The onlookers in the square had no idea that Li Yundong had pulverized the blue brick into dust using his own boundless, powerful Zhenyuan; they simply assumed the brick must have been made of flour.

The four thugs, however, knew perfectly well that the brick was solid, frighteningly hard. Huang Mao, who had just hit himself with it, stared at Li Yundong with bulging eyes, as if confronting a demon.

He thought to himself: Heavens above, have I just seen a god? This—this was a brick as hard as steel just moments ago—how did it turn to mere dust in his hands? Could it be he swapped it out? No, impossible, I watched the whole time!

As he pondered, the surrounding crowd began to stir. More than the second-generation rich kids, they despised these types who staged accidents for extortion. They shouted in unison: "These people are trying to scam him, arrest them!"

The two City Management officers, seeing the situation sour, felt their legs tremble and immediately tried to slip away. Ruan Hongling’s eyes were sharp; she pointed and shouted loudly, "Grab those two imposters!"

The power of the common people was immense. Enthusiastic individuals quickly blocked any path of escape.

The two City Management officers, who had been so arrogant moments before, instantly collapsed like a heap of wet mud, the one who had reached for handcuffs now visibly damp between his legs.

The other three thugs were terrified beyond measure, their faces ashen, legs shaking, teeth chattering uncontrollably. They hunched over, hands clutching their heads, fearing the agitated crowd might swarm them and beat them into permanent disability.

Seeing their state, the crowd grew more incensed, some even roaring, "Beat them to death! Don't let scum like this go!"

Huang Mao flinched, but remembering he was the leader, he quickly reacted. He jumped up with a whoosh and immediately fell to his knees before Li Yundong, sobbing dramatically: "Boss, I was blind and failed to recognize a master! I offended you. Please, have mercy and let me go. Treat me like a passing fart!"

Li Yundong chuckled darkly. "Didn't you say I hit you?"

Huang Mao frantically shook his head, his face plastered with false amiability. "No, no, it was all a misunderstanding!" He then spun around to face the crowd, forcing a wide smile: "A misunderstanding, truly just a misunderstanding!"

Having addressed the public, he turned back to Su Chan and the others, begging: "Beauties, please have pity and show mercy! You noble ladies are too refined; hitting someone like me would soil your hands, wouldn't it? Beauties, ah, my grandmothers, calling you grandmothers should suffice, right? If not, then I can call you mothers, surely?"

Huang Mao’s plea ended with peals of laughter from the onlookers. Ruan Hongling’s cheeks flushed crimson as she stamped her foot and spat, "Pah! I’m a maiden, not old enough to be your grandmother!"

Su Chan, naturally kind-hearted, saw that Huang Mao had sunk to the lowest possible level of humility. Any lingering resentment she held melted away. She gently tugged Li Yundong's hand and whispered, "Yundong, let it go, please? Let him leave?"

Li Yundong glanced at Su Chan, smiled faintly, and patted her hand, signaling he had a plan. He turned back to Huang Mao. "The injury on your face really wasn't caused by me?"

Seeing a possible way out, Huang Mao quickly insisted: "No, absolutely not! Who said your hitting caused the wound on my face? Do I even have a wound on my face?" He turned to his three companions: "Look, do I have an injury on my face?"

The three thugs weren't fools; they shook their heads rapidly, like clappers on a rattle drum.

Huang Mao immediately turned back to Li Yundong, fawning: "See? They all say I have no injury."

Li Yundong pointed at the blood on his face and smiled. "Then what is the blood doing there?"

Huang Mao instinctively touched his face, then declared loudly with feigned astonishment: "Is this blood? No, impossible! This is… this is… sweat! Yes, it’s sweat, hahaha, just sweat all over my face!"

He then turned to his three companions: "Hey, isn't this sweat all over me?"

The three companions exchanged strange looks, holding back laughter they dared not release, and could only nod reluctantly.

But the surrounding crowd burst into roaring laughter. Li Yundong also laughed heartily. "Sweat and blood all over your face? Do you think you’re an Akhal-Teke horse?"

Li Yundong's comment only made others laugh harder. Su Chan doubled over, clutching her stomach, and Ziyuan couldn't suppress her amusement either.

Huang Mao, utterly mortified by the ridicule, plastered on his sycophantic smile again. "Yes, yes, I am an Akhal-Teke horse! Your esteemed self, please be merciful and let me go. I will serve you diligently from now on."

Li Yundong waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it, I'm not blessed with such fortune. Go on, grow a few more eyes next time!"

Hearing this, Huang Mao was overjoyed. He exclaimed, "Oh, noble sir! You truly have the magnanimity of a statesman whose belly can hold a ship, and a general whose forehead can house a stable! You are so generous; great wealth and fortune shall surely be yours in the future!"

Li Yundong grinned, waving him off. "Hurry up and leave before I change my mind!"

Huang Mao dared not linger. He gathered his three companions, and they quickly melted into the crowd, scattering like birds and beasts. The two City Management officers, spotting their chance, lowered their heads and dove into the crowd, vanishing without a trace.

Ruan Hongling saw everyone flee. She rushed to Li Yundong, stamping her foot. "Why did you let them go? If you don't teach them a lesson, everyone will think we're easy targets and come looking for trouble!"

Li Yundong chuckled good-naturedly. "I knew the moment these few entered that they were looking for trouble deliberately. Though I have made quite a few enemies, only a select few in the secular world bear me ill will. If I hadn't let them go, how could I track down the person behind this? These men were merely hired pawns. Given their usual high-and-mighty demeanor, suffering such a significant loss today will surely make them go back and confront their employer. We can just follow them then."

