Chapter 52: Ancient Martial Artist

Inside the van, apart from Lin Xiao and Old Jin, only two of Old Jin’s most trusted subordinates remained. One was behind the wheel, driving in silence, while the other sat beside Old Jin, keeping a watchful eye. The rest—those not deemed trustworthy—had already been taken care of by Lin Xiao. He’d incapacitated them with precision, ensuring they couldn’t leak a word of the plan to Wang Lin. They were out cold and wouldn’t be coming to for hours.

In the back seat, the atmosphere was tense. Old Jin sat stiffly, stealing glances at Lin Xiao beside him. After a long, heavy silence, he finally mustered the courage to speak. His voice was low, tinged with anxiety.

“Boss… how confident are you about this?”

“Speak plainly.”

“Well then… Boss, I’ll be direct. I just want to know how certain you are about dealing with Boss Wang… uh no, I mean, Wang Lin,” Old Jin asked carefully.

If he weren’t genuinely worried, Old Jin would never have dared to question Lin Xiao. In truth, Lin Xiao intimidated him deeply. But this mission wasn’t just dangerous—it was life or death. The moment he led Lin Xiao to Wang Lin, he’d be seen as a traitor, an accomplice. If Lin Xiao failed, Old Jin’s own fate would be sealed—likely even worse than Lin Xiao’s.

Lin Xiao, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them upon hearing the question. He cast a sidelong glance at Old Jin, his voice calm and detached.

“You just focus on leading the way. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

That single glance, cold and unreadable, snuffed out what little courage Old Jin had managed to summon. He didn’t dare press further. All he could do now was pray—pray that Lin Xiao really could pull off the impossible.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at their destination. About thirty minutes later, the van rolled to a stop in front of a well-known chain bar—Starlight City Bar. Popular throughout Jinghai City, it was one of many establishments under Wang Lin’s name.

In high spirits after conning Song Tianxing out of a hefty sum earlier that day, Wang Lin had shut down the bar for a private celebration.

Once the van stopped, Lin Xiao got out and headed straight for the Starlight City Bar.

“What do you want? The bar’s closed today,” said a few youthful bouncers sporting various hair colors at the entrance.

Lin Xiao glanced at them, ignoring them and walking straight in.

“You’re begging for death!”

The young bouncer, furious at being ignored, stormed toward Lin Xiao, fists clenched and ready to strike. But before he could even raise his arm, Lin Xiao’s long leg lashed out.

Without breaking stride, Lin Xiao swept the bouncers at the entrance off their feet with a cold, expressionless face. He then stepped forward and raised his leg high, slamming it into the tightly shut glass door.

The door exploded into shards with a crisp, piercing sound, fragments of glass raining down across the entrance.

***

Inside the bar, a middle-aged man with a vicious face and a ferocious glare, likely in his mid-thirties, was sprawled on a couch in the center. He was draped in expensive attire, adorned with luxury items from head to toe. Nestled in his arms was a scantily dressed, attractive woman who was sitting provocatively on him, feeding him grapes from a nearby coffee table.

Surrounding the man’s couch were approximately twenty individuals of both sexes. The men were tall, imposing figures with a fierce aura, and the women were heavily made up, scantily dressed, and strikingly seductive, performing some actions that were rather unsightly.

The laughter of the men and the sighs of the women filled the bar.

Suddenly, a crisp sound interrupted the celebration, causing everyone in the bar to halt their actions.

The middle-aged man on the couch furrowed his brows and commanded, “Go see what’s going on.”

“Yes, Brother Wang,” one of the men answered respectfully.

Before he could act, a calm voice cut through the tension.

“There’s no need.”

From the shadows, Lin Xiao stepped into the dim light, his tone nonchalant and his presence commanding.

“Who the hell are you? Who let you in?” the middle-aged man barked, startled by the sudden appearance.

Lin Xiao ignored the outburst. His gaze was locked on the man lounging on the couch.

“Are you Wang Lin?” he asked, voice firm.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Wang Lin replied, narrowing his eyes as he sat up straighter. His tone sharpened with arrogance and disdain. “Who the hell are you? Since you know my name, you looking for trouble?”

As the room filled with tense hostility, the atmosphere thickened. One by one, the men in the bar rose from their seats, their glares sharp and full of menace. They reached for steel pipes, machetes. Some subtly slid their hands toward their waists, fingers curling around what could only be concealed firearms.

It was clear that if Lin Xiao made even the slightest move, chaos would erupt in an instant.

Amidst the brewing violence, a man standing just behind Wang Lin drew little attention at first glance. He looked ordinary—unremarkable, even. But his sharp eyes, pronounced temples, and grounded posture betrayed his true nature. He was no mere thug.

His gaze lingered on Lin Xiao for a moment, narrowing slightly. Then, his eyes widened ever so subtly in recognition or realization. His expression tightened.

He leaned in and whispered something into Wang Lin’s ear.

Whatever the dark-skinned man said, it caused Wang Lin’s expression to change. He abruptly forced a smile onto his otherwise grim face. “I wonder what brings the young gentleman to me?”

“Your life.”

Lin Xiao’s blunt statement sent Wang Lin into a rage. He bellowed, “Shoot! Shoot him! Kill this bastard!”

Several people nearby instantly drew their guns, not hesitating to open fire on Lin Xiao.

A barrage of bullets was unleashed in Lin Xiao’s direction.

Watching the bullets hurtling towards him, a cold sneer crept onto the corners of Lin Xiao’s mouth. His figure changed rapidly, like a phantom, causing all the bullets to fly past him without a single one hitting its mark.

The man with the bulging temples’ expression grew increasingly grave, while Wang Lin’s face turned pale.

After evading the bullets, Lin Xiao didn’t stop. In the blink of an eye, he appeared amidst the crowd.

Like a wolf among sheep, his presence brought forth screams of terror, sending people flying left and right. Those who were flung into the air landed with a thud, then fell silent.

“This…”

The onlookers who had planned to swarm Lin Xiao froze in shock. Fear flickered across their faces as they hesitated, some quietly retreating a few steps, careful not to catch Lin Xiao’s eye.

Fortunately for them, Lin Xiao had no interest in wasting time. His gaze locked onto Wang Lin. In a blur, he closed the distance, gathered his strength, and drove a palm strike straight at Wang Lin’s chest.

He had used only a third of his full power—yet for someone like Wang Lin, that was more than enough. If the blow landed, it wouldn’t just wound him. It would kill him.

The dark-skinned man behind Wang Lin stepped in, his palm shooting out to intercept Lin Xiao’s strike.

The moment their hands collided, his expression shifted. A surge of overwhelming force slammed into him—far greater than he’d anticipated. He quickly circulated his inner energy, his qi churning wildly as he fought to hold his ground.

Though he managed to deflect the blow, the cost was clear. He staggered back several steps, his chest heaving. A rush of blood welled up in his throat, but he forced it down. As he steadied himself, his eyes locked onto Lin Xiao, now filled with disbelief.

“Brother, impressive skills,” he said.

“An martial artist?” Lin Xiao squinted his eyes, his face revealing a trace of surprise. He spoke in a chilly tone, “I didn’t expect to encounter one here.”