Chapter 23: General! Scholar! Which Holds Greater Weight?

Zhang Wantong was momentarily stunned, then doubled over with laughter.
“Hahahahaha…”
He slapped his thigh as he laughed and said,
“This is the best joke I’ve heard in my life! Boy, haven’t you heard the name Zhang Wantong of the Northwest? Besides the high officials in Yanjing, who in this land, north or south of the Yangtze, do I fear?”
“You might be able to provoke the officials in Yanjing, but as for me—you certainly can’t afford to.”
The smile on Zhang Wantong’s face faded, turning as cold as death.
“It seems you’ve grown tired of living! Men, break his legs for me. I want to see just how capable this brat is.”
As soon as he spoke, the burly bodyguards at his side moved toward Ling Xiao. But Ling Xiao remained unhurried; he lifted his foot and gave a gentle kick to the Mercedes in front of him. The two-ton vehicle shot forward several meters as if struck by a cannonball. The bodyguards didn’t even have time to react before they were sent flying, knocked aside by the car, and by the time they hit the ground, it was unclear if they were still alive.
Zhang Wantong’s body trembled as he narrowed his eyes and said,
“You… you’re a martial artist? No wonder you’re so arrogant! But just because you have this status, you dare act wildly before me, Zhang Wantong? You’re still too green!”
“Noisy.”
Ling Xiao snorted coldly and spat out a streak of white light from his mouth. Like a sword flashing across the sky, it shot straight at Zhang Wantong’s face.
Zhang Wantong’s pupils shrank as he stumbled back, retreating until he was pressed against the Mercedes with nowhere left to go.
Just as the white light was about to strike him down, a streak of black light suddenly shot from above his head, knocking the white light off course. With a thunderous crash, the white beam split a deep gash in the roof of the Mercedes, sending a chill through everyone present.
He De narrowed his eyes, a half-smile on his lips.
“His methods are as uncanny as ever.”
Sun Yu and the others were left speechless with shock. Only now did Sun Yu understand why even He De treated Ling Xiao with such respect.
This man wasn’t even human!
Shen Qing and Wang Xinxin were filled with bitter regret.
No matter how they’d calculated, hoping to curry favor with Sun Yu, they hadn’t expected Ling Xiao to be the truly formidable one.
After the shock faded, everyone’s gaze, following Ling Xiao’s, settled on an old man with a cane standing not far from Zhang Wantong.
The old man wore a traditional long gown; his black and white hair hung past his shoulders, making him look like someone straight out of ancient times. With a strange black iron cane in his hand, he seemed at first glance like a frail elder at death’s door.

But no one dared to underestimate him, for if Ling Xiao hadn’t acted, none would have noticed his presence at all.
“Who is that?”
“No idea. He looks half a step from the grave—what’s he doing here?”
As the crowd whispered, Zhang Wantong snorted impatiently.
“A bunch of ignoramuses! That, gentlemen, is the famed Iron Cane Elder—a master who’s achieved the highest level of internal energy. I spent ten billion to hire him as my bodyguard!”
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
“Iron Cane Elder! It’s really him? My god! I can’t believe he’s already mastered internal energy!”
Yet for most, the title meant nothing but confusion.
“Who is this Iron Cane Elder?”
“You don’t know? Thirty years ago, he was the top master in the Northwest! The sole inheritor of the Iron Cane Sect! His cane skills are legendary. Once, a powerful family in the Northwest offended him—he wiped out all five hundred members! His reputation is terrifying! He’s been missing for years, and now he’s returned as Zhang Wantong’s bodyguard, with his internal energy perfected!”
“That incredible? Sounds like a martial arts novel—can it be real? Over five hundred people couldn’t stop him?”
“Hmph! What do you know? True masters kill without blinking—bullets can’t threaten them. With his internal energy, he’s protected by a barrier; even grenades can’t harm him!”
The crowd fell silent. A man impervious to grenades—could he still be called human?
Their reaction made Zhang Wantong immensely proud.
Martial experts are notoriously arrogant; money alone can’t buy their loyalty, especially someone as formidable as the Iron Cane Elder. If Zhang Wantong hadn’t once done him a great favor, the old man wouldn’t have agreed to be his bodyguard.
The Iron Cane Elder’s gaze met Ling Xiao’s in midair; within his cloudy old eyes, a sharp light flickered.
“It’s said the Central Plains produce heroes. At your age, to be able to project your energy, it’s truly rare. Meeting you today has opened my eyes.”
Ling Xiao glanced at him indifferently, not deigning to respond. The Iron Cane Elder showed no trace of anger, only continued coldly,
“Being young and successful is fine—but if you don’t know your place, your days will be short.”
At these words, everyone on the mountaintop felt a chill run down their spines, as if a cold blade had scraped their necks.

“What a terrifying killing intent! This Iron Cane Elder is truly remarkable!”
“Now that boy is finished!”
The crowd was divided—some watched with schadenfreude, others with sympathy.
Someone like Sun Yu was secretly delighted; he hated Ling Xiao but could do nothing against him. Now, seeing Ling Xiao court death, he was happier than anyone.
But when he glanced at He De, he frowned in confusion.
Why didn’t He De look nervous at all? Was he not afraid Ling Xiao might be killed?
Ling Xiao, meanwhile, looked back coldly and said,
“The invincible need not fear an early death.”
“Hah! Such arrogance! Throughout history, countless prodigies have arisen—but who dares claim to be invincible? At your age, to boast so wildly—today, even if not for Mr. Shen, I must teach you a lesson, lest you forget your place! Prepare yourself!”
As he finished, the old man struck with his fist.
That withered, skeletal hand caused the very air to tremble violently. An invisible force, accompanied by a gale, shot straight for Ling Xiao’s face. The grass at their feet was shredded by the blast of wind.
The crowd gasped—such a sight belonged in television dramas, not reality. Yet today, it unfolded before their very eyes!
Everyone was stunned, except Ling Xiao, whose expression remained utterly calm.
With a thunderous boom, sand and dust exploded from the ground, engulfing Ling Xiao in a cloud. Shen Qing took one look and fainted on the spot, scared to death.
“Well done!”
Zhang Wantong shouted, giving the Iron Cane Elder a thumbs-up.
“Your prowess is undiminished, Elder!”
The Iron Cane Elder, however, showed little pride; he only smiled faintly and shook his head.
“Mr. Zhang flatters me. The young man has remarkable talent, but he’s still too young. One move was enough to defeat him. Had he twenty more years, I might have had to exert myself.”