Chapter 64: Playing Hard to Get, Sowing Discord!
At a seafood food stall, Han Ying’s subordinates arrived after receiving his message.
Zhong Li, who had stayed behind to secure the rear, was the last to arrive. He cast a glance at Yu Le, his eyes narrowing with unmistakable hostility.
Having just weathered a storm, Han Ying was now all smiles, gesturing for his subordinates to take their seats.
To his left sat Zhong Li, and to his right was Yu Le, whose shoulder bore a simple bandage.
Amidst the surprised gazes of the onlookers, Han Ying threw an arm around Yu Le’s shoulder and said, "Come, let me introduce you. This is my newly sworn brother, Yu Le! From now on, you will address him as Brother Yu!"
"Greetings, Brother Yu!"
With the exception of Zhong Li, the rest of the subordinates chimed in.
Zhong Li stared coldly at Yu Le and said flatly, "Master Han, it’s probably best to keep your distance from someone of such unknown origin."
Before Han Ying could speak, Yu Le turned his head toward Zhong Li, let out a sneer, picked up a dinner plate across Han Ying, and smashed it directly into Zhong Li’s face.
Ceramic shards slid down Zhong Li’s face. The subordinates gasped in shock, springing to their feet and glaring furiously at Yu Le.
Zhong Li calmly brushed the fragments from his face without uttering a single word.
Yu Le also slowly stood up, cast a disdainful look at the standing subordinates, patted Han Ying on the shoulder, and turned to leave.
"Brother Yu, wait a moment!" Han Ying jumped up to block Yu Le's path.
Then, turning to the subordinates who had stood up for Zhong Li, he barked, "What are you all doing? Sit down!"
However, the normally obedient subordinates did not follow orders this time; instead, they looked toward Zhong Li.
These men were all members of the Black Bear Society, and Zhong Li was one of the society's most notorious enforcers.
In other words, they had been sent by Han Xiong specifically to protect his foolish older brother. On the surface, they obeyed Han Ying, but in reality, they took orders exclusively from Zhong Li.
"Have you all lost your minds? Is Zhong Li your master, or am I?"
No matter how foolish Han Ying was, he could see what was happening. Being publicly undermined in this manner enraged his already volatile temper.
"Brother Han, thank you for your patronage, but your subordinates don't seem to welcome me. I think I'd better look for opportunities elsewhere," Yu Le said, shaking his head with a disappointed expression.
Playing hard to get only made Han Ying more determined to keep him.
"Brother Yu, don't worry! With me here, no one is driving you away!"
Under Han Ying's forceful pull, Yu Le reluctantly returned to his seat.
"What are you all standing around for? Apologize to my brother, or none of you need bother following me starting tomorrow," Han Ying said coldly.
Helpless, the subordinates reluctantly picked up their wine glasses and told Yu Le, "We're sorry."
"And you?" Han Ying demanded, still unsatisfied as he glared at Zhong Li.
Yu Le held his wine glass, neither drinking nor lowering it in the face of the subordinates' toasts.
With a mocking tone, he said, "Brother Han, some people are just like that—all ego and no substance. Even a dog knows loyalty after being fed for a long time, but some lackeys are ingrates who can never be tamed, eventually starting to view themselves as the master."
"Don't sit there trying to sow discord," Zhong Li snapped, unable to remain seated as he rose to face Yu Le.
Yu Le maintained a calm expression. "If you act like a dog, you should have the self-awareness of a dog. If you feel my arrival has threatened your position, fine. Just say the word, Brother Han, and I'll walk away right now."
"But if you simply refuse to accept Brother Han's courtesy toward me, that's easy enough to resolve. We're men—let's settle it with a fight."
A strange look crossed Zhong Li's face. "You dare fight me?"
"You overestimate yourself."
With that, Yu Le stood up. "If I lose, do with me as you please. If I win, you get on your knees, kowtow to Brother Han three times, and admit you were wrong. Do you dare?"
Hearing this, Han Ying instantly straightened his posture.
In the eyes of outsiders, he lived a glamorous life, leading a pack of lackeys to bully the weak and throw his weight around.
Only he knew that the people around him had been assigned by his younger brother to monitor and protect him from doing anything catastrophic.
Especially Zhong Li—getting him to do anything was normally a monumental task. Unless Han Ying was in mortal danger, Zhong Li acted like a corpse.
If Yu Le could put him in his place today, wouldn't his own authority finally be established?
"Brave words. I'd like to see where your confidence comes from."
Zhong Li ripped off his shirt, revealing a torso of bronze-colored skin, and strode toward the open space outside the food stall.
Yu Le moved to follow, but Han Ying grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "Brother Yu, Zhong Li possesses the Bronze-Iron Skin, a Yellow-tier Fate Martial Art of the superhuman type. His strength and defense are formidable, and he's also at the Great Completion stage of the Boulder Realm. Are you... confident?"
No wonder he had been able to block Meng Fang's attack. Although Meng Fang was a Xuan-tier Fate Martial Artist, his Gale-Flying Spear focused on agility, truly lacking in pure frontal explosive power compared to a pure physical-type superhuman like Zhong Li!
