Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Eagle Hunts the Rabbit!

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Hawk Catches the Rabbit!

This man was the driver for You Mu. After stepping out, he stood quietly against the inside of the car door, shrouded in shadow. He said nothing, yet it was impossible to ignore him.

Because, truth be told, You Mu’s role as a foil was performed to perfection—the more he hunched his back, the more striking and formidable this man appeared in contrast.

Tang Chong’s sense of danger immediately made him classify this man as a threat. He could sense the fierce desire for combat lurking beneath that calm exterior.

As expected, the moment he received You Mu’s command, the man revealed his savage nature—his wildness and sharp fangs.

With a furious roar, his body leapt forward like a panther, and he swung a powerful chopping palm at Tang Chong’s neck.

A killing strike!

Tang Chong’s eyes narrowed, but he did not move from his spot.

Because, standing before him, was a woman.

Su Shan drifted lightly, positioning herself between Tang Chong and the short-haired man, neatly severing the path of attack.

“You—” the man growled angrily. To throw a punch without drawing blood is the greatest blow to a fighter’s pride. Worse still, he was forced to withdraw his strike halfway through. It wounded not just his spirit, but his body as well.

Had it been any other woman, perhaps he would have struck regardless—better to hurt someone than to injure oneself. The problem was, he knew this was the woman You Mu fancied. In fact, she was the one You Mu might one day marry.

Given You Mu’s infamous temper and his tendency to turn on anyone in an instant, if he dared lay hands on his woman in front of him, there was no telling what madness might ensue.

So, though he seethed with fury, he could only swallow it in the presence of this beautiful woman.

Su Shan ignored the murderous glare he shot her and instead turned to You Mu. “Don’t you think this is going too far?”

She knew all too well how You Mu had earned his reputation: violent outbursts at the slightest provocation, breaking people’s limbs without hesitation. Perhaps because of his own twisted body, he took particular delight in inflicting harm on others.

When Tang Chong made that comment—“Compared to your name, your appearance is even more inconspicuous”—she knew revenge was inevitable. No one ever dared mock his appearance, and those who did never escaped retribution.

Sure enough, You Mu, who had just been eagerly recruiting others to work for him, now turned around and ordered someone’s leg broken. There was no one more perverse.

“Too far?” You Mu smiled at Su Shan. With the woman he liked, he could always maintain a genial demeanor. Though his smile was not pleasant, at least he was always smiling. “I originally wanted to break both his legs—but then I thought, that wouldn’t do. With both legs broken, he’d have to spend his life in a wheelchair. I’d much rather see him limping around on one leg—just as he enjoys seeing me as I am now.”

“You Mu, today is the first day we’ve met. Besides, I’ve already said he’s not my type. There’s no need to be angry on his account.” Su Shan’s voice was calm. Then her tone grew resolute. “And who I choose to be with is none of your concern.”

“You don’t understand, Su Shan,” You Mu replied with a smile. “Before, it was about you. I told you, you’re the woman I like. No matter who it is, I dislike seeing anyone stand by your side. That’s just normal jealousy—I’m sure you can understand. But now, things have changed. He has offended me. And for that, he must pay the price. The situation is much simpler now. So, you’d best step aside. You have no standing here anymore.”

“If I’m already standing here, I have even less reason to move,” Su Shan said firmly. “Just as you said, at the very least, he was standing by my side just now—”

“Su Shan!” At last, her persistence provoked You Mu’s anger. His face twisted, and he growled low, “Are you testing my patience?”

“I am merely doing what I must,” Su Shan replied calmly.

“I may like you, but I wouldn’t hesitate to destroy you!” You Mu threatened. “I’ve told you, women are just flowers, just trophies. Who cares if a flower is trampled or a trophy lost?”

“I am Su Shan,” she declared, unyielding. “Anyone who dares touch me will pay for it.”

“I don’t believe it,” You Mu sneered. “In fact, I suspect if I destroy you, many people will thank me.”

“And just as many will hate you,” a man’s voice sounded from behind.

As footsteps approached, a man as elegant as a prince strode over.

He came to stand beside Su Shan, gazed at You Mu, and said, “At the very least, I am one of them.”

“Hate? What use is hate?” You Mu scoffed. “Can hate kill? Can it restore a nation? Only if it is backed by overwhelming force. Hate alone is not enough.”

“So it seems my family means nothing in your eyes,” the man—Lu Junzhuo—said with a cold laugh.

