Chapter 129: Why Are You Here?

At noon, three vans pulled up in front of Villa No. 8, and over twenty burly men climbed out.

They all carried iron rods, and their aggressive aura was palpable; at a glance, they were the type of men accustomed to long-term street brawling. Leading them was a bald man in a black suit, wearing a string of Buddhist prayer beads around his wrist—a look that seemed entirely incongruous. This was Ma Feng.

"Brother Feng, I heard that Villa No. 8 belongs to the Wang family," one of his underlings said, looking worried.

Ma Feng spoke in a low voice, "That was before. This villa has been abandoned for years. I had it investigated; the current owner is a guy named Lin Yi with no background. Even if we beat him to death, no one would ask a single question."

"Oh," the underling nodded.

"Let’s go. Inside, we’ll meet this Lin Yi. His head is actually worth quite a bit."

With that, Ma Feng headed toward the villa, his men following close behind. However, as they walked, the group suddenly realized something was wrong. They saw the villa, which should have been just a few steps away, transform into a desolate graveyard. The air turned bone-chillingly cold, making the hair on their arms stand on end.

"F-Brother Feng, could we have run into ghosts?" one of the underlings asked, looking around in terror.

"Fool, there’s no such thing as ghosts in this world," Ma Feng said with a ferocious expression, though he began spinning his prayer beads faster and faster.

Suddenly, a white shadow emerged from an isolated grave in front of them.

"Ah! Brother Feng, look at that!" The underlings’ legs went weak with fear.

Ma Feng was startled, but he was a veteran of the streets. He snatched an iron rod from one of his men and snarled, "Hmph, I don't care if you're human or ghost, you’re out of luck crossing paths with Ma Feng."

*Bang!*

He swung the iron rod with all his might, smashing it into the white shadow. The figure dissipated instantly. Ma Feng felt a surge of triumph and sneered, "Tch, I thought it was something serious. It couldn't even take a hit."

One of the underlings warned, "Brother Feng, look behind you!"

Ma Feng turned around and saw the white shadow he had just dispersed reforming. Not only that, but other white figures were appearing on the tombstones all around them, making their scalps tingle.

"Go! Run! This place is evil!" Ma Feng’s back was drenched in cold sweat. Without a second thought, he dropped the iron rod and turned to flee. The others didn't hesitate, scrambling in the opposite direction of the shadows.

After running for a distance, Ma Feng took a quick glance back and saw countless white shadows drifting listlessly behind them, causing him to pick up his pace even further.

"Brother Feng," one of the underling gasped, "I suspect we've been caught in a 'ghost wall.' I heard that urinating can break the spell."

Ma Feng asked skeptically, "Is that for real?"

"I don't know, Brother Feng, but we have to try anything at this point."

Before the underling could finish, a white shadow appeared beside him as if by teleportation, scaring him so badly he wet himself.

***

Meanwhile, in the villa’s living room, Lin Yi opened his eyes. He turned to Xiao Hong, who was sitting beside him, and said, "Xiao Hong, go and play with those guys."

"Awoo!"

Xiao Hong wagged her large, bushy tail happily and dashed out. Life in the city was not like the mountains; there were no wild rabbits to chase or bears to spar with. Xiao Hei had been keeping her company, but Lin Yi had recently sent him off to the spirit stone mine, leaving Xiao Hong increasingly bored.

Lin Yi stepped out of the villa and flicked his wrist, temporarily deactivating the illusion array.

Ma Feng and his group looked utterly disheveled. Their once-neat suits were crumpled, and they were drenched in sweat, their faces deathly pale.

"H-have we made it out?" Ma Feng looked around, relieved.

"Yes, Brother Feng, I told you urinating would work," the underling from before said.

Seeing he was being ignored, Lin Yi gave a dry cough. "Ahem, can I help you?"

Ma Feng finally noticed there was someone else there. He quickly composed himself and said with forced composure, "You must be Lin Yi?"

"Yes," Lin Yi nodded.

Ma Feng gave a sinister grin. "Good. Someone wants your legs."

"Oh," Lin Yi replied flatly.

Ma Feng assumed Lin Yi was just acting tough—he had seen his type many times before; once he applied a little pressure, they would be begging on their knees. "If you sign this villa over to my name, I might let you off without injury."

Ma Feng was quite pleased with his scheme.

Lin Yi didn't speak. He turned and patted Xiao Hong on the head. "They're all yours."

"Woo-woo," Xiao Hong rubbed her head against Lin Yi’s calf happily.

"Haha! Are you scared out of your mind, using a fox to deal with us?" Ma Feng burst into laughter. The other underlings looked at Lin Yi as if he were an idiot. Though the fox was large, they were all muscle-bound men; any one of them could crush it with a single stomp.

Seeing herself being looked down upon, Xiao Hong bared her teeth fiercely.

