Chapter 108: Arthur Leaves Home

Lin Qi paid no attention to the commotion around him; his sole focus was on beating Arthur, entrusting his own safety entirely to Enzo.

Enzo did not disappoint. His sword flashed horizontally before Lin Qi, deftly blocking four vicious gleams of steel. The sharp clangs prompted those nearby to step forward cautiously, yet none dared to strike rashly. Enzo held his sword with his right hand, fending off four daggers, while his left fist punched forward with fierce force.

The crisp sound of bones cracking was unmistakable. The burly man at the forefront nearly had his nose shattered by Enzo’s blow, blood spurting from his nostrils and splattering the polished floor with dozens of crimson droplets. Enzo’s long sword traced a yellow arc, slicing harshly across the chests of the four men, forcing them to retreat three paces.

They had no chance to advance further, for Leo had already charged behind them. The cunning little axe, just over a foot long, slammed mercilessly onto their shoulders. Piercing screams echoed as all four right shoulders were crushed, visibly caving inward by more than an inch—a complete ruin of their right arms.

Without immediate access to the secret healer’s remedy, these four were utterly broken men.

But Leo was far from done. The small axe vanished as if by magic, and he grabbed two of the men by the back of their necks, hoisting them overhead like straw dolls before slamming them heavily onto the ground. The cracking of bones sounded relentlessly, like popping beans. The remaining two hadn’t even turned around before Leo seized them and repeated the brutal motion.

Again, the agonized sounds of fractured bones filled the air. Leo, relentless, leapt up and brought down his right leg with brutal force, stomping the bones of all four men into powder. Their screams quickly turned to unconsciousness from the pain.

Breathing heavily, Leo cast a deep glance at Enzo and nodded, “Kid, you’ve got some skills.”

Enzo returned the intense gaze, extending his left hand with a smile. “Still not as good as you.”

The two exchanged a chuckle before Leo grasped Enzo’s hand firmly. A faint yellow glow flickered on Enzo’s fingers, while a dense cyan aura blossomed from Leo’s. This big guy, who had followed Lin Qi since childhood, was clearly a top-tier powerhouse, though only slightly older than Lin Qi and Enzo.

“Monster,” Enzo muttered inwardly. To possess such peak strength in his twenties was truly monstrous. Now he understood why Lin Qi called Leo a genius in cultivating fighting energy.

Meanwhile, Lin Qi stomped mercilessly on Arthur, his crocodile-skin boots nearly grinding Arthur’s face into a bloody pulp. He kicked Arthur’s abdomen viciously, teeth clenched and voice furious, “Bastard, this is the New Year’s banquet. Can’t you let me enjoy it a little? Huh? Do I have to beat you senseless before you’re happy? Before you feel joy? Before you think the New Year is truly wonderful?”

Arthur was already half-conscious from the beating, but his single purple eye glared at Lin Qi with intense hatred. If you knew this was the New Year’s banquet, how could you still attack someone? Of course, Arthur’s intention was to provoke Lin Qi, to make things difficult, but actually resorting to violence was forbidden—even cursing was not allowed at the banquet.

Lin Qi’s foot pressed hard against Arthur’s throat, intending to end it all by crushing his windpipe, eradicating the despicable scoundrel who filled him with rage. He was certain that Ya and Ling were Arthur’s reinforcements, and that the Black Spirit warriors were tied to Arthur as well. Rather than letting Arthur scheme behind his back repeatedly, he’d rather use this opportunity to finish him off.

With a heavy stomp, Lin Qi looked around at the silent family members and said sternly, “You all bear witness: it was his people who attacked me first.”

The young men exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. No doubt, even if Lin Qi had provoked first, the blame must fall on Arthur. After all, Lin Qi was the sole legitimate heir of the family, while Arthur, an outsider, had never truly gained many allies within.

Arthur’s face flushed deep red, his eyes wide and nearly popping from their sockets. His limbs twitched weakly, close to passing out.

Just as Lin Qi was about to deal a fatal blow to Arthur in public, a sudden, soft yet powerful gust swept across at an angle. Lin Qi couldn’t withstand the force and stumbled back several steps. The Black-bearded man, accompanied by his trusted aides, pushed through the crowd. His furry black face was grim; with a cigar clenched between his teeth, he said sternly, “This is the New Year’s banquet. No matter what’s wrong, there’s no cause for a scene.”

Lin Qi spread his hands, sneering, “I’m not causing trouble. The gods bear witness: I’m not the one who started this.”

The Black-bearded man took a deep drag, burning his cigar down to ash. Exhaling smoke, he said quietly, “Still, you can’t beat someone like this.”

With a sigh, he shook his head. “Lin Qi, no need to wait for your holiday to end. You’ll return to the imperial capital in a few days to continue your studies. Arthur, after the New Year, you’ll go back to your father’s domain. I’ll give you some money and twenty fully armed ships.”

Lin Qi crossed his arms indifferently. Going back to study? Fine. With so much money in hand, he was eager to expand the Iron Fist Brotherhood. Limping shops and hunchbacked stores wouldn’t stand a chance against him then.

Arthur gasped for breath, trembling as he struggled to rise. His one eye glanced over the four unconscious men sprawled on the ground—completely ruined, with no precious secret remedy to save them.

He bowed deeply to the Black-bearded man, dejected, “Father, I... I’m very sorry. I only wanted to share a drink with Lin Qi, but I never imagined things would turn out like this!”

Before he could finish, a wine jar slammed heavily onto his head, splitting a large wound across his scalp.

Maria shouted angrily from the crowd, “You’re lying, you despicable, shameless scoundrel! You’re the one who caused trouble for young master Lin Qi—we all saw it!”

The wine jar had been thrown by Maria herself, and the young people around her nodded in agreement.

Arthur’s face turned red with shame. Without even looking at his four fallen men, he lowered his head and hurriedly left the ballroom.

He walked straight out of the Lin family ancestral mansion, disappearing into the swirling snowstorm.

***

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