Leng Yuan did not hesitate any longer after hearing that.
She strode forward on her long legs, walking straight through the wall of Tan Lang War Band members until she stood before Tan Lang.
"Tan Lang!"
Her voice was cold as ice. "What are you trying to do? Openly gathering people to block a Dungeon in front of the Professionals Association? Are you trying to get yourselves blacklisted by the Association?"
People around them turned to look, and the smell of gunpowder in the air instantly grew several times stronger.
Tan Lang's expression darkened when he saw Leng Yuan.
Those two pests again!
He still had not settled the score with them for stealing the BOSS before! He had been so close to getting two top-tier pieces of equipment for Xiao Jie, yet they had chosen this exact moment to butt in again!
A trace of regret flashed through his heart.
He should have let Xiao Jie use that Random World BOSS Summon Scroll first and set a trap to deal with those two nuisances!
He had been saving it so Xiao Jie could deal the finishing blow to a World BOSS and gain higher damage, so he had never used it.
When Wang Jie saw Leng Yuan and Lu Fei, a shadow passed through his eyes.
But he said nothing, only looking expectantly at his older brother.
Tan Lang sensed his younger brother's gaze.
He took a deep breath, then turned to sweep his eyes over the hundred-plus well-equipped, aggressive brothers behind him.
The irritation from all that waiting was instantly replaced by an incomparable sense of confidence!
He felt power surging through his entire body!
Were they not just two official Professionals?
Perfect. Today, in front of everyone, he would crush the Professionals Association's arrogant airs!
He would let all of Linhai City know that in Wild Boar Forest, on this patch of land, he, Tan Lang, was the true boss!
With that thought, Tan Lang curled his lips into a mocking smile and met Leng Yuan's icy gaze.
"Captain Leng, shouldn't I be asking you that?"
He stepped forward, his voice suddenly rising so everyone present could hear him clearly.
"Can your Professionals Association openly shield criminals?!"
Leng Yuan's delicate brows immediately furrowed.
"Criminals? Tan Lang, make yourself clear."
The mockery on Tan Lang's face deepened. He suddenly pointed at a War Band member behind him, whose arm was wrapped in thick bandages and whose face was deathly pale. His voice brimmed with grief and accusation.
"Make it clear? Fine! I'll make it clear in front of everyone!"
"That brat drew his sword and chopped off my brother's arm over a disagreement! Look! This is the evidence!"
He tore away the man's bandages, revealing a gruesome wound. Though it had received emergency treatment, the flesh was still split open, exposing bone beneath.
"If we hadn't treated him in time, this brother of mine would have been crippled for the rest of his life!"
"I'm waiting for him here only to demand an explanation! To make him pay for his brutality! Is that wrong?!"
Tan Lang's voice boomed like a great bell, echoing across the entire area.
The newly arrived Professionals immediately erupted in uproar. Quite a few of them looked at the wound and instinctively sucked in a cold breath.
That injury was seriously bad!
"And that's not all!" Tan Lang abruptly changed tack and pointed at Wang Jie beside him. With a pained expression, he said, "He injured my man and also delayed my little brother's precious leveling time!"
"My younger brother, Wang Jie—you should all know him. He is a B-Rank genius Professional, one seen only once in a century at Linhai Fourth Middle School! His future goal is to enter Imperial Capital University, serve the country, and become a pillar of Dragon Country!"
"Who is going to compensate him for losing an hour?!"
"We, the Tan Lang War Band, have been waiting here for him for more than an hour! Our emotional damages, lost wages, and my brother's medical expenses! Add all that together, and if he can compensate us one or two million, we'll let this matter go!"
One or two million!
That was practically extortion!
The surrounding Professionals were completely stunned by the figure. More than a million in compensation over something this minor? How was that any different from robbery?!
Leng Yuan's face had turned icy to the extreme.
She naturally knew that the Tan Lang War Band had to be the ones who started it.
But with the other side putting it this way, she truly could not find any flaw in their logic.
They had witnesses, an injured man, and confident accusations.
If she forcibly intervened now, it would only give people grounds to claim that the official Association was sheltering a violent offender and suppressing the victims.
Someone like Tan Lang would definitely blow the matter up. When that happened, the Association's reputation would suffer tremendous damage.
What a vicious reversal of blame!
Seeing his captain being left speechless, Lu Fei anxiously stomped his feet.
He suddenly stepped forward and pointed at Tan Lang's nose as he shouted angrily.
"Bullshit! Everyone knows what kind of scum your Tan Lang War Band is! Why didn't he chop someone else? Why did he only chop up your people? Dare say you weren't blocking the road and collecting protection money?!"
Rather than getting angry, Tan Lang revealed a teasing, mocking smile.
"Little brother, you need evidence when you speak."
He spread his hands and said innocently, "You say we collected protection money. Do you have proof? Or is that merely your personal guess?"
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over every onlooking Professional's face, carrying a hint of threat in his voice.
"You can ask everyone here. Did anyone see us collecting protection money? Is anyone willing to step out and testify for you?"
Every Professional his gaze touched lowered their heads and avoided his eyes. Not one dared step forward to speak.
What a joke. Offend the local tyrant entrenched here for the sake of saying a fair word? No one was stupid.
"You...!"
Lu Fei was left red-faced by that shameless logic. His entire body trembled with rage, but he could not say a single word.
Leng Yuan's expression grew even uglier.
Seeing his opponents' frustrated, stifled expressions, Wang Jie finally curled his lips into a satisfied smile.
Not bad. This was the first time he had discovered that his older brother's eloquence could be so useful.
Just as swords seemed ready to clash and the atmosphere froze to its limit.
Buzz!!
The crystal at the Dungeon entrance suddenly rippled with violent spatial fluctuations.
A figure slowly stepped out from the curtain of light.
That person wore a savage Wild Boar King Mask that concealed every trace of his face.
He wore armor covered in dense brown bristles, radiating a fierce, wild aura.
He looked exactly like a Boar Man BOSS that had emerged from the Dungeon.
Tan Lang's face instantly twisted with ecstatic delight.
He was here!
He had finally come!
Like a starving wolf, Tan Lang's gaze locked tightly onto the equipment on that person's body.
He confirmed it once more.
There really were two pieces. Now he could finally complete Xiao Jie's Wild Boar King Three-Piece Set.
The flames of greed in Tan Lang's heart were completely ignited at that moment, burning away his final shred of reason.
He could no longer hold himself back. He eagerly strode forward and blocked the figure's path.
"Brat, you finally crawled out of that dog hole of yours?"
Tan Lang's voice was filled with lofty judgment.
Yet the figure beneath the mask merely slowly raised his head.
A pair of utterly emotionless eyes looked through the mask's eyeholes, calmly sweeping over Tan Lang and the hundred-plus War Band members glaring greedily behind him.
There was not the slightest ripple in that gaze.
It was as though he were looking at a group of... dead things.