Yu Xiao’s eyes flashed with fierce brilliance. The gale created by the descending palm print already stung his face, and his chest felt choked for breath. Before the thought of retreat could even form in his mind, a dragon roared past him, the sound of its passage whipping by like a car horn blaring right beside his ear, making his eardrums ache faintly.

In that moment, Yu Xiao felt that the world created by the immense palm imprint was no longer a cohesive, all-encompassing realm. This localized world had been suddenly shattered by the dragon’s appearance, and reality snapped back to normal.

All this happened in an instant. Yu Xiao finally saw clearly that what had shot past him was not a true dragon, but a fist—yet the movement of that arm was as majestic as a dragon ascending to the ninth heaven.

Fist met palm with a bang! Two visible currents of air exploded outward. Within a two-foot radius of the impact, the shockwaves formed by the air acted like a volley of arrows loosed on an ancient battlefield! Immediately following, the fist and palm collided solidly. The police uniform on Qin Fen’s arm let out a rapid series of “Tsssk… tssk…” sounds as the fabric tore.

Yu Xiao felt a sharp, burning pain in his eyes, and his eardrums felt as if they had been pierced by a plummeting weight. Instinctively, he staggered backward, his mind suddenly filled with the buzzing of hundreds of thousands of flies, droning ceaselessly within his skull. For a moment, he couldn't hear any other sounds around him, nor could he clearly perceive the surrounding situation.

Although the Esoteric Hand Seal hadn't struck Yu Xiao directly, the explosion generated by the clash of air between the fist and palm was enough to injure a Six-Star Martial Artist caught unprepared.

Especially the eyes and ears—those two exceptionally vulnerable parts of the body.

Thud! The floorboard beneath Qin Fen’s feet cracked open with a sound like a massive earthquake ripping through the center, exposing the tangled steel rebar beneath!

What kind of background does he have? This formidable? Yin cried out internally. His arm felt as if it were being pierced simultaneously by ten thousand steel needles. His bones groaned faintly under the strain of the blow. His eyes were locked onto Qin Fen, who had closed the distance in a single stride. Not yet twenty years old? Was this the person who shattered my "One Sand, One World"? My "One Palm, One Universe"?

There wasn't enough time for Yin Zhong to think further. Qin Fen's fist, carrying overwhelming momentum, smashed down like an avalanche. Over a dozen faintly visible streams of energy circled his arm, resembling the coiled dragons supporting the pillars of an ancient palace.

He just used his ultimate move? And immediately another one? Doesn't he need to recover his breath? Yin Zhong’s eye twitched violently, watching Qin Fen with immense shock. Impossible! He must be betting his internal health to unleash another decisive technique, fighting to win in the shortest time possible?

Come on! Come on! Come on! A maniacal, vicious smile curved Yin Zhong’s lips. Five years of solid foundation at the Ten-Star level will surely be deeper than that of a novice kid like you! Betting internal injuries? That suits me perfectly!

Yin Zhong stamped his feet three inches into the ground, steadying his stance, and forcefully pushed a surge of Zhenqi through his limbs and bones. A sharp, steel-drill-like pain flared in his Dantian. That was the consequence of forcing an increase in Zhenqi before it could recover after unleashing an ultimate move—the initial pain being the piercing agony of steel needles. If he still couldn't recover and forced the Zhenqi higher, he might need a long period of recuperation after the fight, or even risk Qi Deviation.

Going all out! Yin Zhong’s eyes snapped wide open. He brought his two palms together, merging them into a world, a heaven and earth, drawing an arc of air currents toward Qin Fen, reminiscent of the legendary Dragon-Slaying Sword. The sharp whistling created by the air being displaced sounded exactly like a sword being drawn from its sheath.

The two heroic forces collided, and the air exploded, sending shockwaves scattering in all directions, scattering papers from tabletops into the sky. The floorboards vibrated violently, causing the teacups on the coffee table to jump high before tumbling heavily onto the ground, shattering into pieces.

Yin Zhong felt as if he hadn't hit a fist, but a flying missile! Or perhaps a true dragon from legend! The ground beneath him ceased to have any semblance of gravity. The brutal impact made him feel like a leaf caught in a gale. His body flew backward, crashing straight through the wall behind him, causing the second layer of wall structure to partially cave in.

The room fell silent again, just as it had been in the split second before the intense battle erupted. In the next instant, the space was enveloped in absolute quiet, save for the occasional small, monotonous sound of debris falling from the ruined walls onto the cracked floorboards.

