Chapter 96

Two people were talking when suddenly, Jenny, who had been sitting silently beside them, whispered to Zong Lizhi, “There are some bad guys outside, everyone be careful.”

Song Haowen and Zong Lizhi were startled and quickly looked outside the private room. They saw three to five burly men entering the hall, one of them covered in pimples with a long scar on his bald head, standing in front of the cash register, lightly tapping the tabletop with a steel ruler.

The female cashier cowered to the side, and a seemingly young manager argued with them.

Thinking they might be debt collectors, Song Haowen took a quick glance and didn’t pay much attention. He comforted the two ladies, and they continued enjoying their snacks.

However, not long after, a commotion erupted in the hall. Song Haowen looked outside the private room to see that the bald guy had dragged the young manager to the bar and was beating him with an iron ruler, causing the young man to scream in pain.

The surroundings were filled with customers and staff trying to stop the bald guy. The female cashier cried and cursed, but the bald guy paid no attention. As long as the young man didn’t beg for mercy, the beating wouldn’t stop.

Feeling a sense of sympathy, Song Haowen couldn’t hold back. Zong Lizhi failed to stop him, and he ran into the hall. However, the focus in the hall was on the fight, and no one noticed this oddly dressed outsider.

After observing for a moment in the crowd, Song Haowen roughly understood the reason for the dispute.

It turned out that the bald guy beating the young man was Ma San, a well-known thug on this street.

The young man being beaten was the manager of this restaurant. Ma San and the female cashier were classmates in elementary school, and he had been relentlessly pursuing her for years.

However, she wasn’t interested in him and was in a relationship with the manager. Upon learning about her relationship, Ma San came over to force her to break up, but the cashier adamantly refused.

Helpless, Ma San resorted to threatening and bribing the manager. Unexpectedly, the manager was unfazed, and the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement. Frustrated and angered, Ma San resorted to violence, trying to force the manager to break up with his girlfriend.

Seeing the stubborn manager about to be seriously injured, Song Haowen couldn’t bear it. He pushed through the crowd and grabbed Ma San’s hand, stopping him from continuing the assault.

Ma San’s accomplices, seeing someone intervening, immediately got involved and approached, ready to start a fight.

Ma San, infuriated by the interference of an outsider, broke free from Song Haowen and immediately swung the steel ruler towards Song Haowen’s head. If it landed, it could cause injuries ranging from a cut to a concussion. Witnessing this, everyone anxiously sweated for Song Haowen.

The manager, just saved by Song Haowen, hadn’t even caught his breath yet. Seeing his lifesaver in danger, he shouted, “Be careful!” while kicking Ma San’s abdomen with all his strength.

As Song Haowen rushed out of the private room, both Zong Lizhi and Jenny, despite trusting Song Haowen’s skills, couldn’t help but scream when they saw Ma San swinging the steel ruler towards him.

In the blink of an eye, Song Haowen swiftly dodged the attack, and with a quick counterattack, he knocked Ma San to the ground. Following that, a series of kicks from his left leg sent Ma San’s thugs sprawling on the floor, earning applause from the onlookers in the hall.

Clapping his hands, Song Haowen said to Ma San, “Brother, it’s the modern age now. Why resort to such old-fashioned methods like kidnapping brides? Do you have any sisters at home?”

Ma San was momentarily stunned, and by the time he realized what Song Haowen meant, Song Haowen had already walked away from him and returned to the private room.

Though tempted to retaliate, Ma San knew he was no match and could only leave in embarrassment amid jeers.

The restaurant manager and the female cashier came to the private room to thank Song Haowen, saying that their meal was on the house.

They also advised them to leave quickly to avoid retaliation from Ma San. Zong Lizhi and Jenny agreed that it wasn’t safe to stay, even though they had only eaten half of their meal. They urged Song Haowen to leave soon.

Though not afraid of Ma San’s revenge, Song Haowen thought of the two ladies by his side, especially one being a celebrity in Hong Kong. Considering the potential complications, he agreed to settle the bill and leave.

The manager insisted on covering their bill and practically escorted Song Haowen and the others out of the restaurant. Once on the street, despite having only eaten half their meal, they lost interest in finishing it. Zong Lizhi suggested calling it a day and heading back to avoid any further trouble.

Agreeing with the plan, Song Haowen tried to hail a taxi on the street to head towards the mountains. It was already past noon on New Year’s Eve, and with most people preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner at home, the streets were sparsely populated.

Before they could find a taxi, a group of thugs armed with various weapons approached. Realizing the danger, Song Haowen immediately told Zong Lizhi and Jenny to hide in a nearby department store. Ignoring their protests, he stayed on the street.

The gang, about eleven or twelve members strong, surrounded Song Haowen. Ma San stepped forward and said, “You bastard got involved where you shouldn’t have! Now kneel down, kowtow to me ten times, give me all the money you have, and I might consider letting you, an outsider, leave!”

Song Haowen sneered. “What if I refuse?”

