A Cruel Wish

"Apologize to your mother!"

Ying Zhou kicked the shopkeeper so hard he was reduced to a shrimp, then grabbed the man's hair, pulled him in front of him, and said viciously, "Just because you have a lot of people doesn't mean you can treat customers like this. Do you even want to continue doing business?"

Could this guy be deliberately causing trouble to collect protection money?

Not only did the boss think so, but the group of fierce-looking men also thought so, because they had seen this kind of trick many times before, and couldn't help but lament their bad luck in running into a double-cross.

The others were indignant; they had been extorted by a petty thug, how could they ever face others again?

They couldn't resist the urge to attack, but the scarred man who led them stopped them with his hand, signaling with his eyes that they should be patient, prioritize the greater good, and not act rashly. The men were seething with hatred, but they had no choice but to endure it.

The scarred man stepped forward, pressed his hand on the counter, leaving a clear handprint as if in a show of defiance, and then said, "Alright, young man, you 'Blood Qi and acted impulsively, I can't blame you. An apology is fine, you can leave. Let's pretend this never happened, what do you say, boss?"

The boss was so angry he gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to shout, "I'll fight him to the death!" But to keep the secret, he could only swallow his anger, feigning fear and pleading, "Fine, fine, consider this my bad luck."

Ying Zhou was about to continue his act when Liu Qingqing came down the stairs and said, "All the children have been found."

The scarred man and his companions were stunned for a moment, then realized they had been tricked.

Ying Zhou yanked hard, tearing off the boss's hair and scalp, causing him to scream like a pig being slaughtered. Ying Zhou grinned excitedly and said, "Now you can do whatever you want."

Chapter 625 A Cruel Wish

Upon hearing Liu Qingqing's words, the scarred man in the lead immediately understood that this was a diversionary tactic. He was both shocked and furious, and shouted, "Leave them all here! Don't let them escape!"

The others were already furious, and now, with both public and personal grudges combined, they all lashed out and rushed out. Ying Zhou attracted the most hatred, with four out of the five attacking him. The remaining one turned and went upstairs to intercept Liu Qingqing, while the scarred man and the shop owner went to deal with Si Ming and Xie Xiaomei.

If they were in an open space, the four of them could easily spread out and attack from different directions. However, they were in a narrow room, making movement difficult. At any given time, only two of them were facing Ying Zhou. One used Whirlwind Leg Technique, attacking his ankle close to the ground, while the other curled his fingers into a claw and lashed out at his shoulder like the wind. The two were using a combined attack strategy and had worked together for many years, so their teamwork was excellent.

"Claw techniques and leg techniques?"

Ying Zhou chuckled, not even using his Asura Divine Power. He leaped up on one foot and unleashed a move called "Snake Demon Zigzag Movement," which lashed out like a whip, striking the opponent more than ten times in quick succession. He forcefully stopped the whirlwind's momentum, turning the Whirlwind Leg into a spring breeze kick. Then, he struck his opponent's knee squarely, shattering it with a crack.

However, when the lower body retaliates, the upper body cannot dodge. So Ying Zhou used offense as defense. He lowered his shoulder, his sleeves billowed, and he used the Vulture Demon Claw to sweep his hand towards his opponent's chest. However, he struck first despite being behind.

The man wielding the claws felt a strong gust of wind hit his body, and his chest felt slightly tight. He realized that if he forced a confrontation, he would be the one to suffer the first loss. So he immediately turned his feet and swiftly rushed to Ying Zhou's side, reaching out with his claws.

Having already crippled one of the men who used his legs, Ying Zhou immediately flicked his sleeve backward, using the force of his claws to gracefully move forward, charging towards the two men behind him, and simultaneously striking out with both fists.

Seeing this, the two men were overjoyed. They each channeled their Internal Cultivation and struck out with a single palm, each receiving a punch. They thought to themselves, "Two against one, how could we possibly be afraid of not being able to subdue you?"

Both men possessed level six Internal Cultivation, making them outstanding among ordinary criminals. However, their external skills surpassed their Internal Cultivation, as they had both mastered the Boulder Palm Technique. Their forte was head-on confrontation; a single palm strike could leave a five-finger imprint even on a steel plate.

The three exchanged blows, and unsurprisingly, the two who had the upper hand in Internal Cultivation over Ying Zhou were now at a disadvantage. But before they could even rejoice, they felt a powerful force surge from the opponent's fist, like the Yangtze River, surging and turbulent. If their palm techniques were two solid rocks, then the opponent was a mountain, instantly smashed into dust.

Another cracking sound rang out, and the ulna of the two men was shattered, their white bones exposed. Their chests were churning with Qi and Blood, and their faces were covered in blood. They screamed like pigs being slaughtered and rolled on the ground in agony.

