"What?" Pi Yangyang could scarcely believe his ears. And that was with the other man holding back? He had carefully restrained his strength for fear of beating him to death? Did that not mean the fellow's true power was even greater than what he had shown? That if he wished to take his life, it would be as easy as turning over his palm?

Good heavens — what sort of monster had the Xiao family provoked? Far too ferocious! Never mind whether Er Gou Dan was telling the truth, whether he was bragging or truly holding back strength; what he had already displayed was far beyond Pi Yangyang.

Were Pi Yangyang himself to face an expert of his own rank, one guarding with full strength, he would have no confidence at all of wounding him. Perhaps neither could defeat the other — but as for wounding him, that too was impossible.

So Pi Yangyang was appalled. This place truly hid dragons and crouching tigers; a boy who wandered in looking like a simpleton already possessed such fearsome strength!

"It's nothing. You're an expert at the peak of the late Xuan rank, aren't you? My boss says experts of that level have self-healing bodies, so they recover easily. Lie down for a few days and you'll be fine." Er Gou Dan spoke in consolation. "Don't you worry! Though it's not really my fault either. I came looking for the lion, and you had to meddle, and you got an itch for a beating — Pi Yangyang, itchy hide and all — and nothing would do but I give you a thrashing! Ah, this world is vast and holds every wonder!"

Hearing Er Gou Dan's words, Pi Yangyang choked down a mouthful of blood without spitting it out; his eyes rolled up and he passed out cold. Since making his name, he had never been so thoroughly humiliated. But what could he do? He felt he was simply no match for Er Gou Dan.

Xiao Ji and Gou Huli were frightened witless. What kind of terrifying thing was this? Even an expert at the peak of the late Xuan rank was no match for him — could he be an Earth-rank expert? At the thought, Xiao Ji's legs went weak.

The Xiao family had barely begun to recover, and now this — why had such a dreadful man suddenly appeared? Xiao Ji was frantic with anger and worry; he swung a slap at Gou Huli. "You bitch, look at the fine work you've done! A mangy lion, and look where it's landed us! You've brought disaster on the house! It bit someone it should never have bitten!"

Gou Huli was frightened half to death as well. Xiao Ji struck her, and she dared not voice a word of complaint. Covering her face, head lowered, she felt utterly helpless. This cleaner — to know such a formidable figure, one even the Pi family's hidden expert could not match — and she still came to work as a cleaner? She would make money faster as a highway robber! If she lacked for money, she could send this gentleman here to shake down every family in turn, and not one of them would dare refuse; even the Yu family would bow and scrape before him. Was this not idle trouble for trouble's sake? And now look — she was the unlucky one.

"Great hero... spare our lives! Whatever money you want, the Xiao family can pay it. We only beg you to show mercy and let us off!" Xiao Ji was a classic bully who cringed before the strong. The shock Er Gou Dan had dealt him was too great; if even the Pi family's hidden expert was no match, what was left for Xiao Ji to stand firm on? Best to beg for mercy at once.

"Yes, yes — didn't you want an explanation? I was wrong! I am an unfit owner for that lion, I deserve to be beaten!" With that, Gou Huli began slapping her own face, each blow cracking loud and sharp.

"If you'd said so earlier, I wouldn't have come up here. You're just wasting my time." Er Gou Dan thought to himself: the boss was right — before absolute strength, these villains are mere clowns. He snorted. "Where's the lion? Bring the lion out here and let me kill it with one punch, and we'll call this matter settled!"

"This..." Gou Huli had no doubt Er Gou Dan could kill the lion with a single punch. Even an expert like Pi Yangyang had been beaten half to death by him, let alone a lion. But the crux was this: the lion was not here! She said cautiously, "Great hero, the lion is no longer in the villa. It left..."

"Left? Did you see it was in trouble and bankroll its getaway?" Er Gou Dan glared in fury.

"Gah?" Gou Huli was startled. She thought: am I out of my mind, funding a lion's escape? But she dared not say that to Er Gou Dan — who knew whether this lord had a temper? One punch and she would be dead. So she smiled bitterly. "Great hero, the lion ran off on its own. It has nothing to do with us."

"Great hero, if it is the lion you seek, I will tell you where it has gone, and you may go look for it there!" Xiao Ben, who had said nothing all this while, lurking in the shadows, now stepped out and addressed Er Gou Dan. Earlier, when he had seen Er Gou Dan's strength, his heart had gone cold: the Xiao family was truly out of luck this time, to run into such a fearsome enemy — what was to be done? But as he kept watching, he realized Er Gou Dan seemed to want only that lion and had no intention of making trouble for the Xiao family; and the earlier business with Pi Yangyang had been a misunderstanding as well — only poor old expert Pi had suffered for it.

So Xiao Ben had been pondering: could this bad turn be made into a good one? Suddenly he hit upon an excellent scheme — divert the flood eastward! The lion had run off, but it had run to the Gu family villa! Er Gou Dan wanted the lion, did he not? Then let him go to the Gu villa in search of it; inevitably he would clash with the Gu family, and when the time came, let him beat Wei Zhao half to death, cripple him if possible — and the Xiao family's great grudge would be avenged!

Xiao Ben felt himself a veritable genius, a master of strategy; even Zhuge Liang of old was no better. No wonder even his elder brother, the family head, had to heed his words — he had true talent!

"Oh? Where is the lion?" Er Gou Dan turned to Xiao Ben and asked.

"That lion is rather spoiled. It found a more powerful master and pays us no more heed. I hear it has taken a Huang-rank high dog as its boss." Xiao Ben spoke gravely. The news that the Gu family had a Huang-rank dog was no secret now; it could be found out among any of the families.

"What? A Huang-rank high dog? Dogs have ranks too?" Er Gou Dan's eyes went wide, but on second thought he waved a hand. "Whatever rank it may be, if it dares shelter that lion, I will kill it along with the rest!"

Xiao Ji and Gou Huli exchanged a look. Xiao Ben's idea was brilliant indeed — a fine ploy of killing with a borrowed knife. Not only would it send this ruthless fellow on his way, it would also use his hand to teach the Gu family a lesson. Two birds with one stone!

Fastest updates; for pop-up-free reading, please.