Chapter 5: Are These Even Human?!

Suddenly!

Ling Qiu’s eyes turned cold and sharp.

A chilling, menacing aura surged through his entire body.

With just the twitch of his little finger, he could utterly annihilate Zhu Yiqun, leaving him so mangled his own mother wouldn’t recognize him!

However...

Before Ling Qiu could make a move...

Shen Meng, mustering courage from who knows where, stepped forward and placed herself protectively in front of Ling Qiu.

“Huh?!”

The entire class was stunned by the sight.

What was this bookworm, usually so devoted to her studies, trying to do?

“Zhu... Zhu Yiqun... this—this is a school, you... you can’t just hit people!”

It seemed she had summoned all the courage she possessed. Though her face was pale with fear, Shen Meng still spoke up to shield Ling Qiu.

Her words triggered a roar of laughter throughout the classroom!

Especially among Zhu Yiqun’s cronies, who nearly doubled over with mirth.

“Idiot! Do you even know who you’re talking to?” one of the thugs swaggered forward, pointing at Shen Meng. “At Third High, whoever our boss Zhu Yiqun wants to beat up, he beats up! Even the teachers don’t dare say a word. And you—what are you supposed to be?!”

“Then... then I’ll go tell the Dean of Students!” Shen Meng said bravely, forcing herself to stand her ground. “I... I absolutely won’t let you hurt Ling Qiu!”

“Oh?”

Just then, Zhang Qian, the girl at the center of the love letter incident, curled her lips into a sneer. “So that’s it... Turns out you and this idiot Ling Qiu have something going on, don’t you? Someone I wouldn’t even spare a glance at, you’re guarding him like a treasure. How ridiculous!”

Her words set off another round of laughter.

“Haha! You know, these two fools—a dummy and a nerd—they really do make a perfect pair!”

Amid the laughter, Zhang Qian held her head high and looked at Shen Meng with disdain. “Ugly girl, I don’t care what you and this loser have going on. But that loser behind you—he’s like a toad lusting after a swan, daring to think he could win me over. If word got out that some disgusting loser gave me a love letter, how would I ever show my face again? I’ll say this just once—get lost, and stop being an eyesore!”

“Did you hear that? Ugly girl, get out of my sight. Just looking at you is a stain on my eyes!” one of the thugs jeered.

At this, Zhu Yiqun rolled up his sleeves and cracked his neck menacingly. “If you don’t get out of the way, I’ll start throwing punches—and my fists don’t have eyes!”

“Shen Meng, thank you.”

At that moment, a gentle voice sounded from behind Shen Meng.

But this gentle tone was reserved for her alone.

The gratitude was for Shen Meng’s unwavering loyalty in the past.

Ling Qiu gently pulled her behind him, smiling softly. “Close your eyes, or you might have nightmares tonight.”

“Oh my! Look at this, everyone—the lovebirds are putting on a show for us!” Zhang Qian clutched her chest as if nauseated. “Ugh, honey! Hurry up and beat these disgusting lovers to a pulp... just watching them makes me sick!”

Ling Qiu gazed at these childish, ridiculous people with an expressionless face, his eyes cold as an abyss. He spoke quietly: “I wonder—have you ever heard of a comminuted fracture?”

What?

Everyone froze at his words.

Before anyone could process what was happening, Ling Qiu moved like lightning. He seized Zhu Yiqun by the neck as easily as one might grab a chick, swung him in the air, spun him halfway around, and then slammed him violently onto the ground!

Boom!

A thunderous crash resounded.

“AAAAAAHHH!!!”

Zhu Yiqun’s scream was inhuman, like a pig being slaughtered.

His whole body hit the ground with the force of a sledgehammer; bones seemed to shatter and scatter inside him, the pain excruciating beyond words.

Everyone present was struck pale with terror.

M-my god!!!

What just happened?!

What did Ling Qiu do?!

Was he a monster?

Had he actually just picked up a living, breathing human and slammed him down like that?

How could he possess such terrifying strength?

“Boss!!”

“Honey!!”

Zhang Qian and the cronies yelped and hurried forward in panic.

But before they could reach him, Ling Qiu raised his foot and stomped hard on Zhu Yiqun’s back with a thunderous crack.

The sickening sound of shattering bones froze Zhang Qian and the others in their tracks, as if their feet had been glued to the floor. None dared take another step.

“Aaahh!” Zhu Yiqun let out another agonized scream, drool, snot, and tears streaming down his face, making a pitiful sight.

Throughout the ordeal, Ling Qiu’s expression remained unchanged. One foot rested on Zhu Yiqun’s back as he glanced coolly at Zhang Qian and her group. “Did you hear the bones break?”

That chilling gaze made every hair on their bodies stand on end.

Whether from instinctive terror or something deeper, Zhang Qian and her cronies nodded unconsciously.

Ling Qiu smiled faintly. “Yes, that’s a comminuted fracture. Remember it—it’s a key point. You’ll be tested on it later.”

His words plunged the classroom into a suffocating silence.

The students, shocked beyond comprehension, finally snapped out of their stupor.

Only after a long moment did they realize—

Just now...

Ling Qiu had beaten Zhu Yiqun!

No—not just beaten!

He’d brutalized him!

Like an animal being thrashed.

And at that moment, Shen Meng was frozen in place, her heart pounding wildly as she looked in awe at Ling Qiu’s seemingly slender, yet overwhelmingly dominant figure.

Was this really the Ling Qiu she knew?

Why did he seem...

So different now?

He’d become forceful, exuding a sense of utter security.

“You lot, kneel.”

Ling Qiu casually pulled over a chair and sat down with his legs crossed, his foot still pressing down on the wailing Zhu Yiqun.

He pointed at Shen Meng. “Bow your heads to Shen Meng three times and apologize sincerely. Make it count—I want to see blood.”

“Apologize to you? Fat chance!” Zhang Qian finally snapped out of it. Seeing Zhu Yiqun pinned under Ling Qiu’s foot, she shouted to the remaining thugs, “What are you waiting for? There’s five of you—are you afraid of one guy? Get him! Beat Ling Qiu within an inch of his life!”

The five of them jolted at her words, grabbed chairs, and charged at Ling Qiu.

Ling Qiu shook his head in pity.

These idiots—how could they not see the situation?

In the next instant, he flicked his foot, sending Zhu Yiqun flying, stood up, caught him midair like a rag doll, and swung him at the five attackers, one after another.

With a series of bone-jarring crashes, all five were knocked to the floor by the weaponized Zhu Yiqun, left groaning in pain.

Drip, drip...

Ling Qiu slipped one hand into his pocket, holding the barely conscious Zhu Yiqun by the collar with the other. Blood began to drip steadily from Zhu Yiqun’s mouth and nose, pooling darkly on the floor.

At this sight...

The entire class was scared out of their wits.

Had they seen correctly?

Just now...

The notorious kingpin of Third High, Zhu Yiqun...

Had been used as a living weapon by Ling Qiu...

Like a gigantic brick, swung to smash others!

This Ling Qiu...

Was terrifying.

So terrifying, he hardly seemed human.

Only now did everyone realize—

From the very start, he’d never regarded Zhu Yiqun as a real, living person at all!