Chapter 9, Asymmetric Warfare

Xue San'er's subordinates had long been terrified; when had they ever witnessed such skill? Initially, this young man merely spoke quietly, yet in their eyes, he was more fearsome than anything else. When they heard him say, "Actually, I am quite a pleasant person," they became even more enraged and began to curse furiously.

The middle-aged man was taken aback for a moment before realizing that this young man was insulting him. Anger surged within him, and he raised his machete and swung it horizontally.

Yi Tianxing looked at the sky above, which was divided into patches by the branches of the trees. Squinting his eyes, he shrugged and said, "I am not the same as your Third Master; my hands are not like pig's trotters, so how can I just take them as I please?"

The middle-aged man walked up to Yitianxing, slapped his cheek with the steel knife in his hand, making two sharp sounds, and then lowered his head to threaten fiercely: "Third Master said, since you harmed his brother, you must bow and apologize to him, and also pay with a hand."

He gently pointed at the guy's forehead with his right index finger, and quietly said: "Remember, come to my house to find me." Then he smiled and added: "Actually, I am quite a friendly person."

At this moment, Yi Tianxing was already riding his bicycle towards the riverbank. He reflected on the calmness he had displayed during the fight earlier and the euphoric feeling that followed, and he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, "Am I really a monster?" The river breeze brushed against his face, slightly abrasive, yet it brought a sense of comfort to his troubled heart. He released his grip from the handlebars, tilted his head back, and shouted to the sky, "Damn you, old thief of heaven, you didn't give me my parents, but gave me this instead!" "Am I really a monster?" The river breeze brushed against his face, slightly abrasive, yet it brought a sense of comfort to his troubled heart. He released his grip from the handlebars, tilted his head back, and shouted to the sky, "Damn you, old thief of heaven, you didn't give me my parents, but gave me this instead!"

The leading thug was a middle-aged man, and the cigarette that had been dangling from his mouth had long since fallen to the ground in shock. He frowned, blinked his eyes, and slowly walked over, looking at Yi Tianxing, thinking to himself: "This guy is still a student; how come he hasn't shown any skills? What about his own brothers?"

The "Third Brother" he mentioned, Yi Tianxing knew who it was; he was also a well-known figure in the county, specifically Xue San'er, whom He Wei had warned him to be cautious of a few days ago

However, in his thoughts, these small ruffians were naturally unaware. Apart from a few quick-witted individuals who, being timid and fearful, shrank back behind the battle group, there were also a few desperate individuals who brandished their daggers and shouted as they charged forward.

The riverside of the county town is lined with green trees and grass. The riverside avenue runs straight from the center of the county to the Communications and Electricity Building. Yi Tianxing thought of the girl who was waiting for him, and his mood finally lightened a bit. He gripped the handlebars tightly and pedaled hard on his bicycle, rushing towards that direction. The setting sun hanging over the green hills on the other side of the river cast long shadows of the youth and the bicycle.

When the deadline arrived, he naturally could not produce the fifty thousand yuan, so others severed his right thumb and index finger, leaving him with three useless fingers.

Since that day, Xue Gong has been referred to as Xue San'er. His name changed, and he seemed to have transformed into a different person, acting ruthlessly and boldly, daring to commit any heinous acts. His methods were particularly ruthless, taking advantage of the lull following the first crackdown to seize control of some territory in the East Gate area. He gathered a group of younger followers and established himself as the boss. Over the years, he indulged in a life of luxury, engaging in all sorts of deceitful and criminal activities, ultimately becoming the boss of the East Gate and wielding immense power in the county town. It was not until the ancestral elder from the provincial capital returned to the county town to retire that Xue San'er's arrogance was somewhat subdued.

Yi Tianxing coldly watched the thugs surrounding him, feeling exceptionally troubled. He wondered if Zou Leilei, who had been waiting for him at the Electric University Building for a long time, would be bored. Moreover, since this was at the school gate in broad daylight, he did not want to attract too much attention. Therefore, he decided to quickly end this tedious scuffle.

The middle-aged man thought he was afraid and laughed viciously, his teeth yellowed. "The third brother said that in this place, only we can be arrogant. If we encounter someone more arrogant than us, then there's no need to say anything; we will beat him until he is no longer arrogant."

Seeing the boss being knocked away, the street thug who had just been clutching his fist in pain finally rushed forward. Yi Tianxing frowned, relying on his speed to close in on the opponent's body. With a push of his palm, he sent one thug flying several meters away. This act of "pushing" was completed in an instant, and he managed to push all the thugs away. He did not want to resort to violence, as he was unsure whether he would injure these individuals too severely.

It was already past five in the afternoon, yet the temperature from the sun had not decreased at all. There were few pedestrians on the street, and the corner shaded by the sycamore trees was very quiet. Yi Tianxing, seeing that this person dared to wield a knife in broad daylight, couldn't help but frown and said, "Is there something we can discuss first?"

