Chapter 023: Stirring Up Trouble with the Black Boss (Please Add to Favorites)

Li Huan’s chest was left wide open, and the big bald man seized the opportunity, swinging his leg in a fierce kick. Fortunately, Li Huan’s reflexes were fast enough; he abruptly raised his fist and aimed a blow right at the bald man’s ankle.

The bald man’s expression changed instantly, cursing inwardly. Though he had some skill, he lacked true mastery—his control over his body and strength was only superficial. He knew he shouldn’t force the clash, but it was too late to withdraw. He felt his toes connect with Li Huan’s torso, while Li Huan’s fist crashed into his ankle. A surge of pain shot through him, and, knocked off balance by the impact, he stumbled, legs splayed, suddenly half his usual height.

Li Huan, struck by the kick, staggered back several steps. His chest throbbed with piercing pain, as if a needle had stabbed his heart, and even his coughs were laced with sharp agony.

“Boss…” The watching underlings saw that the bald man seemed to have suffered a setback and hurried over, faces anxious. One, eager to impress, rushed at Li Huan, hurling insults and lifting his leg to kick him. But before he could finish the move, Li Huan struck him squarely with a “crippling sweep,” right between the legs. The pain sent the underling collapsing to the ground, rolling in agony.

“Damn it, get back here! All you do is embarrass me!” The bald man's face was livid. Bracing himself with one hand on the ground, he pushed up and stood, only to feel a sharp pain in his ankle that nearly sent him tumbling again.

He frowned, twisted his ankle, and shot Li Huan another glance, a cruel smile curling his lips. “Not bad—you’ve got some skill, no wonder you dared to step up for someone else! But you should know: the bird that sticks its head out gets shot. In this Lion’s Gate territory, I, Baldy, have weight. You mess with my men, I’ll crush you today, or people will think I’m afraid of someone!”

Li Huan’s heart was racing. The crew with the slicked-back hair had already gone after Sun Feifei; it wouldn’t be long before she was caught. The bald man was clearly trained, maybe not formidable, but certainly more than Li Huan could handle—especially with twenty-odd henchmen under his command. In that case, Li Huan would be beaten mercilessly, and Sun Feifei might suffer even worse humiliation.

A surge of guilt seized Li Huan. If only he’d trained diligently with his father or uncles—if he had half their skills, these men wouldn’t be his match. But now, regret was useless.

It was true what they said: ignore the wisdom of elders, and regret comes soon enough. Now he was facing a disaster.

He could endure a beating himself, a few months’ rest would heal him. But if Sun Feifei was caught by these men, the consequences would be unimaginable. For a woman like her, chastity meant more than life.

Li Huan couldn’t bear to let such a tragedy unfold before his eyes, but it seemed he could barely protect himself, let alone Sun Feifei.

“Baldy, was it? You’re the boss of Lion’s Gate, aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed for this?” Li Huan sneered, shaking out his arms. The pain from the earlier blow with the baton was finally dulled to a bearable ache.

“Heh, who the hell are you? Here, I make the rules, and nobody else gets a say!” Baldy laughed coldly, as if Li Huan’s words were a joke. He stepped forward, flicked the tip of his knife toward Li Huan’s chest, and stabbed at him with a quick shake.

It was clear Li Huan’s punch had been vicious. Baldy was thickset and robust, but even he had suffered—his ankle was wounded, and he could barely apply force while walking. He cursed inwardly, aware that his ankle bone might be damaged, but with so many underlings watching, he refused to show weakness. Gritting his teeth, he aimed for a swift victory, determined to bring Li Huan down.

Though Li Huan hadn’t learned any deadly tricks, his foundation was solid, his training orthodox, and his speed and strength were remarkable. Baldy’s knife aimed for Li Huan’s vital chest, but Li Huan dodged lightly, the blade grazing his chest and tearing a hole in his shirt.

Baldy grinned, twisting his wrist to drag the edge across Li Huan’s chest again. The blade flashed, slicing the shirt open and leaving a thin line of blood.

Li Huan retreated quickly, but the sharp blade caught him, sending a burning pain through his chest. Warm blood trickled down, staining his shirt crimson in moments.

