Volume 1, Chapter 21: Are You Afraid?

"What if I insist on taking her with me... what can you possibly do about it?" Fang Cheng sneered.

"You can try," Xu Qing replied.

Fang Cheng let out a cold laugh, saying with disdain, "I'd like to see how you intend to stop me from leaving!"

The burly, rough-looking men who had accompanied him also began to laugh, as they didn't take Xu Qing seriously at all.

Meanwhile, the other spectators looked at Xu Qing with pity. It was already laughable enough that Ding Changqing had tried to play the hero and ended up in trouble himself; they hadn't expected that, even with that precedent, this young man would still dare to step forward. He was a complete lunatic!

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow and looked at Xu Qing with a playful expression. "Kid, you were standing right there just now. You know who I am, so how dare you speak to me so arrogantly? Are you not afraid of death?"

"The only one dying today will be you," Xu Qing said coldly and calmly.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room erupted in an uproar. Everyone present admired Xu Qing's courage, but courage alone was useless.

Ding Changqing said with an annoyed expression, "A blowhard who talks big. I want to see how you die in a moment!" This was supposed to be his chance to play the hero, but he had hit a hard wall, causing him to lose all face in front of the crowd. If things had ended there, only Tan Qiutong would have been the unlucky one, and he could have maintained some sense of balance. But he never expected that just as Fang Cheng was about to take her away, Xu Qing would step in, which only highlighted his own cowardice, leaving him deeply displeased.

"Admirable courage!" Fang Cheng said in a low voice. "Let's see what skills you have to back up such arrogance!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he snapped his fingers. Two of the large men who came with him stepped forward, reaching out to grab Xu Qing. These men were massive, built like oxen; just standing there, they were intimidating enough to make one's blood run cold. Xu Qing did not have a physique as sturdy as theirs; by comparison, he looked rather slender. It was like a contest where the outcome was already written, with no suspense whatsoever.

However, the next moment, a scene occurred that none of them had anticipated!

Before the two men could even touch him, Xu Qing struck with lightning speed. With two sharp bangs, the men were sent crashing to the ground. The speed was so great and the event so sudden that the onlookers widened their eyes in disbelief. No one had seen exactly how Xu Qing threw his punches; by the time they reacted, the two men were already down. Xu Qing stood in his original spot, looking as if nothing had happened, completely unscathed.

Fang Cheng frowned and asked, "What did you do to my men?" Those two were his most capable enforcers. Even if they couldn't take on ten men at once, they could easily handle three or four. Yet, in front of Xu Qing, they hadn't even made contact before being taken down in an instant. It was simply incomprehensible!

"Let her go." Xu Qing’s voice was flat, yet bone-chillingly cold.

"You tell me to let her go, and I'll just do it? You're dreaming!" Fang Cheng roared, "Brothers, get him!"

At his command, the rest of the men who had come with him swarmed toward Xu Qing simultaneously. Lin Xia was deeply worried. She simply couldn't stand by and watch Tan Qiutong be taken away—she couldn't imagine what would happen to her, but it certainly wouldn't be anything good. Yet, she hadn't expected that her good intentions would put Xu Qing in danger.

"Xu Qing, be careful!" Lin Xia urged anxiously.

Xu Qing simply gave her a slight nod, signaling for her not to worry. Without another word, he launched an attack on the encroaching men with blinding speed. His movements were swift, fast as lightning, accompanied by a force like rolling thunder. Every punch he threw sent another man crashing down. Even though these men were larger and appeared more robust than him, in front of Xu Qing, they were no match. They were like fish on a chopping block, completely at his mercy with no power to defend themselves.

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

In less than two minutes, all the men surrounding Xu Qing had been beaten to the ground, leaving him as the only one standing, completely unharmed. Lin Xia’s anxious heart finally settled, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

The venue fell into a deathly silence. All the guests stood stunned, staring at the scene in front of them, finding it all rather surreal. They had come expecting to see Xu Qing make a fool of himself, to see him beaten black and blue, dejectedly begging for mercy just like Ding Changqing. No one had expected him to be so capable. Taking down over a dozen men single-handedly—wasn't that supposed to be something that only happened on television?

"How can this guy be so strong..." Ding Changqing was equally incredulous, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.

Secretary Liu stammered, "...Is he really that good-for-nothing?"

Tan Qiutong’s face was dark; she felt that Xu Qing was nothing but a complete fraud. They had been married for three years, and now, looking back, she realized she knew absolutely nothing about this man. She didn't think it was because she hadn't tried to understand him; she believed he had simply hidden himself too well.

Lin Xia wasn't all that surprised. Having seen Xu Qing’s unexpected fighting prowess before, his ability to take these men down was within her expectations; she had only been worried that he might get hurt.

"Who... who on earth are you?!" Fang Cheng, who had been panicking ever since Xu Qing began taking down his men, asked with a trembling voice. As he instinctively retreated a few steps, Xu Qing stepped forward and said, "The man who can kill you."

"Stay back!" Fang Cheng was rattled. With shaking hands, he pulled a butterfly knife from his pocket, flipped it open, and held the blade against Tan Qiutong’s neck. "If you come any closer... I'll make her accompany me to the grave!"

Tan Qiutong was gripped by terror; her usually cold face now showed a look of helplessness.

Xu Qing’s expression darkened. "I have always hated it when people threaten me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flashed directly in front of Fang Cheng. Before Fang Cheng could react, the butterfly knife had already been snatched away by Xu Qing. Immediately after, a crisp "crack" echoed through the room.

"Ah—!" The pain brought Fang Cheng back to his senses, and his scream echoed throughout the entire venue.

"You're too noisy!" Xu Qing frowned and slapped Fang Cheng across the face, instantly silencing him. Fang Cheng’s face looked ghastly; the slap had nearly twisted his jaw, and it took him a long while to catch his breath.

"You... you all... are finished! I will never let you off!" Fang Cheng spat viciously.

"If you want to die, I can grant you that wish," Xu Qing said coldly.

Just as he was about to step forward and kick Fang Cheng, Tan Qiutong blocked his path, frowning. "Stop! You cannot hurt him any further; you cannot bear the consequences!"

Lin Xia walked up to Xu Qing's side, looking quite displeased. "Xu Qing saved you! Instead of saying thank you, you're actually helping the person who bullied you?" She wondered how she had ever become friends with Tan Qiutong; the woman’s attitude changed far too quickly!

Tan Qiutong said coldly, "He hurt Young Master Fang; we will all suffer because of him!"

Xu Qing ignored her, looking instead at Lin Xia, who was pouting like a little squirrel. "Are you afraid?" He didn't care at all about Tan Qiutong's thoughts; that woman was a part of his past. Xu Qing only listened to Lin Xia now. Just as in the past, he had once obeyed Tan Qiutong’s every word. That had been a display of love. But he no longer loved Tan Qiutong.

Lin Xia grinned. "With you here, what do I have to be afraid of?"