Chapter 2: Breaking the Bully's Hand with a Single Punch
The two sides collided head-on.
Zhao Mang let out an angry roar.
Startled, the relatives shuddered and scattered in all directions.
Only Aunt Li, who was usually domineering, remained standing her ground.
“Mang, brother! You can’t blame us for this.”
“That bully Zhang at the village entrance specifically named your wife.”
“We had no choice.”
Without a word, Zhao Mang immediately rushed to Qin Zhenzhen’s side, snatched her away, and untied the ropes.
His face twisted with anger: “No choice? I’ve been gone less than two months.”
He knew these relatives all too well.
Aunt Li didn’t even try to hide it: “With the summer harvest coming soon, the grain tax is about to be collected.”
“Mang, our whole family needs money for food and clothes. Do you think supporting two people costs nothing?”
“Look at that bulging belly of yours—must be from the military rewards you earned.”
“This is just to offset the grain tax for everyone.”
Qin Zhenzhen’s timid voice came through: “Brother Mang, my sister-in-law is gone.”
She burst into tears, unable to stop the stream of tears flowing down her face.
At that moment, Zhao Mang’s pupils contracted sharply.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
His hand froze midair, wiping Qin Zhenzhen’s tears.
An invisible pressure suddenly swept through the crowd.
Startled, the relatives backed away again.
Such despicable behavior ignited Zhao Mang’s fury instantly.
He was no longer the timid fool who could be bullied.
Memories of details surfaced in his mind, revealing the true intentions of these relatives.
Staring at these shameless kin before him, Zhao Mang knew he couldn’t kill family openly, especially not the original owner’s own blood.
He could only drive away these bloodsuckers for the time being.
“If you want to get anything from me, you’d better leave before I lose my temper!”
“Otherwise, don’t blame my enemy's blade for showing no mercy to kin!”
Seeing his fury, the relatives dared not confront him and began to retreat hastily.
Suddenly, a cocky voice rang out.
“Well, well, who’s back?”
“Isn’t that dummy Zhao Mang?”
“Didn’t expect you’d really come back.”
The speaker was none other than Zhang Mo’s top thug, Li Yuankui.
Tall and burly, with a long blade at his waist, Li Yuankui followed Zhang Mo everywhere, extorting the people and dealing harshly with anyone who resisted.
Backed by powerful connections, he roamed free, causing havoc without punishment.
Zhao Mang glanced coldly at the rowdy thug before him.
A gleam of frost flashed in his eyes: “Do you think I wouldn’t return?”
Li Yuankui ignored Zhao Mang’s question and anger outright.
He brazenly strode through the courtyard gate.
At this moment, Aunt Li immediately fawned over him.
She kept complaining: “Brother Yuankui, you have to stand up for us!”
“Today, we planned to send this girl to Lord Zhang’s place.”
“But Zhao Mang’s kid snatched her away.”
“This isn’t our fault.”
Li Yuankui brusquely pushed Aunt Li aside.
“Get lost, useless trash. We gave you so much silver, and you can’t even handle a dummy like him.”
The men closed in on Zhao Mang, surrounding him.
They arrogantly sneered: “Kid, Brother Zhang’s got his eyes on your girl—that’s your good fortune.”
“Why not make it official?”
“Besides, Brother Zhang has been generous, giving your Aunt Li plenty of silver.”
“In a place like Yanbei with all this dust and sand, one woman is enough.”
“I advise you not to be ungrateful.”
Zhao Mang thought he had prepared himself mentally.
Yet, his relatives were so shameless—they not only let his sister-in-law die while he was away but also sold Qin Zhenzhen.
He would no longer endure.
He struck first, rushing forward to unleash all his pent-up rage on Li Yuankui.
At this moment, Li Yuankui still regarded Zhao Mang as the same fool he had always been.
He didn’t sense any danger.
He relied only on instinct to block Zhao Mang’s punches, without even drawing his long blade.
Little did he know the original owner was already strong—born with divine strength.
Now, with Zhao Mang’s soul as a 21st-century martial arts heir, fighting was second nature.
One punch sent Li Yuankui flying.
Li Yuankui’s hand bones shattered, and he screamed in pain, drenched in sweat.
He had never suffered such a severe injury.
Li Yuankui’s two companions were even more shocked.
This Zhao Mang was completely unexpected.
Previously timid and passive, he never dared to fight back.
Now, he was fierce beyond imagination.
Terrified, the two dared not act rashly.
Seeing this, Zhao Mang’s relatives scattered like frightened birds.
From a distance, they watched in horror as Zhao Mang fought.
It was the first time they had seen him lose control like this.
Satisfied that he had made his point, Zhao Mang ceased his attack.
He wanted to finish off Li Yuankui right there, but too many eyes were watching.
This world wasn’t chaotic enough to ignore all rules and commit murder in broad daylight.
Since he had options, why choose the harder path?
“Go back and tell Zhang Mo, Zhenzhen is my woman. Anyone who thinks otherwise, think again.”
Li Yuankui, with his broken arm, saw a chance to escape and angrily shouted to his men, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me out.”
Still shocked, the two men finally regained composure.
As they reached the gate, Ren Jiu sneered, “Kid, wait—this punch will come back to you one day.”
With that, Li Yuankui and his men disappeared from sight.
Zhao Mang looked at the relatives cowering in the corner, his anger still boiling but unable to vent.
“From now on, Zhao Mang and the Zhao family have nothing to do with each other. We are splitting!”
“The Zhao family’s honor and disgrace are no concern of mine. I won’t waste time arguing about my sister-in-law.”
With that, he took Qin Zhenzhen and entered a somewhat dilapidated earth-walled house, leaving his relatives behind.
Seeing Zhao Mang go inside, the relatives timidly stepped forward.
Second Aunt Xiao spoke first: “Big boss,I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.