"Murder...heh," Li Yan toyed with his fingers, not taking the bait.

Zhang Mingyuan suddenly remembered something and spoke up, "Right, in about an hour or two, my Power of the Enlightened Beast will dissipate, and your right arm should be fine."

Li Yan's expression eased somewhat. He still had several tough battles to fight in Nine Dragons City, and a disabled right arm would complicate matters greatly.

"One last thing, were you the one playing cat and mouse with me these past few days?"

Zhang Mingyuan shook his head: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's alright, no more issues. Go in peace."

Li Yan stood up, ready to leave.

"What's your relationship with my sister?"

Zhang Mingyuan asked, tilting his head up.

Without a second thought, Li Yan responded with a flirtatious inflection, "An old lover, yeah."

"You!"

Zhang Mingyuan was so angry he tried to sit up, but Li Yan had already left the room.

Stepping outside, Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

"That kid sure can take a beating."

In the unpredictable world of fighting, let alone with knives and swords, the Cross Moving Building punch that Li Yan had landed on Zhang Mingyuan's chest could have been lethal. Yet, after taking three of Li Yan's swords, one claw, and a punch, Zhang Mingyuan had only just lost his ability to fight. This level of physical resilience, which even Li Yan found troublesome, was probably thanks to the Yanfu Heritage.

The Ericsson in his pocket began to buzz.

Li Yan glanced at the caller ID and pressed the answer button.

"Brother Red Ghost. What's up?"

Amidst the noisy background filled with shouting and cursing, a pleasant female voice came through clearly, "Ah Yan, right? Come down to the Boxing Ring, take a young man out of the building through the back door, and use the stairs. If anyone dares to stop you, fight as if your life depends on it."

Li Yan was taken aback, "Taisui?"

The call had already been disconnected. Li Yan's mind raced as he quickly made his way to the Boxing Ring upstairs.

...

"Today, if I don't slay this flop, no one's leaving through these doors."

The man had thrown his white suit on the ground, revealing a lean and muscular frame. The Yaksha Tattoo on his body glared furiously, as if ready to claim lives.

Floral Shirt Nine was covered in blood, veins on his face nearly bursting from the tension. Hundreds of Association Four Nine members had Fuk Yee Mansion's tenth floor surrounded, each with a defiant look on their faces.

Over fifty armed men in black suits stood expressionless, blocking the way in front of Floral Shirt Nine and the others, while Taisui Yu Shu sipped white liquor leisurely to the side.

"You think you're something, Floral Shirt Nine, with hundreds surrounding us? We came to Dragon City to watch the fights, not to witness a gang fire-merging. What are you trying to do? If you want to cause trouble, you'd better weigh if you're up to it."

The speaker was a man in his fifties, his suit immaculate. His hair was perfectly coiffed, and he exuded authority without anger.

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The gamblers present were either wealthy or noble, and there were many of them. They showed no fear even in the face of an established group like Consecutive Victories. After all, Consecutive Victories' fourteen strong men did not solely dictate the rules in Yau Ma Tei—it wasn't just up to Floral Shirt Nine.

"He's not of sufficient weight; perhaps Elder Zheng, you could size me up to see if I measure up?" the man suggested.

Elder Zheng turned his gaze to the speaker. A hush fell over the room.

The man had been sitting quietly in the stands, silently wiping his glasses, only coming forward when the elder spoke.

He rose from the stands and approached Floral Shirt Nine, his demeanor scholarly and refined.

"Consecutive Victories, Chang Kailai, as your junior, I must first apologize to Elder Zheng and to all the disturbed bosses," he said.

"Ah Le, there's no need for such courtesy. Actually..." the man began.

The man raised his hand, and Elder Zheng's words were cut off as if his throat had been clutched.

"Ah Jiu is a rough man, speaking out of turn in a moment of urgency. Let's not take his words to heart. If any of the bosses wish to leave, they are free to do so. If they wish to stay and watch, Consecutive Victories won't chase them away. However, this is ultimately a private matter for Consecutive Victories. I hope no one interferes."

