Volume One Chapter Four The Fierce Tiger Hall

"Go!"
With sharp reflexes, Chu Ming kicked hard, sending the car door flying. He pulled Yun Xueyan into his arms and leapt out of the vehicle with her.
In the blink of an eye, the car they had just been in was flipped over by a violent impact.
"Are you alright?"
Chu Ming looked at Yun Xueyan in his embrace, concern in his voice.
"I'll be fine as long as you take your hand off me!"
Yun Xueyan's cheeks flushed crimson as she gritted her teeth.
"My hand?"
Chu Ming shifted his hand reflexively—oh, that was unexpectedly soft. He glanced down, only to find his hand was cupped firmly over Yun Xueyan’s ample chest; it was so full, his hand couldn’t even contain it.
"You shameless scoundrel! Let go, now!"
A jolt of electricity shot through Yun Xueyan’s body, her face instantly turning bright red.
"Sorry, that was an accident—purely accidental!"
Chu Ming gave an awkward laugh.
"My grandfather! Where’s my grandfather?"
Suddenly realizing something, Yun Xueyan began to search around in a panic.
"I'm alright!"
The old man, his head covered in weeds, clambered out of a nearby ditch. He cast a look at Chu Ming, his gaze filled with subtle resentment.
Chu Ming felt a bit embarrassed himself and was about to say something when, all at once, four or five burly men emerged from the car, brandishing AKs and opening fire in their direction.
The three immediately ducked into the ditch. Chu Ming glanced up, then turned back with a teasing tone, "Old man, who did you offend? This is no ordinary hit—they clearly don’t intend to leave anyone alive!"
Yun Tianding’s expression grew grim. "It must be the other three great families!"
"The news that Yan Yan is afflicted with cold poison and won’t live long was leaked by a traitor in the family. A month ago, the three families began targeting our Yun family’s businesses. Looks like they’ve finally run out of patience and want us dead!"
"Mr. Ye, I’m an old man—if I must die, so be it. I only ask one thing: make sure you get Yan Yan out of here alive. As long as she survives, the entire Yun family will be yours as my thanks!"
Chu Ming gave a relaxed smile. "Just a few assassins—while I’m here, none of you will die."
Yun Tianding shook his head. "It’s not the same. I saw their insignia—they’re from the Tiger Hall!"
Yun Xueyan gasped, "The Tiger Hall that unified the entire East City underworld overnight?"
"This Tiger Hall—is it really that formidable?"
Chu Ming asked, intrigued.
Yun Xueyan’s eyes flashed with deep wariness. "Very formidable! Tiger Hall is shrouded in mystery, and every member is a master. It’s said their leader, Lord Tiger, is a grandmaster of the highest order!"

"The once mighty Lord Ba of East City was wiped out overnight. Even our four great families must pay a hefty protection fee to them each month, according to their rules."
"Interesting. I think I’ll go meet them myself."
Chu Ming’s lips curled into a smirk as he strode out of the ditch.
"Chu Ming! Are you crazy? Come back!"
Yun Xueyan shouted in alarm.
Chu Ming shot her a roguish grin. "Relax! Your man isn’t dying today."
Seeing Chu Ming step out, one of the assassins immediately swung his gun toward him and fired.
Yet Chu Ming walked forward unhurriedly, a faint smile on his lips. With two fingers, he caught the bullet.
A golden shell clattered to the ground with a crisp sound.
"He... he actually caught the bullet with his bare hands?"
Yun Xueyan was dumbstruck.
"Indeed! Huangfu Duan was right. He truly isn’t an ordinary man."
Yun Tianding’s eyes burned with excitement.
"Impossible! He must have missed!"
Yun Xueyan shook her head instinctively—how could anyone catch a bullet?
Missing his shot, the assassin hesitated only a moment before raising his gun again. But in that instant, Chu Ming seemed to vanish, reappearing at the assassin’s side and gripping him by the throat.
"Let him go!"
The remaining three immediately turned their guns on Chu Ming, now only a few inches away.
Chu Ming showed no fear; in fact, he wore a touch of arrogant disdain. "Is this how Lin Batiger taught you to treat your master?"
"How dare you! Who are you to call Lord Tiger by name?"
One of the assassins roared.
"Bring Lin Batiger here, and you’ll know who I am."
Chu Ming’s gaze was icy as he looked toward the off-road vehicle in the distance.
"A dead man has no right to see our Lord Tiger. Die!"
"Enough!"
Suddenly, a deep voice boomed. The car door opened, and a burly man, exuding a murderous aura, stepped out and strode up to Chu Ming, looking down at him. "Kid, do you know? In East City, no one dares speak my name aloud."
"Oh?"
Chu Ming smiled and raised a ring, his tone playful. "Lin Batiger, now I’m ordering you to kneel. Do you have any objections?"

"You’re courting death!"
One of the thugs lifted his gun to strike Chu Ming.
"Stand down!"
With a sweep of his palm, Lin Batiger sent his own subordinate flying. The arrogance on his face melted into terror. Much to the astonishment of his men, he fell to his knees before Chu Ming. "Lin Batiger, Hall Master of Tiger Hall under the Imperial Palace, greets the Young Lord!"
Under the Imperial Palace’s command were four kings and eight halls—Tiger Hall was one of them.
Chu Ming had stepped forward because he recognized the unique emblem Yun Tianding described: it belonged to the Imperial Palace.
"Young Lord! I didn’t know you were here. Please punish me for my insolence!"
"Rise. Tell me—who ordered you to kill the Yun family?"
Lin Batiger did not hesitate to betray his employer. "It was Young Master Wang Qi of the Wang family. He offered five hundred million for the hit."
"The Wang family? Interesting. Remember this: Yun Xueyan of the Yun family is my woman. No one is to touch her again!"
Lin Batiger broke into a cold sweat. "As you command!"
He hurried to present a black card. "Young Lord, this is the Imperial Palace’s Nine Dragons Global Black Card—the only one in the world. It holds nine trillion in credit, as instructed by the old master to be delivered to you."
"The old man did something right for once."
Chu Ming accepted the card with a casual wave. "You may go. When I’m done here, I’ll come find you."
He swaggered back to the ditch, calling out, "Old man, darling, you can come out now!"
The two watched Chu Ming return unharmed, utterly stunned.
"Chu Ming, you… you’re alright?"
Hearing Yun Xueyan’s astonished tone, Chu Ming raised an eyebrow. "What, are you that eager to be a widow?"
"Yan Yan, did you see that? Mr. Ye is clearly your destined true love—he’s saved your life twice in just one day!"
"If you ask me, you should hurry up and get your marriage certificate, so I can rest assured!"
Yun Xueyan muttered, "Impossible… those were Tiger Hall assassins…"
Chu Ming replied, "What’s impossible about it? Do you really have so little faith in my abilities?"
Unconvinced, Yun Xueyan asked, "Then tell me, how did you drive them off?"
"It was simple," Chu Ming said with a smile. "Their leader knelt before me. Would those assassins dare kill me after that?"