The large man, Bingzi, smirked with satisfaction. "Oh, the lapdog suffers, you don't feel good about that, eh?"

Xiong Sihai turned and said, "Old Ma, cripple him."

"En." Old Ma nodded, kicked off, and lunged at the large Han, closing the distance like a gust of wind, his palm shooting out with incredible speed.

The Han leaned back, let out a strange cry, and narrowly evaded the attack, roaring with laughter. "Hahaha, finally, I've vented this anger! Brother Jing, hurry up!"

Old Ma, a burly figure, charged fiercely into the room and was immediately thrown back out, crashing heavily toward Li Muchen and the others.

Li Muchen extended his left palm, lightly resting it on Old Ma’s shoulder, and pressed his right palm against the nearby door. Instantly, a clear palm print appeared on the wood, as if seared by a branding iron, sharp and unmistakable.

A colossal force surged through Old Ma, but as Li Muchen supported him, the power erupted like a flood from a sluice gate, pouring onto him. Li Muchen deftly redirected it onto the door panel.

He wielded this technique of redirecting force with extreme familiarity, shunting the power away cleanly.

Old Ma exhaled, glanced back at Li Muchen with a look of gratitude, then turned to say, "Big Brother, it's that fellow surnamed Jing..."

Xiong Sihai thundered, "Jing! Hiding in there, what are you afraid of?"

"Hahaha, you bear, I can't be bothered with you. Don't spoil our mood, buzz off!" A clear, hearty laugh echoed from inside.

Immediately, a cascade of booming laughter followed; clearly, there was more than one person in there—about ten, judging by the sound.

Xiong Sihai sneered, "Jing, you're scared now, aren't you? Heh, remember how I dealt with you last time? Everyone knows what a coward you are. Is your left hand fixed yet?"

A crisp voice replied, "No need to worry about that. Good news for you—your dog's left hand is crippled too. You can keep him now. Aren't you the loyal type?"

Xiong Sihai glanced down at Xiao He. His face was bruised purple, eyes tightly shut in unconscious agony, brow furrowed in deep pain.

"Good! Good—!" Xiong Sihai ground out, his eyes burning.

Old Ma quickly interjected, "Big Brother, a gentleman's revenge can wait ten years. Let's settle this another day."

Xiong Sihai slowly shook his head. "Today. I will break his dog legs again. This time won't be so easy; he won't be walking on even one leg properly."

Old Ma sighed. "Big Brother, a wise man avoids immediate loss. There are several masters inside. They are not our match; we cannot win." He wiped a smear of blood from his lip. "The experts from the Flying Cavalry Battalion are all in there."

"Even if we can't win, we fight!" Xiong Sihai snorted, his eyes bloodshot, facial muscles twisting into a terrifying grimace, a stark contrast to his usual jovial demeanor.

Old Ma sighed again and stopped talking. Once his Big Brother set his stubborn mind, not even several oxen could change his course. He could only follow, prepared to risk his life.

He stepped forward and murmured, "Big Brother, I'll go first."

"Get aside. I'll do it myself." Xiong Sihai shoved him away, kicked out, blasting the door inward, and charged in.

Chak-chak! A sound came from within, followed by angry shouts.

Zhao Shengli yelped, "Brother Sihai, how can you handle something like this alone? I'm coming too!"

Saying that, he also kicked out, smashing the other door open. Then, with a crack, several figures slowly emerged, blocking their path.

The one leading was tall, powerfully built yet retaining an elegant bearing. His features were handsome, his expression coldly arrogant, like a favored son of heaven looking down on Xiong Sihai with disdain.

Xiong Sihai widened his eyes and snarled, "Jing! You want to win by overwhelming numbers?"

"Indeed."

The handsome youth nodded, smiling slightly. "We will win by numbers. Today, we will extinguish your arrogance and remove a menace from our Shenwu Battalion."

"What big talk," Xiong Sihai sneered dismissively. "This is all the skill you have. Because you lack talent yourself, you have to rely on helpers!"

The handsome youth shook his head and smiled. "We are soldiers. We rely on taking many against few; this isn't a duel. Your way of doing things will only get everyone killed on the battlefield."

"Heh heh, Brother Jing, it's no wonder he's only a squad leader despite being the Commandant's son. Truly a hopeless case," another youth chuckled, shaking his head.

"If we cripple him today, it'll be a favor to the Commandant, saving him further embarrassment," the handsome youth smiled sweetly.

Xiong Sihai’s expression turned icy, his eyes filled with murderous intent, yet he grew calmer.

Old Ma watched anxiously. This was Xiong Sihai's sensitive spot; he hated anyone mentioning the Commandant. These fellows were deliberately provoking him.

He stepped forward and said solemnly, "Big Brother, why use an ox-slaughtering knife on a chicken? These worthless fellows are enough for me to handle. You can guard from the side."

Xiong Sihai pushed him aside, stepped forward, and said coldly, "Jing, enough talk. Fight!" Bickering like women is utterly ridiculous."

The handsome youth was composed and smiled. "Good! Good. You bear has no other virtue, except one: you are decisive." He glanced at Old Ma. "Your lackey is quite loyal; I'll spare him for now. Bear, come on."

