Inside the private room sat a young man who looked no different from a beggar. He was sitting at the dining table, leisurely sipping Maotai from a new glass.

He didn't even glance at Ding Peng. But when Ding Peng saw him, his expression changed drastically. A flicker of panic crossed his face, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by a sinister coldness.

The starlet beneath him, noticing he had stopped moving, couldn't help but whine seductively, "Brother Ding, I'm itching... Come on, move!"

In the past, hearing a woman act so wantonly would have sent Ding Peng over the edge. Now, however, he didn't stir. Instead, he swiftly got off the woman and stood up.

The starlet started to speak, but then she saw the young man sitting in the room. She let out a shriek and quickly pulled her skirt down.

Ding Peng straightened his clothes and sat down at the table, his sharp gaze fixed on the young man before him.

"When did you get in?" Ding Peng asked. His voice was completely devoid of warmth, as cold and sharp as a blade of ice.

"I arrived not long after Xue Chongshan left," the young man said with a slight smile, pouring himself another glass of liquor.

"So, you're the beggar?" Ding Peng pressed.

The young man nodded. After downing the full glass of liquor, he looked up at Ding Peng with that same smile. "My name is Lin Xiao."

Only then did Ding Peng get a clear look at the beggar's face, and at his eyes, which were as deep as an abyss. Right now, those eyes were staring straight at him, and for some unknown reason, Ding Peng felt his heart hammer in his chest.

This feeling was incredibly unsettling. The only other person who made him feel this way was Xiao Shixiong. No, that wasn't right. When facing Xiao Shixiong, his heart would pound, but it was never like this. This time, there was a creeping, bone-chilling fear mixed in. And yet, the young man before him had done nothing at all. He was just drinking and had only said a few words.

To suppress the growing unease in his heart, Ding Peng pulled out a cigarette. He tried to light it, but his hand was trembling so violently that he failed several times.

"I don't recall you having Parkinson's disease, Ding Peng," Lin Xiao remarked with a smile.

Ding Peng snorted. He took a deep breath, suddenly remembering that his boss was Xiao Shixiong, the King of the Southern Town. Even if I kill this stinking beggar, he'll just have to accept his bad luck.

With this thought, the fear in Ding Peng's heart vanished without a trace.

He successfully lit his cigarette. Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he asked coldly, "How did you get in?"

"Oh, are you asking about your bodyguards at the door?" Lin Xiao countered, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

BOOM!

Ding Peng's heart plummeted.

He was an insecure man, obsessed with his image. That's why he always traveled with a large entourage of bodyguards—partly for protection, and partly to show off his power. He had hand-picked those bodyguards himself for their skill, and more importantly, for their absolute loyalty. In other words, without his explicit command, no one should have been able to enter this room.

Yet, this beggar had walked right in without a sound.

Something wasn't right. Something was very wrong. The fear he had just suppressed came rushing back, and his hands began to tremble again.

He didn't have Parkinson's, of course. This reaction only happened when he was extremely nervous and terrified. The affliction's roots went back to the first time he killed someone. At fourteen years old, Ding Peng had murdered his own father.

The reason? His father had been too controlling.

As he stared at his father's body, at the eyes filled with shock and regret, terror had seized him. His body began to shake uncontrollably, and the trembling in his hands had been a problem ever since.

Honestly, it had been a long time since he'd felt nervous, let alone afraid. But this beggar... this beggar was making him feel both.

He even had the feeling this beggar could kill him in the next second.

"That's right. Where are they?" Ding Peng asked, feigning nonchalance.

"Why don't you go see for yourself?" Lin Xiao replied with a smile, pouring himself another glass of liquor.

Unwilling to believe it, Ding Peng stood up and walked out of the room.

The moment he opened the door, the pungent stench of blood assaulted his nostrils. His thirty-odd bodyguards were all lying on the floor, their life status unknown.

Even so, the scene made his legs tremble. It wasn't that he'd never seen such a sight before, but this one was different. It terrified him. He wasn't afraid because his men were down; he was afraid because he knew, without a doubt, that this beggar had come with ill intentions.

He staggered back into the private room and slumped shakily into his chair.

Ding Peng's gaze returned to Lin Xiao. "Name your price!"

"What?" Lin Xiao looked at him as if he were an alien.

"How much money for you to let me go?" Ding Peng asked bluntly.

Ding Peng wasn't an idiot. As much as he wanted to kill this filthy beggar and feed his corpse to the dogs, he knew he had to lower his head. Not even his connection to Xiao Shixiong, the King of the Southern Town, would be enough. After all, anyone who could so easily and silently take down all of his men was clearly no ordinary person.

"I don't want money," Lin Xiao said indifferently.

"Then what do you want?" Ding Peng blurted out.

Of course, he didn't want to die; he hadn't enjoyed life nearly enough. He had more money than he could spend in several lifetimes, and he could have any woman he wanted delivered to his bed with a mere beckon of his finger. Who would want to die when living a life like this?

Lin Xiao drained another glass. "I want your life!"

Ding Peng exploded with rage. The fear he'd been suppressing instantly morphed into murderous intent.

"Kid, you're asking for death!" Ding Peng roared. "Let me tell you something! My boss is Xiao Shixiong, the King of the Southern Town! If you dare lay a single finger on me today, I'll make your entire family pay in blood!"

Lin Xiao just smiled. He didn't say a word.

He simply continued to drink, one glass after another, until the entire bottle was empty.

Lin Xiao set the glass down. "Alright, the liquor's finished. It's time for you to die."

"Damn you! I'll kill you, you little bastard!" Ding Peng roared, lunging at Lin Xiao.

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