Blood Ape Besieges the Tower, Body Tempering Duel

The martial artist, who had been incredibly arrogant and dismissive just a moment ago, fell from the third floor like a tattered sack.

With a "thud," he slammed into the second-floor boards, blood spilling from his mouth and nose, twitching twice before going still.

The entire second floor, and even the first, fell into an instant silence.

The diners held their chopsticks and wine cups, the remnants of their laughter still lingering on their faces, now frozen into confusion and terror.

A few breaths later, the sounds of screaming, clattering tables and chairs, and shattering porcelain erupted in a roar!

Something is wrong!

Yang Ning's pupils constricted, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

He pushed off the ground, darting back to his own table like a hunting leopard.

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, take Xiao Hua and let's go! Quickly!"

His voice was short, urgent, and brooked no argument.

Though Yang An and Liu Ying did not understand why, they saw the unprecedented gravity on Yang Ning's face and stood up without a moment's hesitation.

Yang Ning scooped up the still-dazed Xiao Hua, shielding her in his sturdy arms, and barked:

"Stay close to me!"

The family of four quickly merged into the panicked crowd, surging toward the stairs.

The staircase was packed with people, a chaotic mess of crying, cursing, and shoving.

Yang Ning's gaze remained calm; one hand protected his niece, while the other secretly channeled a subtle force, gently pushing aside the figures crowding his family without causing injury or inciting further chaos.

The entrance of the restaurant was right in front of them, just a step away!

However...

A thick, sweet, and nauseating stench of blood, like a dense and viscous fog, suddenly poured in from outside the door!

Yang Ning slammed on the brakes, shielding his family behind him. His eyesight, far exceeding that of an ordinary person thanks to his Body Tempering realm, pierced through the dim light and the panicked crowd to see clearly:

Outside Chunhua Restaurant, it was pitch black!

Dozens of burly men with blood-red headbands, wielding clubs and machetes, stood silently around the entrance, blocking every exit.

Their eyes were fierce and expressionless, like a pack of hungry wolves waiting to tear into their prey.

Further away, the pedestrians and vendors who had been on the street were nowhere to be seen; the entire street had been cleared in a short amount of time.

Only these men in red headbands remained, along with the cold, icy glint reflecting off their weapons.

Blood Ape Gang!

They actually dared to openly blockade one of the most prosperous restaurants on East Third Street in broad daylight!

"Ah--!"

Inside the restaurant, a timid female guest finally could not hold back, letting out a shrill scream.

Panic spread like a plague into everyone's heart.

Yang Ning's heart sank. He immediately led his family back to a relatively empty corner of the main hall, backing against a thick load-bearing pillar to keep his brother, sister-in-law, and niece firmly behind him.

His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, rapidly scanning the scene to assess the situation.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

Several guards who looked like martial artists surrounded He Xiang and a beautiful woman in purple, retreating from the second floor to the first.

That woman in purple must be the Qin Family Miss.

But Yang Ning's attention did not linger on this young lady for long. The keen intuition granted by his Body Tempering realm locked his gaze onto a figure on the stairs:

A figure like an iron tower was slowly stepping down.

The man was extremely tall and burly, nearly nine feet, with broad shoulders and a thick back. His exposed arm muscles were knotted like the roots of an old tree, stretching his black martial arts attire to its limit.

His face was rugged and ugly, with a hideous scar running diagonally from his left eyebrow to his right cheek. He was currently grinning, revealing yellowed teeth in a cruel and mocking smile.

Most striking were his fan-sized palms; the knuckles were abnormally large and covered in thick calluses, showing an unusual dark red color.

In each hand, he held the neck of a Chunhua Restaurant guard. Those guards had long since passed out, being dangled as casually as if they were chickens.

Walking to the center of the hall, he tossed the two men onto the ground with a dull thud, his eyes fixed squarely on the woman in purple protected in the center.

Body Tempering realm!

And a Body Tempering martial artist with vigorous blood and qi, currently at his peak!

Yang Ning's pupils shrank, and he quietly clenched his fists.

Compared to this man, that Fei Yan from Hundred Herb Hall was like a decrepit old dog with failing blood and qi.

"Qin Yurong."

The tall man spoke, his voice as raspy as sandpaper rubbing together:

"Our engagement banquet isn't even finished yet, my dear fiancée, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

"Are you not giving me, Wang Teng, any face, or are you not giving the Blood Ape Gang any face?"

Wang Teng!

The son of the Blood Ape Gang leader, a notorious thug on East Street!

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the Qin Family martial artists changed drastically, and the crowd grew indignant.

The woman in purple, known as Qin Yurong, though her face was slightly pale, kept her gaze steady. She raised a hand to gesture, calming the restlessness of her subordinates, and spoke in a cold, clear voice:

"Brother Wang, you are joking.

I have only come here today to meet and evaluate the new martial arts guards hired by my family. It was you, Brother Wang, who suddenly barged in. Where does this talk of an engagement banquet come from?

I hope Brother Wang will not damage the harmony between our two families."

"Harmony?"

Wang Teng sneered and waved his large hand.

"The thing I care about the least is that bullsh*t harmony!

Qin Yurong, enough with the nonsense!

If your Qin Family wants to reach into my East Street to fish for profit, fine!

I have long heard of the Qin Family's reputation, and there is no time like the present...

Starting today, our two families shall become in-laws, and you, the eldest daughter of the Qin Family, will marry me, Wang Teng.

Your Qin Family's assets will be my assets, and my thousand brothers in the Blood Ape Gang will ensure they are guarded securely!

As for these pieces of trash..."

He cast a contemptuous glance at the Qin Family martial artists who were glaring at him:

"Get lost while you still can, don't be an eyesore to me!"

"You arrogant dog!"