“Then you can forget about celebrating the New Year in the mortal realm; go report to the afterlife!” Ma San said viciously.

With a charming smile, Song Haowen replied, “Alright, I’ll tell you straight up, I won’t agree!”

Frustrated, Ma San said, “You brought this upon yourself. Don’t cry and beg later!” He shouted to his dozen or so henchmen, “Beat him up, leave him unable to care for himself!”

Chong Lizhi and Jenny, hiding in the department store, were bewildered. They couldn’t fathom where Song Haowen’s confidence came from to take on more than ten thugs, especially when they were armed. Fear gripped their hearts for his audacity.

Customers and staff from the store rushed to the entrance to witness the commotion. They anxiously wondered about the absence of the police, asking, “Something big is about to happen. Where are the cops? Have they all gone home for the New Year?”

Having dealt with thugs multiple times before, Song Haowen had gained considerable experience.

Recently, he had undergone training with the national team, improving his combat skills. Combined with practicing the “Tai Chi Profound Art” in recent days, he felt stronger and more agile. Faced with the unfavorable situation of fighting against many, he showed no fear and was ready to strike.

Ma San’s group, relying on their numbers and weapons, didn’t take Song Haowen seriously. They rushed forward for a chaotic assault. But to their surprise, Song Haowen had anticipated the opportunity.

Spotting a long-haired guy charging at the forefront, he swiftly dodged the iron rod swung by the guy and forcefully swept his left foot forward, sending the guy flying.

The companions around him were caught off guard, and a rain of knives, spears, and clubs descended on the fallen guy, immediately eliciting pig-like screams.

As the long-haired guy absorbed the brunt of the initial attack for Song Haowen, he quickly reached out and grabbed two wooden sticks. With these sticks, he deftly blocked the first wave of attacks from the thugs.

The thugs were astonished by Song Haowen’s bravery and combat prowess. Without giving them a chance to fully comprehend, Song Haowen rushed into the group of thugs, using the sticks to strike and jab.

Quickly, he knocked them down one by one. Ma San, wielding a machete, had barely swung it when one of his arms was broken by a blow from the wooden sticks. The machete flew out of his hand, stabbing into the belly of one of his companions, blood gushing out.

In an instant, the once intimidating thugs were all injured and lying on the ground, creating an unreal scene that left the onlookers in disbelief.

Though Chong Lizhi and Jenny knew Song Haowen was skilled in martial arts, witnessing him single-handedly defeat more than ten armed thugs for the first time left them incredibly stunned.

Their adorable mouths hung open in awe.

Suddenly, a woman among the spectators shouted, “The police are coming!”

Suddenly, the gang of thugs lying on the ground, wailing and howling, immediately helped each other up and scrambled away. It was as if a gust of wind had swept through, leaving the street clean and tidy.

At this moment, applause erupted around Song Haowen, and people gathered around him as if he were a hero. One confident girl said, “I didn’t expect my shout to scare them all away!”

Song Haowen noticed that Zong Lizhi and Jenny were about to approach, so he quickly signaled for them to stay away. Reacting promptly, the two of them walked to the side.

Seeing a taxi approaching, they eagerly hailed it and let it slowly approach Song Haowen through the crowd, allowing him to get in. Although many people still had things to say to him, he was already inside the taxi, and they could only watch as he quickly drove away.

Twenty minutes later, the taxi left the urban area and headed straight for the Wudang Mountain camp. Song Haowen and the others breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like they had finally escaped from those demons.

Shortly after, the taxi entered the mountainous area with winding mountain roads that became increasingly difficult to navigate. However, the taxi driver, named Gong, was a middle-aged man with a cheerful personality, having driven a taxi for over a decade and was familiar with these road conditions. Song Haowen could tell that Gong drove with ease and relaxation, treating them like guests heading to a relative’s house in the mountains.

Just as the taxi approached a location about five or six kilometers away from the production crew, Gong, the taxi driver, suddenly exclaimed, “This is a mountain road; why are they driving so fast?”

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Song Haowen heard Gong’s words and immediately turned to look. He saw another taxi rapidly approaching theirs. Song Haowen quickly alerted Gong, “There’s a bend up ahead; be careful and give them space. If needed, stop and let them pass. We don’t want to get into trouble with this reckless driver.”

Hearing Song Haowen’s words, Gong’s expression darkened. He immediately focused on observing the movements of the taxi behind them through the rearview mirror, muttering, “Damn, could it be a drunk driver?”

The conversation between Song Haowen and Gong caught the attention of the two girls sitting in the back. They turned around and watched for a while before saying, “Although that car is driving fast, it seems steady. It shouldn’t be a drunk driver.”

Gong cursed, “It’s already late at night, and they’re still driving so fast. Are they in a hurry to reincarnate or something?”

Song Haowen chuckled, “People with a quick temper never slow down, no matter the time.” Seeing the car behind them approaching within two hundred meters, he said, “Let’s slow down and let them pass.”

Gong, upon hearing Song Haowen’s words, slowed down the taxi, allowing the other car to overtake them.