Volume 1, Chapter 55: A Brutality Born of the Wilderness

"Gi—give them back," groaned the man on the ground, cold sweat pouring from him in agony.

Ma Dahu felt as though his bones had been shattered, and he simply could not endure it any longer.

How could this student possess such terrifying strength? He had once been quite the brawler himself, quite handy in a fight, capable of taking down two or three grown men without breaking a sweat.

Yet today, he had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a mere student.

"Did you hear him? If you don't return them, we're calling the cops, and you'll be the ones who regret it. Don't say I didn't give you a chance!" Li Yan knew deep down that calling the police wouldn't necessarily lead to a better resolution.

After all, this gang had undoubtedly been in and out of the precinct more times than they could count. Relying on their numbers and sheer shamelessness, the local law enforcement officers in Yuncheng detested them to the bone.

However, these thugs were fiercely united. If the authorities actually locked any of them up, it was entirely possible it would blow up into a collective disturbance.

To avoid making a mountain out of a molehill, the matter would ultimately be swept under the rug and left unsettled.

In a way, these people were the malignant tumors of Yuncheng.

He remembered that it wasn't until the nationwide crackdown on organized crime in 2018 that this gang was finally eradicated once and for all.

Furthermore, Li Yan considered that if they called the police tonight, aside from getting dragged into endless petty disputes, these people might hold a grudge against Zhao Zhengzhong and the others.

And they would undoubtedly look for an opportunity to retaliate later.

The police couldn't protect you twenty-four hours a day, could they?

They were just students; if anything truly happened to them, it would be irreversible.

Therefore, Li Yan chose this direct method—fighting violence with violence—to instantly cow these bullies into submission.

Even if they wanted to cause trouble later, they would come after him, and he wasn't afraid in the least.

If pushed to the limit, he could just slip into his combat uniform and tear through Zhenxiong County back and forth without a single worry.

Without even realizing it, Li Yan's personality had undergone a profound shift, harboring a primal, ruthless edge deep within his soul.

"Give their things back! My hand is about to break! What are you all just standing there staring for?" Ma Dahu roared in pain.

The agony was simply too intense.

Hearing Ma Dahu's command, one of them finally went to the vehicle, retrieved the luggage, and brought it back.

The man who had argued with Zhao Zhengzhong earlier returned the bags, walked up to Li Yan with a face full of bitter reluctance, and said loudly, "Brother, we admit defeat today. Can you let our boss go now?"

Shu Qin wanted to call the police, but she noticed Li Yan giving her a slight shake of his head.

Things had reached this point; calling the police was no longer the optimal solution.

These scumbags had been a scourge for far too long. Unless they were all crippled in one fell swoop, it would only breed endless trouble.

Understanding this truth all too well, Li Yan pondered for a moment before saying to Zhao Zhengzhong, "You guys head off first. I'll handle things here."

Hearing that Li Yan was going to handle it personally, Zhao Zhengzhong's eyes lit up.

He couldn't help but wonder if Li Yan was about to go on a wholesale massacre.

When it came to Li Yan's prowess, he was acutely aware of it.

If punches started flying, these guys would only be on the receiving end of a brutal beatdown.

He sidled up to Li Yan and asked, "Do you need me to watch the intersection? I'm an old hand at this."

He recalled the last time Li Yan dealt with that group of punks—he had been assigned to guard the intersection, acting as the ultimate gatekeeper to ensure not a single person escaped.

Truth be told, those swaggering little hoodlums had suffered terribly, forced to do duck-walks inside the alleyway for an entire night.

Li Yan shook his head and said exasperatedly, "What are you imagining? Take the others over there, and I'll be back in a minute."

"You really don't need me?" Zhao Zhengzhong's eyes were already instinctively scanning the ground for a sturdy wooden club.

"Really don't need you, hurry up and get them out of here." Li Yan hadn't expected Zhao Zhengzhong to be completely unfearful now; instead, he was downright thrilled. It was all because he had tasted the sweet nectar of victory last time.

"Alright then, be careful."

Zhao Zhengzhong wasn't worried about Li Yan's safety in the slightest, and he led the others away.

Shu Qin remained uneasy and asked, "What about Li Yan?"

Zhao Zhengzhong replied, "Don't worry. Against just these guys, he won't even need three minutes."

"Huh?" Shu Qin found it hard to believe.

