hadn't seen Yang Dong fall. But now, with the guard bowing repeatedly, Yang Dong's body was suddenly exposed. They all froze on the spot.

Brother Dong... is dead? Just like that?

Big Black Bull, who had been unconscious on the ground for a while, barely managed to open his eyes, only to see two corpses lying not far from him. He was so terrified that his legs trembled, and he hastily snapped his eyes shut again, continuing to play dead.

I can't get up. I don't want to be the next one taken out by his punch.

"Alright, Teacher, let's go," Xu Ke said, looking at Qiu Mingli.

The stunned Qiu Mingli finally snapped out of his daze. "Okay, okay..." He realized his own voice was trembling.

Xu Ke handed the IOU to Qiu Mingli, and the two of them started to leave.

Just as they were about to leave, a deep, middle-aged man's voice echoed with a chilling laugh, "You killed my men, and you think you can just walk away?"

Xu Ke turned toward the voice and saw a middle-aged man in a Sun Yat-sen suit slowly approaching. He was alone, yet he exuded an overwhelmingly powerful aura.

An expert. An Innate Expert! In my current, unhealed state, fighting him would be suicide.

"Are you Duan Chongfeng, the boss of the Dapeng Trading Company?" Xu Ke asked indifferently.

He had heard the name before and assumed the boss of the Dapeng Trading Company was a mere businessman. Clearly, this man's power was no less than that of any major faction's esteemed retainers.

"Are you Xu Ke, the son-in-law of the Wang Family?" Duan Chongfeng sneered coldly. "Killing my Dapeng Trading Company's retainer and my underling. Xu Ke, you're quite arrogant, aren't you?"

The next moment, Duan Chongfeng's expression shifted. His aura surged, instantly flooding the area with murderous intent.

When their boss appeared, the security guards breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their retainer and Brother Dong had both been killed on their own turf. If word got out, the Dapeng Trading Company would be utterly disgraced. Although their boss intervening personally likely meant they'd be punished for incompetence, it was still better than the shame of being humiliated by Xu Ke.

Qiu Mingli's face turned pale again.

Why is my luck so awful today? he lamented inwardly. It's just one disaster after another.

Even without any knowledge of martial arts, he could tell that this Duan Chongfeng was far more powerful than Mr. Yi Ju had been.

Yet Xu Ke simply smiled, completely unaffected by Duan Chongfeng. "Boss Duan, you've got that wrong. You're a martial artist yourself, so you should understand. The weak have no right to provoke the strong."

A faint smile hung on his lips. One would never guess he was the one at a disadvantage.

"You're right," Duan Chongfeng's gaze sharpened. "Weakness is the original sin. For them to dare provoke you, the fault was theirs. They deserved to die."

"However..." His lips curled into a cold sneer as his tone shifted. "Given your current cultivation at the Innate Middle Stage, can I also consider your actions a provocation against me?"

Upon hearing this, a chill ran straight up Qiu Mingli's spine.

What does he mean by that? Is he going to kill Xu Ke right here?

But what truly chilled him to the bone was Xu Ke's response...

Xu Ke slowly nodded. "That's right," he said. "I am provoking you right now."

"So? Does Boss Duan feel like making a move?" he asked, watching Duan Chongfeng with a look of genuine interest.

He had already figured it out. Duan Chongfeng didn't dare to make a move. Although he didn't know why, Xu Ke was certain that if Duan Chongfeng wanted him dead, he would have acted already. Why waste time talking?

As he finished speaking, Duan Chongfeng's eyes widened slightly, a flash of anger in them. "Boy, do you have any idea what you're saying?"

Seeing Duan Chongfeng's reaction only confirmed Xu Ke's suspicion that his opponent's hands were tied. Still, he couldn't push his luck. It was best to give Duan Chongfeng a graceful way out. Since the man had no intention of killing him, Xu Ke was happy to avoid making an enemy of the Dapeng Trading Company's boss. After all, one less enemy was always a good thing. Furthermore, if he could turn the Dapeng Trading Company into an ally, Xu Ke would be even more willing.

"I do," Xu Ke nodded, then smiled. "After all, a man as powerful as you, Boss Duan... what else could my actions be but a provocation? However, I hope you understand that I have no desire to be your enemy. I, Xu Ke, know full well that while Yang Dong and Yi Ju were trash, the Dapeng Trading Company is a force to be reckoned with, one that even the Six Great Families are wary of."

With that single statement, which was equal parts flattery and praise, the atmosphere turned strange.

Duan Chongfeng stared at him, a flicker of surprise on his face, which then broke into a smile.

Interesting... this Xu Ke is very interesting.

After studying Xu Ke for a moment, Duan Chongfeng suddenly laughed. "Good, good, good... Xu Ke, would you be interested in joining me for a while?"

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