135 Loyalty Above All Else

The redhead and the blond were sprawled on the ground, both unconscious.

Lin Qi, wearing a bathrobe, stood over them and stifled a yawn. "Can't you just let me get a decent night's sleep?" he muttered. He dragged the two men into the villa and tied them up tightly with rope.

In the past, had someone tried to assassinate him, Lin Qi would have been on edge, immediately investigating whether they were sent by Lu Wanfang. But he no longer had that worry. Although he still went by the name Lin Qi, his appearance had changed, and he had spent a year training at Tianji. Even if Lu Wanfang had three heads and six arms, it would be impossible for him to track him down so quickly. As for these two young punks on the floor, they lacked any aura of a professional killer or a seasoned fighter. They were likely just small-time nobodies who had seen his wealth and decided to try their hand at theft or kidnapping.

Lin Qi didn't give them a second thought, planning to interrogate them once they woke up. For now, he needed his rest. He dumped them in the underground garage and returned to the house to sleep.

Early the next morning, Lin Qi went out into the yard to practice a set of martial arts. He had studied martial arts since childhood, a blend of Chinese and Western styles, picking up bits of various fist and blade techniques. Morning practice had always been a habit of his. The only regret was that, lacking guidance from a master, he hadn't made much progress, and he was still a distance away from being a top-tier fighter.

After finishing the set, Lin Qi felt a warm glow, and sweat began to dampen his neck and back. "That's enough for today," he said, pulling back his fists. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a girl watching him from outside the bamboo grove. She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen—not particularly stunning, but quiet and gentle, with fair skin that made her pleasant to look at. She was dressed in sportswear with her hair tied back in a ponytail, looking as though she were out for a run.

Noticing that Lin Qi had seen her, the girl walked over naturally and said, "Hello, my name is Bai Jianqiu. What kind of boxing was that you were just practicing?"

Anyone living in this villa district was bound to have a significant background. However, Lin Qi was not one to judge based on status; after all, who could be wealthier than he once was?

"Just some ordinary Tiger-Subduing Boxing," Lin Qi replied casually.

"Tiger-Subduing Boxing?" Bai Jianqiu seemed surprised. "It sounds like some ancient martial art. Is it actually effective in a real fight?"

Lin Qi offered a bitter smile. Traditional martial arts in the Great Xia Kingdom were falling into decline, a fate inextricably linked to the many con artists who treated them as mere performance. Traditional martial arts certainly weren't magical—they couldn't make you fly or split mountains—but they were perfectly fine for self-defense and staying fit. Put simply, they were much like Muay Thai or Karate; each had its pros and cons, and they shouldn't be placed on a pedestal or trampled into the dirt.

Of course, Lin Qi wouldn't explain all that to Bai Jianqiu. It would be useless. Actions spoke louder than words.

With a sudden pivot, Lin Qi threw a heavy punch into a large tree nearby. Aside from the bamboo, the yard was filled with over a dozen trees of varying sizes, the thickest of which would be difficult for two men to wrap their arms around. With a muffled boom, the tree didn't snap, but the impact left a terrifying indentation in the trunk. Wood chips sprayed outward, and the tree shuddered violently.

"Ah..." Bai Jianqiu gasped, her mouth wide open, before quickly covering it with her hand.

"That's incredible!" she said, her eyes filled with admiration. "Could you teach me? I want to learn too!"

Lin Qi didn't mind girls learning self-defense; after all, there were plenty of bad people in this world. "Sure," he said calmly. "But I've already finished my practice for today, and I have to go to work soon. Come back tomorrow morning."

"Okay, okay! I'll come find you tomorrow morning," Bai Jianqiu said, waving goodbye before jogging away.

Lin Qi returned to the villa, showered, put on a suit and leather shoes, and headed to the underground garage to drive to work.

As soon as he entered the garage, he heard a series of groans. Looking toward the sound, he spotted the redhead and the blond. "Forgot about these two," he muttered, shaking his head as he walked over.

"What were you trying to do last night?" Lin Qi squatted down to look at them.

The two had been awake for a while, but bound by ropes in the pitch-black garage, they could only shout. Seeing Lin Qi, the redhead gritted his teeth. "Even if you kill us, I won't tell you the real reason!"

The blond was equally stubborn. "That's right! We live by a code of honor..."

Lin Qi had originally assumed they were just after money, but this hinted at a mastermind. This was becoming interesting. Lin Qi stepped forward, grinding his heel into the back of each man's hand.

The two, who had just been "unyielding," instantly broke, wailing in pain.

"Our boss is Wang Fugui!"

"Wang Fugui sent us to kill you!"

"He gave us five hundred thousand each to take your life!"

"Big brother, please, take your foot off! We were wrong! Ahhhhhh!"

They blurted out the truth, scrambling over each other in their haste, completely stripped of their earlier stubbornness and bravado.