Yu Xiao kept blinking forcefully, trying to restore his sight quickly. Xiao Qi had already collapsed onto the ground, his strength far inferior to Yu Xiao's. He was merely a One-Star Martial Artist, and the fact that the fierce struggle hadn't killed him with shock was already fortunate.

Yin Zhong hit the wall and then collapsed onto the floor. The immense impact pulverized the defensive structure of his Thirteen Iron Guards technique. The Zhenqi that surged into his body acted like a malevolent flood dragon, rampaging within him, causing his meridians to throb with pain akin to being gnawed by ten thousand ants.

He lay on the ground, the searing pain robbing him of the strength to even curl up. His arms felt like smashed tofu.

Qin Fen slowly walked into the room. Yin Zhong’s eyes, though bloody, were the only parts of him that could move, and they were filled with incomprehension.

Yin Zhong couldn't fathom it. The body of an ancient martial arts practitioner wasn't forged from iron or steel. How could this young man, having unleashed two ultimate moves consecutively, look so completely unfazed? His steps remained as steady as ever. Had he sustained no injuries at all?

Yin Zhong stared blankly at Qin Fen. What exactly was the background of this young man? When he countered the "One Palm, One Universe," he must have been reacting hastily! To summon enough Zhenqi in that split second to resist it would require an explosive surge, something his meridians simply shouldn't be able to bear!

Why? Why was this young man’s hurried response, achieved by forcibly elevating his Zhenqi, still so overwhelmingly dominant? Why, after two forced surges of Zhenqi, did he show absolutely no signs of injury?

“You…” Qin Fen crouched down, pondering briefly. “Your name is Yin Zhong, right?”

Yin Zhong’s eyelids snapped up. Reading the meaning in the words, the young police officer’s initial goal wasn't to arrest him.

“SS-Class fugitive who killed a guard and escaped,” Qin Fen stated, punching his palm. “I saw you in the wanted file. Niu Jinhan is very smart. At my age, it’s rare to even encounter a Six-Star Martial Artist. Tricking me here to run into an SS-Class fugitive who escaped from prison—I should be dead. Then, they could pin it all on you…”

Yin Zhong didn't listen to Qin Fen any longer. The Zhenqi that had flooded his body minutes ago began to act up again. His wounded and exhausted body finally gave out. His vision went black, and he promptly fainted.

Qin Fen pulled a black net from his pocket and covered Yin Zhong with it. The bounty for a fugitive was quite high, and since someone had delivered the money to him, there was no reason to push it away.

Yu Xiao’s vision finally cleared. What greeted his eyes was no longer the neat, clean living room. The floor was now crisscrossed with several massive fissures, and the cups on the coffee table had been vibrated off the surface and smashed onto the ground, becoming a pile of broken ceramic.

Qin Fen walked out of the room, brushing past Yu Xiao. “The person inside is an SS-Class fugitive. Keep an eye on him. I am Qin Fen.”

The doors to the other rooms in the corridor began to slowly crack open, peeking out to see what had just transpired.

A series of rapid footsteps echoed from the staircase, and dozens of armed police officers in camouflage, carrying submachine guns and radiating grim determination, rushed into the seventh-floor corridor.

The lieutenant leading them quickly approached Qin Fen and saluted.

Qin Fen returned a standard military salute, then raised his hand, pointing toward all the rooms in the seventh-floor corridor. “Everyone, load live rounds. Open every room and inspect them. Be careful—you might find a federal fugitive hidden among them.”

“Yes, sir!”

The lieutenant responded crisply and immediately ordered his subordinates, “All personnel, load live rounds! Safety off! Open every room!”

The sound of rounds chambering and safeties clicking off filled the hallway. The armed police officers wasted no further words, charging viciously toward every room on the seventh floor, shouts echoing throughout the entire level.

“Officer! There’s a young woman in here, tied to a bed! Looks like some kind of perverse game…”

At the far end of the seventh floor, an armed officer shouted loudly, calling back Qin Fen, who had been heading downstairs to find Niu Jinhan.

The room at the end of the hall was also occupied, but this one did not hold a fugitive like Yin Zhong; instead, it held a struggling young woman tied to a bed. Several items that looked rather perverse hung on the wall nearby.

Whips, candles…

Qin Fen frowned slightly. The atmosphere in the room was certainly unexpected.

The young woman stopped struggling. She lay on the bed, gasping for air, her chest rising and falling with each deep breath. Her bright eyes quietly focused on Qin Fen and the armed officer holding the submachine gun.

