Xiao Chusheng

"Yo, what's a pretty little thing like you doing here? Where are your mommy and daddy?"

The yellow-haired teen at the head swaggered over to Na'er, kicking the little stones by her feet with his toe. His tone was flippant and greasy.

He deliberately bent down, trying to get a clear look at Na'er's face buried in her arms, clicking his tongue in admiration.

"Where are you from, little beauty? Your hair is all silvery, and your eyes are purple too. Don't tell me you're some foreign race from another continent?"

The buzz-cut teen beside him, with a crooked scorpion tattoo on his arm, leaned closer. His greedy gaze roamed over Na'er's frail body as though she were a chunk of fat meat.

"Tsk, tsk. A girl who looks like this would definitely fetch a good price." The last teen, short and fat, rubbed his hands together with a lecherous grin.

"We could sell her to some remote mining camp, or to rich men who like little girls. The three of us would make a fortune—enough to live it up for months."

The three of them took turns speaking, their filthy words splashing over Na'er like dirty water.

Na'er's body jolted violently, like a startled little rabbit.

She said nothing. She merely buried her head even lower, pressing her little face tightly against her knees. Her silver short hair nearly wrapped around her entire face.

Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. Fine goosebumps rose over her exposed arms, and her tiny fists clenched tightly enough for her nails to dig deep into her palms.

"Tang Wulin, stop fucking spacing out and get over there!"

Seeing Tang Wulin still frozen where he stood, his clenched fists pale but making no move, the golden arrow floating in midair was nearly twisting out of shape with urgency. Jin Qiu's voice was full of anxious frustration.

"If you're any later, that little girl will be taken away! Didn't you want to protect yourself and the people you want to protect? This is your chance!"

Tang Wulin suddenly snapped back to his senses.

Looking at Na'er trembling helplessly, the little bit of hesitation and fear in his heart was instantly swept away by a surge of rage.

He stuffed the remaining half of his steamed bun into his pocket, pushed off hard with his feet, and charged over like a streak of black lightning.

He was so fast that the three teens had no time to react.

They only saw a blur before a small figure stood in front of Na'er, like a wall that was thin yet incomparably steadfast.

The three teens were clearly stunned. They looked at one another, each seeing surprise in the others' eyes.

They had clearly seen this kid standing at the alley entrance more than ten meters away just moments ago. How had he reached them in the blink of an eye?

"What are you doing? Stay away from this girl!"

Tang Wulin spread his arms wide, firmly shielding Na'er behind him.

His voice was still somewhat childish, yet it carried an unquestionable resolve.

His voice trembled slightly from nervousness, and his chest rose and fell violently, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He stared fixedly at the three teens before him without the slightest sign of retreat.

Na'er, who had been trapped in darkness and fear, suddenly felt a warm barrier appear before her, blocking those nauseating gazes and words.

She paused slightly, then cautiously raised her head. Through the gaps in her silver hair, she saw the small figure standing before her.

He was a little boy about her age, dressed in a faded cotton shirt washed nearly white. His short black hair gleamed softly beneath the sunlight.

His shoulders were not broad, yet he held them straight, like a stubborn young poplar tree.

"Tch, where did this little brat come from? Get the hell out of here!"

Xiao Chusheng, the leader, was the first to react. A vicious expression appeared on his face.

He impatiently waved his hand as though shooing away a fly.

"Stop getting in the way and ruining my fun, or I'll deal with you too!"

As he spoke, he reached out with his rough hand, grabbed Tang Wulin's arm, and twisted hard, intending to fling the clueless little brat aside.

He had assumed that, as a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old teenager, dealing with a six-year-old child would be effortless.

But the next second, he felt a tremendous force coming from Tang Wulin's arm.

Tang Wulin twisted his wrist, seized Xiao Chusheng's wrist in return, and then threw a heavy punch at the back of the hand gripping his arm.

Bang!

A dull impact rang out.

"Ah... Hiss!"

Xiao Chusheng cried out in pain and hurriedly pulled back his hand.

