Chapter 134: True Violence

Faced with the incoming strike, Lin Xiao stood still, serene, showing no intention of dodging.

A cruel grin crept onto the thug’s face. Mistaking Lin Xiao’s stillness for fear, he doubled down, swinging the thick pipe with even greater force.

Just as the pipe was about to land, Lin Xiao raised his arm.

The steel slammed against his forearm with a heavy, dull thud. On anyone else, it would’ve shattered bones and torn muscles. But Lin Xiao didn’t so much as flinch. There wasn’t even a mark.

Instead, the impact seemed to awaken something in him. His once-calm gaze turned razor-sharp, a chilling gleam flickering to life.

The thug, still grinning as he readied for another swing, caught Lin Xiao’s eyes—and froze.

His body went stiff. A chill ran down his spine.

Those eyes… those weren’t the eyes of someone ordinary. They were the eyes of a predator.

They seemed reminiscent of an Asura stepping out from the depths of hell, exuding an indescribable coldness and ruthlessness. A single glance felt like being ensnared amidst mountains of corpses and oceans of blood, haunted by the tormented cries of countless souls.

A wave of dread washed over the thug. Petrified by Lin Xiao’s intense gaze, he scrambled to retreat. But Lin Xiao, his eyes now burning with a murderous aura, wasn’t about to let him escape that easily.

With a single, fluid movement, he yanked the steel pipe from the thug’s hands and, without missing a beat, drove his foot hard into the man’s gut.

The thug let out a strangled grunt as his body was launched backward, slamming into the group behind him like a wrecking ball.

“Ah… it hurts!”

He writhed on the ground, gasping, face pale as chalk. Sweat streamed down his temples. That one kick from Lin Xiao had nearly caved in his core.

Several individuals who were struck by the thug were also knocked over, taking them some effort to rise.

Lin Xiao’s aggressive retaliation momentarily stopped the other thugs. Each of them glared menacingly at Lin Xiao, yet no one ventured to make a move.

“What are you all waiting for?” Le Fangyun’s exasperated voice echoed from a distance. “Charge at him! Take that bastard down! Kill him!”

The masked thugs uniformly directed their gaze to a man standing centrally amongst them.

This man, while not as physically imposing as the others, exuded a more threatening aura. He was their leader, Chen Xiao.

Chen Xiao stared at Lin Xiao, his eyes sharp with intensity but laced with caution. That single kick had revealed more than brute strength—it was a controlled show of power that spoke of real danger. It wasn’t normal for someone to send a man weighing over 150 kilograms flying with such ease.

But Chen Xiao didn’t retreat.

He had numbers on his side. No matter how skilled Lin Xiao was, he was still alone. Chen Xiao couldn’t believe that a group like his would lose to a single man. And more than pride, reputation was at stake—pleasing someone like Le Fangyun mattered far more than playing it safe.

In this world, strength alone meant little without the right connections. That was why Chen Xiao had always tried to stay in the good graces of people like Le Fangyun.

He gritted his teeth, gripped the steel pipe tighter, and let out a roar.

“All together!”

With eyes full of malice, he led the charge, swinging the pipe straight for Lin Xiao’s head.

The rest of the thugs gathered their nerve and lunged at Lin Xiao, swinging their pipes with fierce intent.

Lin Xiao only smirked. He casually tossed aside his own steel pipe—he wouldn’t be needing it.

Instead of backing away, he stepped forward.

Like a shadow, he slipped past the first strikes and moved directly toward Chen Xiao. Before Chen could react, Lin Xiao was already behind him.

A strong hand clamped around Chen Xiao’s neck and lifted him clean off the ground.

Chen wasn’t particularly heavy, but in Lin Xiao’s grip, he felt weightless—like a plastic doll being plucked from a shelf.

For a moment, Chen Xiao didn’t even realize what had happened. He had swung hard, but his pipe had met only air. Then he saw the stunned faces of his men—and felt the world tilt.

