"No, no! This can't be..."

The once arrogant Ma Shihao was now completely pale. His aging body trembled slightly, faring even worse than Stuvia of the Brad Family. As someone only half a step from becoming an A-Level Ability User, he, more than anyone else present, could feel the sheer shock and terror Chen Fei exuded.

To be completely unscathed by my peak B-Level Ability Magic, and even to be able to destroy it so casually... Just recalling that moment sent a chill down his spine. He himself was considered a man of extraordinary abilities in the secular world and had long enjoyed the thrill that came with being superior. But now, Chen Fei was clearly stronger than him, seemingly on par with the legendary A-Level Ability Users. How could he not be shocked? He was terrified, nearly scared witless!

"While elders should be respected, I think a guy like you, who leverages his age to spout nonsense, needs a lesson." A cold voice entered Ma Shihao's ears, followed by a soft "Hmph." In that instant, the patriarch of the Ma Family—one of Hong Kong's Five Great Tycoon Families—turned the palest he had ever been in his life, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Chen Fei strode toward him, his face an expressionless mask. Suddenly, he raised his right hand, shaped his fingers into a claw, and ripped at the empty air. Ma Shihao instantly felt five inexplicably cold fingers tighten around his neck, suffocating him and cutting off his breath. He was pulled through the air for at least half a meter before Chen Fei's hand fiercely seized him by the throat.

"This... this..."

Witnessing such a terrifyingly magical scene, it wasn't just the ordinary couple Chen Yaoyang and Dong Shuxian who were stunned. Even Chen Yaoyang's burly, black-clad bodyguard and Stuvia from the Brad Family had their expressions change drastically, utterly unable to believe their eyes.

He pulled someone over from more than half a meter away? Is this a movie? Are we dreaming? This is unbelievable!

"Do you know why I'm so angry?" Chen Fei asked, effortlessly suspending Ma Shihao in midair by the collar of his expensive dinner jacket. He spoke casually, yet his tone sent an inexplicable shiver down everyone's spines, making their scalps tingle. "It's because I despise it when people belittle my elders in front of me. After all, who do you think you are to say such things?"

His face turned purple from the lack of air, and he struggled to speak between desperate coughs, his expression full of terror. "Cough... cough... I-I was wrong... Forgive... forgive me."

"Wrong?" A contemptuous smile touched Chen Fei's lips. With a casual toss, he flung Ma Shihao onto the stairs like a dead dog. "If a simple 'I was wrong' was enough to get away with crossing my bottom line, wouldn't that be underestimating me? Forget it. Considering your age, I don't want to be accused of bullying you. So, how about this: one move. If you can take one more move from me, I'll pretend this never happened."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Fei stuffed his hands in his pockets. He then stomped down toward the collapsed Ma Shihao, aiming for his chest. The kick descended with tremendous power, and the sheer force of it was terrifying.

Seeing this incredibly shocking scene, Dong Shuxian, the only woman present, let out a scream. Chen Yaoyang, reacting instantly, clapped a hand over her mouth in a panic, stifling her cry into a muffled whimper. By now, he no longer saw Chen Fei as just some talented young martial artist. He now saw him as a terrifyingly powerful individual, on par with the hidden, horrifyingly powerful ancestors of the Chen Family. After all, even the strongest ancestor of the Chen Family was, at best, on equal footing with the Ma Family's Ma Shihao. But now, in Chen Fei's hands, Ma Shihao was as helpless as an infant.

Precisely because of this, Chen Yaoyang didn't dare interfere. He couldn't risk needlessly provoking Chen Fei's displeasure or anger—the consequences would be unthinkable. His swift reaction was born from this understanding.

CLANG!

Just as everyone thought Ma Shihao was doomed, a very ordinary-looking cane suddenly appeared and lightly tapped Chen Fei's descending foot. He immediately felt an immense force blocking his path, stopping his advance completely. The rebound forced him to sidestep to maintain his balance. Expressionless, he stared at the newly appeared grey-robed figure, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

He knew his own strength. With his cultivation at the Peak of Qi Refining Third Layer, not even a Half-Step Innate expert, let alone a regular Peak of First-Class Master, should be able to hide their presence from his senses. Yet this grey-robed man had done just that, appearing before him like a ghost. How could he not be astonished? Could it be...