Baldy chuckled wickedly, bringing the knife to his lips and licking the fresh blood, the taste seeming to excite him. He stepped forward, pressing the tip of the knife to Li Huan’s chin. “You’re too weak. To me, you’re no different from an ant. I could crush you with a flick of my finger!”

“Is that so?” Li Huan’s lips moved, and in the next instant, he sprang up, grabbing the machete in Baldy’s hand. Even as the blade sliced his fingers, he ignored the pain, twisting his wrist to drive the knife straight into Baldy’s abdomen.

It happened so suddenly—Baldy had assumed Li Huan was finished, and with the knife at his throat, he thought Li Huan wouldn’t dare resist. He never expected Li Huan to fight so desperately. Caught off guard, he froze, only realizing what had happened when the cold blade pierced his belly and pain exploded in his abdomen. He stared at Li Huan in disbelief, his body trembling violently, then staggered backward.

“Boss…” Several sharp-eyed underlings saw something was wrong and hurried over to support Baldy, gasping as blood gushed from his abdomen. Four or five men crowded around him, the scene instantly chaotic.

Li Huan watched the turmoil with cold eyes. In this situation, he could see his fate—if Baldy didn’t kill him outright, he’d be left crippled, and Sun Feifei would likely suffer worse. He could only hope she escaped quickly, or her fate would be even more tragic.

But fate rarely aligns with one’s wishes. Amidst the chaos, the voice of Slick-Head rang out behind him. Li Huan turned, seeing Sun Feifei had already been captured and dragged back by Slick-Head and his crew, unconscious from the beating.

Slick-Head, noticing the commotion, rushed over, pushing through the crowd to find his boss stabbed and bleeding, blood pooling at his belly and dripping from his clothes. The wound looked severe.

“Boss, are you all right?” Slick-Head was flustered. To him, Baldy was the top dog in Lion’s Gate, untouchable. He’d only been gone a moment, and now his boss was stabbed—if word got out, they'd be a laughingstock.

“Damn it, stabbed—how could I be all right? Damn…” Baldy gritted his teeth, glaring at Slick-Head. Even his voice trembled from the pain, showing how deep Li Huan’s stab had been.

Knowing he’d misspoken, Slick-Head glanced at Li Huan, his jaw twitching. He snatched a machete from a companion, declaring, “Boss, just say the word, and I’ll kill this bastard, even if I end up in prison!”

Baldy was briefly stunned by Slick-Head’s words. He struggled free from his underlings, glanced at Sun Feifei with a greedy look, then turned to Li Huan, pointing at him. “Didn’t expect you’d dare stab me, huh? Today, you’ll leave here flat on your back…”

He signaled to Slick-Head, drawing a finger across his throat to indicate he wanted Li Huan dead.

“Really kill him?” Slick-Head, fierce moments ago, was suddenly unnerved by the gesture, his voice faltering.

“What do you think?” Baldy shot him a cold look, sneering, then turned towards Sun Feifei.

“Stop!” Li Huan suddenly shouted, startling Slick-Head so much he nearly dropped his knife.

“Finish him…” Baldy, clutching his wound, gestured to his men as a car pulled up, indicating Sun Feifei should be taken as well.

Blood still oozed from Li Huan’s chest, the burning pain making his whole body tremble. His hands, cut by the blade, hurt so badly he could barely clench his fists. Yet as Sun Feifei was about to be taken away, a surge of desperation seized him. He roared and charged at Baldy.

At that moment, Slick-Head snapped out of his daze, swinging his machete at Li Huan’s head. The blade flashed, aimed right at Li Huan’s skull.

Slick-Head’s heart sank, and he shut his eyes, expecting the blade to connect. But in the next instant, something felt off—though he’d seen the blade touch Li Huan’s scalp, it had struck nothing.

He opened his eyes abruptly, but Li Huan was gone, only two stunned underlings standing before him. The events had taken an unexpected turn, a strange feeling creeping over him. When he turned to look for Li Huan, he saw only a shadow dart past Baldy, breaking through the crowd and vanishing swiftly into the alley, racing towards the exit.

Shouts and cries erupted, and Baldy lay collapsed on the ground, a knife embedded in his abdomen, blood spreading rapidly and soaking the floor…