Chapter 126: A Lethal Strike

The tremendous crash of the front door being kicked open jolted Lin Yimo from her unconscious state. Seeing Lin Yang standing there, she felt a mixture of being moved, surprised, and deeply worried—after all, she was facing the Black Widow.

The Black Widow crushed her cigarette, stood up, and clapped her hands. "You have guts. I’m quite surprised you actually dared to come. It seems you really care about your woman."

"Lin Yang, you shouldn't have come. It's too dangerous here. I'm sorry, I've dragged you into this," Lin Yimo said.

"Since you are my woman, it is my responsibility to protect you. Don't worry, I don't hold them in any regard," Lin Yang replied. Seeing the fingerprints on Lin Yimo’s face and the blood on her family's faces, he knew they had been beaten, and a raging fire of fury ignited in his heart.

"Heh... what a big mouth. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such an arrogant young man," the Black Widow said with disdain.

"Your target is me. I was the one who killed Wei Dagang, and I was the one who crippled Zhao Weiming. This has nothing to do with the others; let them go," Lin Yang said coldly.

"A joke! Who do you think I, the Black Widow, am? Since they’ve been brought here, do you really think they’ll leave alive?" the Black Widow sneered.

"According to the code of the underworld, family should not be involved, especially since this matter has nothing to do with them," Lin Yang said, still trying to secure the safe departure of Lin Yimo’s family first, fearing that any fight would leave him with too many hostages to worry about.

The Black Widow laughed boisterously. "I, the Black Widow, have never followed any bullshit underworld code. My rules are the rules of the underworld."

This was Lin Yang’s first direct encounter with the Black Widow. He had heard of her reputation, but seeing her in person left an even deeper impression. This woman was not famous without cause.

"So, you intend to kill us all?" Lin Yang asked, his strength making him fearless.

"You don’t have to die. Since you killed Wei Dagang, you can take his place, be my dog, and then you can live." The Black Widow sat back down, crossed her legs, and assumed the posture of a superior queen.

Lin Yang sneered and rubbed his nose. "I find your temperament quite extraordinary; you would also make a very suitable dog for me."

"You’re courting death!" The Black Widow was enraged, and a group of burly men in black surged from the surroundings, surrounding Lin Yang.

"Zhao Weiming, at the eighth rank, was no match for me. With these subordinates of yours, are you trying to send them to their deaths?" Lin Yang asked with contempt.

The Black Widow sneered, "Do you think I'm that stupid?" She snapped her fingers, and four of her men drew guns, aiming them at Lin Yimo and her family.

Lin Yang frowned. The Black Widow said, "If you dare to fight back or injure one of my men, I will kill one of them."

At that moment, Lin Yimo felt less afraid. To be killed by a gunshot was better than being humiliated. However, Lin Yuanzhi and Lin Dehai were terrified, nearly wetting themselves.

Lin Yang glanced at them and sneered, "Black Widow, you underestimate me. You want to use this trick to force my submission? I will never surrender."

"Then you will just have to watch your woman and her family die before your eyes. Don't think I'm just making idle threats," the Black Widow said coldly.

"No, I believe you are capable of such things. But as I said, this trick won't work on me. Even if it weren't just my woman you had captured, but my own parents, I would not surrender. If you want to kill, then kill. I will kill you and everyone here to avenge them. Trading their four lives for twenty or thirty of yours is not a bad deal," Lin Yang said with a cold, detached expression.

"You scoundrel! My daughter must have been blind to ever be with someone like you. Hurry up and die, don't drag us down with you!" Lin Yuanzhi couldn't help but curse loudly.

Lin Yang remained indifferent. Ignoring Lin Yuanzhi, he said to Lin Yimo, "Yimo, I'm sorry, this is the only choice I can make. Rest assured, I will avenge you."

A look of relief appeared on Lin Yimo's face. "Lin Yang, I don't blame you. You made the most logical choice. If I were you, I would do the same." She understood clearly that even if Lin Yang surrendered, the Black Widow’s methods meant her family would die regardless; there was no way out.

Lin Yang nodded slightly. He channeled his inner energy into his dantian, clenched his fists, and let his gaze turn cold and murderous, preparing for a slaughter. If Lin Yimo died, he would kill everyone here and raze the entire Cheng clan to the ground.

Just then, a voice rang out. "Junior sister, I told you long ago that this tactic wouldn't work on him. Martial artists don't fall for this."

With those words, two men emerged from the shadows. They were Yin Weixiong and Shi Weijun, the first and second disciples of Cheng Kuo. Although Shi Weijun was the second disciple, his talent surpassed the others, and he was the only ninth-rank master under the Cheng banner.

The Black Widow didn't get angry at her failed plan. She laughed, "If he had truly surrendered, I would have looked down on him. Such a person could never achieve anything great; killing him would have felt empty."

With a wave of her hand, the men surrounding Lin Yang retreated.

Yin Weixiong and Shi Weijun scrutinized Lin Yang. "The third one said you were a Grandmaster and even boasted that you would personally come to our master to hold him accountable. Young man, you have quite a lot of nerve," Yin Weixiong said.

Lin Yang had already detected these two hiding in the back. Beyond them, there was one more person who hadn't appeared. Through his vision, he had already seen Cheng Kuo sitting in a quiet room at the rear. However, Cheng Kuo had not yet emerged. A Grandmaster, after all, would not strike easily.

"Neither of you is a match for me. Let Cheng Kuo come out. If you two strike, you will die," Lin Yang said coldly.

"You are not yet qualified to make our master strike himself. Let me see if you are truly a Grandmaster." Shi Weijun stepped forward and assumed the starting stance of the Bagua Palm. Since Yin Weixiong and Zhao Weiming were both eighth-rank, he naturally felt he was the one who had to step up.

"Your courage is commendable, but you should think carefully: if I am a Grandmaster, you will die if you attack," Lin Yang said coldly.

"I bet you are not a Grandmaster! Even if you are, I am confident that you cannot kill me." Shi Weijun was extremely confident and launched his attack.

The Bagua Palm combined palm techniques with intricate footwork; there were eighty-one variations of the palm, made even more exquisite by the shifting steps. Lin Yang stood motionless, waiting for the attack to reach him.

Lin Yang could have defeated him in one move, but he chose not to. Cheng Kuo was here, and a battle was inevitable. The Bagua Palm was mysterious; Lin Yang decided to use Shi Weijun to fully understand the patterns of the style so that when he faced Cheng Kuo, a fifth-rank master, he would know his opponent well.