Unexpected Encounter

The long-haired man was no pushover either. The corners of his lips curled into a sinister smirk as his gaze swept over the blond-haired youth. "Kid, today I'll break all three of your legs—otherwise, I'll walk on my hands for the rest of my life."

The blond-haired guy sneered back. "Big talk for someone who looks like trash. You think you can take me? Come on then, let's see what you've got."

After a few more taunts, the two were ready to throw down.

Behind the long-haired man, the two women and the other man wore expressions of impatience, as if annoyed by the whole affair. Huo Xuan studied them—the man had a long face and stood tall, while the woman beside him had shoulder-length hair, a round face, and delicate brows. She looked vaguely familiar.

Huh? Isn't that my uncle's ex-girlfriend? Huo Xuan recognized her, marveling at the coincidence. When Huo Guoqiang went through his breakup, he'd spent days staring at a photo—the very woman now standing there: Du Fen. The one who'd left his uncle depressed for half a year.

The other woman wore a black leather jacket, her fair skin and delicate features offset by a cold, unapproachable demeanor.

The long-haired man strode forward and, with seemingly little effort, kicked the blond-haired guy flying. He then planted a foot on his face, sneering. "Go on, tough guy. Show me more."

The blond-haired guy spat blood, trying to push himself up—only for the long-haired man to stomp on his arm, snapping it with a sickening crack. A scream tore through the air.

One of Shen Rong's other male friends roared and lunged. The long-haired man deflected the attack effortlessly, hoisted him up, and slammed him to the ground, leaving him dazed and struggling to rise.

The long-haired man's gaze then landed on Huo Xuan, assuming he was with the blond-haired group. "Your turn, kid. Knock me down, and you all walk. Fail, and the three women stay to 'entertain' me—while you leave a hand behind."

Shen Rong, caught off guard by the escalation, snapped, "I'm a police officer! This is illegal!"

She flashed her badge.

To her shock, the four across from her didn't flinch. The long-haired man burst into laughter. "Ooooh, a cop! I'm shaking in my boots!"

The man behind them also pulled out an ID and flashed it at Shen Rong.

Huo Xuan saw it clearly—a military officer's certificate. The man was actually a major.

The long-haired youth then produced his own ID: he was from the Police Supervision Bureau. In other words, he had authority over regular police officers, instantly putting Shen Rong at a disadvantage.

Having established their credentials, the long-haired man smirked maliciously at Shen Rong. "Sweetheart, you happen to fall under my jurisdiction. That badge of yours won't scare anyone here."

Shen Rong's face turned pale with fury. "You people are utterly lawless!"

It was then that Huo Xuan suddenly spoke up. "And if I beat you?"

The long-haired man gave him a sidelong glance, sneering. "With that pathetic face of yours? You think you can take me?"

Huo Xuan pointed at Du Fen behind him, his voice icy. "If I win, that woman comes over and licks my toes."

The long-haired man froze. The man behind him immediately darkened, bellowing, "You're dead!" as he stormed toward Huo Xuan.

Huo Xuan chuckled. "What? Ganging up now?"

The man halted, his expression twisted with rage, and growled at the long-haired youth, "Haozi, f*cking cripple him for me!"

The long-haired man grinned, licking his lips. "You got it, Yong-ge!"

With that, he stepped forward, reaching out to grab Huo Xuan—clearly intending to hoist and slam him like he had the others.

Huo Xuan assumed a Taiji stance, his hand intercepting and locking onto the man's wrist. This was the Silk-Reeling Form from the Nine Fundamental Taiji Techniques. The moment his grip tightened, the long-haired man felt his arm grow heavy, momentarily stunned.

"Down!"

The long-haired man exhaled sharply, planting his feet firmly as he tried to use his arm like a lever to fling Huo Xuan away. His strength was considerable—Huo Xuan felt his body lift slightly.

With a cold laugh, Huo Xuan sank his qi and blood, instantly stabilizing himself before giving a sharp twist of his wrist—and in one motion, hurled the man off his feet.

The moment the long-haired man tried to flip Huo Xuan, he felt as if his opponent weighed a thousand jin—instantly realizing something was wrong. But before he could react, Huo Xuan had already pinpointed his center of gravity. With a single twist, he sent him crashing face-first into the ground.

The man struggled to rise, but Huo Xuan's foot pressed down on his spine like an immovable mountain. No matter how hard he thrashed, he couldn't break free. This technique had a name: "Pinning the Turtle"—a stance that locked the opponent's center, rendering them powerless.

Seeing the long-haired man defeated, the man behind him paled. "Who the hell are you? Name yourself!"

Huo Xuan ignored him, his icy gaze fixed on Du Fen. "He lost. Come here."

Du Fen's face flushed crimson with rage. She let out a sharp scoff and turned away. Enraged by Huo Xuan's audacity, the man—Yong-ge—charged forward with a cold snarl.

Huo Xuan narrowed his eyes. Uncle, today I'll avenge your heartbreak for you.

In his view, Du Fen had every right to leave Huo Guoqiang—but that didn't mean he'd pass up the chance to teach her new lover a lesson.

