Chapter 123: Dominance

Jiang Yang trembled violently, staring in terror at the leather whip in Ling Tian’s hand. Just moments ago, they had felt a perverse thrill in bullying the young women, but now that the tables were turned and it was their turn to suffer, the reversal of fortune left them on the verge of a breakdown.

"This is the Situ family’s territory! If you beat us, the Situ family will never let you off!" Jiang Yang shouted, playing his trump card in this moment of crisis. After speaking, he glanced triumphantly at Ling Tian, convinced that once the formidable name of the Situ family was invoked, Ling Tian would surely back down.

Another piece of human trash using a powerful clan to intimidate others. Ling Tian had heard these words so many times his ears were practically calloused. Could these people not come up with something new?

"Threatening me? I just arrived in Yunhai City and gave Li Wenhao, the young master of the Li family, a thrashing, and the Li family didn't dare let out a peep. I’ve cursed the young master of the Gu family to his face, and he didn't dare say a word either. Who the hell do you think you are, putting on airs in front of me?" Ling Tian snapped, his anger flaring.

Jiang Yang was stunned into silence. Could this be true? It sounded almost too formidable to be real—that the young masters of the Li and Gu families had been dealt with and hadn't dared to retaliate. Who exactly had he offended? Jiang Yang felt like dying; he had never dreamed that the poor students he had tricked would have such powerful backing.

*No,* he thought, *maybe this brat is just bluffing.*

But when Jiang Yang saw the whip descending, he realized with a sinking heart: regardless of whether the guy was bluffing, the whip was undeniably real.

The whip, as brutal as a spiked mace, landed on them with a force beyond words. The pain made Jiang Yang and the two thugs roll their eyes back, their mouths agape, unable even to scream. Each lash tore through skin and flesh, and the spikes on the whip were soon slick with blood and bits of gore.

Ling Tian lashed out a dozen times, leaving the three men unrecognizable. Their clothes were reduced to rags, and their exposed skin was a mess of lacerations, as if gnawed by wild dogs. The two thugs who had been the most active were in the worst shape; even their hair had been whipped away, and their bodies were drenched in blood, with some wounds so deep the bone was visible.

"Human trash, where did that arrogance go just now?" Ling Tian spat at them with disdain.

"Are you girls okay? We’re late," Ling Tian said. He tossed the blood-stained whip aside and walked over to Zhao Min. He pulled a healing talisman from his robe and cast it toward the group of girls. A pale golden light erupted, enveloping them instantly.

In the blink of an eye, the injuries on Zhao Min and the others were restored to their original state, leaving only faint traces where the wounds had been. This miraculous sight left the girls stunned, their eyes filled with worship as they looked at Ling Tian.

"Thankfully, they were only superficial wounds; otherwise, they wouldn't have healed so quickly. You girls go change your clothes, and then we’ll leave." Ling Tian checked their pulses one by one, finding nothing wrong other than their shaken emotional states. He had considered using his spiritual sense to examine them, but realizing they were young women, he knew that would be an invasion of their privacy—it would be as if they were standing before him naked. So, he chose the traditional method: checking their pulses.

Ling Tian dragged the three men out and tossed them into the hallway like garbage. He then stepped out, reattached the door that had been kicked in, and waited outside, leaving the room for the girls to change.

Inside the room, the girls carefully inspected their bodies and found that all their wounds had healed. The new skin was fair and tender, and they expected it to return to normal in a few days. Having cheated death, the girls gradually regained their usual cheerfulness, and smiles returned to their faces.

"Xiao Min, your brothers are amazing! They handled those scumbags in just a few moves. And the most magical part was when he raised his hand and that light burst out—all our injuries were gone. He’s truly incredible!" one girl said, her eyes sparkling.

Another added with longing, "So domineering, so cold and aloof!"

At their age, they were most susceptible to idolizing the opposite sex, especially men who were assertive, cool, and iron-willed. Having been saved by him in such a desperate moment, the cliché of the "hero saving the damsel" played out before them, leaving them breathless with excitement.

Zhao Min was also puzzled. She knew exactly what her brother, Zhao Ming, was capable of, and as for Ling Tian, she had known him well enough to know he had no such special talents. How had he become so mysterious and imposing after just a few years?

"Stop fooling around, hurry up and change so we can get out of this hellhole," Zhao Min urged. The room had been prepared for them, and the closet was filled with all sorts of clothing, though most of it was quite revealing. After searching for a long time, they finally found some decent clothes to wear.

