Chapter 24: Father and Son on the Battlefield

"Hmm, is there something wrong with this brick? Why is it so unstable?" Lin Yu seemed puzzled, picked up the piece of bluestone, inspected it, then scraped it lightly. As if handling a loaf of bread, he grabbed a piece directly from the bluestone. When he lightly clenched his hand, a heap of bluestone dust fluttered in the wind, instantly mystifying the onlookers.

"Well, it's indeed not very sturdy, resembling walnut crisps. Baldy, it's not that I lack manners, but this brick is just not up to par," Lin Yu shook his head disdainfully, casually tossing the remaining half of the bluestone, recently ravaged by him, to the bald man.

The bald man instinctively took it, feeling its weight—this remaining half of the brick was at least more than three catties. He knocked it with a puzzled expression and forcefully tried to break it apart. His face changed instantly. When he looked back at Lin Yu's grinning face, his hand trembled slightly.

Heaven above, this wasn't an issue of the brick being weak; it was incredibly solid. It could easily smash his head to pieces without a hitch. Yet, this bizarre person casually snapped the brick in half with his bare hands? Did he possess an invincible defense or the strength of a mythical warrior? 

Looking at the indents on the brick caused by fingers, staring at the remaining bluestone residue on Lin Yu's hand, and noticing the not particularly thick or muscular, somewhat scholarly-looking fingers, his expression grew uncertain. He pondered, if that hand were to claw at him, what would be the outcome? Would it result in five bloody holes?

"Is this brick weathered? Why is it so weak?" Li Xiaogang curiously leaned in, taking the brick from the bald man. He decided to exert force on the bluestone, imitating Lin Yu's action of displaying some sort of inferior brick technique. However, the outcome was a cry of agony. His hand landed on the rough, sharp edge of the bluestone, causing it to bleed profusely. His hand trembled like a chicken claw, and he held his arm, wailing there. He finally realized it wasn't the brick's lack of sturdiness but rather Lin Yu's hands being overly powerful.

Lin Yu strolled over, hands behind his back, smiling at Li Xiaogang's injured hand. "Oh, bleeding? Tsk, tsk. Seems like you had the misfortune to hit the hardest part of this brick." He pointed and teased, while Li Xiaogang, in agony as if his hand was on fire, cursed, "Go to hell..."

Lin Yu's expression turned cold instantly. He grabbed Li Xiaogang by the neck, lifting him effortlessly. "You, a disgraceful being. Let me give you another ride on the rocket."

With a throw, like tossing a rag doll, Li Xiaogang flew from the crowd, soared about seven to eight meters before landing with a 'thud' and skidding another two meters, crashing into the wall of an alley before stopping.

This throw was far more severe than the previous one in the marketplace, much heavier too. Li Xiaogang, without a word, slumped against the wall, losing consciousness.

Amidst the commotion, most people were left astounded. However, two dimwitted individuals, oblivious to the situation, attempted to strike with the steel pipes they held. They were probably thinking of robbing someone but had never considered the possibility of confronting someone who could effortlessly hurl a bluestone like a walnut crisp and toss people several meters away. Did they really think they stood a chance?

Finally realizing the situation, the bald man didn't hesitate and charged—not at Lin Yu but toward those two subordinates. He dealt each a resounding slap, leaving them bleeding and disoriented. These two idiots were still charging even after Lin Yu had demonstrated his might. Did they really want more holes in their bodies?

Lin Yu turned to look at the bald man, grinning, somewhat appreciating his ability to recognize the situation.

The fat man, seeing his son's head bleeding profusely, enraged and distressed, emitted an inhuman roar, charging toward Lin Yu like a shrunken polar bear. As father and son shared an unbreakable bond, his instinct was to protect his cub. He didn't even consider whether he could defeat Lin Yu.

"A true case of 'on the battlefield, kin as brothers, father and son soldiers,'" Lin Yu shook his head, laughing. Once again, with ease, he grabbed the fat man, casually tossed him backward. The fat man flew with a swoosh, tracing a beautiful arc in the air before crashing headfirst into the ground.

Just as his son, Li Xiaogang, was starting to regain consciousness, feeling light-headed as he tried to stand up, suddenly, the sky turned dark. He subconsciously raised his head and 'thud,' the father and son bumped heads before tumbling into each other's arms, and both lost consciousness once more.

"What on earth?" Lin Yu sneered, glancing at the bald man nearby, amused. He noticed the once imposing bald man now sneakily moving along the wall with his lackeys, behaving as if they were stealthy caterpillars fleeing the light.

"Hey, Baldy, why the rush to leave? Aren't we having fun anymore?" Lin Yu clapped his hands and chuckled.

"Ah..." The bald man shuddered and froze on the spot.

When push comes to shove, those lackeys couldn't care less about him. Their lives were at stake. In this day and age, loyalty is rare. Anyone who remains loyal to their boss, facing someone who could easily crush bluestones like walnut crisps and toss people around, would indeed be a fool.

In an instant, those lackeys took off. In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace, leaving the bald man standing there with a miserable expression. Neither fleeing nor staying, constantly wringing his hands, not daring to lift his head. His eyes remained fixated on the tips of his shoes, behaving like Zhao Feiyan who had suddenly stripped naked and started to dance.

"What's your name?" Lin Yu strolled over leisurely, hands behind his back, looking at him and inquiring. 

"I-I'm Zhao Guang, they call me Baldy in the underworld. Bro—no, big brother, hello," Zhao Guang nervously wrung his hands, behaving like a shy bride who just entered the bridal chamber, timidly keeping his head down, not daring to meet Lin Yu's eyes.

"Oh, Zhao Guang, I must say, you lack backbone for someone in this underworld. How come you haven't taken a shot at me yet? You're already thinking of running?" Lin Yu extended his hand towards him, snapping his fingers as he spoke.