Chapter 26: Brother Long Is Not To Be Trifled With

Zhou Pengfei’s father, Zhou Hailong, is known to everyone as Brother Long.

If one were to ask which family in Luocheng is the wealthiest, it would undoubtedly be the Lin family. But if one were to ask who in Luocheng people fear most and are most desperate to avoid crossing, that would certainly be Zhou Hailong. The Hailong Gang, which he single-handedly founded, had already become the largest underground force in Luocheng ten years ago, boasting thousands of members. It is no exaggeration to say that over half of all the illicit businesses in the city have ties to the Hailong Gang. Rumor has it that Zhou Hailong himself is a formidable martial artist, one who has reached a high rank—the kind of person who could make the entire city of Luocheng tremble with a single stomp of his foot.

Initially, Tang Zhanhao had dismissed these men as insignificant thugs and even considered calling in some people of his own to square off against them. However, upon hearing that this gaunt young man was one of Zhou Pengfei’s men—the beloved son of Zhou Hailong—Tang Zhanhao immediately extinguished any thought of confrontation. He was indeed infatuated with Lin Ziqing, but he dared not provoke Zhou Pengfei’s people for her sake. Even after being slapped across the face for no reason, Tang Zhanhao had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure it.

"Hahaha..." Seeing Tang Zhanhao retreat in embarrassment, Luo Hu laughed with immense arrogance. In Luocheng, the name Brother Long carried weight. He looked at Lin Ziqing and sneered, "If I’m not mistaken, you must be the second miss of the Lin family, right? Tsk tsk, you’re even more beautiful than the rumors suggest. Your friends are all cowards; what’s the point of hanging out with them? Come with me, let’s have a few drinks, and I’ll make sure to treat you well tonight."

As he spoke, Luo Hu’s grubby hand reached impatiently toward Lin Ziqing’s slender waist.

Lin Ziqing was frantic. She had intended to reveal her status as a member of the Lin family to intimidate them, but she hadn’t expected them to recognize her immediately—and to be completely unfazed by her identity. Her heart sank. Judging by Tang Zhanhao’s retreat, she had already guessed that these men were likely from the Hailong Gang. While the Lin family might appear prestigious on the surface, Lin Ziqing knew all too well that these underground forces in Luocheng never held the Lin family in any regard.

"Ah!"

Before Luo Hu’s hand could touch her waist, he let out a shrill scream. He clutched his hand, shaking it violently in agony. Just a moment ago, it felt as if his hand had been struck with immense force by something invisible.

"What’s wrong, Brother Hu?" his lackeys crowded around him, asking in confusion. They were baffled, as no one had actually touched Luo Hu. When they looked at his right hand, they were horrified to see it reduced to a mangled, bloody mess. Everyone was shocked—was this some kind of ghost?

At that moment, Xiao Nan stepped toward Luo Hu and said coldly, "You’d better behave yourself. If you dare lay a hand on her again, I guarantee your other hand will be destroyed as well."

Xiao Nan had no interest in fighting such ants. He had already called Li Yunbao to come and clean up this mess. Unfortunately, this skinny monkey had dared to reach out for Lin Ziqing, leaving Xiao Nan with no choice but to cripple him first.

"You bastard! You dare ambush me!" Luo Hu, enraged at having his hand crippled for no reason, pointed at Xiao Nan with his remaining hand and shrieked at his henchmen, "Hack him to death!"

As a dozen thugs rushed forward brandishing machetes, Xiao Nan remained calm and simply stepped aside. He didn't even need to intervene. Li Yunbao had already charged in with dozens of men, instantly swamping Luo Hu’s pathetic group.

Watching the two gangs clash in a brawl, Tang Zhanhao and Wang Zhenglan, who had retreated to the sidelines, kept rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Had Li Yunbao gone insane? Did he dare come to Brother Long’s territory to beat up his son’s men? Luo Hu, upon realizing that it was indeed Li Yunbao and his Black Panther Hall, was equally incredulous. He knew that the men of the Black Panther Hall usually acted like mice seeing a cat whenever they encountered the Hailong Gang.

It was precisely because Li Yunbao had always played the coward in front of Brother Long that his gang had been allowed to exist. Yet, here he was, openly defying him. "Li Yunbao, have you lost your mind? Do you really think the Hailong Gang can’t wipe out your Black Panther Hall?" Luo Hu roared.

Facing the aggressive questioning, Li Yunbao didn't say a word. He walked straight up to Luo Hu and delivered a resounding slap across his face. Noticing Luo Hu’s mangled right hand—which was clearly beyond saving—Li Yunbao gasped. He glanced toward Xiao Nan, who wasn't even bothering to look at the fight, and silently thanked his own lucky stars.

"Don't be afraid, it's over," Xiao Nan said, walking over to the still-pale Lin Ziqing to comfort her.

Lin Ziqing stared blankly at Xiao Nan. She had been terrified when that lecherous thug reached for her, but she couldn't explain how the man had suddenly started screaming. Even now, she couldn't fathom how his hand had been injured. Was it Xiao Nan? How could it be? He had been at least ten meters away. Even if he were a martial artist, could he really possess such power? It couldn't have been him.

"Xiao Nan," Lin Ziqing said, putting aside the mystery of the injury. "You called Li Yunbao, didn't you? Tell them to stop. Don't fight anymore."

"These are people from the Hailong Gang. If we offend Brother Long, none of us will have a good end. They already know who I am—even if they didn't, they could easily find out."

"Exactly!" Wu Qianru, though somewhat surprised that a rube like Xiao Nan could summon someone like Li Yunbao, looked at him with dissatisfaction. "Tell them to stop! If you want to die, don't drag us down with you. Brother Long is notoriously protective of his own; if his brothers are hurt, he will retaliate, and none of us will be able to escape."

"It’s fine," Xiao Nan shrugged, looking at Lin Ziqing with complete indifference. "If that so-called Brother Long wants to show up, I’ll be here to deal with him."