Chapter 18: Is This What You Call 'No Experts'?

Damn it, everything’s in chaos.

The moment Lin Li saw Chen Along, he was at a loss. This guy wasn’t supposed to show up in River City for some time yet, but now, clearly, his arrival was ahead of schedule.

Could it be that Lin Li’s previous actions had triggered a butterfly effect? It was entirely possible.

But at this moment, among all the people present, there was likely no one who could handle Chen Along.

Ye Aotian, as the protagonist of this novel, had countless experts under his command. Chen Along was one of them. As the God of War, Ye Aotian’s forces included four Palace Lords, and the Ghost-faced Yama before them was the master of the Senluo Palace.

His appearance here meant the power of Senluo Palace was starting to take root in River City.

This was by no means good news.

At this moment, Chen Along’s target was undoubtedly Leng Ningxue. As long as he rescued this eldest daughter of the Leng family, their side would be free of worries and could rampage without restraint.

Yet, no one noticed Lin Li standing there. Even his elder brother, Qin Guosheng, failed to sense his presence.

Qin Guosheng’s mind was entirely bent on avenging his son; if he couldn't take out Ye Aotian today, he would feel unworthy of being a father.

“No, even though this old fox Qin Guosheng is no good, he can’t die this quickly,” Lin Li muttered under his breath.

Qin Guosheng still played an important role in their plans. Though his fate was ultimately sealed, he absolutely could not die so soon—otherwise, it would disrupt Lin Li’s overall strategy.

Thinking this, Lin Li moved to Qin Guosheng’s side. “Brother, we’ve got things here under control. You should hurry back and check on Qin Lang.”

“Qin Lang’s current health isn’t good—he needs someone to look after him.”

Lin Li’s words were reasonable, but Qin Guosheng replied, “I won’t listen.”

“Hmph. Doesn’t that brat think he’s invincible in River City? Let him show me how invincible he is now, in this situation!”

Seeing Qin Guosheng’s refusal to cooperate, Lin Li was speechless. Were they all so eager to die?

Resigned, Lin Li had to step forward and intercept Chen Along at just the right moment.

“Hey, you—what do you think you’re doing?” he asked, eyes narrowed at Chen Along.

Chen Along glanced up at Lin Li, a sneer on his lips. Just a nobody, he thought. Does he know who I am? One of the four Palace Lords under the God of War, the Ghost-faced Yama—taking care of you is child’s play.

So much so, he didn’t even bother with lines; he charged at Lin Li in an instant.

He moved quickly.

Chen Along recalled what Ye Aotian had told him when they met: In our line of work, you have to be fast, and you have to look good doing it.

So as he lunged out, he performed an extravagant 360-degree spin midair and landed on one knee at a forty-five-degree angle.

“Pfft…”

A mouthful of blood spurted from his lips. Chen Along looked at Lin Li, astonished.

Damn, intelligence that hasn’t been thoroughly vetted really is a joke.

Ye Aotian had said that Qin Guosheng’s men were all useless. Chen Along had believed him—they were comrades who’d fought side by side for years, after all. Why would he doubt it?

Intending to finish Lin Li in one strike—after all, the guy looked like a background character—Chen Along never imagined that a quick kill wasn’t possible.

Instead, Lin Li’s next punch made him cough up blood.

Brother, is this what you call having no experts, just a bunch of useless thugs? I’m at least a second-rate master!

Breathing heavily, Chen Along could hardly believe his eyes.

Qin Guosheng, too, was shocked to see the always low-key Lin Li reveal such prowess. He shouted at Ye Aotian, “Ye Aotian, move and I’ll kill Miss Leng on the spot!”

“You’re a grown man—you wouldn’t just stand by and let a delicate young lady die, would you?”

To his credit, Qin Guosheng could threaten people effectively. Ye Aotian, who had been ready for an all-out fight, was forced to hold his ground.

“Qin Guosheng, you old snake—if you have a problem, come at me. What kind of man threatens a woman?”

Qin Guosheng couldn’t even be bothered to answer that.

Lin Li approached him again. “Brother, I suggest we leave now. Ye Aotian probably didn’t come alone—if we wait any longer, we’ll be in trouble.”

Qin Guosheng’s eyes widened.

Of course Ye Aotian didn’t come alone. He’d just seen Chen Along get taken down by Lin Li—what was there to be afraid of now?

“Little Lin, I have a blood feud with that guy. Do you think I’ll pass up such a golden opportunity?”

“And even if he brings more people, who can match my numbers? Besides, with you protecting me, what’s there to worry about?”

Previously, Qin Guosheng might have worried, but after witnessing Lin Li’s fighting strength, his confidence swelled, for reasons unknown.

Lin Li was truly exasperated.

“Brother, it’s not that simple. Think about it—there was a big gap between when Ye Aotian arrived and when we did. He could have set up his people all around here.”

At this point, staying any longer would be unwise.

Lin Li still had uses for Qin Guosheng, so he spoke with particular earnestness.

But Qin Guosheng remained stubborn.

Meanwhile, Chen Along slowly opened his eyes.

A true expert.

He spotted Lin Li in the crowd. Though Lin Li’s fighting style was still a bit raw and not as invincible as he’d imagined, his physical strength was undeniably formidable.

If Chen Along hadn’t dodged in time, Lin Li might have seriously injured him.

Of course, his current state was also because he’d held back some of his own strength.

If he’d gone all out, things might have ended differently.

Ye Aotian shouted, “Along, don’t waste time with these guys—finish this quickly!”

Dragging the fight out any longer would only be to their disadvantage.