Chapter 105: Who Else?

Ling Tian kicked the large iron gate open and strolled out. Standing at the entrance, he surveyed the crowd behind Scar. When he noticed beggars among them, he felt a sense of utter disbelief. He was genuinely impressed that Black Bear had managed to recruit such a motley crew of "experts."

After observing for about a minute, Ling Tian nearly vomited blood. He realized the group was filled with petty swindlers, including deaf-mutes and beggars he had seen working the streets. There was even a disabled man on crutches who, instead of using them for support, was waving them in the air and hopping on his withered legs more nimbly than a healthy person.

Zhao Ming regained his composure, realizing just as Ling Tian had that the crowd was nothing more than a rabble.

"Black Bear, was the lesson I taught you last time not enough?" Ling Tian looked at him coldly. His tone was calm yet filled with an overbearing dominance, his sharp gaze piercing like a sword into the hearts of those he looked at. Neither Black Bear nor Scar dared to meet his eyes, instinctively turning their heads away.

Scar swallowed hard. Who exactly was this guy? How could he remain so composed while facing such a large crowd? And what did he mean by that question about Black Bear? Had his new boss already been defeated by Ling Tian?

When Black Bear first saw Ling Tian, his earlier excitement vanished into thin air. His eye twitched uncontrollably. He must have done something terrible in a past life to run into this nightmare again. The moment he saw Ling Tian, memories of the incident at Le Chao Bar flooded back. Ling Tian’s cold, decisive ruthlessness had left an indelible mark on him; even now, Black Bear felt a tremor in his soul.

Yet, deep down, Black Bear’s primary emotion was hatred. If Ling Tian hadn't come to collect debts at Le Chao Bar, his embezzlement of the bar's funds would never have been exposed, he wouldn't have been beaten, and Sun Yibin wouldn't have cast him aside.

"Young Master Ling, I didn't expect to meet you here," Black Bear forced a smile, scrambling down from his chair. "Young Master Ling, I believe this is all a misunderstanding. How about we call it off, and I treat you to a drink to make amends?"

Even as he said it, Black Bear couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth. It was a purely instinctive reaction; Ling Tian’s presence was so deeply ingrained in his psyche that it was impossible to erase.

"Don't be too arrogant; it's better to keep your feet on the ground," Ling Tian said flatly, staring intensely at Black Bear. He saw it all in the man's eyes: panic, rage, fear, and hatred. "Go back to being a security guard and stop causing trouble. You aren't cut out for this."

Scar thought his ears were failing him. What was going on? Not only had his new boss been bested by Ling Tian, but he seemed terrified of him. Ling Tian was speaking to Black Bear with the tone of a master reprimanding a subordinate. Scar felt like crying; he had finally found a boss in the underworld, only to discover that the man was a loser who had already been crushed by his enemy. This was absolutely ridiculous!

The lackeys, who were ready to fight, stared blankly at Black Bear. What was wrong with their new boss? Forget not fighting—why was he chatting with the guy, and why did it sound like the guy was lecturing him? This was insane.

"I’m telling you, what’s happening? Why aren't we fighting? Why are they just talking?"

"Shut up. In my opinion, the boss is negotiating terms. That's how it always goes in the movies before a brawl."

"Quiet, everyone! Stand your ground and wait for the boss's order."

Among the crowd, a few who had witnessed Ling Tian thrash Black Bear knew exactly how dangerous he was. They knew that despite the numbers, Ling Tian wasn't afraid. Back at Le Chao Bar, he had beaten Black Bear in front of Sun Yibin, and Sun hadn't dared to say a word—in fact, he had ended up paying Ling Tian a large sum of money. Sun Yibin was a man with connections reaching up to the heavens, including ties to the Li family of the Four Great Clans. If a man like Sun couldn't afford to offend Ling Tian, these small-time thugs certainly couldn't. Taking advantage of the confusion, they slipped away under the pretense of using the restroom.

They figured it was more promising to return to Le Chao Bar and tip off Sun Yibin, lest he think Black Bear had acted on his orders. If Sun was pleased, they might even get a reward. They pulled out their phones and dialed the bar.