Ruan Hongling’s anger instantly turned to delight. She gave Li Yundong a thumbs-up. "You really are clever; you’re full of mischief!"

Li Yundong laughed and scolded, "Hey, are you complimenting me or cursing me?"

By this time, seeing that the principal victim had chosen to let things go, the onlookers had no reason to linger. Some began saying, "Ah, nothing more to see, let's disperse, the show’s over!"

Others, curious about the abundance of beauties in the shop, came forward to inquire what kind of establishment it was. Ruan Hongling seized the opportunity to promote the 'Di San Xian' as her signature establishment. With her bright, clear voice and stunning looks, she managed to hype up a large group of people, leaving them dazed and thinking: When this shop opens, I must come for a visit, even if just to look at the beautiful women, not necessarily for tea!

Li Yundong then nodded to Su Chan. "Come on, let's follow them and see who is pulling the strings behind these thugs."

Su Chan replied affirmatively, following Li Yundong with noticeable excitement.

The pair trailed Huang Mao and his group from a distance. Huang Mao and his gang had no idea that they hadn't just kicked an unyielding iron plate, but were also being tailed.

After only a short while, Huang Mao arrived at an intersection and encountered a man in a tailored suit accompanied by two beautiful women. As soon as he saw the man, he aggressively charged forward, shouting threats, while his three subordinates surrounded the man.

Li Yundong, looking from afar, paused in surprise. He murmured, "It's him?"

Su Chan also recognized the man: Zhao Yougen, the one who had occupied their seats in the mall earlier. Su Chan wondered aloud, "Does this guy have a grudge against us?"

Li Yundong gave a dark chuckle. "He has no grudge against you, but he certainly has one against me. Hmph, playing dirty tricks behind my back? Fine, I’ll return the favor later! I'll make him terrified just seeing my face!"

From their vantage point, they watched Huang Mao and his men surround Zhao Yougen, roaring and threatening him. Even from that distance, Li Yundong could hear clearly: "Damn it, you dared to set me up! I hit solid iron! See this mess on my face? If you don’t pay for my medical bills and mental damages today, I’ll tear you limb from limb!"

Zhao Yougen shook like a leaf in the wind. The two women beside him were equally terrified, their bodies nearly collapsing onto the ground.

A short while later, Zhao Yougen pulled out a wallet and nervously handed over a wad of cash. "Here, it’s all here."

Huang Mao snatched the money and then grabbed the wallet, taking whatever cash remained. His three companions quickly searched Zhao Yougen’s pockets, stripping him of a gold ring and a gold watch, which they pocketed.

Seeing that his underlings couldn't find anything else, Huang Mao sneered, spat at Zhao Yougen, and cursed, "Damn it, be smarter next time! There are some people I can't afford to mess with, but trash like you, I can handle!" With that, he led his three cronies away triumphantly.

Only after they were far gone did Zhao Yougen manage to straighten up, his expression fluctuating between dark and cloudy. The two women beside him tried to offer support, but Zhao Yougen slapped one of them across the face, yelling, "Damn it! When I was being threatened just now, none of you bothered to help!"

The woman struck was the sharp-featured beauty who had been slapped once before. She turned her face away, covering it with one hand, her eyes filled with a venomous resentment so chilling it was frightening. But when she turned back, her face was instantly smoothed into a flattering smile.

The other woman managed a nervous laugh. "Boss Zhao, weren't we scared just now too?"

Zhao Yougen cursed back, "Scared? Scared of what the hell? Why am I paying to keep you if you’re just scared?"

The slapped beauty murmured softly, "Boss Zhao, we aren't bodyguards!"

Zhao Yougen, enraged, lifted his foot as if to kick her, but the other woman quickly intervened. "Hey, hey, Boss Zhao, calm down, please calm down! Why don't we call the police? We’ll call the police! With so many people around, it won't look good if you hit women!"

Zhao Yougen raised his hand and delivered another slap. "I hit women, so what are you going to do about it!"

The woman covered her reddened cheek and dared not speak. Zhao Yougen raged like a madman in place for a while. When he finally tired himself out, he cursed and stomped off, while the other two women exchanged glances before slowly following him.

When the three had left, Su Chan looked at Li Yundong and asked, "Yundong, shouldn't we go up and teach that guy a proper lesson? That man is despicable!"

Li Yundong snorted coldly. "I originally intended to discipline him, but now it seems unnecessary. Hitting someone like that would only dirty my hands and feet! Don't worry, someone else will take care of him for me!"

Su Chan paused, then quickly understood. "Ah, you mean the two women with him?"

Li Yundong grinned slyly. "Exactly. Didn't you see the look in that woman's eyes? Even from this distance, I could sense the hatred and venom. Just watch—a person like Zhao Yougen will surely face retribution, and it will definitely come from those two women!"

Su Chan nodded vigorously. "People like that are too hateful!"

Li Yundong patted the young girl’s shoulder. "Let's go back."

Just as Li Yundong and Su Chan had chased after the thugs, Zou Ping and the others saw the crowd dissipate. Wang Lingfei, having been stunned into inaction by the display Li Yundong had just shown, inwardly sneered at his momentary cowardice. She said, "Shall we go? Come back another day?"

Wang Lingfei was eager for the escape. She huffed, "I still have two magical artifacts I haven't refined yet. I’ll come back to cause trouble for this fellow once they’re done!"

As they turned to leave, they suddenly heard a gentle, ethereal voice: "Fellow Daoists of the Zheng Yi Sect, you have watched from here for quite some time. May I ask what brings you here?"

Zou Ping and the others started, turning around warily. They looked carefully and saw standing before them an exceptionally beautiful woman in a white dress, appearing as graceful as an immortal—it was Ziyuan!