Chapter 31: Not to Be Provoked

But before his fist could land, a powerful hand seized it in midair.

Qin Guo had appeared in the shop without anyone noticing.

“With your ability, you dare lay a hand before Master Chen?”

A scream echoed as Qin Guo twisted the earring man's arm and snapped it, tossing him aside like trash.

The other thugs, seeing this, lost all their bravado. Terrified, their legs turned to jelly, and they wished for wings to fly away.

The shop was instantly quiet.

Chen Yuyi slowly removed his hand from Xiaoli’s shoulder. “Bring two more bowls of noodles, this time with beef.”

Xiaoli finally regained her composure. She remembered how Chen Yuyi had held her just moments before and felt her cheeks flush. The dramatic scene made her forget to “settle accounts” with him. She was puzzled by the man’s identity—was his name really “Master Chen”? Such a strange title.

To express her gratitude, she added double portions of beef to the noodles.

Then she sat at the counter, lost in thought.

Chen Yuyi still felt unsatisfied, so he decided to have another bowl. He ordered one for Qin Guo as well, specifically with beef, knowing he wouldn’t have to pay this time.

He had often come to this shop for noodles, but never indulged in a bowl of beef noodles. Eating it now, he felt a small thrill—the flavor was truly delicious!

Qin Guo, however, dared not touch his chopsticks. He simply sat and watched Chen Yuyi eat.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Chen Yuyi looked up, puzzled.

“With your status, why would you dine in such a shabby little place?” Qin Guo asked, bewildered. He had seen Chen Yuyi dine at upscale restaurants and live in a villa district, so why come here?

“It’s simple. This is my life. What do you mean by shabby? This noodle shop is my canteen. I used to come here to fill my stomach,” Chen Yuyi replied with a faint smile.

“Do you have difficulties in life?” Qin Guo asked cautiously.

“What do you think?” Chen Yuyi picked up a slice of beef. “This beef is flavorful, just right in texture. Try it.” He popped it into his mouth, savoring it.

“In fact, this is my first time eating beef noodles here. I usually have plain noodles. But since you’re here today, we can both try the beef. Of course, you’re paying!” Chen Yuyi laughed after chewing.

At that moment, Qin Guo pushed a bank card across the table. “Master Chen, I’m not exactly wealthy, but I have over ten million. Please accept this as a token of my respect.”

Chen Yuyi glanced at the card. “After so many years as an assassin, this is all you have?”

“Of course not. I have several properties overseas and some gold. I can transfer them all to your name,” Qin Guo replied hurriedly. Now that his life belonged to Chen Yuyi, he didn’t care about handing over everything.

“Do you think I need any of this?” Chen Yuyi continued eating.

Qin Guo paused, stood up, and apologized solemnly. “Forgive me, Master Chen. I was presumptuous.” He took the card back.

“I often have plain noodles because that’s how my life should be. But if I have a chance for beef noodles, I won’t miss it—like now. If someone tries to deprive me even of plain noodles, I won’t give them any opportunity in return,” Chen Yuyi said calmly.

Qin Guo seemed to grasp his meaning. If the Zhang family didn’t act against Master Chen, he could ignore them. But now that they wanted to kill him, they would pay dearly.

Such was the authority of the Master—not to be challenged!

“Please, Master Chen, grant me one more chance!” Qin Guo said reverently. He had always feared death, which made him cautious in his career, but now he was willing to do anything for Chen Yuyi—even die.

“Eat your noodles,” Chen Yuyi said simply.

Qin Guo said no more. He picked up his chopsticks and ate earnestly.

At that moment, footsteps echoed outside.

Xiaoli was startled. She remembered that Qian Xiaobao’s older brother was the boss in this area. With Qian Xiaobao injured, they would surely seek revenge, though she hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly.

She wanted to urge the two men to leave, but worried about her own safety if they did. She considered calling the police, but doubted it would help and was paralyzed with indecision.

Outside, nearly a hundred men arrived, clanging noisily.

Each wielded steel pipes or baseball bats; some even carried machetes.

Xiaoli was terrified by the spectacle, wishing she could crawl under the table. She glanced at the two men, who remained absorbed in their noodles, making her even more anxious.

