"Bin-ge, think it was those people next door?" Chen Hao said suddenly.
Yang Bin nodded. He'd been thinking the same thing.
They'd been gone for days. The other side must have assumed they'd fled and helped themselves to whatever was left.
Yang Bin stepped onto the balcony and activated his True Vision Eye, scanning the neighboring villa.
It didn't take long. He found Little Orange in a small iron cage in the backyard.
The cat lay on its side, barely breathing, clearly abused. Looked like they'd been trying to tame it.
"Good." Yang Bin's voice was ice. "I've let you breathe long enough. Time to settle this."
He walked downstairs and led the squad toward the villa.
Meanwhile, on the third floor of that villa, Wang Ruikai watched the group approaching through the window. A cold smirk tugged at his lips.
"Thought you'd run off. Didn't expect you to actually come back."
"But this is even better. I tried being nice, and you played games. Guess we're doing this the hard way."
He strolled down to the living room, dropped onto the sofa, crossed his legs, and lit a cigarette. Perfectly at ease, waiting for Yang Bin to come knocking.
Every previous encounter, he'd been the one going to their place. Even had to bring a goddamn door gift.
This time, they were coming to him.
As for worrying about their strength...
Hah. Maybe before today.
But yesterday, he'd finally cultivated a Tier-5 Zombie. That made him Tier 5 now-and an extremely powerful Tier-5 ability user at that.
Word from the Survival Base said even the military only had a dozen or so Tier-5 Evolvers.
With his ability, he was invincible at his rank.
So yeah. He had every reason to be confident. He feared no one.
Behind him stood Wang Yueming, Wang Da, and Wang Er-all peak Tier 4. Beyond them, another dozen-plus Tier-4 Evolvers filled the room.
A lineup like that could swagger through the Survival Base itself.
Soon, footsteps echoed from outside.
A smile spread across Wang Ruikai's face.
"Xiao Ming, greet our guests!"
"And remember-ask them for a door gift."
"On it!"
Wang Yueming walked toward the entrance with a grin plastered across his face.
All those times that monkey-faced skinny bastard had demanded gifts at the door-just thinking about it pissed him off.
Finally, his turn to dish it out.
He positioned himself behind the door, waiting for the knock. He'd already rehearsed exactly how he'd mock them.
But then-
BOOM.
The reinforced security door ripped off its hinges and slammed straight into Wang Yueming, sending him skidding across the floor to land at Wang Ruikai's feet.
Seven figures strolled through the empty doorframe like they owned the place.
"........"
Every person in the room went slack-jawed. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go.
"You-!"
"That's not how this works!" Wang Yueming sputtered from the floor, pointing at Yang Bin's group, face twisted with indignation.
Wang Ruikai's smirk had curdled into something ugly. He hadn't expected them to just kick the door in.
Yang Bin walked straight to the sofa opposite Wang Ruikai and sat down.
Chen Hao and the others took position behind him.
"You robbed my house?" Yang Bin looked at Wang Ruikai. His voice carried nothing-no anger, no threat. Just flat.
Wang Ruikai took a deep breath, stubbed out his cigarette, and met Yang Bin's gaze. "Every time I visited your place, I was perfectly polite. Breaking down my door like this-don't you think that's a bit rude?"
"That's because you were too chickenshit to do otherwise."
"Now answer the question. Did you rob my house?"
"Captain Yang." Wang Ruikai's expression hardened. "I've always respected your strength. I wanted you to join the Wang family-that's why I was courteous. But don't mistake courtesy for fear."
"Today, you kicked down my door. If you don't give me a satisfactory explanation, you won't be walking back out of it."
On cue, his people closed in, surrounding Yang Bin's group.
Yang Bin shook his head.
"Alright. You've already lost your chance to talk."
He pointed at Wang Ruikai. "Him, alive. Everyone else-kill them."
The words barely left his mouth before Chen Hao and the others moved, Barbell Rods swinging into the circle of bodies.
The Wang family fighters reacted fast-Tang Sabers flashing toward the squad in vicious arcs.
But the moment steel met steel, the gap was obvious.
Over a dozen men. They didn't last sixty seconds. Every last one of them crumpled under the Barbell Rods.
"Tier 5?!"
"They're ALL Tier 5?!"
Wang Ruikai's eyes went wide. He nearly launched himself off the sofa.
Wang Yueming beside him, Wang Da behind him-they all wore the same expression. Like they'd seen ghosts.
They'd never underestimated Yang Bin's crew. But all of them being Tier 5? The entire Star City military only had a dozen Tier-5 fighters. Seven people, all Tier 5-how was that possible?
But disbelief didn't change facts. Aside from Yang Bin, who hadn't moved from the sofa, the other six were genuine Tier-5 Evolvers. Every single one.
"Get the Young Master out!"
Wang Yi barked at Wang Yueming, then he and Wang Er launched themselves at Yang Bin.
Cut off the head and the body dies. Pin down Yang Bin, and the Young Master could escape.
Good plan. Terrible execution.
A Tang Saber lying on the floor suddenly lifted into the air and flashed across both their throats in a single arc.
They hit the ground before they got within arm's reach.
Wang Yueming's brain short-circuited.
Wang Ruikai's face drained of color.
"You really are an ability user!"
He'd suspected it. No other explanation for how fast they'd grown.
His entire right arm shifted, flesh rippling and hardening into a black metallic limb.
He locked eyes with Yang Bin. "I'll admit I underestimated you. But you think this is over?"
"We're both Tier 5. I fear no one at this rank. You're an ability user too-so fight me yourself. Or are you afraid?"
"Fight you?" Yang Bin shook his head. "You're not worth my time."
"Ah Sen. Play with him."
"Sure."
Zhong Yuansen stepped forward, planting himself in front of Wang Ruikai.
"You're looking down on me?!" Wang Ruikai's brow furrowed.
"Yep. Haven't given you a second glance since we walked in."
"......"
"Fine. I'll kill this one first, then we'll see how long that mouth of yours keeps running."
Wang Ruikai threw a straight punch at Zhong Yuansen's chest.
Zhong Yuansen grabbed his Barbell Rod and swung to meet it.
CLANG.
Metal on metal. Zhong Yuansen skidded back several steps-and the Barbell Rod in his hands was bent.
"!!!"
Chen Hao and the others stared.
No wonder Bin-ge said this guy's ability was strong. No wonder he'd kept him alive.
This wasn't talk. This was real power.
"Hmph." Wang Ruikai sneered. "What the hell are you? You think you can take me?"
Zhong Yuansen tossed the bent rod aside and rolled his neck.
"That mouth of yours is really pissing me off."
The instant the words left his lips, an earth spike erupted from the ground directly beneath Wang Ruikai's ass-blindingly fast.
"AAAAAGH-!"
Wang Ruikai rocketed two meters into the air, screaming.
The blood on the spike told the whole story.
He'd just been skewered right up the ass.
Every man in the room instinctively clenched and took a quiet step away from Zhong Yuansen.