That's it?

Stepping down from the carriage, the encirclement tightened.

Lu Bei scanned the group, about a dozen faces that looked like extras, all shifty and clearly idlers.

He was looking for the boss of this bunch.

Question: How do you tell the difference between a lackey and the boss at a glance?

Answer: Personality.

In the real world, lackeys wear plaid shirts and tattoos, while the boss wears a suit and polished shoes, often with a slicked-back hairstyle. Many might even wear gold-rimmed glasses, trying to project an image of a social elite.

In fictional worlds, lackeys are uniformed with rifles, shotguns, and bulletproof vests, while the boss wields a handgun and a tactical dagger, convinced that within seven steps, his fists are faster.

In this current world…

Lu Bei, being new, hadn't figured out the pattern yet. Or maybe these thugs were too low-level, and the boss lacked the funds to flaunt his individuality, blending perfectly with his subordinates in appearance.

"Who's the boss here?"

Lu Bei glanced around again, unhurriedly saying, "Just a friendly reminder, my cousin is the County Lieutenant of Dasheng Pass. I had dinner with Prefect Zhu just a few days ago. If anything happens to me, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

"So much nonsense. We're here to beat up rich brats like you."

"Looks like you're the boss."

Lu Bei looked at the speaker, the leader of the thugs, paused, and continued, "You don't give face to the Prefect or the County Lieutenant. Should I say you're either incredibly bold... or have something to fall back on?"

"What Prefect? What County Lieutenant? Stop spouting rubbish!" the thug leader sneered.

"I see. Someone hired you to teach me a lesson, promising to keep you safe and even pay you to go eat and have fun in another county for a while."

Lu Bei nodded, beckoning the sweating thug leader with a finger. "Don't bother denying it, it's too obvious. You're sweating. Come on, hurry up and beat me. After you do, I'm supposed to report you and collect the reward."

The thug leader froze, caught between advancing and retreating, racking his brain to figure out where he'd slipped up.

If the enemy doesn't move, I'll strike.

Lu Bei narrowed his eyes, lowered his body abruptly, and charged at the nearest thug. He threw a straight punch, landing squarely on the man's nose.

Instantly, the thug turned into a butchered pig, blood gushing from his face, his nose now crooked, as if a sauce shop had exploded, spilling out salty, sour, and spicy flavors.

Seeing this, the remaining thugs roared and charged forward, swinging their fists.

Lu Bei weaved and blocked amidst the crowd. Within a few breaths, he had all the thugs on the ground.

His knowledge of hand-to-hand combat was limited to 'Handsome Guy Self-Defense Techniques.' Boys should know how to protect themselves when out and about; he'd learned some online before his transmigration.

At first, he hadn't wanted to learn.

But the big data was too powerful. It had secretly found out he was a handsome guy and bombarded him with related videos.

Things were different now. Lu Bei had made progress cultivating the 'Demon Slaying Scripture,' his strength and speed overwhelming a dozen thugs. He didn't need any fancy techniques; a straightforward approach was enough to crush them all.

His undefeated record was perfect, the scene so brutal it was like an adult man confronting kindergarteners.

"Speak!"

Lu Bei grabbed the thug leader by the collar and landed a punch. Before the man could beg for mercy, he followed up with another: "Be smart and don't be stubborn. My fists are harder."

"I'll talk."

Bang!

"I..."

Bang!

After a few more rounds, Lu Bei felt satisfied and finally gave the thug leader a chance to speak.

The man was quick to cooperate, realizing he'd encountered a monster and unwilling to endure more beatings. He rapidly spilled the beans about who was behind it all.

"To let the brave warrior know, it was..."

"Hmm?!"

"Young master, spare me."

"Continue."

"It was Brother Feng Si. He sent us."

Tears streaming down his face, the thug leader sobbed, "I didn't want to offend you, young master, but if we didn't follow his orders, we wouldn't be able to make a living in Dasheng Pass anymore. We were forced into this!"

"Hearing this makes one sad. It must have been tough for you to encounter such an unreasonable person." Lu Bei nodded sympathetically, then landed a punch on the thug leader's face, grinding his fist in for a moment before pulling it away.

If you make a mistake, admit it. If you get hit, stand firm.

