Taunting Technique

Don't think that the practice of Tiger and Wolf Death School is unnecessary. There are many righteous and outspoken people among the disciples of the Mohist School. Some novels often describe the protagonist standing up to catch a thief on a bus, only to be bitten back by the thief, while the other passengers remain silent and let the protagonist be framed, so that the author can lament the darkness of society. Similar plots would not happen in the Su State.

If a thief is caught red-handed stealing on a bus, the Su State will simply roll up their sleeves, swarm him, beat him half to death, and throw him off the bus, taking advantage of the sheer number of people to escape punishment.

If the Tiger and Wolf Death School were to act recklessly from the start and resort to violence, the result would naturally be resistance from all the passengers. If the passengers were all ordinary people, it would be fine, but if there were a few experts hiding among them, they would have nowhere to turn for help.

Even though she understood what the other party was thinking, the phantom thief couldn't expose them and could only force herself to ask, "What do you plan to do?"

The leader said, "It's simple. I won't take advantage of our numbers. We'll each send three people for a duel, best of three. The winner will possess the High Antiquity artifact—I know you've brought the treasure with you. By the way, the ship's signal has been jammed. Don't think about stalling for time to wait for the navy to come to your rescue. We've already investigated the navy's patrol routes; they won't arrive here for at least an hour."

The second half of the sentence hit the nail on the head, dispelling the phantom thief's hopes. She could only grit her teeth and say, "Fine, it's your way. Best two out of three. I hope you keep your word."

The leader laughed and said, "Rest assured, our Tiger and Wolf Death School has always valued integrity above all else. This is something we have earned the trust of both our peers in the underworld and our customers."

Next, both sides consulted with their subordinates. Now that the passengers knew that the Tiger and Wolf Death School had not come to rob them and were not involved, they couldn't help but join in the fun, bringing their own fruits and vegetables, taking their seats, and waiting for the show to begin.

"Aren't we going to get involved?" Murong Qing Si Ming. "This matter has nothing to do with the Mohist Knight Guard's assessment, so you don't need to hold back."

Si Ming, "It seems neither side is a good person; it's just dogs fighting. We can't just help them out of some personal relationship."

"It has nothing to do with personal relationships, nor does it matter whether they are good or bad. All I know is that one party is a law-abiding citizen of the Su State, while the other is an international illegal organization. Trying to absolve themselves of their crimes by 'discussing the matter on its own merits' is simply laughable!"

Si Ming thought for a moment and asked, "If we take action, how do you plan to protect the passengers on the ship? If we push them too far and they open fire, at this close range, there's no way to dodge. In that case, we'll have no choice but to swim to Thousand Leaves Island."

Murong Qing was stunned; she had forgotten to consider this question and could only say, "Let me think about it some more..."

Just as she was pondering, the two sides clashed.

Yaozu Jewelry's trip by ship was specifically to escort High Antiquity relics to the island, so they naturally brought along several skilled bodyguards, and selecting three was not difficult.

However, compared to the well-prepared and fiercely Tiger and Wolf Death School, their men were clearly inferior. In the three matches held simultaneously, less than half a minute later, one man had his arm chopped off, suffering a severe injury and losing the match.

Three minutes later, another person was struck hard in the chest and sent flying. He was clearly barely breathing, so the female thief quickly went to him and used her Internal Cultivation to keep him alive.

With two companions defeated, the third was inevitably affected. He quickly became overwhelmed and his defeat became apparent. Knowing that even if he won this round, it would be of no use, he took the initiative to surrender and admit defeat.

The Tiger and Wolf Death School, true to their word, did not press their advantage and attack. The leader then asked, "Well, can you hand over the treasure now?"

The female thief gritted her teeth, knowing she was doomed this time. There was no point in refusing to admit defeat; she could only wait to settle the score another day.

"Old Zhang, give him the things."

The leader smiled upon hearing this, and just as he was about to take the treasure from the other party, he suddenly heard someone say, "Wait, we want a piece of the pie too!"

He turned his head and saw that it was a teenage girl who was not yet an adult. He grinned and said threateningly, "Girl, this has nothing to do with you. You'd better not get involved. Didn't your parents teach you to mind your own business when you're out and about, so as not to get yourself into trouble?"

Ignoring the threatening look in his eyes, Murong Qing continued, "Didn't you just say that whoever has the bigger fist gets the stuff? Perfect, I think my fist is bigger than yours, so this treasure should naturally be mine. You're not planning to break this rule of the martial world, are you?"

The rules of the martial arts world are of great significance to those in their line of work. Those who break the rules are either already dead or have such high martial arts skills that no one wants to associate with them.

