As the saying goes, the older you get, the more cautious you become. When Ian Song exposed his background, Huikui Yang felt the urge to back down. But after hearing Howard Zuo’s words, he found them reasonable—maybe this kid was just bluffing. Besides, if Ian really had thunderous means, why give them a chance to retreat?
"Grandpa, don’t let this guy fool you! Master is right, he’s just putting on an act!" Monica Mo shouted, joining in.
"Dad, your granddaughter has been turned into this—can you really swallow that insult?" Julia Yang spoke up too. Clearly, she didn’t agree with backing off, and at the same time, she gave Jiansheng Mo a meaningful look.
So Jiansheng Mo also chimed in to persuade, "Dad, I think Julia’s right. This kid came out of nowhere—maybe all he knows is just hearsay. Besides, Second Brother is a military bigwig, Third Brother is a top government official. You think a greenhorn like him can just move them with a few words?"
Hearing his daughter and son-in-law’s advice, Huikui Yang felt a pang of shame. It seemed the older he got, the more cautious he became. If this had happened when he was younger, anyone daring to threaten him like this would have been killed on the spot—no hesitation, no second guessing.
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a rush of hot blood surging inside him, and his mighty true qi burst forth. He stepped forward, eyes full of arrogance as he stared at Ian Song: "Kid, you sure have a sharp tongue. I almost let you trick me!"
Facing Huikui Yang’s oppressive aura, Ian Song didn’t react at all. He sneered, "I used to joke about 'getting your dad in trouble,' but I’d never seen it happen for real—today, I finally get to witness it!"
"Kid, you’ve got a slick mouth—let’s see if your hands are any good! Everyone, get in there and cripple him!" Howard Zuo shouted impatiently. He was genuinely worried that if Ian kept talking, Huikui Yang might hesitate again, so he decided to cut the nonsense and deal with Ian first.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Shadows flickered as more than twenty Innate experts behind Howard Zuo charged forward at once. When they got within two meters of Ian Song, they all raised their fists and unleashed air-splitting punches together.
In an instant, twenty-four streams of fist force howled toward Ian Song and Luna Shangguan, aiming to crush them.
After unleashing a volley of air-splitting punches, the twenty-four fighters didn't press forward. Instead, they formed a tactical formation, circling rapidly around Ian and Luna. Clearly, Howard Zuo had planned this in advance.
But what good is preparation, really?
With a swift motion, Ian wrapped his arm around Luna's slender waist and soared into the sky with her. In that instant, all twenty-four punches missed completely.
Then, Ian flipped his right hand and pressed his palm downward. A ring of transparent ripples appeared beneath his palm, and the twenty-four Innate martial artists, who were circling, suddenly felt as if a mountain was bearing down on them from above. The pressure was so intense, it was nearly impossible to breathe.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
The transparent ripples landed squarely on the heads of the twenty-four Innate fighters. Their bodies were all squashed a head shorter, and as if on cue, each one spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Their internal organs simply couldn't withstand the crushing force, shattering one after another.
The ripples kept pressing down. The twenty-four Innate fighters lasted barely a third of a second before being flattened to the ground, faces ashen and pale, their internal injuries growing ever more severe.
Meanwhile, Ian gently floated down from the air with Luna still in his arms, looking utterly cool and effortless.
Howard Zuo, Huikui Yang, and the others were completely stunned. Those twenty-four fighters were all Innate Third and Fourth Layer experts; with their formation, they could even trap an Innate Eighth Layer powerhouse.
But now?
Not only did they fail to trap that mysterious youth—he crippled them all in an instant.
So just how strong is this mysterious guy? For a moment, Howard Zuo was already starting to regret getting involved. This whole mess clearly had nothing to do with him—why did he butt in at all?
Actually, Howard Zuo wasn’t the only one regretting his choices.
Huikui Yang regretted it too. As the saying goes, 'an expert reveals his skill in a single move.' He’d once lost to an Innate Ninth Layer master, so his judgment was sharp. That effortless palm strike Ian just used—he knew he couldn’t pull off something like that himself.
He was certain: that technique was at least Innate Ninth Layer.
And that mysterious young man looked totally relaxed—he was clearly holding back.
So Huikui regretted it. Ian had obviously given him a chance to back out, but after his daughter and son-in-law egged him on, he’d decided Ian was just bluffing. Now, with Ian’s words about '坑爹' ringing in his ears, he realized he’d truly been duped by his own family. At this point, he almost wanted to slap them both.
Ian, light as a feather, finally landed on the ground with Luna still in his arms. Luna, meanwhile, was flushed with excitement—the feeling of being swept into the sky by Ian was just too intense. Even after touching down, she felt her body weak and trembling.
"Now, it’s your turn!" Ian let go of Luna and looked calmly at Howard Zuo and Huikui Yang.
"Brother, how about we talk this out?" Howard Zuo forced a smile.
"Oh? What do you want to talk about?" Ian replied coolly.
"The Green-Red Gang doesn’t have any direct beef with you, right?" Howard said.
"That’s true," Ian nodded.
"Then maybe we could turn war into peace? If you spare me, I’m willing to offer ten billion as compensation." Howard said, still smiling.
"Howard, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re trying to back out?" Jiansheng Mo shouted angrily when he saw Howard trying to extricate himself.
Howard was instantly furious at Jiansheng’s words. He roared, "Shut your mouth! This whole mess was started by your Mo family. I’ve already sacrificed so many men to help you—that’s more than enough! You want me to die with you too?"
After Howard’s outburst, Jiansheng Mo was left speechless.
Seeing Jiansheng finally shut up, Howard forced another smile. "So, brother, what do you think of my offer?"
"Not interested," Ian scoffed, curling his lip. Luna secretly breathed a sigh of relief—she’d been worried Ian might accept. If he did, she’d never get justice for her family.
Howard’s smile froze. "Brother, as the saying goes, harmony brings wealth. Even if you kill me, you’ll gain nothing. Why not let me go? I’ll add another ten billion—twenty billion in total!"
Ian nodded. "You make a good point—I’m speechless. Fine, give me twenty billion and I’ll let you go!"
Luna, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, instantly felt disappointed at Ian’s reply. Still, she didn’t blame him—after all, she and Ian weren’t related. Why should he give up twenty billion just for her sake?