Qin Chen let out a cold laugh and abruptly kicked a stone in front of him. *Crack!* The fist-sized rock shot forward like a meteor, striking the fleeing youth square in the back.
With a *thud*, the youth crashed to the ground, face-first in the dirt, blood spilling from his mouth as he writhed and wailed in agony.
A sneer curled Qin Chen's lips as he strolled into the garden.
The garden was eerily empty, devoid of life, with only a scattering of haphazardly planted flowers and plants. The courtyard door ahead stood ajar, a faint sense of danger prickling at Qin Chen's mind.
Unfazed, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Suddenly—
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Two iron rods swung out from behind the door, one aiming for the back of his head, the other for his face.
The rods whistled through the air with startling force—clearly meant to kill.
In his peripheral vision, Qin Chen glimpsed two youths lurking behind the door, their faces twisted with savage grins. They were Wei Zhen's lackeys.
In the courtyard, Wei Zhen stood with his lower body wrapped in gauze, glaring at Qin Chen with a venomous smirk.
So Qin Chen smiled too.
At the critical moment, he ducked low, evading the rods just as they were about to strike.
*Clang!*
The two iron rods collided in midair, the violent impact jarring the attackers' hands, nearly splitting their grips.
Before they could recover, Qin Chen sprang into action. Still crouched, he lashed out with both fists, hammering them into the chests of the two assailants like iron mallets.
"Ah!"
*Thud!*
The sickening crunch of breaking bones rang out alongside their screams. The two youths flew backward, spewing blood midair before crashing heavily to the ground, unconscious from the pain.
Their chests caved in, their ribs shattered beyond counting, their forms a pitiful wreck.
Across the courtyard, Wei Zhen's sadistic grin froze, replaced by a look of shock, horror, and disbelief. He could hardly trust his own eyes.
"Wei Zhen, where are Lin Tian and Zhang Ying? Hand them over now, or you won't live to see the end of this day."
Qin Chen's face was a mask of ice as he advanced, his piercing gaze like a blade slicing into Wei Zhen, as if it could cut through his flesh.
Wei Zhen stood dumbfounded, fear creeping into his eyes. Wholly unnerved by Qin Chen, he turned and stumbled toward the house in a frantic scramble, shouting over his shoulder, "Qin Chen, Lin Tian, and Zhang Ying are inside! Come in if you dare!"
The interior was pitch-black, a subtle aura of danger wafting out, as if some primal beast lay in wait. Qin Chen's brows furrowed slightly.
Though Wei Zhen looked terrified, a faint glint of excitement lurked deep in his eyes—there was clearly an ambush inside.
But would Qin Chen be deterred by a mere trap? With a cold laugh, he stepped in, expressionless.
No surprise attack came. The room held only one figure, seated cross-legged in the spacious hall. Sunlight streamed through the open door, casting the man in a towering silhouette.
He wore a dark robe, and his features resembled Wei Zhen's. His chiseled face exuded resolve, like an ancient pagoda standing firm and radiating an extraordinary presence.
"Big Brother, it's him! This is Qin Chen—the one who injured me a few days ago!" Wei Zhen roared, a mix of excitement and fury in his voice as he saw Qin Chen enter.
"Useless fool, why are you panicking?" The dark-robed youth slowly opened his eyes, two calm, cold beams of light shooting forth as his gaze settled on Qin Chen.
"You're Qin Chen? The one who hurt Wei Zhen?" His first words were an accusation. Though his tone wasn't harsh, the weight of reproach was unmistakable, as if he were an emperor interrogating a subordinate.
Qin Chen didn't respond. His eyes darted to a corner beside the youth and narrowed sharply.
There lay Lin Tian and Zhang Ying, battered and bruised, faces swollen, blood trickling from their mouths, their bodies a mess.
For the past two days, they'd endured untold suffering—covered in blood, their clothes torn to shreds.
"Qin Chen, don't come in! Run! This is Wei Zhen's brother, Wei Qin!" Lin Tian and Zhang Ying stirred awake at the noise. Seeing Qin Chen through swollen eyes, they croaked out a weak warning.
Their voices were hoarse from their injuries, pitiful and raw.
"Shut up! Do you two want to die?" Wei Zhen barked, kicking them savagely. They groaned in pain, their faces contorted, while Wei Zhen laughed maniacally, reveling in their torment.
Wei Qin glanced at his brother with disdain, clearly unimpressed by his antics.
Qin Chen's gaze hardened, a chilling aura radiating from him. The room's temperature seemed to plummet.
Wei Qin, however, remained unfazed. "You know who I am now. Wei Zhen may be a failure, but he's still my brother. I don't want people saying I bully the weak. So here's the deal: kneel, kowtow, and apologize. Let Wei Zhen beat you once, and we'll call it even. I'll let all three of you leave without holding a grudge."
Wei Qin's tone was lofty and indifferent, as if he were doing Qin Chen a favor.
Qin Chen's anger turned to incredulous laughter. Where did this idiot get off flaunting his superiority?
"Get lost!"
A thunderous shout erupted.
With the roar, Qin Chen lunged, his fist rocketing toward Wei Qin.
*Boom!*
The fist wind roared, a howling gale!
The terrifying force surged like an enraged dragon, reaching Wei Qin instantly.
Seeing his two friends in such a wretched state, Qin Chen was genuinely furious. He knew Wei Qin's real target was him.
Lin Tian and Zhang Ying were just innocent casualties.
Feeling the monstrous fist force bearing down, Wei Qin's expression shifted. Before he could react, the overwhelming power was upon him. In a split-second crisis, he barely crossed his arms in front of his chest as Qin Chen's devastating iron fist crashed down.
*Bang!*
It was like a mountain pressing down. Wei Qin's arm bones creaked under the strain, his hastily gathered true qi shattering instantly. In the next moment, Qin Chen's immense strength sent him flying.
*Crash!*
Wei Qin slammed into an ironwood table behind him. The sturdy, thick table splintered into pieces, wood shards scattering across the floor.
"You… you…" Wei Zhen stood frozen, pointing at Qin Chen, trembling like a leaf. His eyes were wide with terror, as if staring at a demon, his legs stumbling back until he could barely stand.