"To cut off a man's livelihood is akin to murdering his parents; Brother Zhang, don't you think this is going too far?"

Huyan Aobo spoke softly, his expression still calm, yet beneath the surface of that calm lay a chilling malevolence. His words clearly indicated his dissatisfaction, or perhaps outright rejection, of the demand Zhang Yang had put forward.

Boss Wang inwardly breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as someone from the Huyan family was willing to step in for him, that was enough. He had heard that Huyan Aobo was extremely famous and formidable within the family. Someone like this had to be more capable than Zhang Yang; as long as Aobo could handle Zhang Yang, the boss felt he would remain safe. Of course, his greatest hope was for a peaceful resolution.

"Brother Huyan also knows that cutting off someone's livelihood is excessive, but what did he do? He left my friend with no way to survive. He intends to take over my friend's entire company!"

Zhang Yang smiled and shook his head. Huyan Aobo blinked in slight surprise, then shot an annoyed glance toward Boss Wang. Zhang Yang’s statement cornered him; there was no easy rebuttal, as this whole mess was instigated by Boss Wang, and now Huyan Aobo was expected to clean up the mess.

"Senior, I know I was wrong. I am willing to compensate—however much Hu Xin's company is worth, I will pay that amount. I beg you to be magnanimous and spare me this time!"

Boss Wang panicked under Huyan Aobo’s stern gaze and quickly spoke again. His current attitude was certainly much better. This change stemmed from his awareness of Zhang Yang’s power; he could not afford to offend such a person and thus sought to resolve the issue through financial sacrifice. At this moment, he didn't realize that even relying solely on official channels, Zhang Yang could still easily drive him into bankruptcy.

"Whatever his company is worth, we will compensate that amount. What do you say, Brother Zhang?"

Huyan Aobo nodded along. He didn't understand the intricacies of the secular world very well, but he knew that compensating the company’s worth meant effectively doubling its value. Such compensation, in his view, demonstrated considerable sincerity. He primarily suggested this because Zhang Yang belonged to the lineage of the Medical Sage; he was unwilling to break ties with someone from that prestigious line over an ancillary figure who helped them generate wealth. Who knew when the Huyan family might need the Medical Sage lineage’s help in the future? After all, every Inner Strength practitioner knew the Medical Sage lineage possessed the finest medical arts under heaven.

Boss Wang looked at Zhang Yang with brimming hope. Hu Xin’s company was small, worth perhaps only a million or two, topping out at three million at most. Paying a few million was manageable. But transferring half of his company meant sacrificing tens of millions in wealth—that was far more painful than slicing off a piece of his flesh.

Zhang Yang looked at Huyan Aobo, a faint smile reappearing at the corner of his lips. Seeing that smile, Huyan Aobo felt a slight easing of tension. He had presumed Zhang Yang would agree to his proposal, opting for this method of reconciliation, as no one wished to make an enemy of the thousand-year-old Huyan family.

Unfortunately, his relief was short-lived, and his expression immediately changed.

"Brother Huyan, I regret to say, it is only because his attitude in admitting his mistake seems decent that I made this request. Transferring the shares—crippling one arm—that is my bottom line. It is non-negotiable!"

Zhang Yang said lightly again. This time, since Hu Xin had been bullied, Zhang Yang was utterly determined to stand up for him, regardless of who the bully was or how powerful their background. He would not abandon this fundamental objective just because someone from the Huyan family was present. It was simply not in his nature, and furthermore, giving up now would negatively impact his cultivation. For him, this was a matter of principle, an unchangeable boundary.

"Zhang Yang, he is a member of our Huyan family!"

Huyan Aobo’s face completely darkened. He stared coldly at Zhang Yang, his inner strength circulating rapidly within his body, poised to erupt at any moment. Having always been the favored genius within the family, the object of universal flattery, he felt he had already lowered his stance considerably, only to find Zhang Yang showing him no respect at all.

"And so what if he is?" Zhang Yang smiled slightly, asking a question that almost drove Huyan Aobo into a frenzy.

"Then do you realize that targeting him means you are challenging our entire Huyan family!"

Huyan Aobo glared fiercely at Zhang Yang, now invoking the family name. If Zhang Yang continued to be obstinate, it would be equivalent to scorning the Huyan family, and Aobo would cease being courteous.

"When a person makes a mistake, they must pay the price. No matter who he is, if I have the ability, I will seek justice for it, and I don't care who is backing him!"

Zhang Yang shook his head with a smile. In the past, he might have hesitated, but now that his Inner Strength had reached the late Third Layer, he genuinely held little fear. He was only twenty; given a few more years, with the aid of the Saintess Elixir, he was certain to break through to the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength. At that point, even the Huyan family would not dare to easily offend him. Never mind an outer retainer; even a direct descendant of the Huyan family would face his punishment if they crossed him. This was strength. The world of Inner Strength cultivation was inherently one where the strong reigned supreme.

"Insolent brat!"

