Zhao Nianbin’s pupils constricted, his expression shifting slightly.
A subordinate beside him immediately jumped out, pointing at Li Chonglou and yelling, "What the f\*\*k do you think you're saying to our boss? Don't you know the rules? Wanna die?"
"You offend our boss Zhao in the Western Sea, and you'll walk in standing and be carried out lying down, believe it or not?" another subordinate chimed in.
The people from Shuzhou had a significant presence in the Western Sea, forming gangs, extorting businesses, and even forcing the local Tibetans to give them face.
This Cultural Park area had been under their control for over twenty years.
Even government crackdowns on organized crime hadn't touched their core.
Today, some hothead had the audacity to confront them.
They were asking for death, as if they had eaten bear bile.
Zhao Nianbin raised his hand, silencing his two subordinates.
He then stared intently at Li Chonglou and Xu Lie, making a gesture. "Little brother, you're new to the Western Sea, aren't you? You're quite flashy."
"It's okay if you don't know the rules, I can teach you."
"Consider that carpet your tuition fee. I've given you an opportunity, you need to learn to seize it."
Seeing Zhao Nianbin's gesture, his subordinates understood immediately and reached for their phones to call for backup.
Li Chonglou was unremarkable, no one paid him much mind.
However, Xu Lie was tall and imposing, exuding a powerful aura. Even though they dominated the local scene, they were only three people and didn't dare to act rashly.
But this was his territory. Once reinforcements arrived,
Tigers would have to lie down, and dragons would have to coil.
He was determined to have that carpet!
"It's just a worn-out blanket, why don't you give it to him?" the middle-aged man surnamed E hadn't quite grasped the situation, urging with worry.
Yangla was also a bit scared, and chimed in, "Esteemed guest, you are so wealthy, don't worry about such a small thing."
"It's one thing if you lack the discernment to recognize the carpet's origin. But others are not like you." Li Chonglou looked at the man surnamed E and chuckled, "This carpet looks ordinary on the outside, but it's woven with gold threads and silkworm silk inside."
"It's a standard court artifact of the Tuyuhun royal family. He saw the gold-threaded backing when I was rolling up the carpet."
"Selling it to me for five million isn't a loss, but you want me to give it to him for free? Does he deserve it?"
Li Chonglou's words widened the eyes of the man surnamed E, filling his face with disbelief.
This carpet, which he had mistaken for a fake, was actually genuine.
And a royal treasure at that.
This...
He almost slapped his thigh in regret.
He inwardly cursed his lost opportunity.
However, thinking of the five million Li Chonglou had paid, he felt a bit more balanced.
If it had been him, he might have sold it for five hundred yuan.
In an instant, he felt a newfound respect for Li Chonglou, and his hostility lessened.
But the glint of greed in his eyes did not escape Li Chonglou's notice.
"I thought you were a novice, but it turns out you're quite knowledgeable." Zhao Nianbin's eyes showed a hint of apprehension.
His gaze towards Li Chonglou was no longer one of disdain.
He had thought Li Chonglou was a lucky fool, but unexpectedly, he knew the carpet's origin.
Even after browsing the ghost market so many times, he hadn't noticed it. It was only when Li Chonglou unrolled it that he saw the gold-woven silkworm silk brocade underneath and realized the carpet was extraordinary.
Even then, he hadn't immediately identified it as a Tuyuhun royal artifact.
How could Li Chonglou, at such a young age, possess such keen insight?
This made him inwardly question things.
"In any case, I'm better than you. Robbing people in broad daylight, can you even be considered an antique dealer?" Li Chonglou said, unfazed, his words sharp as a knife. "Since you've seen the light, scram. I don't have time for your nonsense."
With that, he rolled up the carpet and prepared to leave with his companions.
His master's life was paramount; he had nothing to discuss with this kind of person.
The reason he revealed the carpet's true origin in front of the man surnamed E was that Zhao Nianbin had also recognized it and would surely expose it on the spot.
He never had a good word for these thugs who bullied businesses and robbed treasures.
The antique market, since ancient times, had been a business that heavily emphasized rules.
Traders from all directions, travelers from afar, all adhered to the same rules, which was how it had been passed down for thousands of years, complex yet orderly.
Mysterious yet not rigid.
This Zhao Nianbin, while possessing sharp eyes, had terrible character.
He dared to bully others by relying on his influence and openly breaking the rules.
To treat him as a greenhorn to be exploited was utterly absurd.
"If I let you leave today, I won't be able to show my face in the Western Sea again. Grab them!" Zhao Nianbin's pupils contracted rapidly, his eyes filled with an almost tangible malevolence.
With a command, his two subordinates, who had been eager to act, lunged at Li Chonglou.
They were confident they could handle Li Chonglou, who was skinny and seemingly without strength.
Unfortunately, they shouldn't have made a move in front of Xu Lie.
That was a grave mistake.
Slap! Slap!
Before they could even get close, they saw a blur before their eyes.
Enormous slaps landed squarely on their faces, instantly making them see stars and their vision go black. Their teeth were knocked loose, flying out of their mouths.
They didn't even feel the pain before losing consciousness, crashing to the ground like felled logs.
Thud! Thud!
Everyone around them gasped in unison.
This strong man was almost inhuman, knocking out two people with a single slap...
Was this a deity descending?
