Raising a Hand to Break the Game!

The scorching sun beat down, baking the earth.

It was high noon, and the streets were sparsely populated. Even fewer customers were willing to shop at the pastry shop.

In this sweltering heat, inside this sealed room, everyone was drenched in sweat, unable to bear the oppressive summer.

It wasn't just the weather; it was also a matter of Tianyi.

Zhang Tianyi was known as the street boss of Shuiliu Street, a formidable figure. He was famous for having the most subordinates and for his ruthless methods. While his shadow loomed over Shuiliu Street and several surrounding streets, almost no one dared to oppose him.

There was once a heroic youth named Haonan, who rose from Hongxing Street. He gathered loyal brothers like Shanjiao and Baopi, along with many other die-hard men, and drew their swords to challenge Zhang Tianyi. Ultimately, he suffered a bitter defeat and fled to another town.

Zhang Tianyi was the king of Shuiliu Street. If he wanted people to stand, they could only stand. If he wanted them to kneel, they could only kneel. If he allowed people to do business, they could open shops and make a living on this street. If he prevented them from doing business, he would end up like this – kneeling before Li Mu Yang, begging for mercy.

Zhang Tianyi used to make others kneel, but this time, he was the one kneeling. If this news got out, it would surely shock Shuiliu and the entire West City.

Zhang Tianyi wasn't tall to begin with, and when he knelt down, he became like a small, plump meatball.

He wanted to lift his head to speak softer words to Li Mu Yang. The moment he raised his head, Li Mu Yang sternly shouted, "Insolent!"

Zhang Tianyi quickly lowered his head, no longer daring to be presumptuous.

Li Mu Yang stared down at Zhang Tianyi. His eyes were still blood red, piercing Zhang Tianyi's head like two beams of sword light.

As a result, Zhang Tianyi felt as if his head had been pierced by two bloody holes.

Li Mu Yang exuded waves of coldness, a majesty that dared not be confronted directly, and a fear that made one's heart tremble.

Zhang Tianyi's body trembled continuously. He trembled when Li Mu Yang raged, and he trembled even more violently when Li Mu Yang was silent. This was because he found the silent Li Mu Yang more terrifying than the speaking Li Mu Yang.

"How much did you collect per month before?" Li Mu Yang asked.

"What?" Zhang Tianyi asked, looking up.

Slap—

Li Mu Yang slapped him, and Zhang Tianyi's forehead slammed heavily onto the stone floor, breaking the skin and drawing blood.

Zhang Tianyi knew he had made a mistake and quickly got up from the ground again.

He knelt cautiously, head bowed, shoulders hunched, not daring to overstep in the slightest.

"I'm talking about the management fee," Li Mu Yang said in a deep voice. "How many times did you collect it per month before?"

"Once a month," Zhang Tianyi quickly replied. "According to regulations, it was once a month before. We collected it at the beginning of each month, and after collecting it, we wouldn't bother the merchants again—I was wrong, Big Brother, I was truly wrong. I'll never dare to do it again. I was an idiot this time, I deserve to die—"

Slap—

Li Mu Yang slapped him again, and Zhang Tianyi's forehead slammed heavily onto the granite floor once more. Because Li Mu Yang had used too much force, Zhang Tianyi's forehead was bloody and mangled, his forehead almost rotten.

"Answer what I ask. Don't say anything I don't ask about, and don't beg. You can't beg for your life back; you can only save yourself."

"Yes, yes—"

"Why did you change it?" Li Mu Yang asked again.

"Because—I was greedy. I was short on cash recently and lost too much at the casino, so I thought about collecting the management fee from these merchants again to ease my financial situation."

"Did you collect from the other shops?"

"I had just collected from two shops—"

"Did they pay?"

"They paid."

"Which two?"

"Widow Bai's restaurant across the street and the tea house next door."

Li Mu Yang thought for a moment and said, "If I'm not mistaken, those two shops have a close relationship with you? You collected management fees from your own businesses?"

"No, no—"

Li Mu Yang's voice grew colder. "It seems you don't want to save your own life."

Bang, bang, bang—

Zhang Tianyi's head slammed onto the floor repeatedly and forcefully.

Zhang Tianyi was truly terrified. Crying and begging for mercy, he said, "Big Brother, I was wrong! I'll confess to you. I was instructed by someone to come to your house to collect the second month's management fee. They gave me ten gold coins and said if I could collect the second month's management fee from your house, they would give me another hundred gold coins—I thought, what a good deal! Since I was free anyway, I brought my brothers and rushed to your house."

"I knew your mother was in charge here. I thought a woman would be easier to bully. If I acted tough, she would just obediently give me the money. That way, I could not only get an extra month's management fee but also get a hundred gold coins—I didn't expect, I didn't expect your mother's temper to be so stubborn. She refused to give it to me, so I threatened to smash the shop—"

"I suspect things aren't that simple, are they?" Li Mu Yang knew his mother's personality. Luo Qi was outwardly gentle but inwardly strong, not easily yielding. However, she was also very good at assessing the situation and adapting. When she discovered her family or friends were in grave danger, she would never care about that little bit of money—she already donated a significant amount to the poor each month, and even Xiao Ting at the shop was someone she brought back from the streets. In her eyes, life was far more important than money.

