Chapter 49 As Long As I'm Here, You Can't Succeed

Ever since Lin Li's strength had increased, he had never found a chance to truly put it to the test. Now, at last, he saw a glimmer of hope—an opportunity for these people to finally realize just what they were up against. If, this time, he could manage to resolve all these issues smoothly, it would certainly not be a bad thing for him.

When Fang Tai learned that Ye Aotian had actually brought his men to attack this place, he completely believed everything Lin Li had told him before. In his mind, Lin Li had no reason to deceive them.

Soon, the sounds of battle and shouting echoed from outside; it was clear that the two sides had already clashed. Ye Aotian had indeed brought a significant number of skilled fighters with him, and the outcome seemed decided almost instantly.

…

Ye Aotian gazed at the distant medicinal warehouse, lost in thought. He had originally believed that this undertaking would be far easier than he had imagined. No matter what price he had to pay, as long as he could eliminate these adversaries, everything he had done before would be justified.

But what took Ye Aotian by surprise was this: he had thought himself capable of handling everything smoothly, yet at the critical moment, the warehouse was still guarded by so many martial arts experts.

Fortunately, Ye Aotian had come more prepared this time. Otherwise, they might have found themselves in a dire predicament.

"Good thing I had the foresight to know these people wouldn't be easy to deal with, so I brought plenty of experts with me," Ye Aotian remarked with a cold snort, glancing at Chen Along by his side. "If we'd relied solely on our own men, we would've been in for a real beating."

Chen Along looked toward the others fighting in the distance, his expression growing heavy. "Most of the martial artists we called over before are people we know; we can at least exchange a word with them. But look at them now—almost all those fighting against us are our sworn enemies. Even if we tried to talk, they wouldn't necessarily cooperate."

The tension in Chen Along's voice was palpable. Though their side clearly held the advantage in terms of individual strength, their numbers were vastly inferior to those facing them. In that moment, the situation became shrouded in uncertainty.

What had begun as a covert assault had now become an outright attack in broad daylight. Chen Along couldn't fathom how the Qin family had gotten wind of their plan in advance. Had there been a traitor among them?

"There's no point dwelling on that now."

"Perhaps things aren't as complicated as we think," Ye Aotian responded. "Since we've come this far, let's teach them a lesson. Even though the Qin family reinforced their defenses, in our eyes, it's nothing but a joke."

Unlike Chen Along, Ye Aotian seemed utterly at ease. Even if the Qin family had made arrangements here, it was nothing he couldn't handle. His strength had recovered rapidly, and no matter how formidable the Qin family was, could they really be his match?

That was why Ye Aotian was so confident. As he spoke, he charged forward, with Chen Along immediately following close behind. Though the Qin family's forces were decent, they were no match for someone like Ye Aotian. After all, the outcome of this battle had been decided from the very start. No matter how hard the Qin family tried to prevent it, Ye Aotian was certain they would fail.

Sure enough, under their fierce assault, the two quickly broke into the warehouse. Inside, there were scarcely any defenders left. Despite the Qin family's preparations, they had left too few men here to stop Ye Aotian.

But then, Ye Aotian suddenly halted.

A man stood before him.

"You—Qin Guosheng is already dead, yet you still so willingly risk your life for him?" Ye Aotian stared at Fang Tai, who clenched his fists.

If there was anyone in the Qin family that gave him pause, it was likely Fang Tai. Were Ye Aotian still at his peak, Fang Tai would pose no challenge. But as things stood, Ye Aotian could not fully unleash his true strength. Fang Tai was the most formidable of the Qin family's leaders and, evidently, the one who had summoned all these martial artists. This truly surprised Ye Aotian.

By all rights, Fang Tai should have been nothing more than a brute, not someone capable of orchestrating such a defense.

"Ye Aotian, you still have time to leave with your men," Fang Tai said coldly, his voice raised as Lin Li had instructed him. "But if you insist on fighting us to the bitter end, we won't even flinch. As for the outcome, you'll have to bear the consequences."

Ye Aotian merely sneered.

"The Qin family is already a spent force. Soon, you'll be erased from this world. What right do you have to negotiate with me?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

Fang Tai was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a reply. But after a moment, he shook his head with a wry smile.

"Seems you really are just as that man described," he said. "I came here today to give you an out, but it seems there's no need for that. In that case, let's settle this with our fists."

Fang Tai showed not the slightest hint of nervousness. On the contrary, he laughed aloud. He knew Ye Aotian was powerful, but he was not someone to be underestimated, either.

Just as Ye Aotian braced himself to face Fang Tai, Fang Tai turned his gaze to Chen Along.

"I've long heard there are some formidable experts at Ye Aotian's side. Why don't you, boy, come and see if you can beat me?"

Chen Along was taken aback. He had thought he would only need to observe the fight, not that he would become the target. Then who, he wondered, would face Ye Aotian?

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, a cold voice came from within.

"Ye Aotian, as long as I'm here, your arrogance won't last long."

"Do you really think that with just those men outside, you can take this place?"

Lin Li emerged slowly, hands in his pockets.

That year, I walked with my hands in my pockets, knowing not what it meant to have an equal.