The three of them had a habit of morning exercises. As soon as dawn broke, they got up and went to the village outskirts.
The northern winter was biting cold. After a few rounds of their fists, feeling warm, they prepared to head back. That's when they saw a Land Rover and a Jinbei van parked in front of the three-story building.
A bald man, leading a group of henchmen, alighted from the vehicles. The bald man wore a mink coat and a gold chain as thick as a finger around his neck.
Long Xiao and the others returned to the three-story building, only to find the bald man and his followers already inside the living room.
"Old man, your bodyguards aren't that capable. This time, I want to see whose bodyguards are stronger – yours or my subordinates," the bald man said arrogantly, seated on the sofa.
The old man's two bodyguards stood by the wheelchair, looking nervously at the group of thugs in the room. One bodyguard pulled out his phone, preparing to make a call.
Long Xiao and the other two walked into the living room. Upon seeing them, the bald man burst into laughter and said, "Old man, you've hired three more bodyguards. Is there no one else available, or have you resorted to bringing children?"
Upon hearing himself called a "kid," Xiao Ming became furious. He flashed forward, appearing before the bald man. Before the bald man could even register what was happening, a crisp slapping sound echoed.
A barrage of slaps ensued, instantly turning the bald man's head into a swollen mess.
"What are you looking at? Beat him to death!" the bald man roared at his henchmen.
Xiao Ming pulled out a Xuan Tie cleaver from his backpack. Long Xiao hurriedly shouted, "Xiao Ming, don't use the cleaver, it'll make the room too bloody and disgusting."
"No bloodshed won't do!" Xiao Ming yelled, swinging the cleaver towards the thugs.
The living room was not large to begin with, and these thugs possessed little skill. With Xiao Ming's 'Chi Mei Xiao Yao Bu' footwork, the thugs were no different from standing still and taking a beating.
Using the cleaver sideways to slap faces, the expressions of over a dozen people instantly swelled.
After circling around, Xiao Ming kicked the胖子 (fatty) over and directly brought the cleaver down on his mouth, knocking out a few of his yellow teeth.
The fatty wailed in pain. Xiao Ming placed the cleaver on his neck and said, "Get all your subordinates into the yard. I'm going to go on a killing spree."
The bald man, speaking unclearly from fear, stammered, "Little brother, I was wrong. I'll never call you a kid again."
"It's too late. Hurry up, I haven't had breakfast yet."
The old man and his two bodyguards were stunned. Yesterday, Xiao Ming was a cute foodie, but today, he had completely transformed.
The bald man and his men were all driven into the yard by Xiao Ming. However, Xiao Ming did not go on a killing spree. He put the cleaver back into his backpack and returned to the house with his now cold hands.
Through the glass door, Xiao Ming yelled, "All of you, stand still! If anyone dares to run, I'll chase you to your home and chop you up."
The middle-aged woman cleaned up the broken teeth and blood foam from the floor. Long Xiao and Luo Tianshui sat on the sofa. Long Xiao asked, "Sir, who are these people?"
The old man sighed and said, "A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs. These are thugs from the nearby county, looking to extort a small amount of money."
Long Xiao glanced at the thugs outside and found it rather amusing.
Even for thuggery, there needed to be strategy and skill. They didn't even consider who they were trying to extort.
Someone called 'Brother' by Ming Tianya, who possessed immense power in the past, was not someone a few thugs could provoke, even if injured.
Before Long Xiao and the others finished their breakfast, Ming Tianya arrived with a driver, carrying a large bag of medicinal herbs into the living room.
Alchemy was second nature to Long Xiao. After breakfast, he, Xiao Ming, and Luo Tianshui went to the kitchen to begin refining medicine.
Luo Tianshui and Xiao Ming rubbed the herbs into powder by hand, while Long Xiao placed the powder into a pressure cooker for refinement.
The three of them worked all morning. Long Xiao refined a hundred pills, placed them in a small basin, and brought them to the living room.
Upon seeing that Long Xiao and the others had finished refining the medicine, the middle-aged woman immediately went to the old man's bedroom and pushed him out.
Ming Tianya caught the scent of the medicine and leaned closer to examine it, asking, "Long Xiao, can these pills allow my elder brother to stand up?"
Long Xiao nodded and replied, "Standing up is no problem, but to heal his internal injuries and restore his cultivation, these pills alone are not enough."
The middle-aged woman poured a cup of hot water and helped the old man swallow the pill. Soon, the old man felt a warmth spread through his body, and his waist and legs gradually began to regain sensation.
Due to prolonged immobility, the nerves and muscles in his legs had been damaged, preventing him from standing immediately.
Seeing the old man's legs move slightly, Long Xiao said, "Sir, try to stand up. After a few days of exercise, you'll be able to move normally."
With the woman's assistance, the old man attempted to stand. He was soon able to slowly move forward.
Ming Tianya, overjoyed, also went to help, supporting the old man as he walked around the house.
Long Xiao and Luo Tianshui sat on the sofa watching, while Xiao Ming went to the yard.
In the yard, the group of thugs was still standing. They were all shivering from the cold, but none dared to leave.
Long Xiao looked at the group of thugs and asked, "Do you know who is sitting inside the house?"
The bald man quickly said with a smile, "We don't know, but we know that this little brother has unparalleled martial arts skills, invincible..."
"Stop with the flattery. I'll tell you, the person supporting the old gentleman as he walks is Ming Tianya, the Vice President of the Martial Alliance."
The Martial Alliance is the Chinese Martial Artists Association, a gathering place for martial artists across the nation, and the most formidable organization in terms of combat power known to ordinary people.
Offending the Martial Alliance is akin to seeking your own death.
Upon hearing Xiao Ming's words, the bald man's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.
The Vice President of the Martial Alliance could end his life with a single word and his entire family with minutes to spare.
Seeing that the bald man and the thugs were scared, Xiao Ming said, "You can go now. That old gentleman is the elder brother of the Vice President of the Martial Alliance. You are all doomed."
The bald man, terrified, grabbed Xiao Ming's leg and pleaded, "Little brother, young master, save us! We don't want to die."
"You brought this upon yourselves, don't blame others. Go, go home and await your deaths."
The bald man immediately took off the gold chain around his neck and hung it on Xiao Ming's, saying, "Young master, please help us."
Xiao Ming took off the gold chain and threw it on the ground, saying, "What do you take me for? Trying to fool me with a broken chain."
The group of thugs surrounded Xiao Ming, begging him to intercede with Ming Tianya on their behalf and spare them.
Seeing that he had them sufficiently intimidated, and that these thugs were truly frightened, Xiao Ming said, "It's not impossible for me to help you, but I can't just do it for free, can I? Getting Chairman Ming to spare you is not an easy task."
The bald man immediately understood Xiao Ming's meaning and said, "I understand, I understand. I'll give you one hundred thousand, no, there are many expenses, I'll give you five hundred thousand."
"Are you trying to scam a beggar?" Xiao Ming shook off the bald man and turned to go back into the living room.
The bald man quickly grabbed Xiao Ming, saying, "Don't, don't go, young master. We'll give you one million five hundred thousand."
Xiao Ming stopped. Seeing a glimmer of hope, the bald man immediately turned around and said, "Everyone, quickly gather the money. Ten thousand each, pay up immediately!"
All the thugs took out their phones. The bald man looked at Xiao Ming expectantly. Xiao Ming put on a reluctant expression and also took out his phone.