But if, in such a dire situation, his mother still refused to compromise, it meant the situation wasn't as Zhang Tianyi explained.

"I—I had some other intentions—I was blinded by lust, thinking—thinking—" Zhang Tianyi couldn't bring himself to say, "I want to sleep with your mother."

If it were before, he could proudly tell others he slept with their mother. But now, kneeling before this young man, having witnessed the power of his punch with his own eyes, he simply didn't have the courage.

Shamelessness required a strong foundation of power!

"I understand," Li Mu Yang's expression turned even more grim. He stared at Zhang Tianyi with icy eyes and said, "Unfortunately, you couldn't save your own life."

"Big Brother, Big Brother—Luo Qi, Boss Luo, please save me! Your son is going to kill someone, he's going to kill someone—"

"Mu Yang—" Luo Qi called out.

Li Mu Yang turned and looked over, the blood-red color in his eyes fading, a gentle smile appearing on his face. His gaze was affectionate—yes, that's how Luo Qi felt when she met his eyes.

He didn't seem like her son, but more like an elder who pitied her.

"It's nothing," Li Mu Yang said softly.

Li Mu Yang threw out a punch.

Pfft—

A sound of flesh exploding was heard, and then Zhang Tianyi's body disappeared into the air.

His body, his flesh, his blood, and his bones all vanished. As if he had never existed.

At the corner of the street, an old man eating a sweet potato in front of a roasted sweet potato stall heard the commotion. The peeling motion in his hand paused, and he couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "Supreme Golden Body Art. This child can actually destroy his physical body and incinerate his blood, leaving no trace—"

After a moment of thought, he gently shook his head again.

"No, it's not. It's not the Supreme Golden Body Art. The Supreme Golden Body Art is a supreme treasure of Taoism, and all Taoist techniques carry a sense of detachment from desire and action. This child's punch is filled with killing intent, and the overwhelming power and bloody aura within it are too strong—it looks more like a demonic divine skill. To achieve the power and effect of the Supreme Golden Body Art with sheer brute force alone, what is this child's background?"

"It seems things are getting more and more interesting." The old man in the black robe threw a few copper coins on the table and walked down the desolate, empty street with his back hunched.

As Uncle Yan was engrossed in his work, the potted cherry tomatoes on his desk suddenly trembled slightly, and a small fruit fell onto the desk, sliding towards the manuscript he was writing.

Uncle Yan picked up the small fruit, glanced at it, and then threw it back into the flowerpot. He then pressed the eyes of the bronze beast pen holder on the desktop.

Whoosh—

The Tiger Roaring Mountains Painting parted to the sides, and a large, dark hole appeared in the middle of the wall.

A man in a black robe walked over, stood in front of Uncle Yan's desk, and said respectfully, "We sent someone to test him. This child is deeply hidden, and his moves are extraordinary. His punch seemed to change the very clouds and wind. Especially his final punch, which was marvelous, possessing the destructive power and majesty of the Taoist Supreme Golden Body Art."

Uncle Yan put down his brush, took a sip of tea, and asked, "How does he compare to Xiangma?"

"The young master is likely slightly inferior," the man in the black robe said in a deep voice.

When a subordinate says "slightly inferior," it means "far from it." Uncle Yan understood such pleasantries.

Yan Xiangma frowned slightly and asked, "Did you figure out his origin?"

"No," the old man said with regret. "I heard him up close. His way of attacking is simple and direct, without any technique, and I couldn't discern any sect or school. He only relies on the brute force within his body to injure or kill enemies."

"That's strange," Yan Xiangma's square face showed a faint smile. "To injure people with mere brute force and receive such praise from you? Even Yan Xiangma, who is in the High Mountain realm, is 'slightly inferior'—who exactly is he?"

"Your subordinate does not know."

"If he has a hidden identity, why would he go berserk and kill when encountering minor setbacks? If he doesn't have a hidden identity, why would this kid hide his true abilities? Could it be that he is simply born with divine strength, and nothing else is worth worrying about?"

The man in black did not answer; his master had his own answers.

"Born with brute strength, but questionable intelligence," Uncle Yan said with a hint of mockery. "Xiangma just finished hiding his identity and placed him in a safe location. I didn't expect him to eagerly jump out again after throwing a few small fries at him. Now that he's jumped out, Xiangma's painstaking efforts are all in vain."

"Master is right. With Li Mu Yang's outburst, those behind-the-scenes figures who thought the young master was the main force behind the crow's death will likely shift their attention back to him. They will think that the young master, to gain personal glory, used his authority to snatch Li Mu Yang's credit and rewards. Didn't the young master specifically find someone to send him fifteen hundred gold coins back then? This is one of the clear proofs—Li Mu Yang will once again be drawn into the turbulent and unpredictable situation."

"We still need to extricate Xiangma," Uncle Yan sighed softly. "This kid doesn't know the gravity of the situation or how dangerous this is. He stepped forward to become a target for the sake of loyalty and affection. Once those people make a move, it will be a fight to the death. How can Yan Xiangma, with his cultivation level, protect himself against formidable enemies?"

"Master's move to break the situation is admirable. That Li Mu Yang—"

"Since we've already exposed him to the sunlight, what kind of demons and monsters are hidden within his body—I'm afraid those people want to know more than we do? If I can't figure it out alone, let others take a look too."