When Sun Yibin received the call, he was stunned. Ling Tian's reputation had already spread throughout Yunhai City, especially after the incident at the hotel where the head of the Nangong family had treated him as an honored guest. Sun Yibin knew what that meant. Learning that Black Bear had acted on his own initiative and clashed with Ling Tian was like a man courting death by drinking poison. He had to stop this immediately, or the misunderstanding would spell disaster. He immediately ordered his driver to head to the scene.

Meanwhile, an oblivious Black Bear looked at Ling Tian with a complex expression. Should he surrender or fight? He was trapped in indecision. If he fought, he feared he wouldn't win; he knew exactly what kind of trash his men were. If he didn't fight and just surrendered, the humiliation would be unbearable.

Scar tugged at Black Bear’s arm. "Boss, what are you doing? We have so many brothers—let's just swarm him and beat him to death!"

Black Bear didn't respond, still weighing his options.

"Boss, what are you waiting for? With this many of us, surely we can take two people? Let’s move! Everyone is watching!" Scar urged. If a leader showed weakness, he could be abandoned at any moment—the underworld was a cruel place.

Black Bear gritted his teeth, stepped back, and shoved Scar to the front. He roared, "Brothers, charge! Break an arm, and the reward is ten thousand! Break a leg, and it's fifteen thousand! Cash on the spot!" To incite the crowd, he pulled a stack of bills from his pocket and waved them high in the air.

The allure of money was infinite. Believing that they could easily overwhelm two unarmed men, the mob of dozens surged forward. There was no formation; it was chaos. Before they even reached Ling Tian, a dozen men had already tripped over each other, with those behind them trampling over them. Screams and shouts filled the air.

"Wait, why is the bounty higher for a leg than an arm?"

"Damn it, I don't know! Just charge! Get there first, or we won't get a cent!"

Ling Tian turned to Zhao Ming. "Go up to the second floor and watch. I’m going to take out the trash."

To Ling Tian, these people were indeed nothing but garbage.

Ling Tian’s aura surged. With a sudden, explosive shout, a massive sound wave rippled outward, knocking a dozen men unconscious instantly. Fighting with his full power, Ling Tian was like a tiger descending from the mountain, charging into the crowd with an unstoppable force.

From the second floor, Zhao Ming watched as Ling Tian tore through the crowd like a tiger among sheep. Whoever came near him was either sent flying or crumpled by a single punch. Black Bear’s men didn't even have time to react. The faster ones, seeing Ling Tian’s ferocity, were so terrified they wet their pants. Was this even human?

One by one, they began to flee. Within a minute, Ling Tian had carved a path straight through the crowd. By the time he returned to the gate, only about thirty of the eighty men remained—and those were only the ones Ling Tian had already downed, unable to run away.

Zhao Ming blinked hard, hoping he wasn't hallucinating. Had Ling Tian taken some stimulant? How had he become so powerful, like the legendary warriors of old who could take an enemy general's head amidst a million troops? With just one charge, he had shattered the rabble and scared off more than half of them. Those who remained were too injured to even stand.

Ling Tian pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and looked at Scar and Black Bear with a faint smile. "Want to keep playing?"

Scar collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. He looked at Ling Tian with eyes filled with despair and terror. He couldn't fathom if Ling Tian was a man or a god; he had scattered eighty men in less than a minute.

Black Bear, having survived the initial onslaught, was completely catatonic. His face was ashen, his eyes vacant. Having been beaten by Ling Tian at Le Chao Bar, he knew the man was strong, but he hadn't realized he was capable of this level of devastation. Was this even human?

Ling Tian’s display of strength was invincible, crushing his enemies with an aura as overwhelming as a collapsing mountain. His power had driven Black Bear to total despair.

"Who else is coming to die?" Ling Tian shouted. His voice, like a tolling bell, shook the nearby windows.

Silence descended, heavy and absolute. No one dared to speak; some even lay on the ground, feigning death. Black Bear and Scar felt their ears ringing, and thin trails of blood trickled down. The sonic power of Ling Tian’s shout had ruptured their eardrums; even with treatment, they would be permanently damaged.

"Weren't you arrogant just a moment ago? Talking about breaking my arms and legs? Why have you all become mutes now?" Ling Tian roared. Guided by his inner energy, the sonic wave became even more potent, forcing Black Bear and Scar back more than a foot.