Chapter 73: Who Gave You the Courage

As the saying goes, you can tell a master by his first move. With Mu Yiren’s discerning gaze, she could only perceive that Cai Changyuan had temporarily gained the upper hand, but Ling Xiao saw through everything with perfect clarity!

Cai Changyuan had strength to spare, but his energy was waning. The reason he launched such a fierce assault from the outset was simply because he hoped to defeat his opponent swiftly. If the fight dragged on, Cai Changyuan was doomed to lose.

As expected, after two minutes, Cai Changyuan began to falter, showing signs of fatigue. A single mistake left him open, and he was sent flying by a vicious kick, crashing heavily to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Grandfather!”

Miss Cai rushed forward to support her grandfather, her beautiful face etched with deep worry.

The four young men spat on the floor.

“The old man’s bones are tough. He landed a punch on me, nearly broke my arm!”

“Grandfather, are you all right?” Miss Cai’s bright eyes filled with tears, her heart aching unbearably.

The old master Cai could only sigh.

“I’m fine. I’m just old now—my legs don’t obey me as they used to.”

With that, he cast a cold, sweeping glare at the group.

“You’ve won. I can’t beat you. Perhaps it’s fate for the Cai family to suffer today. Here is the royal recipe book. Take it and get lost!”

He tossed out an ancient-looking recipe book. The men snatched it up, flipping through a few pages before grinning slyly.

“Old man, you’re not as stupid as you look. But... we’re still going to trouble you to come with us.”

The old master’s face changed.

“I’ve already handed over the royal recipes. What more do you want?”

“Old master Cai, you’ve given us the book, but you’re also the one who knows its secrets. If we leave you free, you could teach others, and soon everyone would know these royal dishes. What worth would the recipe have then?”

“You! You’re despicable beyond belief!”

They responded with sinister smiles.

“Blame yourselves for being useless and disobedient, old man!”

Miss Cai spread her arms, shielding her grandfather.

“Don’t hurt my grandfather. If you must kill someone, kill me instead! He’s already so old, he hasn’t many good years left. I beg you, please spare him.”

Their gazes lingered greedily over Miss Cai’s delicate figure, their eyes glinting with a wolfish green.

“Such filial devotion. Truly touching.”

“It would be a shame to kill such a beautiful woman.”

“Why don’t you join us for a drink, Miss Cai? If you do, neither you nor your grandfather will suffer any consequences.”

“That’s right. As long as we keep quiet, Boss Ma won’t care!”

Miss Cai’s face went pale, while the old master bristled with rage.

“Scoundrels! You animals! Cough, cough...” Anger overwhelmed him and he coughed up more blood.

Miss Cai wept, her heart breaking. Biting her lip, her eyes filled with a desperate resolve.

“I’ll go with you, but you must let my grandfather go.”

“Rest assured, our word is our bond!”

All four men wore vicious grins as the old master roared:

“Xiaoya, you are not to go! I’d rather die than let you go!”

With that, he stepped forward again. One of the young men shot him an icy look.

“Courting death!”

He raised his leg and kicked the old master, sending him flying once more.

“Grandfather!”

Miss Cai’s anguish reached its peak. Cai Changyuan, barely clinging to life, would surely die if struck again!

“My girl, your grandfather is useless. I can’t protect you anymore.”

“Grandfather... sob... sob...”

...

Seeing this, Mu Yiren could no longer restrain herself. She slammed the table and stood up.

“Haven’t you done enough? Even villains should know when to stop. Aren’t you afraid you’ll shorten your lives with such wickedness?”

Everyone was stunned, glancing at Mu Yiren, their eyes flashing with amazement.

Compared to Miss Cai, Mu Yiren’s beauty was on another level entirely.

After a moment of greedy appraisal, their gazes turned mocking.

“Little lady, you sure are righteous! Pity your brains aren’t as pretty as your face.”

“Stick your nose in our business, and you’ll pay the price.”

“Perfect—one Miss Cai isn’t enough for us to play with. You’ll join her, and we’ll all have a good time together!”

As soon as the words fell, the entire restaurant seemed to turn icy cold. The four men shivered involuntarily.

“What’s going on? Why did it suddenly get so cold?”

Ling Xiao picked up a napkin, wiped his mouth, stood, and swept his gaze over them.

“Who gave you the courage to act so brazenly in Jiangzhou?”

The men paused, then squinted menacingly.

“Did we forget to check the almanac before going out today? Why is every stray dog and cat daring to bark at us?”

Ling Xiao’s expression was indifferent.

“Courting death.”

As he spoke, he simply raised his hand and flicked a punch through the air.

“How dare you—”

They had barely started to retort when an invisible force sent them flying. By the time they hit the ground, it was impossible to tell if they were alive or dead.

The restaurant fell silent in an instant.

“My husband is amazing!” Mu Yiren, like an excited child, clapped her hands in delight, only to be met with a glare from Ling Xiao.

“Let’s go. From now on, don’t play the hero when I’m not around.”

“I know, I know!”

Mu Yiren snuggled up to Ling Xiao’s arm, and together they left the restaurant.

Old master Cai stared after Ling Xiao, his eyes wide with awe, fear, and a trace of admiration.

“A true master! If we could gain his protection, my granddaughter and I might truly hold our ground in Jiangzhou.”

Cai Xiaoya frowned.

“Grandfather, is he really that powerful? Doesn’t Ma Changlong have men like that as well?”

The old master’s face was grave.

“Do not underestimate him! His technique has already reached the level of manipulating qi and striking through the air. And at such a young age, there must be a powerful force behind him. If we can befriend him, even if Ma Changlong doesn’t fear him, he’ll have to respect the power behind him. Quickly, go and find out who he is!”

“But Grandfather, what about your injuries?”

“I’ll be fine with a bit of rest. Hurry now—this could be a turning point for our family. Don’t let it slip away.”

“Yes, Grandfather!”

Cai Xiaoya glanced toward the door, bit her lip, and hurried after them. But by the time she reached the entrance, Ling Xiao and Mu Yiren had already driven away.

When the two returned home, Ming Cheng and Xiu’er had also arrived.

“Young master, young madam, you’re back.”

Ling Xiao nodded calmly.

“What did Iron Fist Gate say?”

Ming Cheng frowned.

“Young master, it seems they still hope you’ll give them another chance.”