"Protect the young lady!"

When a master is humiliated, the servants must die, especially in the face of such blatant insults and threats!

Among the Qin Family martial artists, three men with the most robust blood energy, clearly having reached the Blood Garment Barrier, roared and charged forward regardless of their existing injuries!

One attacked the upper body, aiming straight for his face.

One attacked the midsection, punching toward his heart.

One crouched low to sweep his legs, attacking his lower body.

The three coordinated perfectly, instantly sealing off all of Wang Teng's room for evasion!

"Mere chickens and dogs, not worth a single blow."

Wang Teng spat on the ground. Facing their combined attack, he did not dodge or retreat; instead, he slightly bent his knees, sank his waist, and assumed a simple, ancient boxing stance.

As he raised his arms, the muscles in his forearms instantly tightened like iron, and the dark blue veins bulged, emitting a faint "humming" sound!

Wang Family Iron Wire Fist!

Using the arms as iron wires, channeling force like a taut string, it was peerlessly fierce and focused on hard, direct strikes!

"Bang! Bang! Crack!"

In the blink of an eye, three dull thuds and the sound of bone fractures erupted almost simultaneously!

The fist aimed at his face was casually blocked by Wang Teng's left arm, and the martial artist's entire arm bent at a grotesque angle as he screamed and flew backward.

The punch aimed at his heart landed solidly on Wang Teng's chest, but it felt like striking steel; the recoil shattered the attacker's wrist bones, leaving him with a face full of horror.

The martial artist who swept his legs fared even worse; his shin struck Wang Teng's calf as if he had kicked an iron pillar, and he collapsed, howling while clutching his broken leg.

In a single exchange, three experts were either dead or crippled!

Wang Teng stood motionless, grinning to reveal his stark white teeth:

"Who's next?"

The remaining Qin Family martial artists turned ashen, retreating repeatedly while shielding Qin Yurong until they were backed against the wall with nowhere left to go.

He Xiang was already pale with fright, trembling all over as she clutched tightly to Qin Yurong's sleeve.

Wang Teng approached step by step, his heavy footsteps feeling as if they were trampling on everyone's heart.

His gaze swept over the terrified Qin Family members and the other diners trembling in the corners; the cruelty and indifference in his eyes were chilling.

"Qin Yurong, don't count on anyone coming to save you."

Wang Teng's voice echoed through the main hall:

"Inside and outside this Chunyuan Restaurant, everyone belongs to my Blood Ape Gang.

Tonight, no one else will know about anything that happens here."

He paused, his smile growing more sinister, and spoke each word with chilling clarity:

"Because, apart from you, everyone else must die."

"No one can stop this."

Despair, like a cold tide, submerged everyone present, and Yang Ning felt his heart slowly sink.

At this moment, it seemed there was no other way to stop Wang Teng.

Qin Yurong closed her eyes in despair, while He Xiang looked around helplessly until, the next moment, she seemed to remember something.

She whipped her head around, her gaze searching frantically through the chaotic crowd before finally locking onto Yang Ning in the corner.

As if grabbing onto a final straw, she screamed at the top of her lungs, regardless of everything else:

"Yang Ning! Brother Yang Ning!

You are a martial artist, you are a top-tier martial artist!

Save us! Save the young lady!

I beg you! I beg you!"

This scream was piercingly sharp in the deathly silent hall.

Wang Teng followed her gaze and saw the gray-clad youth who was shielding his family with a calm expression, and he couldn't help but sneer:

"Yang Ning?

What rat crawled out of the gutter?

Him?

A piece of trash who hasn't even reached Body Tempering, he dares to..."

His words came to an abrupt halt.

Because Yang Ning, in the corner, had moved.

Under the worried gazes of his brother and sister-in-law, the bewildered look of his niece, the despair of He Xiang, the disdain of Wang Teng, and the terror of the diners.

Yang Ning slowly handed the terrified Xiao Hua into the arms of his sister-in-law, Liu Ying, and gently patted her on the back.

Then, he reached into his robe, took out the lustrous White Jade Mask, and slowly placed it over his face.

The cold sensation spread instantly, and all the noise, fear, and screaming from the outside world seemed to be blocked off by a layer; his heart became as still as an ancient well, yet his five senses became exceptionally sharp.

He could hear Wang Teng's heavy breathing, feel the surging and slightly restless blood energy within his body, see the subtle tremors of his muscles, and even predict his next possible move.

Beneath the Secret Artifact White Jade Mask, a pair of eyes lifted calmly to look at Wang Teng.

There was no anger, no fear, only a determination as heavy and solid as iron.

His heart was as firm as iron, and his killing intent was overflowing.

He took a step forward, walking toward the center of the hall.

His pace was not fast, but it was exceptionally steady.

With every step he took, it felt as if he were faintly in sync with his own heartbeat and the pulse of the earth.

The blood energy that had been restrained and calm within his body began to slowly rise.

"Hmm?"

The contempt on Wang Teng's face vanished, replaced by a hint of surprise and interest:

"Hiding your blood energy?

Interesting.

It seems you aren't a rat, but a... little cat hiding its claws in the dark?"

Yang Ning did not speak, merely coming to a stop five paces in front of him.

He spread his feet slightly, like a tiger crouching on a mountain rock, arched his back, and aligned his spine, with the faint sound of a dragon's roar and a tiger's howl emanating from within his body.

He held his fists loosely at his waist.

The opening stance of the Tiger Soul Fist.

"Tiger Fist? Body Tempering realm?"

Wang Teng licked his lips, a fierce light surging in his eyes:

"Good! Very good!

Finally, someone who can help me loosen up my bones!

State your name; I don't kill nobodies!"

From behind the White Jade Mask came a calm, ripple-free voice:

"Yang Ning of East Street."