“Who broke my brother’s arm?” With his crowd surrounding him, a man in a white suit strode in. It was Qian Liang, Qian Xiaobao’s older brother and the boss of Old Town Street.

He was dark-skinned but wore white clothes, and his name meant “bright” as if in irony. But from his swagger, it was clear no one dared mock him.

Chen Yuyi shook his head slightly. Whenever he tried to eat, a swarm of flies appeared. Fortunately, there were always people to swat them, saving him the trouble.

“Me,” Qin Guo said, finishing the last bite and setting down his chopsticks.

“Oh, you two are bold—after hitting someone, you don’t even run. That saves me the trouble of tracking you down,” Qian Liang sneered as he approached.

“So, how do you propose to settle this?” He relied on his numbers and showed no fear.

Qian Xiaobao, with his arm crudely bandaged, was supported by others. Eager for revenge, he hadn’t even gone to the hospital.

“Brother, break their arms and legs for me! Damn it, they dared touch me—clearly tired of life. And that girl, let me have her first, then let the brothers take turns!” he spat viciously.

Xiaoli trembled in fear, curled up in despair, convinced she would not escape disaster.

She even considered ending her life but felt unwilling—she was still young and hadn’t even had a proper boyfriend.

She looked at the two men again. They seemed unafraid. Could they save her? Impossible, she thought—there were too many opponents. But recalling Chen Yuyi’s earlier display of power and Qin Guo’s skills, she felt a faint hope.

“Don’t worry, brother’s here. You’ll have your wish. What are you all waiting for? Get them!” Qian Liang waved his hand.

Dozens rushed forward, swinging clubs.

But they were instantly sent flying, crashing painfully to the ground, unable to rise. Clubs littered the floor.

The others were stunned, unsure what had happened.

The Qian brothers retreated in terror, unable to believe a single man could do this.

Qin Guo had stood up, watching them coldly.

Though he had been seriously injured, after Chen Yuyi infused him with energy, he had mostly recovered and dispatched the thugs effortlessly.

If it were permissible to kill here, he would have slaughtered them all.

Sensing the murderous intent in his eyes, the Qian brothers grew fearful, realizing they had provoked a martial artist.

But Qian Liang, relying on his connections, was not flustered. “Attack!”

He kept waving his hand, using his men as shields while he called for reinforcements.

The remaining thugs fought desperately, charging again.

The result was the same—they were all beaten to the ground, writhing and crying out.

The noodle shop was now strewn with injured men.

Xiaoli was petrified. One man had defeated nearly a hundred—was he even human?

She looked at Qin Guo in awe.

Glancing at Chen Yuyi, who hadn’t moved from his seat, she shook her head in disappointment. “I thought he was impressive, but it’s all thanks to his companion. I had hoped for more from him!”

After subduing the thugs, Qin Guo began walking toward the Qian brothers.

“Don’t—don’t come any closer! My brother—he works for Kun! Kun could crush your skull with one hand!” Qian Xiaobao stammered in terror.

Qian Liang pulled out his phone. “Kid, if you’re so tough, wait while I make a call. No matter how hard you fight, Kun will handle you with one hand. Dare to let me call him?”

Qin Guo glanced at Chen Yuyi, awaiting his instruction.

The Qian brothers thought they had frightened them and laughed triumphantly.

Chen Yuyi patted his stomach and wiped his mouth with a napkin. After two bowls of noodles, he felt stuffed.

“If they want to call for help, let them. I’ve eaten my fill; let’s enjoy the show.”

The Qian brothers rolled their eyes in fury, muttering, “Enjoy the show, will you? I’ll let you see a real show soon.”

Qin Guo, hearing Chen Yuyi’s words, stayed put.

Xiaoli was speechless. Was this man treating it all as entertainment? Did he have a screw loose? Now was the perfect time to finish the job—if Kun really showed up, who knew what trouble would follow?

Seeing the situation favor her side, she even wanted to teach Qian Xiaobao a lesson herself, to show she wasn’t easy to bully.

She also wondered why that man was so confident.

Qian Liang dialed a number, his face full of smugness, certain Chen Yuyi and Qin Guo would soon be dead.

But as he made the call, a ringtone sounded at the door.

“What’s going on?” At that moment, Bald Eagle King Jiang Kun appeared at the entrance.