"Courting death!" Right now, Ryan Ling was beyond furious—he was like a raging lion, ready to charge in and swallow this pack of bastards whole.
But just then, a group of people rushed over from afar. Leading them was none other than Butler Leo from the Hong family—the squat little guy who, spotting Ryan about to throw down, started shrieking: "You little punk, stop right there! Who said you could lay a finger on Wuzhou High School's honored guests? If any of them so much as scrape their skin, you're dead meat!"
Ryan clenched his jaw. Last time, Butler Leo blocked him from going after Drake Long—now he was at it again, and this time his attitude was even more obnoxious.
"Ryan, don't—don't do anything rash! That guy's Butler Leo, steward of the Hong family—the top clan in Harbor City. Around here, their reputation is bigger than the sky. Seriously, don't push it!" Despite the pain wracking his body, Tony Zhang grabbed Ryan, trying to hold him back as Butler Leo barged in.
Ryan's fists were clenched so tight his knuckles popped, but the rage in his heart refused to die down.
The Wuzhou High School students had looked nervous at first, but seeing Butler Leo arrive, they instantly relaxed. Clearly they'd been in contact already—and the way they greeted each other like old pals made it obvious these Wuzhou High School guys had been staying at Hong Manor since yesterday.
Seeing this, Ryan's fists just clenched tighter.
Tony Zhang was stunned, jaw clenching hard. If Wuzhou High School was behind this mess, then Butler Leo was at least their accomplice. And this backstabbing traitor was blatantly siding with outsiders to bully his own people—unbelievable.
Maybe because of what happened last time with Drake Long, Butler Leo felt extra cocky now. Looking at the half-dead Qiu and the rest of his battered crew, he strutted over to Ryan and Tony Zhang, eyes full of contempt—like he was some kind of big shot.
"Ryan, you think you're tough, huh? Last time you dared lay hands on Drake Long at Herb Mountain, and now you've got the guts to go after Wuzhou High School's honored guests? Who gave you the nerve? Who gave you the right? No law, no manners!" Butler Leo shot Tony Zhang a nasty glare, then barked at Ryan: "Why are you just standing there like an idiot? Hurry up and apologize to our guests! Do you even know who they are? You think you can mess with them? Just because you stuffed your face at the Su family for a few days, you think you're somebody? Real power—one finger from a true old-money clan and you'd be squashed flat. Got it?"
Tony Zhang was terrified Ryan would lose control, clutching his arm tight and explaining in a rush, "Butler Leo, please see clearly—this whole mess wasn't started by us! Wuzhou High School's people came looking for trouble, forced us into a fight, and injured so many of us. If Ryan hadn't stepped in, things would've turned tragic!"
"Is it really that bad? I know these Wuzhou High School kids—they respect martial etiquette, they'd never just start a fight. You must've mouthed off first. And anyway, martial arts sparring always gets rough—some injuries are normal. Why make such a big deal, acting like it's life and death? Is that how Harbor City people behave?" Butler Leo shot back, then glared at Ryan again: "What's wrong with your ears? Didn't you hear me? Apologize to our guests, now!"
Butler Leo was clearly backing Wuzhou High School all the way. The Wuzhou crew, who'd been a little scared of Ryan before, now looked smug with the Hong family behind them, practically waiting for Ryan to come grovel.
By now the school gate was packed with people. Most had seen the whole thing go down and were furious inside, but with the Hong family throwing their weight around, nobody dared speak up.
Suddenly, a female teacher shouted from the back, "Tony Zhang, Teacher Xu—they're not going to make it!"
"No—Zhang, Xu, hold on! I'll get you to the hospital right now!" Tony Zhang was struck like lightning, rushing over in a panic.
Everyone turned to look. Butler Leo's face darkened—he finally realized things were getting out of hand.
Just as that thought flashed through his mind, Tony Zhang broke down, sobbing: "Zhang, Xu, I failed you! I never should've left you at school today—this is all my fault!"
With Tony Zhang's anguished cries, the teachers and students around him couldn't hold back anymore—they all broke down, wailing.
"Teacher Zhang and Teacher Xu didn't know a lick of martial arts. They died trying to protect a few girls from these bastards—beaten to death right in front of us."
"They weren't here to spar—they came to kill! Teacher Zhang begged for mercy, but that guy stomped his head in. Zhang died because he was trampled to death!"
"That's right, I saw it too! Teacher Xu was used like a punching bag by their leader—who knows how many blows he took. He died horribly, died for nothing. We have to punish the killers—no way we'll let them get away!"
...
Several girls who witnessed it pointed straight at the culprits—one was the ringleader, the other was Qiu, the one Ryan had already beaten half to death.
At this point, those guys didn't dare stick around any longer—they tugged at Butler Leo, desperate to leave.
Butler Leo swallowed hard, sweat breaking out on his forehead, but still tried to take the Wuzhou High School crew and turn to leave.
"Two people are dead, and you think you can just walk away without saying a word?" Tony Zhang wasn't holding Ryan back anymore—he himself was about to lose it.
"What—what do you want? Don't do anything stupid! This needs a proper investigation. You can't convict someone just based on a few words from these girls—what if they're lying out of spite?" Butler Leo blurted, but this time not just Ryan, even the Harbor City crowd couldn't stand it—they formed a human wall, blocking his way.
"What are you all trying to do? I'm the chief steward of the Hong family—you dare surround me? None of you want to stay in Harbor City anymore?" Butler Leo still didn't know when to quit, yelling like a madwoman.
Ryan couldn't hold back any longer—he grabbed the old bastard by the collar.
"What—what are you doing? You wouldn't dare—" Butler Leo didn't even get the word "touch" out before Ryan unleashed a storm of slaps—ten blistering blows, back and forth, right across his face.
Ryan slapped him so hard the world went dark—knocked out every yellow tooth in Butler Leo's mouth, mixing nosebleed, tooth blood, and throat blood into one nasty mess.
He collapsed on the ground like a dying old dog.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Nobody had ever dared mouth off to the Hong family before, but with Ryan's move, it was like a volcano going off—everyone started shouting, their words fierce and wild. The Hong family servants turned pale, too scared to make a move.
Ryan's killing glare locked onto the Wuzhou ringleader and Qiu. Both guys instinctively backed away, stuttering, "W-what do you want? You better not mess with us! You'll regret it—Wuzhou's top brass won't let you off!"
"A life for a life, a debt repaid—it's only right! If I don't kill you today, heaven itself won't allow it. Teacher Zhang and Teacher Xu won't rest in peace. You bastards, pay up—with your lives!" Ryan didn't hesitate. He unleashed two sword-qi strikes.
With two crisp cracks, two heads hit the ground. The rest of the Wuzhou crew collapsed in terror.
Everyone felt an overwhelming rush of satisfaction—every eye was glued to Ryan, hearts pounding.
In the long history between Harbor City and Wuzhou, Harbor City folks had always been bullied. But for the first time, they stood tall. Seeing it, who wouldn't be excited?
Ryan, face iron-cold, walked over to the dying Kevin Lee and picked him up.
"Everything that happened today was my doing, and no one else's. If Wuzhou wants revenge, they can come for me!"
With that, Ryan carried Kevin away, disappearing down the street under everyone's gaze.
No one knew how long passed before someone shouted, "Hero!"
In an instant, the cheers echoed across several blocks—thousands of people shouting, their voices ringing on and on...