Yu Le smiled with quiet confidence. "Just a lump of iron. Sit back, Brother Han, and let your brother help you establish your authority today!"
Han Ying’s eyes lit up, his admiration for Yu Le soaring to new heights!
He understands me. He understands exactly what I want!
What was this? This wasn't just a benefactor; this was a kindred spirit!
What Han Ying craved most was respect, but because he was such a fool, it was difficult to earn it on his own. He could only resort to extreme methods to make people fear him.
"Zhong Li, Yellow-tier Fate Martial Art favored one, Great Completion of the Boulder Realm!" Zhong Li clenched his fists, his skin shimmering with a metallic luster, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Yu Le, Yellow-tier Fate Martial Art favored one, Eighth Stage of the Boulder Realm!" Yu Le gestured with his left hand while summoning the Dragon-Subduing Fishing Rod in his right to provoke him.
A flash of disdain crossed the corner of Zhong Li's eye before he strode forward.
The Dragon-Subduing Fishing Rod, lightened by Yu Le, lashed down toward him. Zhong Li sneered and raised his arm to block, but the next instant, a strange sensation washed over him.
Even with his Bronze-Iron Skin, a red welt was raised by the strike, and his entire arm went numb.
Yu Le transitioned the strike from a lash to an upward sweep, aiming directly at Zhong Li's face. Zhong Li let out a cold hum, raised his bare hand to meet it, and grabbed the Dragon-Subduing Fishing Rod.
Just like Meng Fang earlier, whose Gale-Flying Spear had been caught and rendered immovable, Yu Le strained with all his might, but the fishing rod remained locked in Zhong Li's grip.
Yellow-tier Combat Skill: Iron-Panning Hand!
"Get over here!" Zhong Li pulled hard, making Yu Le's footing light as he was reeled in.
Waiting for him was Zhong Li's downward-crashing forehead.
Yu Le decisively let go of the fishing rod, sidestepped, and countered with an elbow strike!
Bang!
Yu Le's footing faltered slightly, while Zhong Li didn't budge an inch.
With a tight grip, Zhong Li grabbed Yu Le's arm, sliding his hand down to lock tightly around his wrist.
Yu Le's eyes narrowed. As Zhong Li exerted force, Yu Le lifted his leg and struck with a knee!
Crack, bang!
Yu Le's wrist was dislocated, turning his face pale with pain, but his knee strike successfully forced Zhong Li's arm back!
Like a humanoid demon beast, Zhong Li pressed the attack again, tossing the Dragon-Subduing Fishing Rod aside to engage Yu Le in close-quarters combat!
Yu Le struggled to parry, finding himself somewhat on the defensive.
Until Zhong Li's arm pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him into a slow crouch, Yu Le's face turning flushed with strain.
"Speak! What is your purpose in getting close to Master Han? Otherwise, you won't survive tonight."
Yu Le missed a beat in his heart. The seemingly dull-witted brawny man was this vigilant—no wonder he had been sent by Han Xiong to protect his older brother.
"My purpose is... to go screw your mother!" Letting out a stream of profanity and risking his arm being crushed, Yu Le wrenched himself away and lashed out with a kick.
Zhong Li's sturdy body stiffened, his face turning an ashen shade of blue.
No man could endure a blow to that area; even his Bronze-Iron Skin couldn't cover such a vulnerable spot!
Taking advantage of the opening, Yu Le rolled on the ground and grabbed the Dragon-Subduing Fishing Rod thrown nearby. Fueled by rising anger, he launched a sneak attack from behind!
"I'll show you bronze skin! I'll show you iron skin!"
The fishing rod whipped through the air with loud cracks, sending even Zhong Li stumbling forward.
"Ah! I'll fight you to the death!" Thoroughly enraged, Zhong Li spun around, batted away the descending fishing rod with a swipe of his palm, and kicked out at Yu Le.
Yu Le didn't yield, returning the kick in kind!
The two men staggered backward, but immediately tangled together again!
The ensuing scene devolved entirely into a street brawl. Having lost all reason, the two men traded punches and kicks indiscriminately!
The battlefield shifted constantly, much to the misery of the surrounding food stall, where several canvas awnings were smashed to pieces.
Han Ying, however, clapped continuously. "Good! Well fought! Whoever wins gets the one million on this card!"
Hearing this, Yu Le's eyes lit up as he clamped his hands fiercely around Zhong Li's throat.
Struggling for breath, Zhong Li grabbed Yu Le's arms in return, and the two men rolled around in the wreckage!
In the end, both were battered and bruised, their strikes growing increasingly weak.
Han Ying appeared in the nick of time, grabbing both of their arms in a classic reenactment of Liu Xuande stopping Guan Yu and Zhang Fei from fighting.
"You're all brothers here! Let's call it a draw!"
Spit—
Yu Le spat a mouthful of bloody foam onto Zhong Li's face. Pinned beneath Yu Le and being pulled up by Han Ying, Zhong Li laughed instead of getting angry, and released his grip on Yu Le.
"You've got some spine!"