Chapter 18: Fury Unleashed, Protecting His Sister with Dominance

In this dim corner, Li Chao sat alone, as if cut off from the rest of the world. Yet, within his deep-set eyes, there flickered a light that was both resolute and complex. Slowly, he rose to his feet, still gripping the empty wine bottle tightly in his hand. He gently caressed its surface, feeling its texture and weight, as though in this manner he was conversing with some power deep within his soul.

His fingers deftly turned the bottle, sometimes shaking it lightly, sometimes halting to gaze into the emptiness within. During this process, the expression on his face began to change; his gaze sharpened gradually.

“Brother Long!” Li Chao’s voice was low and powerful, like a sharp blade thrusting straight at Xie Long, who sat opposite him. His eyes blazed with the intensity of fire, locking tightly onto his adversary. He slammed the table forcefully, producing a muffled thud that seemed to make the whole room tremble.

Li Chao drew in a deep breath, striving to calm his emotions, yet his voice still carried an unmistakable trace of anger and resolve. Pointing at the woman beside him, he spoke with unwavering conviction:

“She is my sister, the most important person in my life. Today, I hope you’ll do me this one favor—don’t make things difficult for her.”

There was an undeniable authority in his words, one that stirred something in the hearts of all who heard.

Xie Long’s gaze swept over Li Chao and his sister like a venomous serpent, his eyes betraying undisguised contempt and disdain. The corners of his mouth curled in a mocking smirk, as if laughing at Li Chao’s overestimation of his own abilities and at his sister’s helplessness.

Clearly, Xie Long had no regard for this seemingly ordinary Li Chao, not even the slightest shred of respect. To Xie Long, Li Chao was nothing more than a trivial figure, utterly unworthy of his attention.

“Are you out of your damned mind?” Xie Long’s laughter echoed harshly in the empty room, grating and sharp, as if mocking Li Chao’s recklessness. His face was twisted in scorn, his gaze cold and dismissive. He turned slowly, glancing sidelong at Li Chao, that derisive smile never leaving his lips.

His voice was rough and hoarse, brimming with ridicule and sarcasm: “Who do you think you are? If I give you face, can you even handle it? You really think you’re somebody, don’t you!”

With that, Xie Long let out a cold laugh, the sound laced with obvious provocation. He stepped forward, closing in on Li Chao, lowering his voice as he continued: “Did you really think those few tough words would scare me? Let me tell you, your sister isn’t leaving tonight—and as for you… well, you’ll have to leave something behind, too!”

A baleful light flashed in his eyes, chilling to the bone.

Li Chao’s expression darkened instantly, but he showed no sign of backing down. He understood perfectly that the contest tonight was about far more than himself—it was about safeguarding his sister’s precious dignity.

He drew a deep breath, gripped the bottle in his hand, and with all his strength, smashed it down onto the table in front of him. The deafening crash that followed seemed to make the entire world quake.

In that moment, Li Chao’s eyes blazed with determination, as if to declare to all present that no one would trample on the dignity of him and his sister so easily.

“As for the other two, decide for yourself.”

Li Chao’s voice was low and powerful, and the air around him seemed to grow heavy with his every word. His gaze was deep and unwavering, as if he could see through everything, straight into the soul. He stood tall, like a steadfast mountain, exuding an aura that commanded awe.

He knew full well that he wasn’t just facing Xie Long, but the tangled, deep-rooted forces behind him. Yet, he felt neither fear nor hesitation. On the contrary, he understood that only by meeting this formidable power head-on, with unwavering resolve, could he defend his dignity and win the respect of others.

Xie Long was utterly infuriated by Li Chao’s actions.

He rose slowly, fixing Li Chao with a cold, penetrating stare, as if trying to see straight through him. But Li Chao did not retreat. He met Xie Long’s gaze head-on, eyes shining with unyielding light.

“Don’t test my patience. Disappear—now!” Xie Long growled, his voice reverberating in the room. But Li Chao stood unmoved, like a towering pine, unshaken by the storm.

Still, Li Chao made no move to leave. He knew he could not give up so easily, or his sister’s dignity would be forever trampled.

Li Chao lifted his chin, locking eyes with Xie Long, his stance unyielding.

Xie Long’s face darkened at his words, and he sneered, “No one here has ever dared say ‘no’ to me, Xie Long! Tonight, neither of you will leave this place!”

Li Chao narrowed his eyes, staring at Xie Long like a predator eyeing its prey. Slowly, he rose, lightly shaking the beer bottle in his hand so it rang with a crisp sound. He took a deep breath and spoke:

“So, what you mean, Brother Long, is that there’s nothing left to discuss?”

Xie Long’s composure snapped at Li Chao’s calm, collected manner. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, “Discuss? I’ll show you tonight what rules are!”

Bang!

Before his words had even faded, Li Chao pounced like a ferocious leopard, launching a sudden attack without warning. His movements were lightning-fast, catching everyone off guard.

With a powerful swing, he hurled the beer bottle at Xie Long’s head with astonishing force and speed. The bottle exploded with a resounding crash, shards flying in all directions as blood gushed from Xie Long’s head, staining his face in a grotesque display.

Xie Long let out a piercing scream, clutching his head as he crashed heavily to the floor like a dying dog.

Everyone present was stunned by the sudden turn of events—they’d never imagined Li Chao would act so boldly, so decisively, without hesitation.

For a moment, the entire bar was plunged into an eerie, breathless silence.

The gang members who’d been watching on the sidelines recoiled in terror, stumbling backward as if a flock of startled birds.

“Holy shit!”

Xie Long clutched his head, veins bulging, his eyes burning with fury. His face was contorted with rage as his voice exploded like thunder: “You bastard—how dare you hit me! Get him! Break this fool for me!”

