Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Ruin of the Wang Family (6000 words)

In a dark basement, eight members of the Mantis Gang sat around a wooden table, eating and drinking. At the head of the table sat a burly man with a ghastly scar across his face—the leader of the group.

"Boss," one of the underlings said, his voice laced with concern after downing his drink, "the Liang family may not be as powerful as the Wang family, but their patriarch is a high-level second-tier Profound Practitioner..."

The burly man waved a dismissive hand. "This was done discreetly; no one will ever know. Besides, high risk brings high reward." He let out a laugh.

The underlings looked on with curiosity. "Boss, what kind of reward did that spendthrift young master of the Wang family give you this time?"

With a smug grin, the leader pulled a small booklet from his robes.

"Hiss!"

"The Extinction Palm!"

"Isn't that the secret Profound technique of the Wang family?"

The underlings gasped in shock. The Extinction Palm was a Profound-tier technique; when mastered, its power could rival even some Earth-tier arts. It was a cornerstone of the Wang family’s dominance over Yang City.

"That prodigal fool," one sneered. "I feel bad for his father just looking at this."

"Congratulations, Boss, on taking your strength to the next level!"

"Let's drink to the boss and the Extinction Palm!"

As they clinked their bowls, one man frowned. "We're out of wine," he said, rising to his feet. "I'm going to buy some more. Save me some food, don't finish it all."

"Go on, go on," the leader laughed. "Stop your nagging, you think we'd touch your share?"

The underling chuckled and headed toward the exit. As he turned a corner, a crisp snap echoed through the air—his neck had been twisted a full hundred and eighty degrees. He slumped to the ground, a faint look of drunkenness still etched on his face.

Li Shan dragged the body aside and returned to his spot in the shadows, waiting for his next victim.

'Too cowardly. Just storm in and kill everyone, isn't that more satisfying?'
'You know how Old Demon is, he’s a schemer. If he ever fought head-on, that would be the real surprise.'
'Honestly, the best assassination is just killing everyone inside. Old Demon is losing his way.'
'You’re the one who’s evil.'
'He doesn't need to be this cautious. The Heavenly Fire Profound Body is enough for him to fight above his rank.'

Li Shan ignored the live-stream comments. This was a one-life mode; caution was the better part of valor.

"Little Six is taking forever to buy wine. Did he fall into the latrine?"

Before long, footsteps approached the corner. *Snap.* Another neck broken, another body dragged away. To these low-level thugs, Li Shan was an unstoppable force.

'Dead again.'
'I worry for the intelligence of these NPCs.'
'They’re so dumb.'

Li Shan glanced at the chat and raised an eyebrow. "Brothers, it’s not that the NPCs are stupid; it’s that my intellect is so high that I’m crushing them. It just makes it *feel* like they’re being dumbed down."

'You really are a genius.'
'Bragging about yourself again.'
'If I think you’re stupid, does that mean I’m smarter than you?'

*Snap. Snap.* Two more were dealt with in silence. Finally, the group in the basement sensed something wrong.

"Something's off. None of them have returned. Let's go check," the leader said, setting down his chopsticks and signaling the remaining three. Leaving one guard behind, he led the others toward the tunnel.

Li Shan felt the footsteps nearing. He exhaled, his Profound energy surging to its peak, and struck. His fist slammed into the leader’s chest before the man could even react.

*Boom!*

The leader was sent flying, crashing into the wall, dead or alive, it mattered not. *Snap! Snap!* The other two were incapacitated in seconds. The entire encounter took less than a heartbeat.

'666!'
'Old Demon is strong!'
'Full marks for this wave.'
'Damn, I didn't even see what happened!'

Li Shan checked the chat, then stepped on the leader's chest, crushing his ribs with a sickening crunch. "Brothers, always remember to finish off your enemies. Some game designers love to pull cheap tricks—you empty their health bar, and they suddenly jump up for one last hit. It’s disgusting."

"Now, it’s time for looting. Watch my lucky hands." He rummaged through the leader's clothes, quickly finding the manual for the Extinction Palm. He tucked it away. "A Profound-tier technique. Not bad luck. Now, let’s go save the girl."

He pushed deeper into the basement. The walls were lined with cells, filled with discarded clothing and personal items. "A human trafficking den," he muttered.

Suddenly, he heard a voice. "I advise you to let me and my young miss go! Our patriarch will not let you off!"

*Slap!*

"This backside... tsk, tsk."

"The boss and the others are gone. There’s no one here but me. Scream all you want, no one will hear you."

"You beast... stay away!"

Li Shan accelerated. He burst into the cell to find a lecherous man undressing the servant girl, who was tied to a wooden bed, blindfolded and struggling. The man was too lost in his own lust to notice Li Shan’s presence.

*Snap!*

The man dropped. Li Shan looked at the girl. Her clothes were half-removed, exposing a glimpse of white skin beneath her undergarment.

'So exciting.'
'This plot feels familiar.'
'She’s lucky Old Demon arrived just in time.'
'Come on, Old Demon, aren't you going to make a move? No man could resist that.'

"Brothers, be calm. This is a decent stream, I don't want to get banned," Li Shan said, untying the girl. After removing her blindfold, he asked, "Where is your young miss?"

The girl looked at him with red, swollen eyes. Once she realized she was safe, she sobbed, "They already sent her to the Wang family!"

"Sent away? How long ago?"

"I don't know."

"Go back to