Chapter Fifty-Seven: One Against Six

The tattooed brute was startled by the aura emanating from Ding Li, but having just downed two jars of wine, he paid little heed to caution. With a curse, he swung his fist at Ding Li. Yet, before the blow could land, Ding Li, swift as lightning, seized the man's wrist, leaned in, and gripped his waist tightly. With effortless strength, Ding Li hoisted the bulky man onto his shoulder.

Without hesitation, Ding Li slammed the brute hard onto the ground. The loud crash echoed, leaving everyone around in shock—everything had happened in an instant. Even Aguda, standing behind Ding Li, wore a face of astonishment, unable to believe how decisively Ding Li had acted.

"Ah!" The brute's companions finally reacted. Seeing their comrade writhing in pain on the ground, the one who had earlier mocked Aguda and held a wine jar attempted to hurl it at Ding Li. But before the jar could be fully raised, Ding Li delivered a swift side kick, shattering it. Wine and ceramic shards splattered onto the would-be attacker, forcing him to stagger backward, arms flailing.

"Get him!" The other four finally responded. One grabbed a burning stick from the campfire—probably used to stir the coals—and waved it wildly, scattering sparks.

But after only two steps forward, Ding Li dodged sideways, punched the attacker in the face, and followed with an elbow to the arm holding the burning stick. The man howled in pain, dropped the stick, clutched his swollen cheek, and waved his arms desperately, trying to keep his balance. Yet after a few stumbling steps, he collapsed.

No sooner had Ding Li felled this man than a greasy, roasted lamb leg flew at him. Ding Li, with no time to savor its flavor, instinctively ducked—the oil-laden leg would have been anything but pleasant if it hit him.

Following the lamb leg, another brute charged, wielding a solid wooden club from who-knows-where. His face twisted in a snarl, bloodshot eyes glaring, mouth gaping as if to devour Ding Li whole.

Facing the impending overhead strike, Ding Li did not dodge or block. Instead, he advanced, pushing off with both feet, ramming his head into the man's abdomen. Without pause, his hands seized the man's ankles, hoisting him off the ground. The brute, robbed of balance, could no longer attack, panic writ large on his face as he shouted—only to be tossed aside by Ding Li.

"Li! Watch your back!" Aguda suddenly cried, terror in his eyes.

Ding Li glanced behind. There, a man held a bench leg, poised to strike. Instantly, Ding Li stepped back with his left foot, tapped the ground lightly, and delivered a powerful side kick with his right, smashing the bench.

Crash!

Staring at the two remaining bench legs and the shattered pieces at his feet, the would-be assailant was dumbfounded, still wondering how Ding Li had seen through his sneak attack. But Ding Li gave him no time to ponder; spinning on his foot, twisting his waist, he lashed out with his left leg, drawing an arc through the air and kicking the man squarely in the neck, sending him tumbling to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, five of the six troublemakers lay defeated, with the last one yet to make a move. Though he held a short knife, his arm trembled so violently it seemed the blade might drop at any moment.

"Will you come yourself, or do I have to?" Ding Li asked the last man, utterly uninterested, especially given the man's timid demeanor. Still, Ding Li strode slowly toward him, a wicked smile on his lips, speaking in a tone heavy with meaning.

Gulping, the man watched Ding Li draw closer, swallowed hard, and finally seemed to make up his mind. Glancing around, he gritted his teeth, raised the knife—not to attack, but to strike himself with the handle, smashing it against his own head.

Thud, thud!

With astonishing speed, he struck twice, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed, the knife slipping from his loosened grip. The onlookers were stunned, even Aguda, who was still dazed, clicked his tongue in amazement. Blood trickled from the self-inflicted wound; no one expected these fierce men would turn their violence upon themselves.

"My friends! Sorry for the disturbance, just a minor incident spoiling your fun!" Zhang Mingzhi, seeing the matter resolved, rose and approached Aguda, folding his hands in apology to the nervous guests. Though he received many cold stares, Zhang Mingzhi's next words brought smiles to every face: "Tonight’s trouble was entirely my fault! All the food and drink tonight will be on me! But please forgive what just happened!"