Don't talk about being forced. He only knew he was the one attacked. As the victim, he had to arm himself with a strong stance to avoid being bullied again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After three punches, Lu Bei shook the thug leader, wiped the blood from his fists on the man's clothes, and said, "One last question. Explain it clearly, and I'll be magnanimous and won't pursue the matter of you attacking me."

"Young master is righteous."

The thug leader nodded quickly, forcing a smile that, due to his injuries, looked more like crying than smiling.

"But..."

Lu Bei narrowed his eyes slightly. "Let's get this straight from the start. My eldest cousin is the County Lieutenant of Dasheng Pass. He's a ruthless bastard, the kind who'd kick heads around for fun. If he finds out anyone's been bullying me, your ten or so heads will be his."

"We wouldn't dare. I'll tell you everything, please don't alert the County Lieutenant."

"Who is Brother Feng Si, and where is he? Where did you meet?" Lu Bei pressed.

"I am Feng Si."

A voice came from outside the alley, and a tall, thin figure walked in. The thug leader didn't dare meet his gaze. After Lu Bei released him, he and his lackeys scrambled away like frightened mice.

Lu Bei ignored the fleeing lackeys and frowned. "You dare show yourself after someone's called out your name? There must be someone behind you. Zhu Kui sent you, didn't he?"

The tall, thin man in his sight had dark skin and steady steps; he wasn't ordinary. Lu Bei felt a little uneasy.

I still lack experience!

"No."

Feng Si shook his head and said directly, "Although I know Young Master Kui, he's never ordered me to do anything. I'm here to teach you a lesson on his behalf."

"Looking for trouble for no reason? Are you that idle?"

"You could say that."

Feng Si didn't argue and continued, "Young Master Kui is generous and very sincere with his friends. He definitely won't treat me poorly if I accomplish this."

"Makes sense, but I don't believe you. He definitely sent you."

"Believe it or not."

A cold glint flashed in Feng Si's eyes. He strode forward and lunged at Lu Bei, his five fingers transforming into claws and aiming for Lu Bei's shoulder.

Lu Bei instinctively ducked his shoulder and dodged three steps away.

Feng Si let out a soft "Oh?" His claws moved again, tearing through the air with a sound like ripping silk. A dense flurry of claw strikes enveloped Lu Bei. Lu Bei felt claw shadows attacking him from all directions, with no escape route left. He raised his arms to protect his head.

Just as he thought, This guy is trouble, and prepared to spend over a hundred thousand experience points, the status panel popped up.

Not many, just about ten.

[You have been attacked. After defense calculation, HP -1] [You have been attacked. After defense calculation, HP -1] [You have been... HP: 536/550 Lu Bei: (_) That's it? So he's all show and no go.

With a dose of reassurance, Lu Bei stopped panicking. He covered his handsome face with one hand and suddenly stepped forward, his other hand forming a fist and smashing directly into Feng Si's face.

Bang!

A direct hit.

Feng Si clutched his nose and staggered back. Blood seeped through his fingers, tears blurring his vision. He looked at his prey in disbelief.

Something's wrong. You said he had little cultivation, so why is he so tough?

Lu Bei, having suffered from a lack of combat experience, confirmed that Feng Si wasn't as formidable as he'd imagined. The "bully the weak" buff glowed blindingly, and his momentum surged. He took a quick step to Feng Si's front and threw a flurry of punches, making Feng Si groan in pain.

The tables had turned. It was now Feng Si who was desperately defending, trying several times to figure out Lu Bei's boxing style, but Lu Bei's chaotic punches kept landing painful blows.

This rapid offense was a victory of stats.

After taking several heavy hits, Feng Si felt a tightness in his chest. He seized an opening when Lu Bei threw a punch and used a "fierce tiger rolling" move to create distance in a smooth motion.

Standing up, Feng Si panted heavily. Seeing Lu Bei looking calm and seemingly not exerting himself fully, he decisively took out a short knife from his Qiankun Bag.

He threatened coldly, "Kid, your fist and footwork are good, but I, Feng Si, never relied on my fists to get by in this world. It's always been this fast blade."

"Coincidentally, me too," Lu Bei chuckled, taking out the Hundred Refinements Blade and pointing it at Feng Si.

The blade gleamed coldly, a good length longer than the short knife in Feng Si's hand.

Feng Si: "..." This is wrong! Very wrong!