With his speech complete, he bowed deeply to the stands and the private boxes, holding the bow for a full five seconds before rising.

Elder Zheng stood on the stands, uncertain whether to sit or leave, when Yu Shu finally spoke up: "Elder Zheng, Prince Le is reasonable. Since he has already apologized, let's calm down."

This was the step-down Elder Zheng needed. He mumbled an agreement and quickly led his people away, with other gamblers following suit, not wanting to be caught in the maelstrom.

With many people gone, Fuk Yee Mansion suddenly felt much emptier, yet some truly stayed behind, not leaving. These individuals were the real scions of Hong Kong's elite families. To them, gang affairs were novel and thrilling but not intimidating. Any of them, if troubled in Nine Dragons City, could prompt the Hong Kong British Government to organize The Third Military Police Entry into the City, tearing down what they saw as the festering sore of Nine Dragons City, and Consecutive Victories could do nothing about it.

It was at this moment that Li Yan arrived.

"What's the situation? Brother Red Ghost."

Li Yan asked in a low voice.

"Little Zhou lost," Red Ghost replied grimly.

Li Yan looked towards the boxing ring, only to see the ground stained with dark brown blood.

"His right hand was chopped off, and he took two stabs to the belly, his intestines spilling out everywhere. He's been taken by Floral Shirt Nine's men to get medical attention. Consecutive Victories' people are making a scene now."

Li Yan glanced towards the crowd. Besides Taisui Yu Shu and Little Zhou's manager Ruan Hongzhi, there was the red-eyed Floral Shirt Nine and a young man unfamiliar to Li Yan. Phrases like "the rules of Nine Dragons Boxing Ring" and "Life-Death Agreement" intermittently made their way through the commotion.

"He is Prince Le, the son of Chang Shen, the Head of the Guild of Consecutive Victories. Chang Shen is getting old and nearing retirement; he has almost single-handedly held control over Consecutive Victories."

Upon hearing the name Prince Le, which oddly resembled that of a domestic yogurt brand, Li Yan didn't have the chance to ask more. Instead, he simply said, "Taisui has instructed me to take a young man away first. Who is it?"

Red Ghost led Li Yan backstage, where a young man with his abdomen wrapped in bandages sat. His body was marked with seven or eight bloodstains, all superficial except for the serious knife wound on his stomach, which, despite being dressed, was still oozing blood slowly.

The young man's expression was relaxed. Seeing Li Yan enter, his eyes brightened: "Are you Yama?"

Li Yan ignored him, addressing Red Ghost, "Is it him?"

Red Ghost nodded, "Get him out of Nine Dragons City safely. Even if he's to die, he can't die on our watch."

The young man seemed utterly oblivious to the coldness in Red Ghost's words, continuing to smile carelessly.

"Understood, leave it to me."

Li Yan looked at the young man, "Can you walk on your own?"

"Of course."

"Stay close to me."

Li Yan took the lead, exiting through the back door of the arena hall and descending the stairs, with the young man chattering non-stop behind him.

"My name is Xu Tianci. What's yours?"

"If I beat you, does that mean I'll have no more rivals in the Boxing Ring?"

"I've been training in martial arts for over a decade, but I've never had as much fun as I've had these few days in Nine Dragons City."

"That Little Zhou is quite a fighter. His Nine-ringed Broad Sword made my arms go weak, but it's a pity I was faster. Do you know the Eight-Slash Sword? Just two strokes and I sliced open his belly."

Suddenly, Li Yan stopped, his face a mix of a smile and not quite a smile, "You practice traditional martial arts, do you believe in Martial Virtue?"

Xu Tianci paused, pondering for a moment before shaking his head, "That stuff is outdated."

Li Yan burst into laughter, surged forward, and lifted his leg in a powerful kick like 'The Fierce Dragon Raises its Head', striking Xu Tianci's still-bleeding abdomen with ferocity!

Xu Tianci was sent flying a meter away, a string of blood beads spraying into the air, his back slamming against the wall, causing white dust to flurry down.

Li Yan stood still, his tone cold, "I tend to agree."

**********

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