Wang Wei appeared at the top of the grand staircase with Vivi beside him. He wore expensive robes decorated with gold patterns, and a thick chain hung around his neck. His face showed pride and arrogance as he looked down at the gathered guests. Vivi stood next to him in an elegant dress, her face blank and emotionless. Servants announced their arrival, and the entire hall fell silent.
The crowd of guests began clapping as Wang Wei descended the stairs slowly. Each step he took was deliberate, meant to show his power and status. But his chubby figure couldn't quite exude the presence he wanted. Vivi followed behind him quietly like a shadow. They walked toward the elevated platform where the two thrones waited. The masked guards stepped aside to let them pass, then returned to their positions once Wang Wei and Vivi sat down on their thrones.
Baki watched from near the refreshment table, his eyes fixed on Wang Wei. He took a sip from his glass and smiled slightly. "I guess it's about time," he thought to himself.
Baki set down his glass and started walking toward the elevated platform. The crowd of guests moved aside as he passed through. Some glanced at him curiously, but most remained focused on Wang Wei. Baki could feel several eyes on him. The masked guards noticed his approach immediately. Their bodies tensed slightly, though they didn't move from their positions.
Baki kept his hat pulled low as he got closer to the thrones. Wang Wei's eyes shifted toward him with suspicion. Baki stopped at the bottom of the platform steps and looked up at them. "Mr. Wang Wei," he said with a casual tone. "Do you remember me? We have unfinished business."
Wang Wei squinted his eyes. The masked guards began to surround Baki. Baki chuckled as he removed his hat. "Do you remember now?"
Wang Wei's eyes widened. "You! You bastard! How are you still alive?!"
Several people among the guests were surprised too, mostly those from Red Dragon. Zhang Jian squinted his eyes. "He's alive?!"
Li Xiu walked toward him with a drink in her hand. "What's this? I thought you finished him~"
Zhang Jian was serious for once. "Inform Hou Qing about this quickly. I'm having a bad feeling about this guy."
Li Xiu chuckled. "Don't worry~ As long as Hou Qing is here, this guy won't be a problem. You know how strong Hou Qing is, right?"
Zhang Jian nodded. "If it's Hou Qing, he would surely win."
Meanwhile, the other guests watched the spectacle with interest.
Baki stood in the middle, surrounded by the masked guards. Behind them, several more guards in black suits joined. Wang Wei slammed his hand against his armrest. "Kill this bastard quickly. Don't let him ruin this banquet, or I'll behead you all!"
The black-suited guards rushed at Baki from all directions. Some came from the front with their fists raised. Others approached from the sides with weapons drawn. A few even attacked from behind, trying to catch him off guard.
Baki shook his head. "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" No one heeded his words.
He pointed at one guard approaching from the left and grinned. "Let's start, shall we?" Then he jumped and spun horizontally through the air, his leg extended. His spinning kick hit five guards in a straight line, sending them all crashing into each other like dominoes. He landed smoothly and immediately crouched low, sweeping three more guards' legs out from under them with a single motion.
Two guards came at him with batons. Baki ducked under the first swing and delivered a powerful uppercut that lifted the guard off his feet and into two others behind him. Before the second guard could react, Baki spun and hit him with a series of rapid kicks while rotating in place. The guard flew backward into a table, taking down four more guards who were approaching from that direction.
"Come on, at least make it interesting," Baki said with a laugh.
More guards surrounded him. One tried to grab him from behind. Baki stomped on the guard's foot, then drove his elbow into the man's ribs. The guard crashed into three others. Another guard swung a knife at his head. Baki leaned back, letting the blade pass inches from his face, then countered with an overhead axe kick. His heel struck the guard's shoulder, and the impact sent him flying into a group of five guards rushing from the side.
A guard rushed forward with a punch. Baki started to lift his leg for a high kick but suddenly stopped mid-motion. The guard flinched and raised his arms to block. Baki smirked and completed the kick anyway, his foot crashing into the guard's head and into two more guards behind him.
