Chapter 2: To Kill You, No More Than a Snap of the Fingers

The woman cradled in the burly man's arms was, to his utter disbelief, his own elder sister, Mengxue Ye.

"Man, Brother Zhang, this stuff of yours is magic! This woman is out cold, sleeping like a dead pig, hahaha!" The hefty man holding Mengxue Ye grinned, his eyes gleaming with a greedy light as he felt the softness in his embrace.

If only I could savor a beauty like this... what a sensation that would be! Worth every penny, no matter the cost!

Noticing the lewd thoughts flickering in his companion’s eyes, the greasy man shot him a fierce glare and slapped him hard on the back of the head.

"Keep your filthy eyes to yourself!"

Brother Zhang scowled at his subordinate. "This woman’s been on Mr. Wang’s mind for days. Once we tie her up and deliver her tonight, won’t we be living the good life here in River City? If you dare have any funny ideas, I’ll be the first to break your legs!"

When his underling nodded solemnly in promise, Brother Zhang swaggered forward, pride in every step—only to find his path blocked by a tall figure after just a few paces.

"Who the hell dares to block my way?" Zhang Yong barked, his mind still spinning dreams of ruling River City’s underworld, anger flaring at this untimely interruption.

“Hand over the woman.”

“What?”

Zhang Yong’s heart skipped a beat. Someone was trying to cut in? Who in River City would dare to cross him?

Curiosity piqued, Zhang Yong looked up, eager to see which underworld boss he’d stumbled upon. When he finally got a clear look at the man before him, his anxiety faded instantly.

So it was just some clueless beggar.

Annoyed, Zhang Yong waved dismissively. One of his henchmen caught the cue and strode toward the obstructing man—Cheng Ye.

“Our boss said, get lost! Didn’t you hear?” The burly man’s formidable size and scowling face sent shivers through the watching crowd.

“Wow, who’s dumb enough to provoke Zhang Yong?”

“Must be new around here, hasn’t tasted hardship yet. He’ll learn soon enough.”

“Poor guy… If you piss Zhang Yong off, you might as well forget about ever making it in River City.”

Cheng Ye paid no mind to the audience’s chatter. A River City thug? To him, they were no more than ants.

“Are you deaf, kid? Didn’t you hear—” The henchman’s words were cut short as Cheng Ye swung a palm squarely across his pudgy face.

A crisp slap rang out.

The impact made Zhang Yong look up in shock, only to see his bodyguard—over two hundred pounds of muscle—topple to the ground, knocked out cold by a single slap from that so-called beggar!

Zhang Yong was stunned—not so much by Cheng Ye’s strength, but by the audacity of someone daring to lay hands on his men.

“New to River City, huh, kid? Have you ever heard of—”

“I’ll say it once more. Give me the woman.”

Cheng Ye’s tone grew icy.

He didn’t care if his opponent was Zhang Yong or Li Yong. Anyone who harbored ill intent toward his sister deserved to die.

“Listen to me, kid. If you kneel right now and beg for mercy, I’ll have my men give you five slaps in return and let it go. Otherwise…”

Zhang Yong chuckled darkly. In this area, his name carried weight; he’d committed countless crimes—evictions, bullying the weak and elderly, violent debt collection—just a drop in the bucket. Yet he’d always gotten away with it, living better than ever, clearly protected by someone influential.

“Otherwise what?”

“Otherwise, I’ll kill you in the blink of an eye.”

Cheng Ye flicked his fingers with a cold laugh.

The sound of tearing flesh made everyone wince.

Zhang Yong paused, but in the next instant, a searing agony erupted in his right ear.

A blood-curdling scream followed.

His two bodyguards stared, wide-eyed, at their boss, unable to believe what they saw—Zhang Yong’s ear had been sliced clean off and lay on the ground!

And the beauty they’d been holding had somehow appeared in the arms of this man.

What kind of sorcery is this?

Though both were former military toughs, this supernatural display left them rattled. Without so much as a touch—just a flick of the fingers—and an ear fell off?

“I only took one ear to keep you from letting things go in one and out the other,” Cheng Ye said with a sudden, chilling smile. “Speak out of turn again, and you die.”

Terror—sheer, unmitigated terror—flooded Zhang Yong’s mind. In all his years in the underworld, he’d never encountered anything like this, nor had anyone ever dared treat him so.

“You bastard, don’t you dare run!”

Zhang Yong’s voice trembled, blood still streaming from his right ear, but he knew he couldn’t handle this freakish adversary alone.

“Call Mr. Wang, now! Tell him to bring as many men as possible! Tell him the woman he wants is about to be snatched by someone else!”

No matter what kind of tricks this guy had, sheer numbers would crush him.

Cheng Ye stood his ground, watching these thugs summon reinforcements with little interest. Wiping out one thug or a whole group was all the same—he’d do society a favor tonight. It wouldn’t take much time; ants were still only ants, no matter how many.

He glanced down at his sister in his arms, surprised to find her eyes open, staring straight into his face.

“Xiao… Xiaocheng?”

Mengxue Ye’s mind was blank. Gazing at the man holding her, she felt as if she were looking at her little brother. But on closer inspection, her face fell—her brother would never look so unkempt. She must be mistaken.

“Don’t move. Someone drugged you.”

“What?”

Mengxue Ye jolted awake, scanning her surroundings until her eyes landed on Zhang Yong, the man who had drugged her. Only then did she realize her predicament.

“Once I clear out this trash, I’ll take you home.”

For reasons she couldn’t explain, Mengxue Ye felt warmth and security in this stranger’s arms—enough to banish her fear. Perhaps it was simply because he resembled her brother.

A blush rose to her cheeks—it was the first time she’d ever been held like this by a man she didn’t know.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha!” While the two spoke, Zhang Yong had finished his call and began to laugh maniacally.

“You’re dead, kid! Mr. Wang is coming himself. You’re finished!”

“Mr. Wang… it’s over…” At those words, Mengxue Ye’s face paled, and she instinctively snuggled deeper into Cheng Ye’s arms.

“Is this Mr. Wang so formidable?” Cheng Ye asked, seeing her fear.

Mengxue Ye nodded, still shaken.

Cheng Ye didn’t pursue it further.

If this Mr. Wang harbored the same vile desires for his sister…

He wouldn’t mind killing one more.