Zhang Ding, who had been waiting in the hallway for five minutes, let out a lazy yawn. "Women take forever to change. Not like us men; we can throw anything on and be ready in less than a minute."

Suddenly, the door opened, and the four girls appeared, fully dressed. Ling Tian and the others were struck by the sight.

With faces radiating youthful vitality and well-proportioned figures, they looked stunning in their matching professional suits, which accentuated their perfect frames—especially their long, beautiful legs. The three men watched them, their gazes filled with nothing but sincere appreciation.

"Little girl, you’ve become even more beautiful in the few years since I last saw you. Come on, let’s leave this place and go have a grand meal," Ling Tian said, patting Zhao Min’s head affectionately. As an orphan himself, he had always treated Zhao Min like his own sister, and his doting on her was no less than that of her biological brother, Zhao Ming.

Zhao Min looked at Ling Tian with a troubled expression, then pointed to Jiang Yang, who was still slumped in the hallway. "He tricked us into signing a contract. If we break it, we have to pay a penalty of one hundred thousand. He also said it was protected by law."

Ling Tian replied coldly, "What kind of garbage agreement is that? Does the law protect indentured servitude? I don't buy it for a second. Don't worry, as long as your brother and I are here, nothing is a problem. Let's go." With his hands behind his back, he strode toward the exit.

When they reached the lobby, several staff members blocked their path. One of them said politely, "Sir, you cannot take these young ladies with you."

"Cannot take them? Give me a reasonable explanation," Ling Tian asked, his voice cold and suppressed fury building. If not for the staff member’s polite attitude, he would have already slapped him. Ling Tian believed that while violence couldn't solve every problem, it was often the most direct and effective method.

The staff member felt a chill at Ling Tian's menacing aura, but this was the territory of the Situ family, one of the Four Great Clans. Who would dare cause trouble here?

"Sir, please wait here for a moment. I will go get the person in charge to speak with you." The staff member hurried away to report to his superiors; it was better to leave such difficult matters to those above him.

"Everyone sit down and have some tea. I’ll handle this," Ling Tian said, instructing them to sit. He sat on the edge of a chair, legs crossed, eyes fixed on the direction where the staff member had vanished.

Before long, a fat man in his forties appeared. He was pot-bellied and wreathed in smiles, but the smile was insincere—a classic case of "smiling with the mouth but not the eyes." It reminded Ling Tian of the term "smiling tiger."

"Apologies, I was in a meeting and came as soon as I could," the fat man said, walking over. When he first saw Ling Tian, he felt a flicker of recognition. However, as time passed, he had forgotten the portrait issued by the head of the Situ family, which was still buried somewhere on his desk.

When he had first received the portrait, he hadn't taken it seriously. To him, searching for someone who might not even exist was far less rewarding than finding a few girls to have fun with.

"You’re the one in charge?" Ling Tian asked flatly.

The fat man laughed. "I am the General Manager of the Heaven on Earth Club, managing the property for the Situ family. May I ask who you are?" He intentionally brought up the Situ family, aiming to warn Ling Tian not to cause trouble on their turf, as the consequences would be more than he could bear. It was a tactic the fat man used often.

After all, many who came to the club were socialites, wealthy or influential, and occasional trouble was normal. As the General Manager, he was well-versed in such matters; once he dropped the name of the Situ family, the troublemakers usually turned into docile kittens.

"Cut the crap. I called you here for one reason: I’m taking these girls with me," Ling Tian said, his cold gaze sweeping over the fat man. To those listening, it didn't sound like a negotiation—it was an order.

The fat man’s expression flickered, but he quickly returned to his smiling facade. He turned to the front desk clerk. "What is going on here?"

The clerk replied quickly, "These four girls were introduced by Jiang Yang. They’ve been here for half a month and have been in an unstable state. Jiang Yang said he wanted to persuade them, and the three of them left with him. Not long after, they came out with the girls. According to the agreement, if they leave, it is a breach of contract, and they must pay a ten-fold penalty—one hundred thousand each."

The fat man chuckled. "I assume you heard that clearly? You want to take them? No problem, I’m all for it. But you need to pay the four hundred thousand in penalties."

"Penalties? I haven't even seen a cent of compensation, so why should I pay a penalty? And let me ask you something—I have a fist here, do you want it?" Ling Tian said coldly. He knew that leaving peacefully today was not going to be an option.