"Even your second uncle dares to grab, are you not afraid your boss will whip your butt?" Ling Zhenfei dodged to the side with a teasing laugh, his words causing Fatty, who remembered being toyed with by Ling Zhenfei, to turn even redder with anger.

"I'm going to kill you!"

Fatty extended his large hands and lunged toward Ling Zhenfei with the force and weight of a car. Ling Zhenfei turned and moved behind Fatty, tripped his leg, and sent him crashing heavily into the wall.

Then, the other men rushed over. These individuals were selected to work as security at the Imperial Palace Club, and though they might not be outstanding in other skills, at least each of them was physically very strong. They all used their most powerful techniques, aiming for Ling Zhenfei's vulnerable spots.

Ling Zhenfei's hands swung through the air, and between them seemed to be an invisible staff, formed by the release of Inner Strength, striking out at those men like a flood dragon spinning between his hands.

These were Sharks' men. They might not be experts, but considered strong among ordinary people. However, they were no match for Ling Zhenfei. His punch, even without making contact, sent men flying merely with the wind it generated.

Exerting Inner Strength outward seemed like Qigong to ordinary people, but it was nothing notable to cultivators. The Qi Refinement Realm was about refining the world's Qi for one's own use. After surpassing the Qi Refinement Realm, in the Mingmu Stage, one could release Qi outward. Ling Zhenfei had reached the Great Perfection of the Mingmu Advanced Stage, and he was very confident in utilizing this skill.

The hefty Fatty picked himself up and charged at Ling Zhenfei again, bellowing in frustration. A punch from Ling Zhenfei landed on Fatty's belly. Despite Fatty's weight far exceeding that of an average person, he was still sent flying with a single punch. Ling Zhenfei stepped on Fatty's back, ensuring that this time, Fatty stayed down.

Meanwhile, the pursuers had surrounded him, forming a semicircle in a standoff with Ling Zhenfei.

At Ling Zhenfei's back was the exit passage of the Imperial Palace Club. He stood alone at the doorway, facing a crowd of Sharks' men who stared him down aggressively as their machetes glinted in the brilliance of the Club's gilded décor.

"Who might you be, friend?" the leader asked Ling Zhenfei, seemingly not eager to start a brawl right away.

"And who are you?" Although Ling Zhenfei suspected that the two might be the Sharks' main and deputy leaders, he still asked tentatively.

"Let's not beat around the bush. I am Zhu Qiang from Sharks, and beside me is my brother, Feng Kai. Who exactly are you, and what brings you to the Imperial Palace Club?"

This Zhu Qiang clearly was a formidable man. Despite the situation, he remained unruffled. His body didn't seem particularly robust, but there was a subtle, domineering aura about him.

"It's nothing much. I heard the Imperial Palace Club offers great service, so I thought I'd come and have some fun."

Naturally, Ling Zhenfei couldn't tell the truth. His current goal was to buy time for Zhuo Yue to escape, but he worried because the exit passage was unfamiliar to him, and he wasn't certain Zhuo Yue could make it out.

"Isn't it delightful to have friends come from afar? I welcome high-level cultivation experts like you to the Imperial Palace, but why would you want to steal the Palace's data?"

Zhu Qiang confronted Ling Zhenfei, clearly aware of what had happened. Perhaps the injured Wei Damin had been discovered; otherwise, the situation wouldn't have escalated so rapidly.

"I'm interested in your Imperial Palace, and, naturally, even more interested in your data."

"Who sent you?"

"Why should I tell you who sent me?"

"Kid, don't play tough and then have to drink a penalty. Right now, my big brother is willing to have a nice chat with you, but if you get us riled up, it won't be just a chat anymore."

Zhu Qiang hadn't spoken yet when Feng Kai next to him grew displeased, obviously Feng Kai's temper was much more volatile. At that moment, Feng Kai's imposing aura leaked out, and Ling Zhenfei was slightly taken aback to realize that Feng Kai was of the Mingmu Stage realm as well, although he had only just entered the Mingmu Stage, there was no doubt he was at that level.

Feng Kai could be considered the cultivator with the strongest cultivation Ling Zhenfei had ever encountered. If the younger brother was this formidable, he couldn't help but wonder how much more terrifying Zhu Qiang's strength might be.

But that's how cultivation works, strength lays where it resides. Even though Feng Kai was at the Mingmu Initial Stage, Ling Zhenfei was at the Mingmu Advanced Stage Great Perfection, and the gap between them was substantial. Each minor realm had nine different layers, Feng Kai was currently at the Mingmu First Level, while Ling Zhenfei had reached the pinnacle of the ninth layer, only lacking a bit of opportunity to break through. If they were to fight, Feng Kai wouldn't be able to last more than a few exchanges.

"So what if I make you unhappy? I can get in this damn place, I can get out."

Ling Zhenfei also slightly displayed his own strength, his aura circulating with a dominant overtone. Although Feng Kai couldn't determine Ling Zhenfei's exact realm, he could feel that Ling Zhenfei's realm was no less than his own, and he was immediately so shocked that he was lost for words.

Upon witnessing Ling Zhenfei's display of power, Zhu Qiang's brows suddenly furrowed, evidently also sensing the formidable strength emanating from Ling Zhenfei.

"Sir, your strength is indeed great, it's true that you could come and go as you please, but your friend might not be so lucky."

Ling Zhenfei's heart tightened, needless to say Zhu Qiang was referring to Zhuo Yue. Zhuo Yue had run out alone through the corridor, a strange passage where he had no idea what was inside, whether there were more of the Sharks lurking or whether it was still so dark that he couldn't see his hand before his face.

If there were more of the Sharks inside, Zhuo Yue might have already been captured. He had been careless.

"What about my friend?"

"Do I really need to spell it out? Your friend has surely been captured, do you really think anyone can just waltz into the Imperial Palace Club?"

"I don't believe it. My friend isn't someone who can be captured so easily." Ling Zhenfei truly had some disbelief, because Zhuo Yue had always seemed to him to be the kind who was clever and not so easily caught.

"If you don't believe it, then look behind you, see if that's your friend or not." Zhu Qiang pointed towards the corridor behind.

Turning around, Ling Zhenfei saw someone holding a pistol to Zhuo Yue's head, as Zhuo Yue was being escorted back step by step.

"Sorry, I got caught." Zhuo Yue's face was ashen, devoid of any surplus expression, unsure of what had transpired in the corridor.

"Now, can we have a proper talk?" Zhu Qiang asked Ling Zhenfei once more.

"What do you want to ask?" At this point, Ling Zhenfei had no choice but to soften, as Zhuo Yue was in their hands and not at his liberty.

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