Long Xiao glanced at the person speaking in the crowd, a look of disdain appearing on his lips.
With so many people, even if he was strong, he couldn't fight them all. He had to intimidate some of them and focus on those who were stubborn.
"I've already said, Huo Zhen is my friend. I am Long Xiao from Xinglin Caotang in the East Sea. Huo Zhen's affairs are now my affairs. Those who want to capture Huo Zhen, step forward."
Long Xiao knew full well that these people all wanted to capture Huo Zhen and obtain the Qilin Soul. The best strategy against them was to defeat them one by one.
As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm, but at this moment, no one was foolish enough to step forward voluntarily.
Long Xiao waited for another minute. Seeing that no one stepped forward, he released his five-elemental vital energy throughout his body and used the 'Chi Mei Xiao Yao Bu' (Phantom Wandering Steps), charging towards the young man who had just spoken.
The young man realized Long Xiao was charging at him, but it was too late to dodge.
With a few bangs, several people blocking the young man were sent flying. Long Xiao reached the young man and punched him in the stomach.
It was a full-power strike of 'Bao Long Quan' (Tyrannical Dragon Fist), giving the opponent no chance to retaliate.
Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. Long Xiao quickly retreated and sat back on his chair.
As people around the young man discovered Long Xiao's actions, they scrambled to dodge, but none of them managed to avoid the splatter of the young man's blood.
Long Xiao crossed his legs again, as if he hadn't moved, and as if the person had exploded on his own.
"I remember, Long Xiao of the East Sea is that ruthless man from the East Sea. 'The Old Man in the Mountains' sent hundreds of people to intercept him in Huaxia, and he killed every single one of them, leaving no survivors."
"'The Old Man in the Mountains' is a world-class assassin organization. Even they couldn't kill Long Xiao. This Long Xiao is too formidable," someone whispered.
Many people in the crowd were discussing Long Xiao, those who had been to the East Sea and heard of him.
Opinions about Long Xiao were divided. Some considered him a dragon among men, while others saw him as a rogue, a swindler, a harbinger of doom.
Long Xiao's hearing was exceptionally sharp, and he could hear all the discussions about him, but he didn't care.
Long Xiao believed that others' opinions were their own business, and he didn't need others to dictate how he should live. As long as he was true to himself, nothing else mattered.
A person who had been lively just moments ago had exploded from Long Xiao's punch. Everyone present watched Long Xiao warily, fearing he might suddenly attack them.
The strength of those present varied. Some of the weaker ones couldn't even see how Long Xiao had moved. Fear gripped their hearts, and they prepared to leave.
Long Xiao scanned the crowd and said, "I advise everyone, if you want to leave, do so quickly, or it will be too late. Don't think you're all that powerful; you're just puppets. The truly powerful ones haven't shown themselves yet."
"Long Xiao, what do you mean by that? Are there others besides us who want the Qilin Soul?" a burly man asked.
"Huo Zhen and I have an appointment to meet Jack tomorrow. Does anyone here know Jack? If you know him, consider whether you can contend with him."
Long Xiao revealed the news of his meeting with Jack tomorrow. Jack was from the Tongji Association, and someone in the crowd might know him. The Tongji Association, a top world organization, was not something people present dared to provoke.
Soon, hushed discussions erupted in the crowd, and many began to retreat, leaving the Huo family villa.
In less than ten minutes, half the people at the entrance of the Huo family villa had left. Those who left knew what kind of organization the Tongji Association was and understood that fighting for the Qilin Soul against them would result in a tragic end.
About seventy to eighty people remained. These were either people who didn't know Jack was from the Tongji Association or had no understanding of the organization.
Although these people were reluctant to leave, they dared not act rashly. Everyone knew that whoever made the first move would be the first to die.
Long Xiao scanned the remaining people and said, "If you don't want to leave, let's have a good talk. First matter, choose your method of death. Of course, I will try to avoid killing people myself. Hong Kong is a society governed by law, and too many deaths bring too much trouble."
"There are seventy to eighty of us. Can you, all by yourself, kill all of us?" an old woman shouted from the crowd.
Long Xiao shook his head and said, "I can't kill all of you, but I can take you down."
Long Xiao reached into his robe and pulled out a Heavenly Thunder Talisman, saying casually, "Little one, light it up."
No one saw how he lit it. By the time Long Xiao pulled his hand out of his robe, the talisman in his hand was already burning.
He flung the talisman towards the woman who had just spoken. A bolt of lightning descended from the sky with a deafening roar, and the woman was blasted into smithereens.
Those standing near the woman were also affected. The least affected were splattered with blood and gore, while the worst were sent flying by the shockwave of the lightning strike, breaking more than a dozen bones. Their clothes turned to ash, and their charred bodies oozed blood and yellow fluids.
No one dared to speak. Some touched their heads to confirm they were still intact. Without a word, they turned and left, not looking back.
Another group left, leaving only about thirty people. These were individuals who considered themselves masters and believed they could deal with Long Xiao on their own merits.
Long Xiao surveyed the crowd again and said, "Quite a few are left. Excellent, this will be a good opportunity to test my 'Long Xing Shou' (Dragon Walking Hand)."
Everyone looked at each other. Someone proposed they attack together, kill Long Xiao first, and then discuss the ownership of the Qilin Soul.
This proposal was immediately seconded, and soon a dozen people stood together, preparing to attack Long Xiao simultaneously.
The remaining thirty-odd people split into two groups. Long Xiao knew that those who hadn't joined the initial group were the strongest among them.
The dozen or so people standing together were not the real threat; the remaining dozen or so were.
Long Xiao looked at the dozen or so people standing together and said, "Choose your method of death. You have all chosen death, so I won't try to persuade you any further."
The dozen or so individuals, all of considerable strength, looked at the arrogant Long Xiao, feeling as though he were joking.
"Long Xiao, you're still so arrogant on the brink of death. I think you're the one who should choose how to die."
Long Xiao released his five-elemental vital energy, and everyone present felt a sense of tension, though most didn't understand why.
The few people standing on the outermost periphery felt Long Xiao's five-elemental vital energy, their expressions changing slightly.
A middle-aged man whispered, "Let's go. With Long Xiao here, we definitely won't be able to get the Qilin Soul."
"Master, if we leave now, half a month's work will be in vain," said the girl standing beside the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man sighed and said, "Hurry up and leave. If we don't go now, it will be too late."
"Master, does Long Xiao have other helpers?" asked the young man standing next to the girl.
The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "Does someone with Long Xiao's strength need helpers?"
The middle-aged man led his two disciples away. Seeing that something was wrong, some others followed, while some remained observing.