Qin Fen quietly assessed the young woman before him. Yang Ruoruo was not a stunning beauty; her overall rating would be slightly above average. However, the unyielding defiance in her eyes lent her an indescribable temperament that made her uniquely captivating, stirring a particular desire to conquer her.

“I was a comrade of your brother Snake Head…”

Qin Fen broke the silence first, a faint, self-mocking smile playing on his lips. Snake Head was a nickname he had acquired after joining the army. Announcing himself like this…

“Hello.” Lying on the bed, Yang Ruoruo showed a smile full of relief. “Snake Head was the nickname my brother got after he enlisted. Since you know it, you probably aren't lying to me.”

The muscles in Qin Fen’s fingers twitched slightly. With a flick of his index finger, he struck the ropes binding Yang Ruoruo, and instantly, the ropes parted in two.

Surprise was evident in Yang Ruoruo’s eyes as she stared curiously at Qin Fen’s hand, which had contorted and looked somewhat monstrous during the movement. The ropes, so strong she couldn't break free by any means, were as fragile as tofu before those frightening fingers.

Qin Fen smiled, returning his 'Heart-Plucking Hand' to normal. He wondered what expression Instructor Butcher would have if he saw the Heart-Plucking Hand used this way.

“I came looking for you.”

“I know.” Yang Ruoruo rubbed her reddened wrists. “My sister and I didn’t know who you were, so we’ve been avoiding you.”

Qin Fen shook his head helplessly and forced a wry smile. No wonder they kept missing each other; they thought he was the bad guy.

“Stay with me for now. I’ll resolve this situation for you.”

Qin Fen started walking toward the door. The lieutenant approaching him saluted and reported, “We have apprehended two individuals who attempted resistance. Fingerprint analysis confirms they are both Federal A-Class wanted fugitives.”

There were more fugitives? Qin Fen raised an eyebrow. Niu Jinhan was indeed clever, hiding fugitives in a bathhouse that would never be routinely inspected.

“Commander!” Yu Xiao walked over, rubbing his still teary eyes, beaming with happiness. “I can’t believe this isn't just a red-light bathhouse, but a den of thieves too! Brothers on the fifth, sixth, and eighth floors just sent word—they’ve captured a total of twelve fugitives, the lowest grade being B-Class!”

A look of astonishment also crossed Qin Fen’s face. A single bathhouse harboring fifteen fugitives? Niu Jinhan really dared to pull something like this. What was he trying to achieve?

“Haha! This is huge!” Yu Xiao couldn’t stop smiling. “Fifteen fugitives arrested, including an SS-Class one! Commander, you’ve earned major merit! Huge merit!”

Merit? Qin Fen nodded. Yes! This was truly a massive accomplishment. Raiding a brothel and catching fifteen fugitives—this was unprecedented in police history, perhaps.

“Go ask Niu Jinhan if the person who was after Yang Ruoruo is coming today,” Qin Fen said, his expression hardening. “If he shows up, find a way to take him down too.”

“No problem.” Yu Xiao curiously added, “And what crime should we charge him with?”

Qin Fen looked coldly at the group of scantily clad men and women squatting in the hallway. “That man used coercion; his nature is different from these people. You all understand the law better than I do. Make sure the charges are airtight so he can’t get out. Scum who rely on power to bully others are a menace to society when left outside.”

“Can’t get out?” Yu Xiao shrugged. “That’s too easy! I think we should just…”

A telephone ringing interrupted Yu Xiao’s speech. Qin Fen pulled out his old-fashioned mobile phone. “Hello, this is Qin Fen.”

“Xiao Qin, this is Director Han.” Han Jing gently rubbed his temples, his face etched with unspeakable weariness and distress. “Are you busy right now? There’s an important small meeting at the bureau, and I’d like you to attend.”

A small meeting? Qin Fen glanced at the people in the hallway and immediately understood Director Han’s implication.

“Understood, I’ll be right back.”

Qin Fen hung up the phone, turned to look at the quiet Yang Ruoruo, and let out a long sigh. This girl was rescued, but the real trouble was only just beginning.

“Yang Ruoruo, stay with me for now. We’ll talk after I finish this up.”

“I still have a sister…”

“I know. Yu Xiao, take a few men and pick up her sister from school.”

“Thank you…”

“No need to thank me.” Qin Fen shook his head. “Snake Head is gone. Since I am in Tianbei City, some level of looking after her is appropriate.”