Only Yangla was the most shocked, as she had already witnessed the divine power of Xu Lie in action.
The man surnamed E swallowed hard, thinking of how he had tried to fleece Li Chonglou moments ago, and now his scalp was tingling, and cold sweat broke out all over him.
That slap carried a critical hit, who could withstand it?
The most astonished was Zhao Nianbin, his eyeballs nearly popping out, his face turning ashen.
He knew the strength of his subordinates; they were capable fighters, easily able to handle two or three robust Tibetans.
Yet now, they couldn't even withstand a single slap.
No wonder that skinny fellow was so defiant; he had a master by his side and wasn't afraid of them at all.
However, he quickly regained his composure.
In this society, martial prowess alone wouldn't get you far.
In the Western Sea, in this Cultural Park area, he was the true king.
No matter how skilled, could he fight against a gun?
"Stop right there! You hit my men, so you'll be carried out lying down today." Zhao Nianbin was a ruthless character. Despite witnessing Xu Lie's prowess, he still dared to threaten.
Swish...
As soon as he spoke, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed, and dozens of burly men rushed towards them from not far away.
The man surnamed E's face paled dramatically. "This is bad, Boss Zhao's men are all here, we should run."
"Run? With me here, who dares to touch us?" Xu Lie said dismissively.
"They... they have guns..." the man surnamed E added in a low voice, his face like a bitter gourd. He quickly moved away from Xu Lie, fearing he might be caught in the crossfire.
The arriving subordinates surrounded the group.
Several guns were pointed at Xu Lie.
A smug look spread across Zhao Nianbin's face. He snatched a handgun from a subordinate, cocked it, and pointed it directly at Xu Lie's head.
He taunted, "You goddamn son of a bitch, you think you're tough? Try this. Are you faster, or is my gun faster?"
Yangla, who was already dark-skinned, now turned pale.
The sheer number of people wasn't as terrifying as the sight of guns being drawn.
Furthermore, this was the ghost market; no one would call the police.
This was serious trouble.
Even Li Chonglou showed a hint of solemnity at this sight.
He knew Xu Lie's skills well. While dodging bullets might be impossible, subduing Zhao Nianbin before he could fire was definitely achievable.
But the others had guns too.
He was currently powerless. If he pushed the opponent to the brink and they fired, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Thinking of this, he spoke to stop them, "Wait. You want the carpet, right? Here, take it."
"Chonglou, don't give it to him!" Xu Lie's eyes flashed with self-reproach and anger.
It was clear that Li Chonglou was willing to sacrifice the treasure to protect him.
Bang!
As soon as he spoke, Zhao Nianbin kicked him in the stomach and angrily cursed, "Did I ask you to speak? You really think you're something just because you have a bit of strength."
"I can mess with you anytime, believe it or not, I'll shoot a hole through your skull?"
His arrogance was extreme, as if he were a living Yama who controlled life and death.
Xu Lie endured the kick without budging.
Zhao Nianbin's kick wouldn't injure him. He could even retaliate and take down Zhao Nianbin on the spot.
But he didn't, because Li Chonglou was now an ordinary person. He could afford to make countless mistakes, but Li Chonglou couldn't.
For Li Chonglou's sake, he had to endure and swallow his anger.
But the fire in his tiger-like eyes blazed intensely.
"Take it!" The next second, Li Chonglou threw his bag towards Zhao Nianbin.
Money and possessions were external things. Even the treasures of the Tuyuhun royal family were not as important as Xu Lie's life.
It didn't matter if the carpet was lost; he might be heartbroken for a few days, but if Xu Lie met with an accident, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Zhao Nianbin snatched the bag with a snap, pulled out the carpet, and then threw the bag onto the ground, his expression exceedingly smug.
He then kissed it deeply, disregarding the lingering smell of oil on it.
He then walked over to Li Chonglou, gun in hand and the carpet in the other, tapping the gun barrel against his face. "Weren't you so tough just now? Why the sudden change of heart?"
"If you had given me the carpet earlier, I wouldn't have bothered with you and would have let you go."
"But it's too late now!"
The implication was that he would not let Li Chonglou and his companions off easily.
Xu Lie roared, "What do you want?"
"As I said, you hit my men, and this won't be easily resolved." Zhao Nianbin sneered, "Two people, pay ten million."
"Then, this kid who was acting so tough towards me needs to kneel down and apologize."
"Please me, and I'll let you go."
With a gun in hand, he feared no one.
Let alone these two outsiders, Xu Lie and Li Chonglou. If he couldn't vent his anger today, wouldn't he be acting like a pushover in his own territory?
"You'd better not push your luck." A cold glint flashed in Li Chonglou's eyes.
Earlier, he had considered their unfamiliarity with the place and the important matters at hand, so he had been reluctant to get entangled with someone like Zhao Nianbin.
He hadn't expected that his retreat would lead the other party to think he was easy to bully.
Ten million was nothing, but he still wanted him to kneel and apologize.
While he wouldn't get angry, the fiery rage in Xu Lie's eyes was clear to see.
He knew that Xu Lie's inaction wasn't due to shock, but because he was planning the optimal fighting strategy.
Having fought in underground boxing rings, he had never flinched even in the face of death, let alone a few guns.
Zhao Nianbin was courting death.
Indeed, as soon as the words fell, Xu Lie roared, "Chonglou, get down!"