Chapter 22: Earth List Expert
“Hey, little girl, are you fucking asking for it or what!” one of the thugs behind barked out angrily.
The thug leader didn’t say a word, but his face was fuming with rage from Lin Yan'er's earlier comment. To think she called him a stinky loser! That was nothing short of an insult to the bright and boundless future of their thug life!
The thug leader turned his gaze to the somewhat lanky Qin Ruo beside him and declared domineeringly, “Kid, scram. I’m taking your spot.”
Qin Ruo was in the middle of eating a chicken drumstick when he heard this. A sudden chuckle escaped him as he glanced at Liu Hu beside him. As Qin Ruo’s current top enforcer, Liu Hu immediately stood up, glaring at the thug leader with a menacing expression.
A terrifying look pierced through the thug leader’s defenses, tearing through him like a piece of paper under the hands of a fierce beast like Liu Hu.
Though the thug leader had intimidating tattoos on his body, compared to the scars covering the face of the man before him, they were child’s play. Swallowing hard, he instantly realized this group was not to be messed with. Just this scarred man alone could probably take down his entire crew.
With an awkward laugh, the thug leader quickly cupped his hands and said, “Haha, misunderstanding, big brother! This is completely a misunderstanding!”
With that, the thug leader hurriedly walked away. Once they were a safe distance from Qin Ruo and his group, a few of his underlings panted and said, “Boss, why didn’t you go for it? Those women are absolute top-tier beauties! Their looks could rival even the hottest celebrities on TV!”
“Yeah, yeah!”
“It’s such a shame to just let them go like that!”
Hearing the dissatisfaction in his underlings’ voices, the thug leader cursed, “Go fuck yourselves, you idiots! Didn’t you see how terrifying that man was? Someone with a face full of scars like that isn’t a simple person!”
At their boss’s words, the group of underlings immediately fell silent as if chilled to the bone.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and soon it was late at night. When Qin Ruo mentioned that he also ran a restaurant, Lin Yan'er immediately smiled and said, “Then I’ll have to personally taste Chef Qin’s cooking sometime!”
“His cooking is indeed pretty good!” Xia Fei Xuan, sitting nearby, didn’t criticize Qin Ruo this time. When it came to food, Xia Fei Xuan had very high standards, yet Qin Ruo had somehow completely satisfied her palate.
“Then we’re really looking forward to it!” Dai Keni chimed in.
“Hehe, Fei Xuan, how do you know? Don’t tell me you two are actually together?” Lin Yan'er’s beautiful eyes sparkled with teasing mischief.
“Tch, he’s just my landlord. Our relationship is purely platonic!” Xia Fei Xuan said, deliberately emphasizing the word ‘purely.’
Qin Ruo nodded and said, “Little Xia is very pretty, sexy too, and her chest isn’t small either.”
Xia Fei Xuan’s pretty face instantly turned bright red. Qin Ruo, with a serious expression, continued, “Sometimes, I really want to take her home as my wife!”
At this moment, the great beauty Xia was so embarrassed she couldn’t speak, murmuring in a mosquito-like voice, “Stinky landlord, what nonsense are you spouting!”
Lin Yan'er, Dai Keni, and Liu Hu listened with rapt attention. Were they about to hear about an ambiguous relationship between a landlord and tenant that crossed boundaries? How exciting! After all, they had clearly seen that ambiguous moment in the car earlier.
But before long, Qin Ruo burst out laughing, “Haha, everything I just said was a joke!”
“Go to hell!” Xia Fei Xuan shot him a murderous look. This stinky landlord was just too infuriating!
“Yan'er, little sister, it’s getting late. Let’s head back!” Dai Keni glanced at the time on her phone. It was already midnight, and she had classes tomorrow.
“Mm, you’re right. I have work tomorrow too. Let’s go back now!” Lin Yan'er nodded and stood up.
“Landlord, how are we getting back?” Xia Fei Xuan looked at Qin Ruo.
“Pfft, silly girl, of course Yan'er will drive us back,” Dai Keni said to Xia Fei Xuan.
“Yan'er and Keni, you’re the best! A kiss for each of you, mwah!”
The group made their way to the parking lot and got into the car. Just as Lin Yan'er was about to start the engine, she suddenly shouted, “Everyone, look! There’s someone standing in front of us!”
Everyone immediately looked up and focused on the front of the car. Not far away, a black-clad man, about 1.7 meters tall, stood silently in front of the vehicle. Alone, he seemed to carry the presence of an entire army.
He stood there quietly with his eyes closed. His arms were unusually long, hanging down to his knees.
Lin Yan'er honked the horn twice, but the strange man didn’t budge, as if he hadn’t heard it at all.
“Do you think this guy’s got a screw loose?” Xia Fei Xuan asked in confusion.
Qin Ruo shook his head, his gaze fixed on the black-clad man. “This person carries killing intent!”
Liu Hu, sitting beside Qin Ruo, suddenly emitted a sharp aura from his eyes and said, “He’s here for me!”
With that, he opened the car door and swiftly got out.
Qin Ruo and the others also got out of the car, curiously watching the scene unfold. Liu Hu walked to the front of the car, looking at the black-clad man a few meters away with an unfriendly expression. “Heh, I didn’t expect to run into the 67th-ranked expert on the Earth List here—Iron Arm Ape!”
Iron Arm Ape suddenly opened his eyes, a terrifying killing intent shooting from his gaze. He sneered, “Fierce Tiger, you’ve crossed into Binhai territory. You’ve overstepped!”
“Hmph, since when do I need your permission to go anywhere?” Liu Hu growled coldly.
“Heh, I can’t control where you go, but the Night Dragon Gang has put a bounty on you in the underworld. You’re worth quite a bit—thirty million! Though it’s a bit risky, I think this deal is still pretty worthwhile!” Iron Arm Ape said.
