Chapter 043 Dog Lord

The wooden door closed, and the room immediately fell silent. Li Huan swept his gaze around and saw four or five people already seated in the guest area. Among them, a short, middle-aged man lounged on the spacious sofa, his small frame nearly swallowed by the large cushions, making for a rather comical sight.

But the comedy was only on the surface. This middle-aged man, barely one and a half meters tall, had unusually large eyes, a hint of ferocity gleaming within them. The corners of his lips curled upward in a perpetual sneer, as if he held everything and everyone in contempt.

This, then, was the legendary Lord Dog—the so-called emperor of the backstreet underworld? Li Huan found it hard to believe. Though he’d heard tales painting Lord Dog as a figure whose very presence commanded authority despite his stature, seeing the man in person, the impression was less overwhelming. Rather, Li Huan found it hard to fathom the peculiar sharpness in Lord Dog’s gaze—clouded, perhaps, yet capable of chilling to the bone. A single glance felt as though it could pierce straight through one’s body.

Behind Lord Dog stood another man, equally small but wiry and robust, his eyes keen and ruthless. With his hands clasped behind his back, his features unremarkable, he was nonetheless the sort of person impossible to overlook in any crowd.

Beside him sat his son, the chubby youth known as “Brother Dog.” As for Gu Zexi, the one whose cause had brought Brother Dog here, he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, two elderly men sat nearby, and the mysterious woman whom Li Huan had noticed earlier at the bar now occupied another seat.

The radiant emerald at her throat glimmered softly in the light, accentuating the whiteness and graceful length of her neck. Sensing someone’s gaze, the woman looked up, her eyes settling on Li Ruotong. The corners of her mouth lifted in a smile that was anything but warm.

Li Ruotong returned the gesture, her own smile cool and unpretentious. Glancing at the short man beside her, her tone grew cordial as she spoke: “Lord Dog, what a rare honor to have you grace us with your presence tonight! Looks like our ‘Dancing with Wolves’ is about to see another surge in business.”

Though her words were purely polite, everyone understood the underlying meaning. In the backstreets, Lord Dog’s name was synonymous with spectacle. Any movement on his part would inevitably draw a crowd; his followers numbered in the hundreds, and the police would often step in to keep order.

Tonight was no exception. Li Huan had noticed that the patrons were twice their usual number. It was barely half past eight—normally, at this hour, only half the seats would be filled, and most of them by women. Yet tonight, two or three dozen men had shown up—many of them faces Li Huan recognized as prominent figures in Zhonghai. Clearly, word had gotten out, or there wouldn’t be such a crowd. Still, these people were here only to observe the drama, not to interfere.

“I’m not here to drink,” Lord Dog drawled, lifting his head to glance at Li Ruotong, but making no other move. It was obvious he held her in little regard.

Li Ruotong took no offense. She pulled Sun Feifei down to sit across from him, leaving Li Huan standing conspicuously alone.

Brother Dog had recognized Li Huan the moment he entered, and his gaze was practically ablaze. The last time, he’d been given a brutal beating by Li Huan, who had even managed to escape from the hospital afterward. Brother Dog had been seething ever since. If not for his father’s restraint, he’d have turned the whole backstreet upside down by now.

“So you’re Li Huan?” Lord Dog cut straight to the point, his tone flat as he fixed Li Huan with a stare.

Li Huan was caught a bit off guard by this blunt approach, but he gave a nod in reply.

Brother Dog’s eyes narrowed sharply, clearly displeased by Li Huan’s nonchalant attitude—few dared to be so casual when questioned by Lord Dog.

At that moment, the wiry man behind Lord Dog, his eyes half closed, suddenly sprang up. With a swift swing of his arm, his fist shot toward Li Huan’s chest at a frightening speed.

This time, Li Huan’s reflexes served him well. The instant the man looked up, Li Huan sensed a flash of danger, and his body tensed, ready for action. As the punch came flying, Li Huan dodged to the side.

The wiry man frowned, surprised that Li Huan had evaded his blow. Without pause, he flipped his fist open and clawed at Li Huan’s face.