“It’s you, Lu Junzhuo, who means nothing to me,” You Mu replied bluntly. “Why should I fear the hatred of a weakling? Why should I stoop to the level of a rat? Even if it can gnaw through my shoe and steal a few grains of rice—it’s only because I didn’t bother. A packet of rat poison or a trap, and the problem is solved.”

“Well, now I’m glad you refused to join the Red Hawk,” Lu Junzhuo smiled mildly. “That means we are destined to be rivals—all our lives.”

“You’re not worthy.”

“Some things can’t be denied. They are what they are.” Lu Junzhuo glanced at Su Shan. “Just for saying that, perhaps I should work a little harder in the future.”

Watching the verbal sparring, Tang Chong suddenly felt like an outsider.

The world these people inhabited was utterly different from his own.

His own family’s bigshot was merely the warden of Henshan Prison; theirs might well be a ‘Commander.’

“This is getting out of hand,” Tang Chong thought. “Even a fully equipped warrior might not be a match for these NPCs—they set the rules, and I’m the one whose rights are restricted.”

Now that Su Shan’s knight had arrived, it seemed there was nothing left for him to do.

“I’ll see you off here,” Tang Chong said to Su Shan with a smile, then turned to leave.

Hua Ming and Liang Tao were still waiting behind. If he hurried, he might just snag half a bottle of beer, a few skewers of lamb kidney, or a chicken wing—that was his life, his world.

“I think you’d better wait,” You Mu said, stopping him.

He looked at Lu Junzhuo. “If you hadn’t shown up, I might have shown some mercy for Su Shan’s sake. But since you’re here—this is about a man’s dignity now. Everything else can be conceded, but not this. Not even in death.”

“I don’t mind watching a good show,” Lu Junzhuo shrugged nonchalantly.

The only one he cared about was Su Shan. As for Tang Chong?

Sorry, he hadn’t even noticed Tang Chong.

You Mu gestured to the short-haired man at his side. “You haven’t forgotten my instructions, have you? Go ahead.”

“Of course.” The short-haired man replied, brushing past Su Shan, heading straight toward Tang Chong.

For You Mu to give the order now meant that, no matter who stood in his path, he intended to knock them aside.

Even Su Shan.

Tang Chong was furious.

He only had two legs—he couldn’t afford to lose one. This man talked about taking one as if he were entitled—who’d asked for his opinion?

He stared at You Mu and said, “If I get the chance, I wouldn’t mind breaking one of your legs either—not your second leg, though. I wouldn’t want to see you in a wheelchair; I’d rather watch you limp around just as you do now.”

You Mu was already lame in one leg, so Tang Chong wasn’t referring to his remaining one.

He meant “the third leg.”

“I’ll be waiting,” You Mu replied with a smile.

He showed no fear of Tang Chong’s threat. What adult would take a child’s bravado seriously?

“I’m afraid you won’t get the chance,” the short-haired man snapped, clenching his fist and swinging a punch straight at Tang Chong’s face.

His earlier attack had been forced to withdraw, but this one was delivered with full force.

Whoosh—

A powerful gust of wind swept toward Tang Chong, sharp as a blade across his face.

Tang Chong was startled again.

This young man had already mastered the art of releasing external force—a testament to diligent and grueling training.

Tang Chong stepped back. The opponent’s momentum was at its peak; there was no need to clash head-on.

With one punch, the short-haired man pressed his advantage, his left hand already darting in a small joint-lock maneuver to snare Tang Chong, while his right fist struck at his face again.

Whoosh—

Another blast of wind.

Tang Chong retreated another step.

“Coward,” the man spat, then with both fists, one struck for Tang Chong’s face, the other for his chest.

This time, Tang Chong didn’t yield.

His hands darted out like lightning.

This move was called “Hawk Catches the Rabbit”—a simple technique with a rustic name.

It was taught to him by the Boss, who urged him to practice it diligently.

At the time, Tang Chong had found it too simple, the name too unsophisticated, and had been reluctant to practice. The Boss said nothing, but during a sparring match, used this move to block all his attacks and then counterattacked so viciously that Tang Chong was left battered and bruised, crawling on the ground in utter defeat.

Only then did Tang Chong realize how powerful it truly was, and he practiced it fiercely, making it his trump card.

Bang—

As expected, the short-haired man’s left fist landed firmly in Tang Chong’s right hand, and his right fist in Tang Chong’s left.

Now, it was the short-haired man’s turn to be astonished.