As he looked at the menacing expressions of the crowd surrounding him, his mind remained clear. He carefully observed the movements of the opponents' hands and then retaliated with even faster and more precise actions. His toes barely touched the asphalt of the street as he darted between the people, his fists striking solidly against the bodies of the thugs as they passed beneath their armpits from behind.

Yi Tianxing stood at the street corner, watching the thugs beside him who were slumped and wailing. For some reason, a feeling of disgust arose in his heart, as if he were a lofty monarch surveying his pitiful subjects

He tentatively asked, "Brother, have you trained before?"

Yi Tianxing gazed at him quietly and said with a smile, "Practiced since childhood"

Xue San'er is named Xue Gong, but unfortunately, he has not learned a shred of virtuous conduct. He began mingling in the underworld in the early 1980s, being one of the most inconspicuous figures in the East Gate area, with somewhat unscrupulous dealings and a penchant for gambling. At that time, the most despised individuals in the underworld were these unscrupulous little lords and swindlers. Xue Gong embodied both traits, naturally making him quite unpopular. On one occasion, he was caught red-handed while cheating in a game, and the other party demanded that he come up with 50,000 yuan within a week. During that week, he pleaded with everyone he knew, searching for someone to help him out, but ultimately, no one came to his aid.

His speed was truly astonishing, like a gust of wind. For those thugs who could only hack at each other in the street like chopping vegetables, at that moment, Yi Tianxing resembled the martial arts masters seen on television. In just a matter of minutes, the thugs wielding knives fell under his iron fists. Of course, he did not dare to use his full strength. The few thugs who had been fighting on the outskirts had no time to be ignorant of the situation; they quickly turned and ran towards the other end of the street.

Yitianxing himself felt a bit disgusted, but there was no choice; if he did not put on the appearance of a martial artist, no one would believe him. Why is it that when a fist strikes someone, it is the fist that hurts? ... And the only martial artist's demeanor he knew ... was the extremely disgusting first bodyguard of Kant, and this action of Jet Li's, which he had learned after a long time in the underground video hall.

Then he jumped, with his left hand in front and his right hand slightly raised behind him, striking a pose reminiscent of Huang Feihong. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the ground and coolly remarked: "How many more are there? Come at me all together"

He suddenly came to his senses, feeling that this thought was too strange. With his intelligence, he naturally realized that he was psychologically at some risk of becoming detached from the crowd. He quickly shook his head, pulled over the bicycle that was lying under the phoenix tree, and turned back to the middle-aged man who was covering his nose to stop the bleeding, saying loudly: "Since you can find out that I am studying in the county, you must know where I live. If you want to settle scores in the future, come to my house; it is not appropriate to do so here at school"

Yi Tianxing looked calmly at the blade of light approaching him. He did not wish to withstand it with his body, for although he could, he did not want his monstrous identity to spread so quickly in the small county town. Thus, he gently pivoted on his heel, allowing the blade of light to narrowly slide past the bridge of his nose. He stepped sideways with his right foot, bringing his entire body very close to the middle-aged man, and delivered a sharp elbow strike to the man's nose.

Since Yi Tianxing discovered the secret of his body, he has noticed that he sometimes exhibits rather "outlandish" behavior. This is because when he becomes deeply engrossed in a thought, he tends to forget to conceal his body, which is as strong as steel. Fortunately, in the past, when he lost focus, he often found himself squatting in his small, cluttered black room—thus using his palm to chop bricks for the stove and his thigh as a cutting board for slicing meat—such bizarre actions were not exposed to the light of day. Fortunately, in the past, when he lost focus, he often found himself squatting in his small, cluttered black room—thus using his palm to chop bricks for the stove and his thigh as a cutting board for slicing meat—such bizarre actions were not exposed to the light of day

The seemingly effortless action, executed with remarkable speed yet devoid of any sense of exertion, was a casual lift of the elbow that sent that fellow flying several meters, his face covered in blood.

A series of loud bangs echoed, and Yi Tianxing looked in astonishment at the several strong men beside him, who were clutching their fists and lying on the ground with expressions of pain. It was only then that he remembered what he should do

He fully expected the student to be trembling in fear, but to his surprise, he saw a face that was completely indifferent.

Thus, when seven or eight fists, as large as sea bowls, came crashing down like raindrops, he completely forgot to dodge, nor did he care to do so. His mind was still lingering on the shy blush on Zou Leilei's face from earlier, and it was indeed quite difficult for him to remember that a fight was about to begin.

However, today he seemed somewhat distracted, primarily because he was bewildered by the complexities of emotions

No wonder you're so arrogant?" the man said fiercely, then drew a machete from his bosom. At that time, the most popular weapon among thugs for fighting was this kind of twelve-inch machine knife, made of good steel, with a short blade that was easy to carry