Chapter 11: So You're the One They Call Blade?

Brother Dao was stunned as well. He looked Lin Wanwan up and down, examining her figure. After a brief silence, he let out a pleased sigh. "Not bad, she still has the aura of innocence. I’m a lucky man!"

The gangsters eyed Lin Wanwan like starving wolves, their gazes fixed on her. Seeing this, Huang Ying quickly stepped in front of Lin Wanwan, shielding her and shouting a warning, "My daughter is still young! Don’t you dare!"

One of the thugs sneered, "Young? Your daughter’s not that young anymore!"

Their laughter was lewd, their intentions clear. These men only knew how to prey on women, and had no sense of pity or gentleness.

Brother Dao gave an order, "What are you all waiting for?"

No sooner had he spoken than the hooligans lunged forward. How could a mother and daughter possibly fend them off?

Just then, a blur swept through the room, shielding Lin Wanwan and Huang Ying with perfect accuracy.

It was none other than Chen Yang, who had just finished his meal.

Were it not for Lin Wanwan’s unique innate spiritual constitution, Chen Yang would never have involved himself. He would have simply turned and left, indifferent to whatever the gangsters intended to do—it had nothing to do with him.

As always, Chen Yang was not one to kill the innocent, but he was by no means a good man.

In Chen Yang’s eyes, Lin Wanwan was already his forbidden fruit. Anyone who dared lay a hand on her—

Would die.

It all happened in an instant. As soon as Chen Yang appeared, the gangsters froze. They couldn’t help it; Chen Yang’s speed was uncanny, almost like a magic trick.

Even Brother Dao looked shocked. He stared at Chen Yang, frowning. "What’s your deal, buddy?"

Brother Dao was naturally sharp, and he sensed immediately that the man before him was no ordinary character. To be cautious, he decided to take a diplomatic approach first.

Chen Yang’s expression was blank; he said nothing.

Brother Dao swallowed hard. "My boss is Zhou Tianhao. Which gang are you from?"

Zhou Tianhao—the underground emperor of Yunzhou: ruthless, infamous, feared by all.

Chen Yang’s face remained impassive. "Your boss is none of my concern. From now on, this shop is under my protection. If you know what’s good for you, get lost—otherwise, I’ll send all of you to the hospital."

His words set off a storm. The thugs erupted with rage.

"Who the hell is this punk? Daring to muscle in on Brother Dao’s turf?"

A yellow-haired thug roared, "He must have a death wish!"

No sooner had he spoken than the gangsters prepared to attack.

Brother Dao, however, stopped them with a gesture. He looked at Chen Yang and said coldly, "You’ve clearly had training. What’s your name? Who do you run with?"

"You’re not qualified to know my name," Chen Yang said with disdain. "This is your last chance. Are you going to leave or not?"

Brother Dao’s veins bulged, his face dark. He slowly backed away, then suddenly waved his hand. Immediately, several yellow-haired youths grabbed weapons and rushed Chen Yang, full of menace.

This was the raw, brutal reality of gangland brawls.

To ordinary people, their ferocity was truly intimidating—they were not to be trifled with. But in Chen Yang’s eyes, these small-time criminals were no different from ants.

As expected, Chen Yang dispatched the thugs with ease, knocking them all to the ground in a matter of moments.

Groans and cries filled the room as the gangsters lay sprawled everywhere.

They should consider themselves lucky. Chen Yang’s cultivation was still too weak for him to challenge the laws of the land. Otherwise, they’d already be dead. As it was, they’d be bedridden for at least half a year.

Huang Ying, protecting Lin Wanwan, didn’t dare make a sound.

Brother Dao was in utter shock. He hadn’t fought himself, so he was still able to stand, at least for now.

A real expert—he must be a true martial artist.

Brother Dao hadn’t survived this long in the underworld by being an idiot. At first, he’d only suspected that Chen Yang knew martial arts, which was why he’d mentioned Zhou Tianhao, hoping to intimidate him. Now, he was certain—this man was definitely a master.

