Did Qin Wu fail to grab the check? Was the wind too strong? Neither. He just wanted to humiliate Chen Yang.

His most capable subordinate had been killed, and his earlier confidence now felt like a slap in the face. The formidable Fighting King of the Northern Desert, for the sake of the bigger picture, had to forcefully suppress the rage in his heart.

But ultimately, he couldn't contain it completely.

He had paid the money from the bet, one way or another. Whether Chen Yang took it, and how he took it, was now his problem.

Qin Wu looked at Chen Yang, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

Chen Yang smiled back, meeting his gaze.

For a moment, the luxurious private room fell into a strange, heavy silence.

「At the same time.」

Since the subsequent matches had not yet begun, the patrons ordered drinks and fruit platters, sitting in small groups to discuss the incredibly exciting fight that had just concluded.

As they talked, the topic shifted from Gong Bo to the Fighting King of the Northern Desert, Qin Wu.

"You might not know, but Qin Wu has studied under countless masters. He has mastered the essence of both Inner Family Fist and External Family Fist! That's the foundation of his reign as king. To be blunt, if he were to step into the ring himself, no one in all of Lingjin City would be his opponent!"

"Exactly! Even as a resident of Lingjin City, it's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's the truth!"

"So, with Gong Bo dead, do you think Qin Wu can just let it go? Could this cause a rift between him and Lord Hu?"

"Can't you see we're all waiting? Just be patient, my friend. Let's wait and see!"

Many gazes flickered up toward the second-floor, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Down below, Qin Mo and her companions were also drinking and chatting. Li Hongming gave a subtle signal, and the person sitting next to Qin Mo immediately made way for him. Li Hongming slid into the seat with a grin and casually asked, "Xiaomo, are you still wondering if that Mr. Chen was that loser, Chen Yang?"

"Of course not! He might have looked similar, but I never saw his face. It couldn't possibly be him!" Qin Mo scoffed, her tone firm.

Li Hongming's voice was even more certain. "Of course it wasn't him! How incredible are Mr. Chen's skills? Comparing him to a freeloading loser is just ridiculous! It's an insult to Mr. Chen!"

Qin Mo nodded and glanced at the time.

Seeing this, Li Hongming eagerly said, "Xiaomo, I've opened a themed lounge on the riverbank in Lingjin City. After this is over, let's go hang out there!"

"It's too late tonight. I promised my mom I'd be home early! I'll invite a few of my friends to come support your place another day!" Although Qin Mo could be wild when she partied, she had principles and never stayed out overnight.

"Alright, then. We can just have a couple of drinks here," Li Hongming said, pouring two glasses of wine and raising his for a toast.

"Cheers!" Qin Mo laughed.

As Qin Mo tilted her head back to drink, Li Hongming poured another glass of wine for her, surreptitiously dropping a small pill into it. He then raised his own glass and drained it in one go.

"One more!" Li Hongming said, pushing the spiked drink toward Qin Mo as he refilled his own glass.

Without giving it a second thought, Qin Mo finished the wine in two gulps.

Perhaps out of guilt, Li Hongming quickly tried to cover his tracks with chatter. "Xiaomo, you should be thankful that Mr. Chen isn't that loser, Chen Yang! Qin Wu isn't just a master of martial arts; he's also incredibly brutal. There's no way he won't seek revenge! He might even go after his relatives and friends!"

"It wasn't him," Qin Mo said, waving her hand dismissively.

Seeing that she wasn't suspicious, a predatory grin crossed Li Hongming's lips, and he began suggesting they should leave. He had coveted the pure and beautiful Qin Mo for a long time, and tonight presented a rare opportunity.

Back in the second-floor private room.

Under the weight of their two cryptic smiles, the atmosphere in the room began to freeze.

As a third party, Zhao Yinghu naturally sided with Chen Yang. However, he was wary of Qin Wu's skills and the power behind him, and he worried that Chen Yang would be at a disadvantage.

After a moment of deliberation, he started walking toward the check on the floor.

However, just as he was about to bend down, Chen Yang said with a smile, "Lord Hu, that's not for you to pick up."

Zhao Yinghu froze. He had only wanted to find a compromise to de-escalate the standoff. Now, it was clear he had completely underestimated Chen Yang's assertiveness.

He could only manage a wry smile and step aside.

"A moment ago, you asked what would happen if I didn't pick it up," Chen Yang said, smiling.

"That's right," Qin Wu replied, his expression unchanged.

Chen Yang tilted his head and asked earnestly, "Do you want to die?"

"Haha!" Qin Wu let out a loud, sinister laugh. "Kid, don't think you can kill me just because you killed one of my subordinates!"

"You're not bad, I'll give you that. But in my eyes, you're still nothing!"

Zhao Yinghu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and tried to intervene. "Lord Chen, a wise man knows not to fight a losing battle. Please, be patient!"

No one knew better than him just how formidable Qin Wu was.

BOOM!

Chen Yang moved, charging straight at Qin Wu.

"You're courting death!" Qin Wu grinned ferociously. He had just been looking for an excuse to make a move, and now this fool had served himself up on a silver platter.

In the next second, Qin Wu's aura became sharp, piercing, and frigid. It was like the chilling presence of a long saber constantly bathed in blood, an aura that could steal one's very soul. If they were in the ring, that aura alone would be enough to make an opponent's legs tremble and their will to fight evaporate.

THUD!

With a muffled impact, Qin Wu was sent flying backward like a sandbag, slamming heavily against the wall before crashing to the floor.

How... how is this possible?

Zhao Yinghu was so frightened his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

That was the Fighting King of the Northern Desert, taken down with a single punch?

Qin Wu struggled to his feet, staring daggers at Chen Yang. "You... you..."

"Know why you're still alive?" Chen Yang said, clapping his hands together. "It's because you haven't picked up the check from the ground yet."

Qin Wu was utterly speechless.

Who on earth is this guy?

"Pick it up."

The corner of Qin Wu's mouth twitched. Swallowing his pain and humiliation, he walked over, picked up the check, and handed it to Chen Yang.

THWACK!

With a sharp side kick from Chen Yang, Qin Wu was launched into the air, shattering the floor-to-ceiling window before plummeting onto the fighting stage below.

The sudden crash startled the entire audience. When they saw the person lying motionless in the ring, they were all stunned into silence, their minds reeling in confusion.

"That's... that's Qin Wu, the Fighting King of the Northern Desert, isn't it? H-How..."

"My God! Who did this? I thought they said no one in Lingjin City could beat him!"

Instinctively, many people looked up to the second floor.

Framed by the shattered window stood a figure in a black cloak, who happened to be turning away.

Mr. Chen? He didn't just take out Gong Bo, he flattened Qin Wu too?

After a brief, stunned silence, the arena erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.

"Mr. Chen!"

"Mr. Chen is incredible!"

Inside the private room, Zhao Yinghu was showering him with praise from behind. Chen Yang simply smiled without a word, removing his disguise and preparing to leave.

RING, RING!

Chen Yang's phone suddenly rang. It was Qin Qiu.

"You're looking for Xiaomo?" After listening to Qin Qiu, Chen Yang instinctively glanced down at the crowd below, but Qin Mo was nowhere to be seen.

"Honey, don't worry. I'll go find her right now!"

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