Everything happened too fast. Shen Rong and the other two women stood frozen—until Shen Rong snapped out of it and shouted, "Be careful!"

Though a police officer, she had no intention of stopping the fight. Not after how vile these people had acted. She wanted Huo Xuan to teach them a lesson.

Huo Xuan shot forward, this time using the True Womb Fist. Lately, he'd been refining this style, slowly shedding Lu Yunxiang's influence to make it his own.

The moment Yong-ge closed in, he realized his mistake. Huo Xuan's power was savage, his precision flawless. A single punch to the gut bent him double—just in time for Huo Xuan's elbow to slam down like a hammer.

If fists were bullets, elbows were cannons. Even an ordinary person could injure someone with a well-placed elbow strike—let alone Huo Xuan.

CRACK!

Yong-ge hit the ground hard, face smashing into the pavement.

Huo Xuan wasn't about to let up. A flurry of punches and kicks left the man bruised and bloody within seconds. Finally, with a vicious stomp, he shattered Yong-ge's shinbone.

Du Fen screamed, her face ghostly pale.

"Enough."

The woman in the leather jacket finally spoke, stepping forward slowly.

Huo Xuan narrowed his eyes, studying the woman. His instincts told him she wasn't ordinary. As she approached, his clairvoyance revealed her surging qi and blood—confirming she was a trained martial artist.

The leather-clad woman stopped three meters away. "If this was just about venting, you should stop now."

Huo Xuan snorted coldly and turned to leave. He'd had his fill—no need to kill anyone.

Shen Rong and the other two women helped the injured blond-haired man and his friend into the Cadillac, while Huo Xuan got into Shen Rong's car. Soon, both vehicles drove off.

Back at the scene, the long-haired man—Haozi—finally caught his breath, his face twisted with hatred. He spat viciously and cursed, "Goddammit! Find out who that bastard is. I'll end him!"

The long-faced man, Yong-ge, was in worse shape, unable to move, but the venom in his eyes was even fiercer. Du Fen crouched beside him, sniffling before tentatively asking, "Yong, are you okay?"

Zeng Yong—Du Fen's boyfriend—hissed through gritted teeth. "Does it look like I'm okay?"

The leather-clad woman, Liu Ling, said coldly, "Enough. He showed mercy. Otherwise, you'd be dead."

Haozi glared. "Liu Ling, why didn't you step in? With your skills, you could've taken him."

Liu Ling shook her head. "I wasn't confident. And it might've provoked him further. The way he fought—controlled, precise—suggests elite training."

"I don't care who he is!" Zeng Yong snarled. "I memorized that female cop's badge number. We find her, we find him!"

Liu Ling frowned. "Let it go. He might have connections. Escalating this won't help."

Haozi punched the ground. "Stay out of this, Liu Ling! Yang Hao doesn't back down from anyone!"

Liu Ling said nothing more, her gaze lingering in the direction Huo Xuan had disappeared, a slight crease forming between her brows.

With two injured, dinner plans were scrapped. As they neared the hotel, Huo Xuan said, "Rain check on that meal. Today's not the day."

Shen Rong nodded. "Thanks for today. Really."

"Anytime." He smiled and stepped out.

Yet the car didn't leave. Shen Rong called after him, "Wait—your number?"

Huo Xuan waved a hand. "It's on the statement. Call me when you're free." With that, he turned and walked away.

Back at the hotel, Hua Buyi was already there. He glanced at Huo Xuan and asked, "Got into a fight?"

Huo Xuan shrugged. "Just some light exercise." He briefly recounted the events.

Hua Buyi nodded. "The capital is full of influential figures. Be more careful in the future."

"Understood," Huo Xuan replied promptly, then added, "Master, have you eaten?"

Hua Buyi smiled faintly. "Had vegetarian fare at Chan Master Xianyun's place."

Huo Xuan put on an exaggeratedly eager expression. "You've always said Chan Master Xianyun's vegetarian dishes are the best in the world. When do I get to try them?"

"Once you master 'Celestial Sword from Beyond,'" Hua Buyi said, "you can eat there for ten days straight if you want."

Delighted, Huo Xuan scampered off to grab dinner by himself.

The next morning, Huo Xuan called Lin Yue early to ask about her family friend in the capital—the one with the gunshot wound he'd promised to treat.

Lin Yue was thrilled. "I'll contact my uncle right away to arrange a meeting."

After hanging up, Huo Xuan found Hua Buyi and explained the situation. "Master, your presence would be invaluable."

Knowing Huo Xuan's ties to Lin Yue, Hua Buyi agreed.

They set the meeting at Huo Xuan's hotel. Around 9 a.m., a military vehicle pulled up outside. Two guards stepped out first, followed by a middle-aged man and a young woman.

After a brief phone call, the group entered the hotel.

Huo Xuan took the elevator down to the lobby to greet them—and froze. The woman in black leather from last night stood there, now dressed in red casual wear.

Their eyes met. She gave a slight nod but said nothing.

Huo Xuan's attention shifted to the middle-aged man—of average height but radiating authority. He stepped forward. "Commander Liu, I presume?"