“Haha, that’s hilarious. Iron Arm Ape, do you really think you can kill me?” Liu Hu’s eyes flashed with disdain.
“Fierce Tiger, though you rank higher on the Earth List at 62nd, it’s hard to say who will win between us,” Iron Arm Ape said with confidence.
Standing beside Qin Ruo, Xia Fei Xuan whispered, “Landlord, what’s this Earth List they’re talking about?”
Lin Yan'er and Dai Keni also looked at Qin Ruo with curious eyes. Among them, only Qin Ruo and Liu Hu seemed to know something.
Qin Ruo rubbed his nose and said, “It’s probably some kind of ranking list for martial artists.”
The few beauties nodded, half-understanding. Qin Ruo’s gaze turned serious as he watched the scene, his mind pondering something more important—the Earth List. A 69th-ranked expert on the Earth List was already at the Early Qi Energy stage. Truly, hidden dragons and crouching tigers abound in China!
However, Qin Ruo had no intention of intervening, as Liu Hu was also at the Early Qi Energy stage.
“Haha, fine. Since you’re seeking death, Iron Arm Ape, I, Liu Hu, won’t hold back!” As Liu Hu spoke, a powerful aura erupted from him, an oppressive force pressing toward Iron Arm Ape!
“I’ve long heard of Fierce Tiger’s formidable strength. Today, I, Iron Arm Ape, will test it for myself!” Iron Arm Ape moved like a nimble ape, his steps incredibly fast. In a single second, he darted seven or eight meters, his sharp palm wind slashing toward Liu Hu!
Bang!
A fist met a palm, the collision of flesh sounding like clashing machinery, sending chills down one’s spine. Liu Hu sneered a few times, using his overwhelming strength to push forward!
Iron Arm Ape staggered back a few steps, his palm tingling from the impact of Liu Hu’s punch. Without a word, he silently pulled out a short metal rod from his body. With a flick, the rod extended into a staff over a meter long!
Holding the long staff, the killing intent emanating from Iron Arm Ape grew even stronger.
Seeing Iron Arm Ape wield a weapon, Liu Hu became more cautious. Liu Hu’s personal combat strength was extremely formidable, but he hadn’t brought his weapon with him—it was back at the villa.
“Today, I’ll end your life!” Iron Arm Ape brandished the metal staff, swinging it like a storm of wind and thunder, smashing it fiercely toward Liu Hu’s body!
Liu Hu’s reaction speed wasn’t as fast as Iron Arm Ape’s. After dodging a few strikes, he was hit. With a loud boom, Liu Hu was sent flying several meters, hunching over to dissipate the force.
“Is Big Brother Liu Hu okay?” Xia Fei Xuan and the others asked anxiously from the side.
Qin Ruo shook his head with a slight smile. “He’s fine. Liu Hu is known as Fierce Tiger for a reason—he’s tough as nails!”
Liu Hu’s eyes radiated a terrifying killing intent. He took large strides forward, charging like a tank with an unstoppable, awe-inspiring momentum!
“Overestimating yourself!” A sneer curled at the corner of Iron Arm Ape’s mouth. The metal staff in his hand seemed like an extension of his body, each strike carrying deadly force. Liu Hu couldn’t even get close, instead taking several superficial injuries.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The metal staff clashed with Liu Hu’s arm. Liu Hu endured the pain and roared, his right hand flashing out like lightning. “Tiger Cannon Fist!”
With a thunderous boom, the punch carried the sound of a cannonball, striking directly at Iron Arm Ape’s chest. Iron Arm Ape’s physical endurance was nowhere near Liu Hu’s level, especially against a punch exceeding 1,500 pounds of force. He was sent flying!
With a loud crash, Iron Arm Ape landed awkwardly on the ground ahead, a trickle of blood seeping from his mouth. He stood up with the staff, his eyes growing serious. “As expected of Fierce Tiger. Just the strength of your body alone is enough to secure a spot in the top 60 of the Earth List!”
“And yet you still dare to overestimate yourself and try to kill me?” Liu Hu sneered with disdain.
“Heh, do you really think the rankings on the list determine everything?” Iron Arm Ape gripped his staff, an astonishing killing intent radiating from his body. In the next moment, he darted ten meters away, moving left and right, making it hard to track his true position.
Liu Hu grew serious. Iron Arm Ape was also a notable expert on the Earth List, particularly known for his speed. Seeing it today, his reputation was well-deserved.
His left ear keenly picked up a sound. Liu Hu struck to the left, his fist colliding with the metal staff. Liu Hu’s fist wasn’t made of iron, and blood began to flow, yet his eyes showed no trace of pain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sounds of combat were incessant. Relying on superior speed and agility, Iron Arm Ape’s lethality gradually became apparent. Soon, Liu Hu was covered in injuries, while Iron Arm Ape remained unscathed.
Liu Hu took a heavy breath, his fierce tiger-like eyes sharp and piercing, his burly frame like a towering mountain.
A whooshing sound came from his right ear. Instead of dodging, Liu Hu advanced, his five fingers gripping the metal staff. With immense strength, he yanked hard, pulling Iron Arm Ape—who was mid-air—toward him. Liu Hu freed up a leg and kicked directly at Iron Arm Ape’s chest!
With a thud, Iron Arm Ape was sent flying seven or eight meters, crashing heavily onto the ground. Liu Hu picked up the incredibly sturdy metal staff, holding it in his hand. Covered in blood, he approached Iron Arm Ape step by step.
In a battle between martial artists, there was no room for mercy. Liu Hu made a decisive move to kill, swinging the metal staff directly at Iron Arm Ape’s head. If it connected, the result would undoubtedly be a gruesome mess.