Huyan Aobo suddenly rose, covering the distance to Zhang Yang in a single step, and raised his hand. He certainly wouldn't kill Zhang Yang, but he was determined to teach him a lesson—to show him the price of looking down upon him and his family. His speed was tremendous; to Boss Wang, it seemed like a mere flicker, and Huyan Aobo was instantly in front of Zhang Yang.

However, to Zhang Yang, that lightning-fast movement looked little different from a normal person walking. Zhang Yang merely shifted his body slightly and slipped past the attack effortlessly.

"You have some skill. I want to see what grounds you have for such arrogance!"

Huyan Aobo’s first strike missed. He let out a cold snort and brought his palms crisscrossed toward Zhang Yang’s chest, employing the Huyan family’s ultimate technique, the Falling Leaf Palm Style. Boss Wang could only see a blur of palm shadows, completely unable to discern how many strikes Huyan Aobo had unleashed.

Watching Huyan Aobo’s movements, Boss Wang’s eyes betrayed a hint of envy and jealousy. This was the power of an Inner Strength Master. If he possessed this capability, why would he struggle so hard to keep his company running? He, too, could become a superior figure, served by countless others. Alas, his age made this dream too unrealistic. He could only place his hopes on his son, wishing that his son could become as powerful as Huyan Aobo. Only when their own family possessed such strength could their status truly be elevated.

Huyan Aobo pressed the attack while Zhang Yang retreated step by step. By sensing the currents of the incoming strikes, Zhang Yang had already gauged Huyan Aobo’s strength: Mid Second Layer, very stable, likely to break through to the late Second Layer soon. Huyan Aobo indeed had reason for his pride; his cultivation speed and aptitude were undoubtedly among the very best of contemporary practitioners—Zhang Yang excluded, of course.

Zhang Yang’s speed was already abnormal. He not only possessed an endless supply of high-grade spiritual herbs and a treasure-seeking rat, but also the cheat-like system that boosted his Inner Strength. Through this multifaceted approach, he rapidly advanced his power to the terrifying late Third Layer. Facing someone at the Mid Second Layer, he naturally felt no concern whatsoever.

Zhang Yang evaded, refusing to strike back, and retreated from the living room into the courtyard over time. Huyan Aobo’s assault followed him from the interior to the exterior. After attacking for a while—though the time was short—Huyan Aobo began to sense something was amiss. Initially, it was understandable that Zhang Yang could dodge, but later, no matter how hard he pushed, even utilizing his full Inner Strength and best martial arts, he could not touch the opponent’s body. Only then did he realize he had truly hit bedrock. The opponent’s strength was definitely superior to his, and by a significant margin.

This realization brought a chill to his heart. He considered himself a rare genius in the current cultivation world; yet this opponent, who was younger, was stronger. What kind of master was this Zhang Yang? The unfortunate thing was that Zhang Yang never counterattacked, so Aobo could not discern his opponent’s Inner Strength level.

After dodging a bit longer, the smile on Zhang Yang’s lips deepened. The reason he kept evading was that he had suddenly become interested in Huyan Aobo’s palm technique. He wanted to watch the entire set of the Falling Leaf Palm Style—not necessarily to master it completely, but at least to grasp its essence. Now that he had seen enough, there was no need to continue playing with Huyan Aobo.

Huyan Aobo launched another aggressive move. At this moment, he felt a pang of regret. He had only come out to retrieve some items and had not brought his weapon. Had he known he would face such a formidable opponent, he should have brought his divine armament. As a family with a thousand-year heritage, they possessed no shortage of such weapons. As the most outstanding genius in the family and the most cherished recipient, his divine weapon was perfectly suited to him and would grant him several points of extra combat capability.

"Ah!"

Huyan Aobo momentarily lost focus, and instantly felt the force on his arm slacken, followed by the terrifying sensation that the limb no longer belonged to him; his entire arm went limp. Zhang Yang was now gripping his arm.

Fear flickered across Huyan Aobo’s face. He hadn't even registered how Zhang Yang had seized him, nor had he sensed Zhang Yang’s movement. Despite his terror, he hadn't completely given up. He thrust his foot upward, intending to use the leverage of his leg to escape his current predicament. The moment his foot lifted, however, his body suddenly went weak again, and a powerful force surged into his body, causing his leg to buckle unnaturally. With this single action, he understood: the opponent had not been using some obscure secret technique earlier; he was genuinely a master whose power level he could not fathom, someone far stronger than himself.

"You, you are a Third Layer expert?"

His body immobilized, horror was etched on Huyan Aobo’s face, but it was mixed with profound bitterness. He now fully understood that he was nowhere near Zhang Yang’s match. Zhang Yang’s strength was definitely above the Third Layer, and at least at the Mid Third Layer. If it were only a single level difference, Zhang Yang could not have subdued him so easily.

Looking at Zhang Yang’s age, bitterness deepened on his face. Zhang Yang appeared remarkably young, and Aobo was certain Zhang Yang hadn't used any youth-preserving elixirs; this was his genuine, youthful appearance, as they possessed their own means of discernment. To be this young and possess strength equivalent to, or exceeding, the Mid Third Layer delivered a crushing blow to someone who had always considered himself a genius.