Clearly, this compact man was well trained. His hands moved with such force that Li Huan could hear the faint tearing of the air. Anxiety welled up—this was no mere street ruffian, but a true expert.

Li Huan’s muscles snapped taut, and a surge of power rushed through his arms. He blocked in midair, meeting the man’s forearm with his own. There was a dull thud, and the wiry man grunted, landing steadily to the side. Li Huan, however, felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm—the other’s muscles and bones were far tougher than his own.

“Interesting. This next punch will cripple you,” the wiry man sneered, balling his right hand into a fist. In that instant, it seemed all the power in his body gathered there, his fist swelling in strength and size. Li Huan stared in shock at the terrifying force.

“Is this internal force?” Li Huan’s heart pounded in alarm. Such an attack was beyond his current ability to withstand. To concentrate one’s inner energy and release it in a single blow—it could shatter marble, as Li Huan had seen with his own eyes as a child.

His face turned grim. Beside him, Sun Feifei and Li Ruotong looked on in astonishment. But before anyone could intervene, the wiry man was already in motion, his formidable fist driving toward Li Huan’s shoulder. Though it wasn’t aimed at a vital spot, if struck, Li Huan’s arm would be ruined.

A powerful gust of wind pressed against the air, and the sound of it tearing filled Li Huan’s ears. Only a few of his martial uncles had ever displayed such force—he hadn’t thought anyone else could reach this level.

The fist swept past Li Huan’s shoulder, missing by mere centimeters, but even so, he staggered and nearly fell.

The wiry man’s expression changed dramatically. Incredulously, he looked down and saw a dagger buried in his arm, a line of blood trickling out. His arm hung useless, the power drained from it.

“You’re obviously weak. How did you manage this?” He could scarcely believe what had happened, but the numbness in his right arm forced him to accept reality.

“That’s the vital point for channeling internal force in your arm. Pierce it, and your energy dissipates,” Li Huan replied, withdrawing the dagger and wiping it clean before tucking it back into his belt.

It had been a desperate gamble. Born into a martial family, Li Huan had always resented training, but years of exposure and his father’s pressure had taught him a few tricks—such as disrupting an opponent’s internal energy, a technique he’d learned from his uncles. This was meant as a last resort, a way to defend himself if he ever faced a true threat.

The methods for internal energy varied, but all involved channeling power through certain meridians and acupoints, accumulating until it could be released in a burst. If one could find the right point, a single strike would suffice. Li Huan had spotted the man’s flaw and drove his dagger into the critical spot, disrupting the flow of energy.

“Lord Dog, what’s the meaning of this? Bullying a junior?” Li Ruotong let out a breath of relief. She knew just how formidable Lord Dog’s man was, but she hadn’t expected Li Huan to injure him so swiftly.

Lord Dog’s expression soured. He’d thought Li Huan a petty thug, but now it was clear he was anything but. To warrant the personal attention of the boss behind Dancing with Wolves, and to injure his strongest enforcer—Li Huan clearly had skills.

“Stand down,” Lord Dog ordered, expressionless, gesturing for his man to stop.

The wiry man still looked unsatisfied. Even with one arm useless, he believed he could cripple Li Huan with the other. But with the boss’s command, he dared not disobey. Fixing Li Huan with a cold glare, he spat, “I’ll see you die in agony.”

Li Huan drew a deep breath, steadying his heart. Only then did he feel the burning pain in his shoulder. Though he’d struck the vital point, the fist had grazed him, and he could still taste the power in that blow.

Catching Sun Feifei’s concerned look, Li Huan nodded to reassure her. She relaxed a little, giving him a warning glance to keep his temper in check.

“I know your standing in the backstreets, Lord Dog—no one dares cross you. But you’d do well to remember whose territory this is. If your people keep causing trouble at Dancing with Wolves, there will be consequences,” Li Ruotong said coldly, her gaze sweeping over Brother Dog. The warmth from earlier was gone, replaced by a chilling aura that radiated from her and pressed upon everyone in the room.