Just as Xiong Sihai was about to lunge, Zhao Shengli grabbed him and yanked him back, saying firmly, "Dakun, Xiao Cai, Li Zi, let's go!"

"Got it!" Li Baolu responded excitedly, stepping forward. He took the left flank, Feng Dakun the right, with Zhao Shengli in the center, and Cai Yuzhang beside him.

The four formed a diamond shape. Li Muchen smiled. "Head Zhao, what about me?"

Saying this, he stepped forward, placing himself in front of Zhao Shengli. He grinned, "I'll be the vanguard."

He had no good feelings for this youth. His smile was benign, his looks exceptional, but his heart was dark, filled with killing intent toward Xiong Sihai purely for revenge.

Furthermore, given the current situation, reconciliation was impossible; they had to fight.

"Kid, who are you?" The handsome youth frowned, noticing Li Muchen and his group for the first time. He shook his head. "So, you lot have been roped in by this boy? Alas, he has little real skill, but he knows a few tricks to win people over. What a waste."

He turned to his comrades. "Brother Chen, Brother Meng, they are blocking the way. We must strike them down first. As for the one surnamed Xiong, just cripple him directly; the Commandant won't hold it against us, I presume!"

"En." The few youths nodded, casting cold glances at Li Muchen's group.

Before Li Muchen could speak, several youths rushed forward, their fists and feet whipping the air toward Li Muchen and his companions. Ten against five, and they were all experts; they expected an easy victory.

Unexpectedly, Li Muchen suddenly surged forward, slamming into the door frame, reaching out to pull. Instantly, the door hinge came loose—it was nearly as tall as a man, thick as a baby's arm, perfectly usable as a staff.

With the staff in hand, he unleashed the Maddened Demon Staff Technique. The entire doorway was enveloped in a flurry of staff shadows. If they wanted to attack, they first had to break through Li Muchen's barrage.

"Hmph, there's some substance to this!" One youth stopped, eyeing Li Muchen's staff work, then suddenly moved his leg, sending a chair flying toward the staff shadows.

Pa! A sharp crack echoed, and the chair shattered, pieces flying everywhere.

The others were startled, surprised by the sheer power in his staff strike. That purple-wood chair was sturdy; its material was hard enough that even swords couldn't cut through it in one blow.

The chair disintegrated, but the staff shadows remained unaffected, still filling the space and blocking the exit for the others. Li Muchen stood calm and composed, as if he wasn't the one wielding the staff.

At this rate, Li Muchen wouldn't tire for at least one or two hours.

The group exchanged glances. None of them carried weapons; soldiers were prohibited from carrying arms outside the camp to prevent trouble—a very wise regulation.

"Brother Jing, let me try!" one youth said solemnly. He bent down and lifted a door—the one that Xiong Sihai and Zhao Shengli had just kicked open.

"Be careful," the handsome youth cautioned.

The youth nodded, swung the door, and met Li Muchen's staff shadows.

Kacha-kacha! Wood chips flew, and planks burst apart. Several people had to retreat two steps to avoid being struck.

The splinters were made of hard purple wood, striking like stones; they dodged whenever possible.

The Changping Wine House certainly lived up to its reputation as the premier establishment in Tianlong City; its furnishings were exquisitely luxurious. This door and the tables were all made of durable purple wood, making them extremely valuable.

Cai Yuzhang shook his head, sighing. After this fight, the losses to the Changping Tower alone would be staggering; what terrible luck!

Under Li Muchen's staff technique, the door quickly dissolved into a pile of splinters and wood chips. The young man, now disarmed, glared fiercely at Li Muchen but dared not advance again.

Li Muchen shouted, "If you won't come out, I'll come in!"

Without waiting for a reaction from the other side, he charged in, staff whirling. Immediately, men were sent sprawling, a dozen of them in disarray, frantically using tables to block him.

Li Muchen moved through the room with his staff sweeping, the canopy of shadows enveloping the space. His feet trod on a carpet of splinters and broken wood. Everything inside that could be used as a weapon was pulverized by his staff.

This destruction was like a mechanical grinder, unstoppable. By the time he reached the center of the room, it was empty, the dozen men slowly closing in around him.

They realized their strategy of wearing him down with objects had failed. With no other option, they could only fight head-on.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dozen men rushed him, each possessing excellent fist and foot skills, but Li Muchen's staff work was dense, seamless, and every inch was perilous. Beneath the shadows, not a single one held out; all were struck and fell stiffly.

One hit would stiffen the body immediately, followed by a continuous barrage. Even though Li Muchen held back, it was enough to put them out of commission, and they collapsed rigidly.

The initial flurry of staff work had slowly coaxed out his internal energy, serving as a warm-up. They had missed the critical initial opportunity. If they had attacked immediately when he first started whirling the staff, before his internal energy fully engaged, the technique wouldn't have possessed such devastating power.

Li Muchen reeled his staff back in, stood straight, cast a faint glance, and retreated to stand behind Zhao Shengli.

Everyone stared at him, mouths agape, stunned by his staff prowess; they hadn't expected him to be so formidable.

Li Muchen, however, understood that he had benefited greatly from having a weapon. If they had wielded blades or spears, the outcome might have been different.

P: Today I was determined to finish this, and I actually did it. I'm too weak physically, though, so I dare not push myself further. I need to rest and will continue in a few days. (!E