Ma Feng dismissed her and even beckoned with his finger. "Come on, little thing, let me see what you’ve got."

Xiao Hong pounced forward. Her three large, furry tails suddenly elongated, wrapping around Ma Feng’s waist and lifting him at least a meter off the ground.

Ma Feng: "???"

*What is happening? Why am I flying?*

The underlings stared with wide eyes, the sight before them defying everything they knew about reality.

With a flick of her tails, Xiao Hong pulled Ma Feng right in front of her. Looking into the fox’s face, Ma Feng began to shriek, "Monster! There’s a monster! What are you all standing there for? Save me!"

The underlings exchanged glances, gripped their iron rods, and charged at Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong opened her mouth and let out a roar. A shockwave rippled out from her throat, sweeping across the area. The underlings were hit by the sound, their heads buzzing, and they collapsed one after another as if they were drunk.

Proud of her performance, Xiao Hong began tossing Ma Feng back and forth between her three tails like a ball, having the time of her life. She was having fun, but Ma Feng was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

*Damn it! Don't let me find out who made that phone call! I'll make them pay!*

Lin Yi watched from the side. After about a minute, Xiao Hong grew bored of Ma Feng, flicked her tail, and sent him flying, then dashed off to play with the other underlings.

As soon as he hit the ground, Ma Feng started vomiting. The sensation had been more intense than any rollercoaster.

"Give me your phone," Lin Yi said coldly.

Ma Feng instinctively wanted to snap back—no one in Lancheng had ever dared speak to him like that. But then he looked at the large, predatory fox eyeing him nearby, and he had no choice but to swallow his rage.

"What do you want with my phone?" Ma Feng asked.

Before Lin Yi could answer, Xiao Hong let out a threatening growl, baring her teeth. Ma Feng was terrified of her by now and quickly handed over his phone.

***

Longhu Bay, Villa No. 1.

This property had been purchased by Xia Yumo for five hundred million.

"It’s been an hour. Why is there still no word from that Ma Feng?" Xia Yumo said, growing impatient. She couldn't wait to see Lin Yi in a miserable state.

Just then, the phone rang.

Chen Mo said, "Miss Xia, speak of the devil."

He answered the call and said, "Brother Feng, how did it go? Is the job done?"

A familiar, icy voice came from the other end: "This is Lin Yi."

Chen Mo paused, his pupils contracting. Ma Feng was the biggest underground figure in Lancheng; for his phone to be in Lin Yi’s hands could only mean one of two things: either Ma Feng had been dealt with, or Lin Yi had such a powerful background that Ma Feng had been forced to submit. Neither was good news for Chen Mo.

He quickly muted the phone and whispered to Xia Yumo, "It's that brat."

"How is it him?" Xia Yumo’s expression soured.

"I don't know. Should I hang up?" Chen Mo asked.

"Why would you hang up? He’s just a small-time rich kid from Lancheng. Do you think I'm afraid of him? Give it here."

Xia Yumo reached out, and Chen Mo handed her the phone.

"Hello? Is there something you want?" Xia Yumo said.

"Indeed. You were the one who hired Ma Feng, weren't you?" Lin Yi asked.

Xia Yumo admitted it freely. "That's right. It cost me a hundred million. I'm surprised you're still alive to call me."

Lin Yi was silent for a moment. "If you come here and apologize now, I won't pursue this further."

"Haha, what a joke! Who do you think I, Xia Yumo, am? And what are you? How dare you ask me to apologize?" Xia Yumo sneered.

"I’ve given you your chance. It’s your own fault if you don't cherish it," Lin Yi said calmly.

"You brat, this isn't over! Just wait for my retaliation," Xia Yumo said, and slammed the phone shut. She had plenty of money; she would just hire someone even more capable to deal with Lin Yi.

***

Lin Yi listened to the dial tone, shook his head, and tossed the phone back to Ma Feng.

"Let’s go. Take me to Villa No. 1," Lin Yi said quietly.

"Why to Villa No. 1?" Ma Feng asked.

"I don't like people who talk too much." Lin Yi glanced at Ma Feng, his cold gaze making the man shiver. He had fought countless battles and seen all kinds of people, but this was the first time he had seen a gaze as indifferent as Lin Yi's.

"Y-yes, understood." A cold sweat broke out on Ma Feng’s back.

Arriving at Villa No. 1, Lin Yi rang the doorbell. Soon, someone walked out—it was Fang Ru.

"Why are you here?" Fang Ru asked, pleasantly surprised.

"I’m looking for Miss Xia," Lin Yi said with a light smile. He was always friendly toward this young girl.

"Oh," Fang Ru nodded. "I’ll go call Miss Xia for you."

She ran inside, and when she emerged, several people were following her.

"What are you doing here!" Xia Yumo said, her face dark with anger.