A man charged towards her, attempting to snatch her phone.
In her panic, Xi Yi'er pushed the man away. A faint surge of power flowed through the meridians of her arm, emanating from the Laogong acupoint in her palm.
With a bang!
The man, well over six feet tall, was sent sprawling by Xi Yi'er's push.
This unexpected outcome stunned not only the onlookers but also Xi Yi'er herself.
In her desperation, she hadn't exerted much force, yet her abdomen and arms felt a warmth, and with a single push, she had knocked over the towering man.
However, she had merely pushed him to the ground, causing him no physical harm, only embarrassment.
The man, dumped unceremoniously by Xi Yi'er, flushed red, picked himself up from the ground, roared, and charged at Xi Yi'er again.
Having acted unintentionally before, Xi Yi'er was now at a loss for what to do.
Just as Xi Yi'er was about to face trouble,
A figure suddenly appeared in front of the man. With a grab and a shoulder throw, the figure easily slammed the six-foot-tall man to the ground.
The one who intervened was not Ning Beichen, but the driver.
The driver had already notified Hu Tian at the first opportunity and immediately moved to assist.
He knew how much Tianshifu valued Ning Beichen. Seeing the young woman beside Ning Beichen being bullied, he dared not stand by and watch.
"How dare you lay a hand on them! Take care of them!"
The men immediately attacked the driver.
While the driver was not a master, he was far superior to these men, taking them all down with a few punches and kicks.
"You... you have guts. Just you wait."
One of the men, who had climbed up from the ground, pulled out his phone to call for backup.
Not long after, several cars arrived from outside.
With a whoosh, the car doors opened, and about seventeen or eighteen fierce-looking men emerged.
They were armed with iron pipes, long knives, clubs, and one even carried a homemade shotgun.
Xi Yi'er was terrified and looked helplessly at Ning Beichen, who gave her a calm look, signaling her not to worry.
If the driver was indeed someone arranged by Tianshifu, he would naturally have a way to deal with them. Ning Beichen saw no need to intervene.
If Tianshifu couldn't even handle such minor matters, Ning Beichen would have to question their capabilities.
"Waste them!"
A man with a bleeding head roared at the driver and Ning Beichen.
The dozen or so men brandished their weapons and charged towards Ning Beichen and the driver.
But just then, several luxury cars entered. Hu Tian stepped out and roared at them.
"Stop! I'd like to see who dares to make a move!"
Several men in sharp suits alighted from the luxury cars. Upon seeing the scene before them, they exuded a sharp, chilling aura.
"Zhang Biao, are you looking for death?"
A man in a suit glared at one of the men, speaking with ill intent.
"Stop, quickly stop! Director Zhao, is that you?"
The man named Zhang Biao was startled by the sight of this man and hastily called his subordinates to a halt.
"Zhang Biao, what do you think you're doing?"
The suited man questioned him sternly, his tone suggesting he could wring Zhang Biao's neck.
"Director Zhao, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. You know them?"
Zhang Biao asked obsequiously.
"A misunderstanding?"
"Who gave you the nerve to bring people here to extort and blackmail!"
Director Zhao's face was extremely displeased.
"Director Zhao, please don't be angry. We're just seeking what's owed. This family owes money to Seventh Brother, and we're just here to collect."
Zhang Biao whispered his explanation to the suited man, subtly mentioning his connection to Seventh Brother.
Normally, merely mentioning Seventh Brother's name would earn him, or Seventh Brother, some respect. However, today it proved ineffective.
"Zhang Biao, don't bring He Qi into this. Today, no one can save you. Call He Qi immediately and tell him to come over."
Director Zhao glared at him.
Zhang Biao glanced fearfully at the people present, sensing something was amiss. He noticed that Director Zhao was also quite tense.
If Director Zhao was tense, it must be because someone inside made him feel that way.
Zhang Biao dared not defy him and immediately took out his phone to call Seventh Brother.
"Zhang Biao, order your men to lay down all their weapons immediately, put their hands on their heads, and squat down to await processing."
After Zhang Biao finished his call, Director Zhao instructed him.
Zhang Biao complied at once, not daring to disobey Director Zhao's orders.
Despite their usual swagger, they were insignificant in the face of certain powerful figures, merely lackeys who would bear the brunt of any trouble for their masters.
The seventeen or eighteen men who arrived later all dropped their weapons and squatted down with their hands on their heads, awaiting instructions.
However, these were seasoned individuals and not overly fearful. As they squatted, they occasionally chatted and laughed. Even if they were thrown in jail, with some connections, they would be out in no time.
And the Seventh Brother they spoke of was naturally their protector.
He Qi, a member of the He family of Xijiang.
The He family was an established clan in Xijiang, akin to local emperors. A century ago, they were bandits before gradually "whitewashing" their reputation. The family had also produced several high-ranking officials. However, it was their profound family heritage that truly commanded respect.
Of course, these actions might not have been directly related to the He family, but regardless, He Qi was a member of the He family, and showing respect to He Qi meant showing respect to the He family.
Ning Beichen remained silent, merely observing the proceedings.
For Xi Yi'er, being a local with local parents, Ning Beichen could protect them temporarily but not forever. If Tianshifu were to back them, it would certainly be more effective than Ning Beichen's direct intervention.
Soon, He Qi arrived, driving a luxury car worth several million.
Ning Beichen had initially assumed He Qi was a younger member of the He family but discovered he was an elder, the second uncle of the He family patriarch, and a martial artist himself.
However, Ning Beichen could crush countless martial artists of this caliber, who were not even Grandmasters, with a casual flick of his wrist.
After alighting, He Qi learned of the situation and immediately apologized to Director Zhao. He also promised not to harass Xi Yi'er and her family again, and even waived the debt.
As for the debt, it was not legitimate. Xi Yi'er's father had a gambling problem and fell into a trap, losing about two million. With compounding interest, the debt had ballooned to over three million.