A wise man knows when to retreat. Swallowing his anger, Brother Dao said, "You win today. According to the code of the streets, this shop is yours now. From now on, I won’t meddle here again."

He might be arrogant, but the rules of the underworld were strict.

Chen Yang was a little surprised by Brother Dao’s adherence to protocol. He’d been planning to teach him a lesson himself, but now it seemed unnecessary.

"Rivers and mountains are bound to cross paths again. If fate allows, I’ll introduce you to Zhou Tianhao," Brother Dao added, still resentful but with no choice but to leave.

Yet, just as Brother Dao turned to go, Chen Yang said quietly, "Did I say you could leave?"

Brother Dao spun around, startled. "What do you want now?"

"You and your men made such a mess here. Plus, there’s the bill from the customers you scared away. Don’t you think you should pay up?"

Brother Dao had come to collect money, but now he was being forced to pay out instead.

But the situation was beyond his control. He had to swallow his pride.

Reluctantly, Brother Dao produced a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills—at least ten thousand. He threw the money onto the table and said to Chen Yang with a sneer, "You win today, but I’ll remember this. Count on it!"

With those parting words, Brother Dao led his men out, defeated and humiliated.

But the matter was far from over.

Of course, Chen Yang paid no mind to a few small-time punks—or to the so-called underground emperor, Zhou Tianhao.

All he’d wanted was a simple meal, yet he’d ended up playing the hero. Truth be told, this wasn’t Chen Yang’s forte; he had no interest in being the good guy.

Huang Ying and Lin Wanwan peered outside for a while, making sure the thugs had truly left before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much, classmate! If it hadn’t been for you, I can’t imagine the consequences!" Huang Ying said, gripping Chen Yang’s hand in gratitude. She assumed he was a university student—understandable, since Chen Yang looked barely past twenty. So young.

In reality, though, Chen Yang had lived for over three centuries—a true old monster.

"Thank you, big brother!" Lin Wanwan emerged as well, her cheeks flushed, tinged with guilt. Just ten minutes earlier, she’d mistaken Chen Yang for a villain.

"My name is Chen Yang. What’s yours?" Chen Yang’s eyes were fixed solely on Lin Wanwan. As for Huang Ying, he ignored her completely.

"I’m Lin Wanwan," she replied softly.

Chen Yang smiled. "Let’s add each other on WeChat. If those bastards come back, contact me immediately. As long as I’m around, you’ll never be in danger."

Huang Ying was a bit taken aback. Something felt off, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. In truth, she was right—Chen Yang’s intentions were far from pure.

But the innocent Lin Wanwan was completely unsuspecting and quickly exchanged WeChat details with him.

Now that he had Lin Wanwan’s contact, things would be much easier from here on out. No matter what, he couldn’t let Lin Wanwan fall into the wrong hands, or the spiritual essence she possessed would be lost, and his hopes dashed.

Chen Yang had no desire to labor in vain.

Time flew by. Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

In that time, Chen Yang advanced from the seventh to the eighth level of Qi Training.

"Still too slow," Chen Yang thought bitterly. If he forcibly took Lin Wanwan and used her as a cauldron, he’d probably reach the Foundation Establishment stage immediately.

"Never mind, I’ll let things develop for a while longer," he finally decided, giving up on the idea for now.

At three in the afternoon, a WeChat voice message popped up on his phone. It was from Su Tang.

What’s this girl messaging me for now?

Chen Yang pressed the answer button.

"Hey, Big Brother Dali, tonight’s Yanran’s birthday. You have to come celebrate with us! I’ve sent you the address, don’t be late!"

Su Tang chattered away, barely giving Chen Yang a chance to respond.

With his cultivation still unresolved, Chen Yang had no interest in attending some pointless birthday party.

But before he could reply, Su Tang hung up on him.

"This girl..."

Chen Yang was both annoyed and amused. He sneered, "I never agreed to go. If I stand them up, don’t blame me."