At his order, the thugs, already fierce-looking, charged at Li Chao like hungry wolves.

Yet Li Chao showed not a trace of fear. In a blur, he slipped easily past the first few thugs’ wild attacks.

Without pause, he counterattacked. His movements were swift and precise, using fists and feet alike. Every blow landed with crushing force, striking at vital points without fail.

In the blink of an eye, the seemingly tough gang members were all knocked down, their cries of pain echoing throughout the room.

At that moment, Li Chao seemed a god of war incarnate—his gaze cold and unyielding, a chilling aura radiating from his very being. Before him, the once-arrogant thugs were utterly helpless, as fragile as porcelain.

Xie Long was shocked to his core. He’d never imagined Li Chao would fight with such ferocity, or that he, Xie Long, wouldn’t be able to approach him at all.

Now, regret and self-reproach flooded his heart. Had he known Li Chao would be so difficult, he’d never have provoked this formidable opponent.

But it was too late for regrets. Li Chao was already closing in on him.

Dodging Xie Long’s desperate attack with ease, Li Chao seized the moment, grabbed him by the collar, and threw him hard to the ground.

Bang! Xie Long’s head struck the floor with a heavy thud.

He writhed, struggling to rise, but it was no use.

Li Chao stood firm as a pine, eyes shining with unwavering resolve. He didn’t wait for the next wave, but charged in, his fists thundering down on the leading thug’s face.

Bang! The blow was like a sledgehammer, the very air seeming to shatter with the force. Blood sprayed, and the thug’s eyes glazed over as he collapsed to the ground, wailing in agony.

The others, though terrified, still rushed at him with shouts.

A hint of disdain flickered in Li Chao’s eyes. With a deft shift, he dodged another attack, his right foot flashing out like lightning to strike a thug’s leg.

Crack! The bone snapped with a chilling sound. The thug’s scream was abruptly cut off as he collapsed, clutching his broken leg, his body curled in agony, his face twisted with pain.

Li Chao didn’t stop. He moved like a phantom among the thugs, every punch and kick landing with devastating force. Those once-arrogant thugs were now as fragile as glass before him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!...

In a matter of seconds, each assailant was laid out, their cries and screams blending into a strange symphony in the night.

Within mere seconds, every thug who’d rushed forward was down, rendered incapable of fighting.

Li Chao’s movements were pushed to their absolute limits, every moment exceeding the last. His eyes gleamed coldly, sharp as an unsheathed sword. Before him, the thugs were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

Standing to one side, Liu Dan stared in astonishment. She knew Li Chao was strong, but she’d never seen him like this. An inexpressible awe welled up inside her—this was a Li Chao she’d never known.

After his baptism by starlight, Li Chao’s strength, speed, and reflexes far surpassed those of ordinary men, as if he had become someone else entirely.

In that moment, Li Chao shone like a brilliant star against the night sky, his aura growing deeper, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.

Xiangxue and Xinping stood as if turned to stone, mouths agape like bottomless chasms, unable to comprehend what they had witnessed.

“What… what is happening?” Xiangxue stammered, her eyes wide as saucers, filled with disbelief.

“Impossible!” Xinping followed, his voice heavy with despair, as if his world had collapsed in that instant.

Even Xie Long, the seasoned fighter, looked as if he’d been struck by a hammer, his face frozen in shock. His gaze darted around the battlefield—his brothers, usually so fierce, were now lying in defeat. It was almost too much to believe.

Yet, Xie Long was a man who’d weathered many storms. He quickly recovered his composure, clutching his wounded head with one hand as he tried to gather his thoughts, while with the other, he drew a gleaming knife from his pocket.

His expression hardened as he gathered his strength, then launched himself at Li Chao like a hunting leopard.

Swish!

Xie Long’s arm traced a silver arc through the air—the blade flashing coldly as it stabbed toward Li Chao’s waist. Had it struck, his guts would have spilled.

But Li Chao did not retreat. With a slight arch of his brow, he moved forward instead of back. His hand struck out like a claw, seizing Xie Long’s wrist with lightning speed and uncanny accuracy.

His fingers locked onto the wrist like iron pincers, stopping the attack dead.

The grip was precise and unerring, as if he’d predicted Xie Long’s every move.

Xie Long felt his wrist tighten, agony crashing over him in waves. He stared wide-eyed at Li Chao in disbelief.

A moment later, Li Chao twisted sharply.

Crack! The sound of bones breaking echoed in the night as Xie Long’s wrist bent grotesquely, like a snapped branch.

The knife clattered to the ground with a crisp ring.

Xie Long howled in pain, clutching his wrist and collapsing in anguish. His eyes were filled with terror and despair—he had never imagined he would be defeated so utterly.

Li Chao’s gaze hardened. He kicked Xie Long savagely in the stomach, flipping him over.

Xie Long’s body arced through the air before crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.

Li Chao followed, planting his foot firmly on Xie Long’s back, pinning him to the floor.

The once-feared underworld boss was now like a subdued beast, sweating and pale as paper from pain.

Yet, even in defeat, he uttered not a single plea for mercy. Instead, he gritted his teeth and shouted, “You dare lay a hand on me? Fine! Kill me if you have the guts! Otherwise, when I recover, I’ll make your life a living hell!”

His words dripped with murderous intent, thick enough to chill the very air.

The aura of an underworld king spread through the room, tightening the atmosphere.

Li Chao frowned deeply, glancing down at Xie Long beneath his foot, a wave of doubt washing over him. Such a man was a true cancer—if released, he would certainly become a future threat.

Truthfully, Li Chao wanted nothing more than to finish Xie Long for good, once and for all.

But in a lawful society, he knew well the price of taking a life. Beating someone might bring satisfaction, but to kill would mean paying the ultimate price himself.