"You deserve to die!"

The man who had previously used claws immediately launched a counterattack against Ying Zhou from behind, his claws curled like hooks and aimed at the Shenshu acupoint. Ying Zhou, suffering from the impact of the True Qi, had his meridians throbbing with pain and could only dodge. However, his opponent took three steps to the left and three steps to the right, following him like a shadow, his five fingers never leaving the Shenshu acupoint. This was extremely vicious, because the Shenshu acupoint is a vital acupoint in the human body, where innate essence gathers. Once injured, it would lead to the extinction of one's offspring.

After dodging several times, Ying Zhou's pain in his meridians eased slightly, allowing him to move again. However, the enemy's attacks were so fierce that he had no time to turn around. In a moment of crisis, he suddenly turned his body, flipped backward, and leaped into the air, unleashing a move called "Vulture Demon Bone Shattering."

The man's grab missed, and he was instead pulled forward. Before he could regain his footing, he felt a sharp pain in his lower back, as his kidney acupoint had been torn open. He immediately screamed in agony, lay on the ground clutching his lower back and wailing. The thought of losing his future sexual happiness filled him with even more despair.

On the other side, the scarred man, intending to take Xie Xiaomei hostage, pounced forward.

Xie Xiaomei, having gained some experience, wasn't too flustered. She alternated between her hands, unleashing Air-Splitting Palm that sent energy flying through the air.

But this time her opponent was not comparable to those unscrupulous merchants from before. Child trafficking is a crime punishable by death, and those who dare to do such a thing naturally have real skills to rely on. The scarred man shouted, covered his head with his arms, and his skin turned pitch black as he forcefully charged forward against the palm strike from a distance.

"Leg stance and punch."

Si Ming spoke up to remind Xie Xiaomei, and at the same time, he kicked the innkeeper who was trying to sneak up on him, knocking him to the ground.

Xie Xiaomei made a feint with her palm, then bent back and shrank back, focusing her energy in her Dantian. This move actually utilized 80% of Liu Qingqing's physical strength; even an ox would be lying on the ground for half a day after taking it.

Unexpectedly, the scarred man suddenly reached out, and with a crack, his arm grew half a foot longer, his fist less than two inches from Xie Xiaomei's nose.

Xie Xiaomei was caught off guard, but before she could scream, Si Ming appeared beside the scarred man as if by teleportation. He bent over and gently brushed against him, and the scarred man was sent flying as if he had been hit by a truck. His waist slammed into the counter. Fortunately, he had activated his external martial arts technique, and his body was as strong as a copper wall. He did not suffer a herniated disc. Even so, it still hurt him terribly.

"I'm going to kill that brat..."

Before he could finish his harsh words, Si Ming grabbed the other man's head, shoved it down into the counter, and then kicked him in the buttocks, sending him and the table flying.

In terms of skill level, this scarred man is only at the level of an ordinary college student, but he has rich combat experience, is ruthless, and has a murderous aura. Ordinary college student martial artists are really no match for him. He could be used as a main force in the National Martial Dao League.

However, for Si Ming now, it's nothing special. Using only one hand is already showing respect to his opponent. Originally, he planned to watch the whole match from the sidelines.

"Is everything resolved?"

Si Ming looked around. The four people who had been dealt with by Ying Zhou were in the worst condition, some injured and some crippled. He had no intention of stopping there and did not believe that human traffickers had any human rights.

Although Ying Zhou had cultivated the "Brahma Sea Asura Art" and was able to control himself from going berserk, the bloodthirsty and belligerent nature hidden in his bloodline had not disappeared. Being able to vent it properly still made him feel very comfortable. He couldn't help but say to Si Ming, "You're right. There's nothing wrong with being bloodthirsty and belligerent. Harming the innocent is a sin, but harming the bad is a merit. And there are no end to the bad people in this world."

Si Ming for a moment, then protectively said to Xie Xiaomei, "Just keep it to yourself, don't scare the child."

Ying Zhou snorted twice, about to launch into a sarcastic remark, when suddenly his expression changed, and he warned, "Be careful!"

With a roar, the scarred man ripped open the counter that held the man's head in place, smashing the pieces at Si Ming and Ying Zhou. He then turned and fled, leaving his accomplices behind.

He suffered a crushing defeat in just a few moves. Even if he were stupid, he would realize the gap between himself and Si Ming. He had no desire to stay and fight anymore, so naturally, the best course of action was to flee.

"Don't run away!"

Ying Zhou shouted a nonsense sentence, concentrated his strength and punched the half of the counter that had been thrown at him, shattering it. Just as he was about to give chase, a long red shadow suddenly swept past him, grabbed the scarred man who had already run out the door, and forcibly pulled him back.

"Let me go!"