Six guards attacked together from different angles. Baki stepped forward and delivered a heavy hook that hit the first one's jaw and sent him spinning into the second guard. The third and fourth guards tried to tackle him simultaneously, but Baki caught them both with a powerful double punch to their chests. All four guards flew backward into a pillar. The fifth and sixth guards stumbled, but Baki followed with an uppercut that launched both of them into the air, where they collided with a chandelier.
A guard tried a high kick. Baki blocked it with one hand and replied with a devastating knee strike that sent the man flying into a crowd of approaching guards. "Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" Another guard came at him. Baki hit him with a high roundhouse kick to the head, then followed with a crescent kick that sent the guard spinning through the air and crashing into seven more guards like a bowling ball.
The guests backed away, giving Baki more space. The masked guards on the platform tensed but didn't move yet. They were waiting for orders.
Baki caught one guard's punch with a yawn. "I am not entertained." He pulled him close, delivering two knee strikes to his face. Then he kicked upward, hitting the guard's chin. The guard flew up and crashed down on top of four others. Another guard tried to grab him. Baki fell backward in a roll, planting his foot on the guard's chest and flipping him over his head. The guard crashed through a group of six guards who were trying to surround Baki from behind.
"Is this a joke? I am quite disappointed." Baki turned towards Wang Wei.
More black-suited guards poured into the hall. Some fired from hidden positions near the pillars. Baki dodged the projectiles with ease. He grabbed one guard and threw him over his shoulder. The guard's body became a projectile that knocked down eight more guards in its path.
Zhang Jian watched from his position, his eyes narrowing. "He's strong. But it's nothing we can't handle." He gestured to two other Red Dragon members nearby. They nodded and moved toward Baki.
The first one came at Baki with a flying knee.
"Oh, are you from Red Dragon perhaps?" Baki said with a grin.
Baki sidestepped and countered with a jumping uppercut. The Red Dragon fighter's body shot upward and crashed into the ceiling before falling down on top of three more approaching fighters. The second Red Dragon member attacked from behind with a low sweep. Baki jumped over it, tucking his knees. "I have a little grudge against you guys, so I'll go a little heavier!" While in the air, he extended his leg and delivered a powerful kick that caught the fighter in the chest and sent him flying through five more Red Dragon members who were positioning themselves for an attack.
A third Red Dragon member joined the fight. This one was faster. He threw a punch at Baki. Baki caught it with one hand. "Not quite as fun as I expected." He lunged forward with a heavy hook that broke through the fighter's guard and sent him crashing through a table, taking down four more fighters who were flanking from the sides.
Two more Red Dragon fighters attacked simultaneously. One went high, the other low. "Let's get this over quickly!" Baki jumped and spun vertically, his legs extended in a wheel kick that hit both of them and three others behind them. He landed in a crouch, then immediately launched himself upward with a powerful jumping uppercut that sent two fighters crashing through a chandelier and into six more guards below.
Another fighter rushed at him. Baki delivered a knee strike and extended his leg, hitting the opponent and knocking him into a group of five fighters. Then he spun around smoothly and brought his heel down in a devastating overhead strike that created a shockwave, knocking down everyone within a three-meter radius.
"All my enemies seem to have gathered in one place," Baki laughed.
The remaining Red Dragon members hesitated. They had underestimated this Baki. Zhang Jian's expression grew serious. He started walking toward the fight himself. "I guess he can't be taken down by numbers."
Baki stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by unconscious guards and fighters piled on top of each other. He stretched his arms casually and cracked his neck. He looked up at Wang Wei on the throne and smiled. "Now, now. Shall we have a little talk, president?"
Wang Wei's face turned red with fury. The veins on his forehead bulged. He pointed at Baki with a shaking finger. "KILL HIM! I WANT HIM DEAD! NOW!"
The masked guards finally moved. They stepped down from the platform.
Li Xiu said to Zhang Jian, still holding her drink. "My, my. This is getting interesting. Should we call Hou Qing now?"
Zhang Jian didn't take his eyes off Baki. "Yeah. Do it. This guy... he's dangerous."