Seeing the group, Qingtan's face turned pale.
Lin Changqiang, sensing danger, immediately turned and ran for his life, abandoning Qingtan without hesitation.
Lin Shan and his lackeys ignored him. Their target was Qingtan.
Several strong teenagers surrounded the terrified girl, blocking every escape route.
Oh? Isn't this Chiyang Grass?" Lin Shan sneered, his eyes locking on the herb in Qingtan's arms.
"Thank you, Qingtan, for collecting it for me."
"What do you mean 'for you'?!" Qingtan shouted angrily, hugging the herb tightly. "Get lost! This is mine!"
Lin Shan chuckled darkly.
"I bet you're planning to give it to that waste Lin Dong, huh? Even if he uses it, it's a complete waste. Hand it over."
"Lin Shan, don't go too far!" Qingtan glared at him, her voice trembling with anger.
Lin Shan crossed his arms, completely unbothered.
"We discovered this Chiyang Grass yesterday. You took our herb, so you're the one being unreasonable."
"You're lying!" Qingtan's little face flushed red with fury. "I found it myself!"
Lin Shan laughed louder, enjoying her helpless anger.
"Give me the herb, and I'll let you go. Otherwise… you'll be stuck here all night."
"You… you beast!" Qingtan bit her lip, refusing to hand it over.
Lin Shan's tone turned cold.
"That coward Lin Changqiang probably ran to find Lin Dong, right? Perfect.
I haven't finished teaching him a lesson from last time."
Qingtan's heart filled with fear. She still remembered Lin Shan brutally beating Lin Dong before.
"Don't hurt my brother!" she cried, tears welling in her big black eyes.
Her pitiful appearance tugged at the heartstrings, but none of the bystanders dared to step in.
Lin Shan's father controlled the Lin family's finances, and no one wanted to offend him.
This had allowed Lin Shan to become a notorious little tyrant among the younger generation.
Lin Xuan Steps In
Lin Xuan's fists clenched tightly.
He couldn't stand to watch any longer.
"System, create a mission," he commanded silently.
[Task: Teach Lin Shan a lesson and rescue Qingtan.
Reward: Golden Silkworm Boxing Gloves (pair).]
"Give me the Chiyang Grass, and I won't beat Lin Dong," Lin Shan said with a wicked smile.
"If you don't give it… I'll make sure he's beaten half to death."
Qingtan's tears trembled on her lashes. She didn't want to give up the herb, but she couldn't bear to see Lin Dong hurt again.
Just as despair filled her heart....
"Whoosh!"
A dark shadow flew through the air.
"Bang!"
A wild boar corpse, weighing several hundred pounds, smashed directly into Lin Shan, sending him flying into the dirt with a scream. The heavy body pinned him to the ground.
The surrounding youths were stunned. They spun around to see where the attack had come from.
Qingtan's teary eyes widened as she saw a familiar figure walking steadily toward them....Lin Xuan.
A glimmer of hope lit up her face.
"Someone came to help me…"
"Lin Xuan?!" the lackeys shouted in shock.
An orphan with no backing actually dared to attack Lin Shan?
Were they not afraid of Lin Shan's older brother Lin Hong or his father Lin Mang's retaliation?
Still, they knew Lin Xuan wasn't weak. Rumor had it he had already reached the fifth level of Body Tempering, so they hesitated to strike recklessly.
But Lin Shan, humiliated and furious, roared angrily.
"Kill him! Beat him to death!"
The lackeys, all at the third and fourth levels of Body Tempering, rushed forward together.
They believed that with numbers on their side, they could overwhelm Lin Xuan....no matter how strong he was.
Lin Xuan didn't waste any time.
Faced with a group attack, he immediately charged forward, fists flying like a storm. Without even using Yuan Power, he relied purely on the Falling Rock Fist, his powerful punches forcing Lin Shan and his lackeys into complete chaos.
Each strike carried crushing force. Even an Ironback Bear at the fifth level of Body Tempering would feel pain from these punches....how could these weaklings, only at the third or fourth level, possibly withstand them?
"Ahhh!" One by one, Lin Shan's companions screamed in agony.
Before long, several of them were rolling on the ground, clutching their chests and crying for their parents.
"Falling Rock Fist!"
Lin Shan roared and swung his fist at Lin Xuan. He too had practiced this technique, but Lin Xuan could instantly tell from his sloppy form that Lin Shan had only scratched the surface.
Compared to Lin Xuan's mastery, Lin Shan's moves were nothing more than child's play.
Bang!
Their fists collided with a dull, heavy thud. Lin Shan's wrist twisted unnaturally, a sharp crack echoing through the clearing.
"Ahhh! My wrist!" Lin Shan howled in pain, stumbling backward.
"You call that the Falling Rock Fist?" Lin Xuan sneered coldly. "You're just throwing pebbles."
Before Lin Shan could react, Lin Xuan's fist smashed into his face with a loud thud, sending him sprawling into the dirt.
"AHHH! Lin Xuan, you dare hit me?! You dare hit me!" Lin Shan screamed like a wounded pig, shouting the same line over and over again.
The commotion quickly drew a crowd. Many young clansmen gathered, whispering among themselves as they watched.
Seeing the usually arrogant Lin Shan getting beaten so miserably, many of them couldn't help but secretly feel delighted.
A few even smirked openly, though they didn't dare to speak up.
Not far away, Qing Tan's big black eyes were wide with astonishment, tears still glistening on her lashes.
"Qing Tan, are you hurt?"
Lin Dong and Lin Changqiang finally arrived, rushing to her side.
"I-I'm fine…" Qing Tan stammered, still trembling slightly. She pointed at Lin Xuan, who was still beating Lin Shan.
"They tried to steal my spiritual herb, but Brother Lin Xuan stopped them."
Lin Dong's gaze turned to Lin Xuan, gratitude and worry mixed in his expression.
Lin Shan's screams echoed through the clearing, but Lin Xuan's fury hadn't subsided.
The way Lin Shan acted, as if being the son of a powerful branch gave him the right to bully others, disgusted Lin Xuan.
Does being an orphan mean I have to bow my head?
Not anymore.
Lin Shan was the classic cowardly tyrant....ferocious only within the clan, yet submissive like a dog outside.
Such people deserved to be beaten down.