Chapter Forty-Nine: Cruel Hands Destroy the Blossom (Part One)

Xiao Lin’s shout drew everyone’s attention at once. The first to turn was the tall man at the mouth of the alley. He looked at the furious boy before him, glanced at Xiao Lin’s height, and sneered, “Brat, get lost as far as you can. Trying to play the hero? You’d better check if you have what it takes.” Xiao Lin stood at only one meter seventy-five—average height—while the tall man was a solid one meter eighty-seven and powerfully built, so his contempt was natural.

Fatty, realizing he’d been startled into withdrawing by a mere boy, cursed at Xiao Lin in fury, “Where did this snot-nosed brat come from? How dare you mess with Lord Fatty’s business! Are you tired of living? Go back to your mother and suckle at her breast!”

“Xiao Lin!” When Wang Yuqing saw it was Xiao Lin at the alley’s entrance, she called out his name with delight. But almost immediately, something else occurred to her, and she didn’t bother to wipe away her tears as she spoke urgently, “Xiao Lin, stay out of this! Go and call the police—hurry! These guys are dangerous, just go!” She waved frantically, urging him to leave. Right now, her only concern was not for herself, but that Xiao Lin would be caught and hurt by these thugs.

Seeing the anxiety on Wang Yuqing’s face, Xiao Lin was filled with indescribable emotion—pity for her, guilt, and above all, hatred for the men before him. If he’d arrived just a moment later, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Unforgivable. His rage flared as he stared at them. Especially when he saw Meng Ranran off to the side, DV camera in hand; he immediately understood her plan—how vicious this woman was. His gaze toward her was now as sharp as a knife.

Meng Ranran caught the murderous look in Xiao Lin’s eyes and was so frightened she unconsciously lowered the DV. “Big Brother…” she called to Monkey, her voice trembling with a hint of coyness. But Monkey ignored her. “What are you doing here, kid? Don’t get in the way of my business. Bad luck for you today. Stick, keep him here. When we’re done, he can go.” Monkey grinned at Xiao Lin and spoke to the tall man.

“Got it.” The tall man replied, sizing Xiao Lin up with malicious intent. He rolled his neck, flexed his arms, and prepared to knock Xiao Lin out in one punch. “Fatty, keep going. Stick will handle him—no need to waste time. You, too, hurry up,” Monkey added, the last words meant for Meng Ranran.

But before the tall man or Fatty could act, Xiao Lin moved. With a swift step, he raised his left foot, advanced, and then pushed off with his right, closing the distance. His waist twisted, generating momentum through his pivot leg, and he unleashed a whip kick with his right leg—a seamless line from his pivot foot to his upper body. The force lifted him off the ground, and his right foot struck the tall man squarely in the face with a resounding crack. The man fell to the ground, stunned and defeated—the whip kick of Sanda, brutal and decisive, had robbed him of any resistance.

“Stick?” Fatty shouted, alarmed. They were close friends, and seeing his towering companion felled in a single move filled him with shock. He quickly drew a machete from behind his back, tore off the newspaper wrappings, and charged at Xiao Lin. But before he could get close, Monkey grabbed him. Fatty looked at him, perplexed.

“Nice kicking technique, kid. You’ve trained, haven’t you?” Monkey’s tone was calm, unaffected by Stick’s defeat, but the slight trembling of his fingers betrayed his agitation.

Wang Yuqing glanced at the fallen giant, then at Xiao Lin. Her heart was in turmoil—was this really the Xiao Lin she knew? When had he become so formidable? But when she saw Fatty brandishing a machete, terror seized her again. She wanted to shout for Xiao Lin to run, but the words stuck in her throat—she was simply too frightened.

Xiao Lin didn’t spare a glance for the man he’d felled; he knew the force of his kick and had no fear of the guy getting up again. “You’re with Tiger’s gang, aren’t you? But that old tiger’s just a sick cat now. I’ll give you one last chance—leave the girl, and you can go.” He pointed at Meng Ranran. It wasn’t that Xiao Lin didn’t want to beat them all up—he was simply worried that any delay might bring trouble. His first priority was to get Wang Yuqing to safety; there’d be plenty of time to deal with these thugs later.

But this hope was doomed to disappointment. Mentioning Tiger had sealed his fate. Tiger had once saved Monkey’s life, which was the only reason Monkey served him. Otherwise, such a man would never willingly follow another.

Sure enough, as soon as Xiao Lin finished, Monkey released Fatty’s arm and his tone turned vicious. “I was just going to break your arm, but now I’ve changed my mind. Fatty, chop him!” As soon as he spoke, Wang Yuqing cried out in alarm, and Fatty raised his machete, swinging it at Xiao Lin’s head. Monkey, half-crouched like a wildcat, darted in for Xiao Lin’s lower ribs, his fingers flickering with a dangerous flash.

It all happened in an instant—the blade was less than two centimeters from Xiao Lin’s head.

But Xiao Lin jerked his head aside, the blade sliding down to his shoulder. He bent his left arm to block Fatty’s grip, preventing the machete from biting deeper. Fatty, quick to react, swung his left fist at Xiao Lin’s face, but Xiao Lin was ready. He brought up his right fist, not with any fancy move, but meeting Fatty’s punch head-on.

At that moment, Monkey’s attack arrived. Still crouched, his right hand darted out, palm open, targeting Xiao Lin’s lower ribs. Xiao Lin, catching a glimpse of the movement, knew he mustn’t let Monkey land the blow, but there was no time to switch techniques. He snapped back his abdomen to avoid the strike and thrust his right knee upward, aiming for Monkey’s lowered head. But Monkey just smiled; his free left arm bent diagonally across, blocking Xiao Lin’s knee, while his right hand, thwarted by Xiao Lin’s evasive move, couldn’t reach its target. Yet Monkey didn’t change his tactic; his thumb flicked against his palm, and he abruptly retreated two steps, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

At that moment, Fatty cried out, stumbling back a step, shaking his aching left hand after the impact with Xiao Lin’s fist, his face twisted in pain. Xiao Lin calmly withdrew his fist, but glanced at Monkey, puzzled as to why he hadn’t pressed the attack.

Just as confusion crossed his mind, a sharp pain lanced through Xiao Lin’s lower ribs—a pain unlike any he’d felt before, searing all the way to his bones, forcing him to double over.