Chapter Six: Elites and Ruffians

As soon as this thought surfaced in Li Mingxing’s mind, he shook his head to dismiss it. That young man, judging by his own demeanor and family background, certainly wasn’t the type who would attack Li Mingxing for a mere three hundred thousand. Li Mingxing reckoned that these people were most likely subordinates of that young man, and perhaps even sent by the man who had brought him here.

Still, why would someone who worked for a prominent family resort to such measures? Li Mingxing couldn’t quite figure it out. While he was pondering this, there came a loud knock at the door, accompanied by a man’s voice yelling, “Police! Open up immediately!”

Facing this tense situation, Li Mingxing unexpectedly regained his composure. A single thought flashed repeatedly through his mind: he was a hero, the future ruler of Earth; he would not be troubled by such petty matters.

He quickly packed all his documents and the three hundred thousand into a sturdy bag, along with the set of clothes he had just acquired. Once everything was ready, he feigned the look of someone who had just climbed out of bed, heavy-footed, and made his way to the door, yanking it open with force.

The moment the door swung open, Li Mingxing saw two men lying in wait outside, clubs raised and ready to strike. However, he had not leaned out as they expected, and their blows landed on empty air. Taking advantage of their surprise, Li Mingxing lashed out with a swift kick, sending the man standing directly at the door flying.

He had chosen to attack this man first because, in an instant, he realized that this fellow was not affected by his imperial aura. The other two, however, still bore faint rings at their feet—marks of having been influenced by his commanding presence. After sending the first man sprawling, Li Mingxing pointed at him and commanded the others harshly, “Beat him. Half to death, then drag him away.”

With that, Li Mingxing slammed the door shut. The two men, hearing his words, raised their clubs and pipes and turned on their fallen companion. Soon, agonized cries echoed through the corridor.

But Li Mingxing did not let his guard down. Pulling back the curtains, he saw a car parked outside with several men smoking beside it. He snorted coldly, and without further hesitation, opened the window and leapt out. Only as he was falling did he recall that his room was on the fifth floor.

There was no time for regret. Drawing on the instincts he had gained from the young Scorpion-Lion, he kicked off the wall with his legs, propelling himself forward and absorbing much of the impact. He landed headlong in a nearby tree, and before he could fully grasp what was happening, his legs found their footing on the branches, carrying him swiftly to the parked car.

The men by the car noticed his arrival and sprang to their feet. Li Mingxing did not attack them; instead, he ordered, “Drive your car and ram the security post.”

Before the men could process his words, the car had already started. Without thinking too much, they jumped in and sped off toward the security booth.

Li Mingxing watched this unfold with a faint smile, then hid himself nearby. Soon, the sounds of a crash and ensuing commotion carried from the security post.

He now understood that his role here was over. What he needed was a safe place to lie low for a while. Even if he couldn’t shake off this trouble entirely, he had to at least convince the police that he hadn’t been around tonight.

Where he would ultimately go was not a problem—after all, in this modern age, money could resolve most difficulties.

Li Mingxing cared little for the troublemakers who had come after him. He was growing more accustomed to this new identity and, even before, had never been easily intimidated.

He was certain that the matter would never reach that young man, so things would not get out of hand.

Yet Li Mingxing hadn’t guessed the true origin of these events. As he fled his residence with his money and clothes, the police arrived at the scene.

The men who had attacked the security post quickly identified themselves as staff of the family whose ball Li Mingxing had attended earlier that day. They hadn’t come after Li Mingxing for his money, but on the orders of their family’s young lady.

Her reason was simple: she could not bear the thought of someone else possessing the same aura as her brother. With her backing, her people acted without restraint. When the police arrived, not only were they not arrested, they even discussed with the officers how to find Li Mingxing, the man who had caused them so much trouble.

Unaware of all this, Li Mingxing was still searching for a place to hide. Dawn had not yet broken, and carrying three hundred thousand on his back, he had no intention of wandering the streets and risking an attack.

But despite his intentions, trouble found him. Before long, he noticed a few shifty-looking men trailing him. At first, he wondered if they were the young man’s subordinates, but when they suddenly rushed at him with knives, he realized they were nothing but small-time thugs, drawn by the sight of his hefty bag.

Already irritated by having nowhere to go, Li Mingxing was more than ready to vent his anger. He spun around with the agility of a lion, his right hand forming a claw as he lunged and seized one thug’s wrist.

With a sickening crack, the thug’s arm broke. Even Li Mingxing was surprised by his own strength; the gifts of the Otherworld were proving more wonderful by the moment.

Seeing their companion injured, the remaining thugs scattered in panic. Li Mingxing let out a cold snort, “All of you—get back here.”

Whether paralyzed by fear or cowed by his imperial presence, the thugs eventually fell to their knees before him, begging for forgiveness.

Li Mingxing regarded them coolly, and suddenly recalled the first branch of his current quest. He swept his gaze across them. “You want my forgiveness? That’s not possible. You’ve made me very angry.”

This only frightened them further, but one of the younger thugs quickly spoke up, “If you’ll let us go, sir, we’ll serve you loyally, whatever you ask.”

Li Mingxing looked him over and saw that, among the group, this youth was the least hardened by violence, his face lacking the ferocity of a seasoned criminal. Clearly, he had not clawed his way up through sheer ruthlessness.

A thought occurred to Li Mingxing. He tossed down a blank sheet of paper and a pen. “Write your name and declare that from this moment on, you will serve under me, stand by my side no matter what I face.”

The youth hesitated, then asked, “Is that all I have to write?”

“That’s right. But if you dare use a false name, you’d better consider the consequences,” Li Mingxing replied coldly.

That put an end to any hesitation. The youth wrote as told, and Li Mingxing took the paper. Beneath the declaration was a name: Yin Haitao.

“Yin Haitao, is it? Not a bad name. From now on, you’re with me.” No sooner had Li Mingxing spoken than two icons appeared below Yin Haitao’s name on the paper—one a telescope on a map, the other a small dagger.

Realizing others could not see these symbols, Li Mingxing thought he should find a mentor soon to learn more about these abilities. Otherwise, he’d be embarrassed not to recognize the skills he’d acquired.

With that, he tossed a few hundred yuan to the group. “See to your friend’s injury. Yin Haitao, come with me; I have a task for you.”

Without hesitation, Yin Haitao scooped up the money, handed it to his former companions, and hurried after Li Mingxing. Together, they vanished down the street.

Only after the two were gone did the rest of the thugs dare to lift their heads. None of them could quite grasp what had just happened; it all felt like a dream, the price of which was one less companion and another with a broken arm.

After standing there in a daze for a while, the group dispersed, and no one ever spoke of Yin Haitao or that night again. In the darkness, the whole affair faded quietly from memory.