The back of his hand immediately swelled red, puffing up like a steamed bun. He grimaced in agony and kept shaking his hand.

"Not bad, little brat. You've got some strength!"

A vicious glint flashed in Xiao Chusheng's eyes. He was completely enraged.

Gritting his teeth, he suddenly pulled a folding dagger from behind his back. With a click, he flicked it open, its sharp blade glinting with icy cold light in the dim alley.

He stepped forward and pressed the dagger directly against Tang Wulin's chest. The tip had already pierced Tang Wulin's thin cotton shirt, and the icy touch against his skin made him shudder.

"Get on your knees and apologize to me now!"

Xiao Chusheng's expression twisted viciously, his tone fierce.

"Then hand over all the money and valuables you've got. Otherwise, do you believe I'll send you to heaven right now?! This knife of mine has drawn blood before!"

Tang Wulin's body stiffened, and he instinctively took half a step back.

He recognized this kind of dagger. He had seen similar ones at his father's blacksmith shop before.

He knew how sharp it was. A light cut could slice through flesh.

Cold sweat instantly formed in his palms, soaking his back as well. His heart pounded rapidly, as though it were about to leap from his throat.

But after taking that half-step back, he did not move again.

He still held his arms wide, firmly shielding Na'er behind him. Though there was a trace of fear in his gaze, it remained resolute.

"I'm not afraid. I won't move!"

Tang Wulin gritted his teeth and shouted.

"My mother said bad people never come to a good end! If you don't leave now, I'll call for help!"

Upon hearing Tang Wulin's words, the three teens first froze. Then they exchanged glances before bursting into laughter together.

They laughed so hard that they bent over, tears nearly coming out of their eyes, as though they had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Hahahaha! Call for help? Go ahead! Let's see who dares to interfere with our business!"

"Little brat, do you know who he is?"

The teen with the scorpion tattoo on the left pointed at the leader while laughing, his tone full of fawning pride.

"He's Xiao Chusheng, son of Xiao Renwu, the administrator of Aolai City! In Aolai City, he can do whatever he wants. No one can control him!"

"That's right! Forget calling for help—if you call the police, they'll still have to bow and scrape to us!"

The short, fat teen chimed in, his face full of arrogance.

Hearing that introduction, Jin Qiu, floating in midair, twitched at the corner of his mouth. He could not help rolling his eyes and remarked disdainfully.

"Xiao Renwu? Xiao Chusheng? One petty nobody, one little beast. Those names really suit them. Like father, like son."

Seeing Tang Wulin still standing in front of them like a rock without any intention of moving aside, Xiao Chusheng's smile gradually vanished, replaced by an even more vicious expression.

With a sinister grin, he pushed the hand holding the dagger a little farther forward.

The sharp tip had already cut Tang Wulin's skin. A bead of bright red blood seeped out and slowly slid down the blade.

"And you need to understand something."

Xiao Chusheng lowered his voice, carrying a cruel hint of amusement.

"I've killed plenty of people. Do you know why nothing ever happened to me? Because I have a father who's an administrator, and you don't. If you die, it'll be like an ant dying. No one will stand up for you."

The icy blade pressed against his skin, and for the first time, the shadow of death truly loomed over Tang Wulin.

His body trembled uncontrollably, and even his teeth began to chatter.

At that moment, Jin Qiu's voice rang out by his ear again, urgent and resolute, carrying an unquestionable force.

"Don't just stand there like a fucking idiot! Hit him! Reasoning is useless against trash like them! If this drags on, the only ones in danger will be the two of you!"

"Listen to me. Grab the hand he has extended, then pull it hard toward yourself. He'll definitely lose his balance and lunge forward.

Then, the moment he falls, use all your strength to punch him in the lower back. His spine is fragile. One punch can break it."

"Then don't stop. Before the other two can react, rush over and punch each of them in the stomach.

Remember, hit three inches above the navel. That hurts the most.

They'll suffer internal injuries at most. They won't die!"