Still, she followed Zhao Zhengzhong a safe distance away.

Once they were far enough, Li Yan hoisted Ma Dahu up by the collar as if he were picking up a stray puppy, dragging him toward a secluded spot nearby.

"You guys, come with me."

Seeing this, the remaining men cracked their knuckles and rolled up their sleeves.

Some even pulled knives from the vehicle. Street fights were second nature to them.

Arriving at the secluded area, Li Yan cast his gaze over the pack of thugs who were poised for violence.

Back in 2012, real estate development near the West Passenger Station was booming, with many new residential compounds springing up.

This particular spot happened to feature several half-demolished self-built houses.

Li Yan casually tossed Ma Dahu three or four meters away, sending him sprawling with a fresh round of agonizing wails.

"Watch closely, all of you!"

Li Yan shouted, then suddenly unleashed a ferocious punch directly into the adjacent brick wall.

With a deafening crash, the red brick wall—standing a head taller than a man—was blasted open by a single punch, leaving a hole the size of a wagon wheel as shattered bricks rained everywhere.

Immediately afterward, Li Yan lashed out with a kick against another wall, blowing out yet another massive gap in the red brick structure before it collapsed in a heap of rubble.

Witnessing this spectacle, the pupils of the remaining thugs constricted violently.

The spring-loaded knives clattered from their hands onto the ground, but none of them dared to bend down and pick them up.

What kind of monster was this?

If that punch landed on a human body, wouldn't it blow them straight to pieces?

A chilling draft swept down their spines, and they secretly thanked their lucky stars they hadn't rushed him earlier.

Otherwise, the consequences would have been catastrophic.

Seeing that they had been thoroughly cowed, Li Yan dusted off his knuckles and said calmly, "You're welcome to try fighting me, but I don't know my own strength. If I accidentally punch one of you to death, don't blame me. Dealing with you lot shouldn't be much of a problem, I'd say."

When dealing with scum like this, you either needed overwhelming status and power that made you untouchable to them...

Or you had to be far more ruthless and formidable than they were, subduing them with absolute, overwhelming force.

You could never afford to entangle yourself in endless negotiations; otherwise, weeds would grow back with the spring breeze, bringing endless trouble.

Everyone feared death.

And these men were no exception.

Ma Dahu, who had initially planned to teach Li Yan a harsh lesson, swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. He stammered, "Brother, it was our fault tonight. We apologize. Let's call it even, how about that?"

Li Yan swept his gaze across the group with an indifferent expression and replied, "I have no objections, but we'll have to see if your brothers here really want to debate the matter with me properly. It's just me here right now—if you truly believe you can withstand one of my punches, feel free to try."

The group felt as though Li Yan were an ancient beast of prey standing before them, chilling them to the very bone.

Involuntarily, they shrank backward.

Could they withstand a single punch?

Who the hell wanted to take a hit like that? The guy had literally pulverized a wall with one punch. If that connected with a human body, it would end their lives on the spot.

Ma Dahu forced a smile and said, "Brother, don't worry. From now on, you walk your broad path and we'll cross our single-plank bridge; our wells won't interfere with the river. We will never come looking for trouble with you again."

Only then did Li Yan nod. "I've taken pictures of your faces and your license plates. I'll play along with whatever game you want to pick—white or black. I hope you keep your word, otherwise I'll be coming straight for you based on these photos."

"Yes, yes, yes! Don't worry, brother, we swear there won't be any round two."

The rest of the men nodded frantically.

At this point, they were completely and utterly broken in spirit.

Once Li Yan walked away, the men finally let out long sighs of relief.

The sense of oppression Li Yan had projected was simply too suffocating, making them feel as though they were being watched by an ancient primordial beast. They hadn't dared to harbor even a shred of insolence.

"Li Yan, are you alright?" Zhao Zhengzhong asked anxiously as Li Yan returned.

Shu Qin also wore an expression of deep concern.

Li Yan shook his head. "I'm fine. Everything's settled."

Seeing that he was completely unharmed, the others finally relaxed.

Yet curiosity burned on all of their faces regarding what had actually transpired just moments before, though not a single person dared to ask.

Li Yan counted them—there were six people in total.

After a brief thought, he suggested, "Why don't we all squeeze in and take my car? It's too late and hailing cabs will be a hassle."