An answer that shocked even him flashed through Chen Fei's mind. He forced himself to remain calm as he swept his gaze over the robed figure.

"Hehe, so young, yet quite impressive," the slender, grey-robed man said, his voice grating to the ear. He shakily lifted his hood, revealing an ancient face as wrinkled as old tree bark.

"You," Chen Fei said, his body stiffening. He instinctively took a step back, not from the man's aged face, but from the unconcealed cultivation aura he radiated... it was truly alarming.

Innate! He's really an Innate Level expert! Who is this old man? What's his background? To think he's actually an Ancient Martial Arts practitioner of the Innate Level...

"Mr. Fu!?" the usually composed Chen Yaoyang suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the old man. His pale face was a mask of shock and utter disbelief.

He recognized the grey-robed elder who had appeared so abruptly. But that meeting had been twenty years ago. Back then, his father was still the patriarch of the Chen Family. He had accompanied his father to a special meeting convened by the Hong Kong Black Market, and that was where he had seen the old man. He still remembered his father's solemn warning: the grey-robed elder was a major figure in the Hong Kong Black Market, someone they must never, ever offend.

Yet, two decades had passed. Not only was the man still alive, but he hadn't aged a day. How could Chen Yaoyang not be shocked and lose his composure?

"Mr. Fu, please save me!" Upon seeing the man, Ma Shihao's despair turned to hope. He pleaded in terror, as if he had just seen his savior.

Just a moment ago, as Chen Fei's foot descended, he had been so overcome with fear that he was convinced he was about to die. Had he been a little more clear-headed, he might have realized the force behind Chen Fei's kick wasn't actually lethal. Regardless, the appearance of the man known as Mr. Fu gave him immense hope for survival, and he cried out for help, his face alight with desperation.

Chen Fei paid little attention to their reactions, watching the old man impassively with narrowed eyes.

All I need to know is that he is an Innate Level Expert. That's enough to understand how dangerous my situation is. Even with my current Cultivation Level, my chances of escaping from an Innate Level Expert are probably less than forty percent. The hair on his arms stood on end, and every muscle in his body tensed.

The grey-robed elder, now known as Uncle Fu, seemed to notice Chen Fei's tension. He paused, then forced a smile onto his ancient face. "Young man, don't be nervous. Rest assured, I mean you no harm."

"Is that so?" Chen Fei shot back, not buying it for a second. He continued to stare at the old man, his expression cold and his tone resistant.

As a young man in his twenties, full of youthful fire, he was deeply unhappy with this sudden intervention. Why didn't this old codger show up when they were just exchanging words? Why wait until the other guy had relentlessly provoked him past his breaking point, only to step in when his anger was finally unleashed? Isn't that just a blatant sign that he thinks I'm easy to bully? What's there to talk about? Anything else he says is just hypocrisy.

"Hehe, it's normal for a young man to be fiery," Mr. Fu said with a chuckle. He was as shrewd as one would expect of someone his age and understood the stubborn tempers of the young, so he paid Chen Fei's attitude no mind and simply tried to mediate with a gentle tone. "And Ma Shihao was indeed in the wrong. However, it's better to be merciful where you can. Could you perhaps spare him this one time, for this old man's sake?"

This wasn't hypocrisy or him taking sides, nor did he have any deep ties to the Ma Family. The truth was that Ma Shihao was the patriarch of the Ma Family, one of Hong Kong's Five Great Tycoon Families. And the Five Great Tycoon Families were crucial 'tools' that the Black Market used to constrain the official powers in Hong Kong. If Ma Shihao died, the resulting turmoil among the families would undoubtedly cause a massive headache for the Black Market. It simply wasn't worth it over such a small matter—a mere war of words.

Of course, that was only his perspective; he hadn't considered Chen Fei's.

A small matter? Be merciful where I can? If someone tears at my untouchable scales and I'm supposed to just act like everything is fine... well, then I wouldn't be Chen Fei! That's just not who I am!

Despite his thoughts, he simply offered a calm nod, looking surprisingly docile.

"Yes."

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