060. What a master!

Liu Ye’s eyes flashed with a cold light. At this moment, Lin Shan clearly sensed the killing intent emanating from him. Liu Ye was merely a crouching tiger; not baring his claws and fangs did not mean he was sick or weak.

In a chilling voice, Liu Ye said, "Number Three, that depends entirely on whether you have the appetite to swallow it."

Betrayed by his own adopted son, Liu Ye remained remarkably calm. He did not curse his fate or rail against the heavens.

Number Three sighed with emotion and said, "Dad, for all these years, many people have said you're getting old. But in my eyes, you are still the exact same person you used to be. Even at a juncture like this, you still refuse to accept your destiny."

Having said this, Number Three suddenly turned to Lin Shan and said, "My friend, I have no conflict with you, and this matter has nothing to do with you. If you leave right now, once everything is settled, I will hand you ten million with both hands!"

He had spent years plotting for this very day, slowly infiltrating the security detail surrounding Liu Ye, and planting women to whisper pillow talk into Liu Ye’s ears. He had finally found this single opportunity, believing it to be foolproof, yet he never anticipated that a variable like Lin Shan would emerge.

Just by looking at the move Lin Shan had executed moments ago, Number Three knew instantly that Lin Shan was no ordinary person.

At his level, he was well aware that the world was not as mundane as it seemed—that there existed a breed of people possessing extraordinary strength, much like the legendary heroes in martial arts novels.

Liu Ye chuckled softly. "Number Three, ten million is far too stingy. You’ve followed me for so long, and is this really how I taught you? Brother Lin, if you can protect my life today, Liu Ye will present you with thirty million with both hands."

For a moment, both factions turned their gazes simultaneously toward Lin Shan.

Lin Shan furrowed his brows.

From that brief encounter just now, he had already counted the men Number Three brought: excluding the one he had sent flying, there were seventeen others.

Every single one of them looked fierce and menacing, clearly men who had seen their share of blood and battles.

In truth, given his current cultivation level, blocking these men was not difficult. The real challenge lay in having to protect Zhang Zhi at the same time.

Lin Shan did not hesitate for long, making the decision to help Liu Ye almost instantly.

The reason was simple.

Killing one's adoptive father with one's own hands—even within the underworld—was an act despised by thousands, let alone in the current era of the rule of law.

These major syndicate figures all desperately wanted to wash their hands clean and legitimize themselves.

Regardless of how sincerely Number Three promised to hand over ten million right now, the moment he walked away and completely swallowed up Liu Ye's sphere of influence, he would undoubtedly turn around and eliminate any witnesses to tie up loose ends.

On this point, Lin Shan’s mind was crystal clear.

Zhang Zhi had clearly thought of this as well. He murmured softly in Lin Shan’s ear, "Ah Shan, this guy is talking nicely right now, but if he really gets rid of Sixth Master, we'll be the very next targets on his list."

Zhang Zhi’s heart was hammering wildly in his chest at that moment. He was a genuine ordinary person, and until today, he had always assumed such scenes only existed in movies.

Seeing Lin Shan and Zhang Zhi whispering to each other, Liu Ye’s eyes flashed, and he spoke up as well, "Brother Lin, Little Fatty, the two of you have witnessed his act of patricide. Do you honestly think he will let either of you walk away alive?"

True to his reputation as an old fox, a single simple sentence instantly rendered all of Number Three's efforts futile.

In reality, Liu Ye’s heart was not as tranquil as his outward appearance suggested. The moment he witnessed Lin Shan’s display earlier, he knew for certain that Lin Shan was a genuine master.

Though his own bodyguards were formidable, they still fell within the scope of ordinary mortals. Breaking out on their own was doable, but breaking out while successfully protecting him would be quite difficult.

He might have been a god of slaughter in his youth, but he was older now, and having lived in luxury and comfort for far too long, he had long since lost that sharp edge.

If he wanted to survive today, he had to rope Lin Shan in.

Number Three said in a deep voice, "I mean what I say. I will never make a move against you."

Yet at their age, both men understood all too well that promises were far too pale and fragile...

Lin Shan said to Zhang Zhi, "When the fight starts, jump out the window and run first. Their target is Sixth Master; they shouldn't give you a hard time."

Zhang Zhi nodded.

Then, Lin Shan turned to Number Three and said, "I need to think about this a bit longer."

Number Three said with extreme impatience, "You'd better be quick about it."

And so, both factions simply stood there waiting for Lin Shan.

In truth, Lin Shan was merely stalling for time. Once fifteen minutes had elapsed, Number Three finally realized he had been played by Lin Shan. Instantly consumed by fury, he roared, "You motherfucker, you dared to play me! Brothers, hack him to pieces!"

At Number Three’s command, the knife-wielding thugs swarmed forward in a wave.

"Go!"

Lin Shan shoved Zhang Zhi aside, facing the three charging blade-wielding thugs head-on.

The private dining room was extremely cramped, which meant he only had to face a few opponents at a time—a piece of great news for Lin Shan. He noticed that Liu Ye’s bodyguards had stepped forward to block in front of him, while Liu Ye himself had picked up a heavy wooden bench.

Lin Shan shot his hand out, instantly snatching the blade from the first attacker. The man’s right hand was firmly gripped by Lin Shan, and he let out a miserable scream as he felt the bones in his hand shatter, naturally causing him to lose his grip on the weapon.

Using the seized blade to parry the next man’s attack, Lin Shan followed up with a fierce kick straight into another attacker's lower abdomen.

That man was sent flying backward as if he had been struck by a speeding car. He crashed heavily into the three men crowding closely behind him, knocking all of them off their feet and sending them sprawling to the floor.

That single exchange left everyone utterly dumbfounded. Standing before them with a machete in hand, Lin Shan exuded the imposing aura of a lone warrior holding off ten thousand foes.

"Holy shit, that is so fucking cool!"

Zhang Zhi, who had been cowering by the windowsill preparing to flee, completely forgot about running away the moment he witnessed Lin Shan's breathtaking display.

Seeing the morale of his men plummeting to rock bottom, Number Three knew that if they failed to take down Lin Shan right here and now, they were finished. Making a split-second decision, he stepped forward with his blade drawn and shouted, "Take him down for me!"

Two of his most trusted confidants immediately surged forward to back him up. The moment Number Three made his move, Lin Shan sensed something out of the ordinary.

The man’s footwork was light and agile; clearly, he had undergone formal martial arts training.

Yet that was the extent of it. Facing Lin Shan, he still posed zero threat.

Because Lin Shan was simply too fast. With a single explosive dash forward, Number Three felt his vision blur. The next instant, a wave of agonizing pain erupted in his lower abdomen as Lin Shan’s fist struck home.

Number Three gagged, instantly draining of all strength. He slumped weakly to the ground, staring at Lin Shan in sheer disbelief.

The other two men had been about to charge, but seeing their boss instantly brought to his knees, they froze in hesitation.

Liu Ye and his bodyguards wore complex expressions. Having anticipated a brutal, bitter battle, none of them had expected this crisis to be resolved by Lin Shan with such effortless ease.

Right at that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

"Sixth Master!"

Accompanied by numerous shouts.

Lin Shan knew instantly that Liu Ye’s reinforcements had arrived. There were no less than a hundred people approaching outside.

Number Three turned deathly pale. Letting out a self-deprecating laugh, he looked up at Lin Shan and muttered, "I never expected to fall into your hands."

His remaining subordinates all turned pale with fright. At that moment, Liu Ye spoke up, "Drop your blades, every single one of you! I will let bygones be bygones for what happened today!"