Lin Xiao was enraged, and terrifying beams of light burst from his eyes. The atmosphere in the security room plunged to a freezing point instantly. Hu Yidao felt a cold so piercing it made his entire body tremble, as if he had suddenly been plunged into the depths of hell. An overwhelming sense of oppression washed over him, followed by a profound fear unlike any he had ever experienced.

Hu Yidao was shocked. He was a man who had seen the world, yet not even the fury of the Ten Hall Masters of the Ghost Medicine Sect combined could compare to this terrifying presence. The young man before him was like the most ferocious beast in existence. No, not a beast… A dragon! Of course, Hu Yidao had never seen a real dragon, but for some inexplicable reason, gazing into the young man's eyes gave him the distinct and bizarre sensation of staring down one.

The phone call had ended at some point, but no one had noticed. Lin Xiao's gaze fell upon Hu Yidao, and the moment their eyes met, Hu Yidao's heart lurched. He panicked—completely and utterly panicked—overcome by the sudden, inexplicable certainty that his doom was at hand. He was flooded with regret for ever seeking out Lin Xiao. He had genuinely believed the man was just a beggar, never imagining he could be so terrifying. But in this world, there was no medicine for regret.

With a cold snort, Lin Xiao snapped the man's neck. Hu Yidao didn't even have time to grunt before his life was extinguished.

Lin Xiao released his grip, and Hu Yidao's body collapsed to the floor, as limp as a noodle dropped in boiling water. His eyes bulged like a cow's, staring blankly in death. Without a second glance at the corpse, Lin Xiao turned and walked out of the security room.

Pei Donglai was on duty nearby. Lin Xiao beckoned to him, and Pei Donglai hurried over.

"Captain, your orders?"

Lin Xiao gestured toward the security room with his chin. "Clean it up. Make it spotless."

Pei Donglai simply nodded, his expression calm.

Lin Xiao turned and headed for Su Qingning's office.

Inside, Su Qingning sat frozen in her chair. She held a dagger to her own throat, but an even greater threat pressed against her pale neck: a sword radiating an icy chill. The blade belonged to a short, sinister-looking man in his forties. The two were locked in a tense standoff.

Just then, Lin Xiao pushed the office door open. The sight of Su Qingning, though in peril, being unharmed, allowed the knot in his chest to finally loosen. But the rage that followed was immediate. This piece of trash dared to press a blade to her throat. For that alone, he dies today.

The moment she saw Lin Xiao, the tension drained from Su Qingning's body and her frantic heart began to calm. She didn't understand it herself. He was just a beggar, yet his presence made her feel inexplicably safe.

"Honey, I'm sorry you had to go through this," Lin Xiao said apologetically.

Though the words were simple, Su Qingning's eyes immediately reddened. She did feel aggrieved. She had just been going about her day at work when this disaster struck out of nowhere. If she hadn't reacted quickly and put the dagger to her own throat first, who knew what horrors she might have faced? Anyone would feel wronged after such an ordeal, but Su Qingning pushed her own feelings aside.

"Husband, you have to go, now!" she said urgently. "He's here for you!"

Hm? Lin Xiao was taken aback. She's in mortal danger herself, yet her first thought is for me to escape? A powerful wave of warmth washed over him, touching him deeply. He was moved beyond words.

Seeing the anxious look on her face, etched with worry for his safety, Lin Xiao smiled. "Don't be afraid. Your husband can handle a piece of trash like this. Besides, it's a good chance for you to see how capable I really am."

Hearing this, Su Qingning's relief turned to fury. She glared at him fiercely. The man had a sword to her neck; one wrong move and it would be over. Yet here Lin Xiao was, still spouting nonsense. If the situation wasn't so critical, she would have given him a merciless tongue-lashing.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man remained silent, scrutinizing Lin Xiao with eyes full of astonishment. He'd assumed that anyone capable of killing two high-level experts from the Ghost Medicine Sect would have to be a legendary master. He never expected to find a filthy beggar. How did he do it? Could the intel have been wrong? No, that's impossible. The Hall Master issued the kill order personally. He would never make such a mistake.

"You're Lin Xiao?" the man asked, his voice chilling.

"That's right. And you are?"

"Hu Yijian," the man stated coldly.

Lin Xiao's eyes narrowed. "So, the piece of trash downstairs was your brother?"

"You're the trash," Hu Yijian snarled.

Lin Xiao shrugged. "Alright, I get it. Since you're here for me, let my wife go."

"Hmph. In your dreams," Hu Yijian scoffed. "I'll ask you one more time: where is my brother?"

"He left," Lin Xiao replied. He had wanted to say "dead," but he didn't want to frighten Su Qingning. Though she had been through a lot recently, he doubted she had ever witnessed a killing firsthand. He wanted to protect her from this ugliness.

"Bullshit!" Hu Yijian retorted contemptuously. "My brother and I are inseparable. He would never abandon me and leave alone!"

"Fine, you're right," Lin Xiao conceded. "I've already taken your brother down." 'Taken down' is different from 'dead,' he thought. This way, Qingning won't be scared.

Hu Yijian let out a disdainful scoff. "Someone like you took down my brother? Don't make me laugh."

"Your brother was just a mere Earth Level Martial Artist," Lin Xiao stated calmly. "He might have seemed impressive to you, but in my eyes, he was nothing. Besides, what you don't know is that our bar happens to have a Divine Martial Realm expert on site."

He was, of course, referring to himself. Even with most of his cultivation base sealed within Su Qingning, he was still technically at the Divine Martial Realm. And while such a level was formidable to ordinary people, to the former Lin Xiao, it was pathetically weak. He had, after all, once stood just a single step away from being truly unrivaled. The mere Divine Martial Realm? It's nothing.

Hu Yijian, however, was stunned. The Divine Martial Realm? That's the same level as our Hall Master! To someone like him, that was a truly terrifying level of power.

Recovering, Hu Yijian snorted. "You filthy beggar, you've got a big mouth. If this shithole bar has a Divine Martial Realm expert, I'll call you my father!"

"I have no interest in having a son as ugly as you," Lin Xiao retorted with a cold smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Yijian tossed a dagger, which clattered on the floor in front of Lin Xiao. "You filthy beggar! If you don't want your precious wife to die, pick up that dagger and stab yourself to death!"

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