"Punch!"
Evan Lin's expression turned serious as he shouted, "Think about that woman who almost killed you! Think about those people who want to kill Jill Jing!"
If your strength isn't enough to match the people you want to protect—what right do you have to protect her?
As Evan finished speaking, Gavin Duan's face twisted with emotion, then he finally let out a wild roar, stomping forward several steps and leaving deep footprints in the ground.
He clenched his fist, bones grinding with a harsh sound, his thick arms seeming to howl with the wind!
"I want to protect Jill Jing! I won't allow anyone—anyone—to hurt her!"
Gavin Duan's face flushed red, his voice hoarse. Even before the punch landed, the ground was already cracking under the force of his fist.
His fist slammed toward Evan Lin's outstretched palm, the force wild and violent, with a faint blood-red glow at his knuckles.
Jill Jing, clutching her giant bottle of cola, hid her face behind it, looking terrified at the scene.
Evan Lin kept a calm face, his eyes sharp. His hand, half the size of Gavin's fist, pressed directly onto Gavin's knuckles.
Boom!
Evan Lin stood in place, firmly catching Gavin Duan's fist, but the ground completely shattered, collapsing into a pit over three meters deep. Dust exploded into the air, and in the sunset, Gavin's bulging veins were visible on his arm.
"That's all you've got?" Evan Lin frowned slightly, looking dissatisfied.
But then, a faint cracking sound rang out.
Evan turned his head and glanced at the building behind him.
Starting from the base of the building, the force of the punch spread out from where the ground and the building met, spiderweb cracks crawling up the entire wall. The cracks twisted and overlapped, and before long, the whole building's facade was covered.
"If I wanted to, I could bring this whole building down with one punch."
Gavin Duan took a deep breath, his face serious as he spoke slowly.
He stared at Evan Lin in front of him, utterly shocked.
Gavin knew exactly what that punch meant—forget a person, even a car would be flipped over by it.
But Evan Lin had blocked it all with just a casual palm! So relaxed, as if it took no effort at all!
That made Evan Lin's image in his mind rise another level.
"Seen like this, your strength is barely acceptable," Evan Lin muttered.
Barely acceptable!
Hearing Evan Lin's judgment, Gavin Duan didn't dare make a fuss. If this much power was only 'barely acceptable,' just how strong was Evan?
"With your current strength, I can trust you to protect Jill Jing for now," Evan Lin nodded slowly.
At that moment, two people came running hurriedly from the alley's entrance.
It was Shawn Shi and Dong Zi, who had come back with Evan Lin from Sunrise City.
Shawn Shi ran over, looking anxious.
When Gavin Duan saw Shawn Shi and Dong Zi, his face instantly darkened, eyes locking onto them as if he might crush them with a single punch at any moment.
That fierce glare made Shawn Shi and Dong Zi shudder, but they couldn't worry about it now. Shawn turned to Evan Lin and blurted, "Sir! We just got word—the Li family from River City is sending people here!"
"The Li family?"
Evan Lin frowned slightly. In River City, the people he'd tangled with were just a handful.
Drake Huang from the Jared Qian Auction, Damon Wang, the Summer Family, Simon Zuo from the Zuo family, and Rachel Liu from the Liu family.
Now the Zuo family only has Zuo Shan and Zuo He left, an old and a young. They're probably still waiting for Mo Yang, Drake Huang's master, to come out of seclusion and help them get revenge.
But the Li family?
Seeing Evan Lin deep in thought, Shawn Shi hurried on: "It's Aiden Li, the richest man in River City. He wasn't around before, but came back last month."
He has a son named Caleb Li, who acts pretty wild, though I heard something happened to him recently."
Shawn Shi looked at Evan Lin; Gavin Duan and Jill Jing also turned to Evan.
Seeing Shawn Shi and Dong Zi know Evan Lin, Gavin Duan instantly restrained his aura. Shawn felt a wave of relief and shock—every person Master Lin knows seems ridiculously strong.
Just look at that two-meter-tall hulk standing there—even in a trench coat, the aura he just revealed nearly made Shawn's knees buckle.
"Caleb Li, huh."
Hearing the name, Evan Lin paused, then remembered.
That night, Rachel Liu dragged him out for late-night snacks, and the guy who showed up in a sports car introduced himself as Caleb Li.
"So, you beat up the son, and now the father is coming to avenge him?"
Evan Lin's eyes glinted with amusement.
Soon after, five Mercedes S600s sped through the crowded street, racing through the intersection. Wherever they passed, the red lights turned green, clearing the way.
Then, the roar of engines and screeching tires shattered the quiet street, stirring up a storm of noise.
All five Mercedes drifted to a stop, their headlights aimed at the alley entrance. The doors opened, and men in deep black suits and sunglasses stepped out, faces cold as ice.
"Are you Mr. Evan Lin?"
An elderly man in a black suit and bow tie stepped out from the crowd. He wore a kindly smile, but when his gaze swept over everyone, a hidden sharpness revealed his impressive strength.
"Yes."
Evan Lin nodded slightly.
Shawn Shi and Dong Zi were a bit dazed, not noticing the old man said 'Evan Lin' instead of 'Lin Jiuxuan.'
In fact, the name Lin Jiuxuan is famous for killing Drake Huang, defeating fourth-grade Vajra Cheng Jiahe, and crippling Medicine King Valley's Elder Mu. But the recent feat of summoning the dragon and slaying Elder Shui hasn't yet spread.
Right now, the name Lin Jiuxuan is like a celestial dragon in Haizhou—an awe-inspiring young master, admired by all.
But the name Evan Lin isn't well known in Haizhou. If anything, people only remember him for fighting Drake Huang to a draw at the Jared Qian Auction.
As far as Evan Lin's name goes, most just recall that draw with Drake Huang at the auction.
But after Drake Huang was killed by Lin Jiuxuan, everyone was shocked. No one thought to question whether Evan Lin and Lin Jiuxuan might be the same person.
A month has passed—probably only a handful from River City First High, some people from Minghai, and Evan Lin's mother, Zheng Jiayun in Bainan County, still remember him.
But to some, Evan Lin and Lin Jiuxuan are still two separate people.
For example, this old man from the Li family—in fact, ever since that night, the Li family has had people monitoring every station. If they spotted a boy named Evan Lin, they'd report it immediately.
Now, at last, they've caught Evan Lin entering River City again!