It hit him all at once. He was in the air. Lin Xiao was holding him up with one hand.

Fear surged through Chen Xiao. His eyes widened in panic as he let out a forced growl, struggling wildly. But Lin Xiao’s grip was ironclad. To Chen Xiao, it felt like being a chicken clutched by the neck, moments from slaughter.

Desperate, he swung the steel pipe in a frantic flurry, aiming blindly at Lin Xiao. But to Lin Xiao, the flailing strikes were nothing more than feeble resistance.

With a dark glint in his eyes, Lin Xiao tightened his grip and, in one powerful motion, slammed Chen Xiao’s head into the ground.

The dull thud of impact was soft, but deeply chilling.

Chen Xiao’s skull cracked against the unforgiving pavement. Blood splattered. His nose flattened, his face twisted into a mangled mess of blood and bone. He let out a strangled scream before losing consciousness.

Inside the Rolls-Royce, Wan Caixuan instinctively covered her mouth in shock.

She had always known Lin Xiao was strong—none of the earlier fights had fazed her. But this? This wasn’t just strength.

This was violence. Raw. Unfiltered.

Lin Xiao had just showcased an overwhelmingly savage strength.

Yet, Wan Caixuan wasn’t a naive and overly sensitive woman. She understood that if Lin Xiao were merely an ordinary man, he might have fared even worse. Thus, despite the brutality, there wasn’t an ounce of sympathy in her heart.

Chen Xiao’s subordinates, witnessing the pitiable condition of their leader and Lin Xiao’s fierce demeanor, involuntarily gasped and took several steps back.

In their perception, Lin Xiao had ceased to be human. He was now a demon in human guise.

Gazing at Lin Xiao with palpable fear, they dreaded receiving the same treatment from him. Even though there were over a dozen of them surrounding Lin Xiao, they felt as if they were the vulnerable ones.

Lin Xiao paid them no heed. He steadily advanced, step by deliberate step, toward the primary instigator, Le Fangyun.

As Le Fangyun watched Lin Xiao approach, alarm washed over his face. He hadn’t anticipated that what began as his plan to punish Lin Xiao would end with himself as the prey.

‘Such a worthless bunch,’ he silently lambasted, casting a disdainful glance at Chen Xiao’s visibly shaken underlings.

Recognizing the need to still use them as a barrier against Lin Xiao, he shouted, “Hold him back, I’ve alerted the police, don’t be scared.”

He had been reluctant to exploit his influential connections, but the moment he saw Chen Xiao manhandled by Lin Xiao, he instinctively sensed impending danger and promptly dialed the police.

Hearing Le Fangyun’s declaration, Chen Xiao’s men hesitated visibly. Aware, albeit vaguely, of Le Fangyun’s influential background, they exchanged glances before steeling themselves.

“Young Master Le, don’t worry, we won’t let him lay a finger on you.”

It was ironic. Le Fangyun had assembled this group to chastise Lin Xiao, but now, they were rallying to protect him from Lin Xiao’s wrath.

But how could this motley crew stand against Lin Xiao? Within moments, they were sprawled on the ground, crying out in pain.

Useless, all of them.

With Lin Xiao closing in, Le Fangyun silently cursed Chen Xiao and his minions. But externally, he put on a brave front, warning with forced calmness, “Lin Xiao, listen to my words. I’ve informed the police. If you lay a hand on me, your fate is sealed.”

A sardonic smile played on Lin Xiao’s lips. He completely ignored Le Fangyun’s threats and didn’t even dignify them with a response.

Observing Lin Xiao’s derisive grin, a sense of desperation gripped Le Fangyun. The memory of Lin Xiao’s earlier ferocity filled him with trepidation.

“Lin Xiao, recognize my status. Cross me, and you’ll regret it for life. Here’s a proposition: let me walk away now, and we’ll call it even. How about it?”