The leader couldn't deny it, and could only say, "But our competition is best two out of three. Even if you're confident you can win all three, you still need at least two people."

"Then count me in, that will meet the minimum requirement."

Si Ming stepped forward and walked to the center of the arena.

"How could I miss out on something this interesting?"

He Qichang arrived on the deck at some unknown time and volunteered.

Chapter 164 The Art of Taunting

Some might think that Murong Qing's actions were deliberately causing trouble for his allies, but Si Ming didn't think so. If they weren't on a ship and needed to consider the safety of the passengers, he would have rolled up his sleeves and gotten involved himself.

Although the Tiger and Wolf Death School claims to be a neutral organization, neither good nor evil, having done both good and bad deeds, and not in the same camp as organizations Crimson Eye Society that specialize in doing evil, the evaluation standard in a society governed by law is never based on distinguishing between good and bad people, but rather on whether you abide by the law and regulations to determine how you are treated.

A person who regularly does good deeds, returns lost property, helps elderly women cross the street, and even saves lives and rescues those who have fallen into the water, may also be a troublemaker, commit murder, or get into fights. In ancient society, such a person might be hailed as a hero by outlaws, but in modern society, they would only be arrested and imprisoned. Those with serious crimes might even be given a beating.

No matter how much the Tiger and Wolf Death School tries to whitewash themselves or disguise themselves, it is undeniable that they have the lives of citizens of Su State on their hands. As a member of the Mohist Knight Guard, the two sides are inherently on opposite sides, and there is no possibility of reconciliation.

While the robbery of Yaozu Jewelry Store may have been morally questionable, it was not illegal under international law. The Tiger and Wolf Death School, were a group of desperate criminals, not law-abiding citizens, and their international standing was equivalent to that of terrorists. They had no human rights whatsoever. Even if the perpetrators were killed, the government would only issue a reward to encourage acts of bravery.

The martial arts world and the rule of law are two inherently incompatible circles with differing values. Forcing them together will only result in a mismatch.

"Do you need time to rest? We don't want to take advantage of others' danger. It doesn't matter if you wait until you recover before taking action, lest you find excuses not to admit your defeat after losing." Siming said in a polite tone.

To verbally provoke someone, you can only use their values.

The leader observed the three who had entered the fray. Although they possessed a mature demeanor, their appearances confirmed they were not yet adults and still retained a student-like air. However, with his extensive experience in the martial world, he had long heard that some young geniuses could not be judged by ordinary standards. Using age as a standard to judge strength was a very foolish thing to do. He immediately said, "No need. If we wait any longer, the Navy might be coming."

The implication is that it's not that they don't want to rest, but rather that they are forced by circumstances; if they really were to suffer a setback, they could use this as an excuse.

Si Ming didn't catch the hidden meaning in the other person's words. Even though he had memories of his past life, he was a modern person in his past life and naturally didn't understand the slang and techniques of the underworld. But he didn't care about that at all, because he hadn't placed any hope on the other person following the rules in the first place.

Si Ming turned to the onlookers and shouted, "Everyone, be careful! Although these people claim to be trustworthy, we don't know if they truly are, or if they've killed all the witnesses when they broke their promise. If it's the latter, we can't rule out the possibility that they might turn on us and kill us to silence us after their defeat. We can't just believe everything a bunch of thugs say."

Holy crap, this kid doesn't play by the rules!

The leader was completely bewildered. Even if he questioned the other party's credibility, he shouldn't have said it like that, right?

The passengers exchanged bewildered glances, but after a moment's thought, they realized the words made perfect sense. Even if the other party were a group of ruthless killers, they should be wary of any ordinary stranger. So they sprang into action, running into their rooms and grabbing their weapons.

Although some might think that as long as you don't challenge the Tiger and Wolf Death School, everything will be fine, saying such a thing is tantamount to admitting defeat, and it's easy to be looked down upon by your companions. If no one stands up for you, they won't speak up either, and those who truly have the courage to step forward wouldn't even have such thoughts.

In this society where martial arts are prevalent, it is common to carry weapons when traveling. Although most of them are blunt weapons without sharpening, having a weapon in hand feels different. Even people who are good at fist and palm knives will wear brass knuckles, special gloves and other equipment. Some people even run into the kitchen and grab a kitchen knife, especially a cleaver, which looks extremely lethal.

Seeing this, the leader really wanted to say something but didn't know whether he should. This was the first time he had ever seen such an open and aboveboard way of expressing distrust in order to mobilize the masses.

Admittedly, this tactic was particularly effective, almost an open conspiracy. Even though it was right in front of him, he was helpless because the passengers were destined not to believe him due to their respective positions.