"Second Brother, but..." Aguda knew Zhang Mingzhi was calming the guests for his sake, yet with dozens of people at several stalls, the cost would be considerable. Though it meant little to Zhang Mingzhi, Aguda did not want him to spend so much because of this. He was about to protest when Zhang Mingzhi silenced him with a glance, then smiled and gestured to the crowd, patting Aguda's shoulder before walking over to the leader of the troublemakers and squatting down.

"Get this straight: my name is Zhang Mingzhi!" He slapped the brute’s terrified face. The murderous intent in Zhang Mingzhi's dark, gleaming eyes was undisguised, his tone chilling. His lips curled into a slight smile as he saw terror flash in the man's eyes, narrowing his eyes with satisfaction. "Second Master is in a good mood today—this meal's on me. Now get out!"

Relief washed over the brute. Hearing those last words, his whole body felt lighter. Scrambling up, he bowed repeatedly to Zhang Mingzhi, almost kneeling in fear. "Thank you, Second Master! Thank you! We were blind and foolish—thank you, Second Master!"

"Go!" Zhang Mingzhi rose, dusted his hands, and cast a cold glance at the men on the ground.

Of the six, three were unconscious. The remaining three, wounded but undeterred, carried their comrades away at a brisk pace. Watching them leave, Aguda was bewildered, frowning as he counted the cost of their food and drink.

"Aguda! What do you think, convinced?" Zhang Mingzhi walked over, seeing Aguda’s gloomy expression, and shook his head with a laugh. He clapped Aguda’s shoulder heavily, nodding toward Ding Li with a pointed question.

"Ah?" Aguda blinked, then nodded vigorously, no longer bothering with the tally. He gave Ding Li a thumbs-up. "Li! Amazing! One man against six—truly incredible!"

"Too generous! They were minor characters, not worth mentioning. You could do it too," Ding Li replied humbly, shaking his head with a smile, yet the disdain at his lips betrayed his true thoughts. After a pause, Ding Li patted Aguda's shoulder and sternly reminded him, "Brother, remember: to defeat your opponent, you must never lose heart! Nor should you hesitate as you did. A true man has nothing to fear! If you always look back and forth, you betray your passion!"

"Thank you for the advice!" Aguda, realizing Ding Li had seen through his hesitation, lowered his head in embarrassment, scratching the back of his neck before raising it again with a sheepish smile. "Li, my business depends on harmony—making money means being amicable! If I resort to fighting all the time, I’ll have no business left!"

"Of course, my apologies!" Ding Li quickly nodded, smiling in agreement, but considering Aguda’s connection to Zhang Mingzhi, he continued to advise, "Aguda, you must understand: there are people in this world who don’t know right from wrong, and if you give them an inch, they take a mile. Like those men—had you agreed to their demands, they wouldn't have stopped."

"Exactly, Li is right!" Zhang Mingzhi nodded in agreement, raising his fist before Aguda and adding with a smile, "Sometimes, fists are what matter—only the strong have a voice. Otherwise, you’ll be bullied endlessly."

"Fight, fight, fight! Is that all you two know?!" Suddenly, Zhang Yurou appeared, shooting a glare at Ding Li and Zhang Mingzhi, full of displeasure. She then turned to Aguda, immediately swapping to a friendly smile. "Aguda, you’re right. In business, harmony brings prosperity. Don’t listen to them—they’re always in cahoots, only advocating violence!"

"Yes, yes, Miss, you’re absolutely right!" Aguda was flattered by her friendliness, hurriedly bowing with a broad smile. Yet, true to his honest nature, he scratched his head and awkwardly countered Zhang Yurou, "But I think Second Brother and Li aren't wrong! Especially what Li said—maybe even if I agreed to their demands, it wouldn’t have ended there..."

"I..." Zhang Yurou was at a loss, her words stuck. She waved her hand angrily, her eyes flashing with cunning as she turned, only to find Ding Li and Zhang Mingzhi had already walked away. Furious, she shook her fist at their backs with a huff.

"Second Brother, I don't think we’re that violent, are we?" Ding Li, sitting by the campfire, glanced at Zhang Yurou’s frosty expression, inwardly relieved that Zhang Mingzhi had led him away first. He looked at Zhang Mingzhi with lingering unease, hinting at his question.

"Of course!" Zhang Mingzhi replied without hesitation, casting a sly glance at Zhang Yurou and smiling meaningfully. "Our methods are nothing compared to hers!"