Hearing Jin Qiu's clear and calm instructions, Tang Wulin's panicked heart instantly settled down.

He took a deep breath. The fear in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a cold determination.

He hesitated no longer.

Tang Wulin suddenly shot out his left hand, clamping down on Xiao Chusheng's wrist holding the dagger like iron pincers, then yanked hard toward himself with all his strength!

Xiao Chusheng had never expected a six-year-old child to dare fight back, much less possess such immense strength.

He only felt a tremendous force pull at him. His body instantly lost its balance, and he screamed as he pitched forward.

The instant his body leaned forward, Tang Wulin clenched his right fist and poured every bit of that power hidden deep in his bloodline—the power even he himself did not know he possessed—into it. Then, without holding back in the slightest, he slammed his fist viciously into Xiao Chusheng's lower back!

Crack!

The crisp sound of breaking bone, so sharp it made one's teeth ache, was exceptionally piercing in the quiet alley.

"Ah—!!!"

Xiao Chusheng let out a heart-rending scream, so shrill it barely sounded human.

The dagger fell from his hand with a clatter. He collapsed onto the ground like a heap of mud, curling into a ball and convulsing nonstop. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead like water. The pain was so overwhelming that he could not even speak, only letting out ragged, wheezing breaths.

But Tang Wulin did not stop.

He knew this was not the time to go soft.

Without even looking at Xiao Chusheng wailing on the ground, he pushed off hard and shot toward the other two stunned teens like an arrow released from a bow.

The two teens were still standing there in a daze. The smiles had not yet faded from their faces, and their eyes were full of shock and disbelief. They simply could not believe that a six-year-old child had knocked Xiao Chusheng down with one punch—and from the sound of it, broken his bones.

In that single second of stunned silence, Tang Wulin had already reached the teen with the scorpion tattoo.

Without saying a word, he raised his fist and threw a vicious punch at the teen's abdomen!

Bang!

His fist struck the teen squarely in the stomach. The teen felt his insides churn violently as a tremendous force crashed into him, as though his organs had all shifted out of place.

He let out a muffled grunt, his eyes widening as his body flew backward like a broken sack. He slammed heavily into the wall behind him, then slid down to the ground.

Clutching his stomach, he curled up on the ground and vomited violently. He threw up everything he had eaten that morning, even dry-heaving up sour fluid, yet the pain still left him unable to straighten his back.

Having dealt with one, Tang Wulin did not pause in the slightest. He immediately turned and rushed at the last short, fat teen.

That short, fat teen had long since been scared stupid. When he saw Tang Wulin charging at him, his legs went weak, and he turned to run.

But how could he possibly be faster than Tang Wulin?

Tang Wulin caught up to him in a few steps, grabbed the back of his collar, and threw another vicious punch into his abdomen.

Bang!

Another dull impact rang out.

The short, fat teen also let out a pained howl, pitching forward onto the ground. He clutched his stomach and rolled about, crying for his parents in agony.

The entire process had taken less than three seconds.

The alley instantly fell silent, leaving only the painful wails and ragged breathing of the three teens.

Tang Wulin stood in the middle of the alley, gulping in great breaths of air.

In truth, he was not tired at all. The Golden Dragon King physique gave him stamina far beyond that of ordinary people.

He was panting only because he had been completely stunned by the power he had just unleashed. His mind was blank, and he had yet to process what had happened.

He lowered his head to look at his fist. It was slightly red, but aside from that, he felt no discomfort at all.

He could not believe that he had broken the spine of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old teenager with a single punch, then knocked down the other two with only two more punches.

Was that really something he could do?

At that moment, his gaze fell to the ground.

When Xiao Chusheng had fallen, the soul communication device in his pocket had slipped out and rolled to Tang Wulin's feet.

It was a silver folding soul communication device, its casing engraved with flashy patterns and marked by several obvious scratches.

It had not broken when it hit the ground. Its screen was still lit, emitting a faint blue glow, displaying a missed call screen.