Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Before dawn, Jiang Lan was awakened by the sound of rubble hitting the courtyard gate, followed by a vicious kicking sound. The heavy wooden door was kicked so hard that the hinges were almost broken, and the harsh cursing was undisguised, drilling straight into the courtyard.

The hairs on his body stood on end instantly, a huge rock pressed on his chest, and a murderous aura surged to his throat.

For the past two weeks, the Black Tiger Gang's lingering presence has been relentless. In the past, they would only secretly keep watch and follow, but today they actually stormed right next to the martial arts school and committed violence, so arrogant that they completely disregarded the school's reputation.

He and his mother had already moved into the small courtyard arranged by Coach Liu. The courtyard walls were high, and he thought he could have some peace and quiet for a while. But these people were clearly looking for trouble on purpose, trying to stab him in the most painful spot and drive him and his mother to a dead end.

Ever since he mastered the Mountain-Crushing Fist, the golden panel in his mind has carried a subtle sense of malice.

At this moment, the malice was so intense it was almost pungent, carrying naked humiliation, threats, and wanton trampling on them.

Immediately from the inner room came the mother's panicked sobs, along with the sounds of furniture being banged on the table—the mother was timid by nature, and had been living in constant fear of being followed. Now, under such fierce and menacing threats, she was terrified out of her wits, and even her voice was trembling.

Jiang Lan's eyes instantly darkened. She closed her eyes and listened intently. There were three burly men outside the courtyard gate, kicking the door, smashing stones, and laughing and cursing.

Every move he made was filled with unbridled malice, showing no regard for the area surrounding the martial arts school.

He slowly sat up, his fingertips clenched so tightly they turned white, his nails digging deep into his palms. The golden panel in his mind lit up slightly, displaying only a line of pale gold text:

[Perception: There is strong malice within a 30-meter radius, but no lethal intent; the purpose is to provoke, humiliate, and threaten the family.]

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Lan's eyes as he suppressed his burning anger.

He is Ding Qi's man.

They dared not openly kill the martial arts school's disciples, so they used this most despicable and ruthless method to disturb his mother's peace, using his most vulnerable point as leverage to force him to lose control, force him to leave the martial arts school, and force him to kneel and beg for mercy.

He quietly walked to the door and peeked out through the crack.

As dawn broke and the morning mist lingered, three Black Tiger Gang thugs, cigarettes dangling from their lips, their faces menacing, kicked the wooden door repeatedly, spewing the most vulgar and obscene insults, each word aimed directly at Jiang Lan and her son.

"Jiang Lan, you coward! Get out here right now and kowtow to Seventh Master and the eldest son of the Zhao family to apologize!"

"You really think you're something special just because you've become the master of a martial arts school? If you offend the Zhao family, neither you nor your sickly old mother will survive!"

"Don't hide in there pretending to be dead! Yesterday, when your mother went to buy groceries, I almost pinned her down in the alley and taught her a lesson. If it weren't for the martial arts school's reputation, she would be dead by now!"

"We'll teach you a lesson today. If you dare to be so arrogant again, next time we'll set this dilapidated yard on fire, kidnap your mother, and see how cocky you'll be then!"

"Seventh Master said, either get out of Qingyang City, or wait to collect your mother's corpse. The choice is yours!"

Every shout was like a poisoned knife, piercing Jiang Lan's heart and crushing his forbearance and concessions underfoot.

The previous forbearance was to avoid causing my mother worry; the previous retreat was to avoid giving others cause for criticism and trouble for my master and the martial arts school.

But these people went too far, becoming extremely arrogant and domineering. Not only did they want to humiliate him and cut off his path to survival, they also wanted to extend their vicious hands to his unarmed and frail mother, leaving them no way out.

The anger in his heart completely burned through his restraint, but he suppressed it tightly, preventing his emotions from spiraling out of control.

He took a deep breath, flung open the courtyard gate, and stepped out.

The three men outside the courtyard were taken aback at first, but then their surprise vanished, replaced by a mocking, sinister, and disdainful smile. Far from relenting, they pressed their advantage, stepping forward to approach Jiang Lan with an air of utter arrogance: "Finally dared to come out? I thought you were going to hide behind a woman's crotch for the rest of your life..."

Jiang Lan stood before the three of them, her body radiating a chilling aura. She showed no fear, only an uncontrollable and unconcealable ferocity.

His hands clenched tightly in his sleeves, his knuckles white and his joints cracking. His tense posture was no longer one of restraint, but rather a murderous intent poised to be unleashed.

The panel flashed again: [Malicious surge, yet no deadly intent, arrogant and overbearing.]

"You are courting death."

Jiang Lan spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an unspeakable ruthlessness.

He took a step forward, his powerful aura as a martial artist suddenly spreading out, his gaze fixed on the three people: "This is the private residence of Instructor Liu of Zhenwei Martial Arts School. You openly kicked down the door, committed violence, and insulted and threatened the families of the school's disciples. Do you really think the martial arts school has no rules and dares to trample on them at will?"

The three thugs' expressions changed slightly, and their fingers instinctively pressed on the hilts of their knives. But seeing the ruthlessness in Jiang Lan's eyes, they were ultimately intimidated.

If someone were to die near the martial arts school, they wouldn't be able to explain it to Ding Qi and the Zhao family, but they remained stubbornly defiant, uttering the most vicious and venomous threats:

"What are you so arrogant about! Seventh Master and the Zhao family's young master have already made arrangements; they'll kill you sooner or later, and your mother won't escape either!"

"You just wait! In a few days, you'll see your mother suffer right before your eyes, and then we'll see if you'll still be so tough!"

After uttering a few harsh words, the three spat and glared at Jiang Lan with venomous eyes. They turned and left, cursing and swearing. Before leaving, they deliberately kicked over a flowerpot at the gate, doing everything they could to provoke her.

Jiang Lan stood there, watching the three figures disappear into the distance. A notification appeared on the control panel: [Malicious intent dissipated, lock released]

He remained motionless for a long time, his anger not only failing to subside but growing stronger, burning away the last trace of hesitation.

This group's actions are not just simple harassment; they are blatant bullying, heinous threats, and trampling on the dignity of the weak.

Relying on the Zhao family's backing, they committed all sorts of evil deeds and treated human life like dirt. If they are not completely eliminated, he and his mother will never have a peaceful day.

Back in the courtyard, his mother had already slumped into a chair, her face ashen, her eyes red-rimmed, and her whole body trembling uncontrollably. She held his hand, choking back tears, "Alan, let's go, let's leave this place. I'm not afraid of hardship, I just want to be safe and sound. I don't want anything to happen to you..."

Jiang Lan felt a pang of sadness, her eyes welling up slightly. She reached out and steadily supported her mother, her voice incredibly gentle, yet her eyes were unusually firm, filled with a resolute determination: "Mother, we won't leave. With me here, no one can harm a single hair on your head. What they owe us, I will definitely get back."

After finally managing to get her mother to sleep, Jiang Lan didn't dare to delay for a moment and rushed straight to the martial arts school. She had just changed into her training clothes when Coach Liu called her into the main room with a serious expression.

Coach Liu held his teacup, his knuckles tightening slightly, clearly angered: "I know everything that happened outside the courtyard this morning. Ding Qi's men have been spoiled rotten by the Zhao family, completely disregarding the martial arts school. They're far too presumptuous."

Jiang Lan clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice still carrying a chill and guilt: "This disciple is incompetent. I failed to protect my mother and even caused trouble for the martial arts school. I accept Master's punishment."

"It's not your fault, these people have gone too far." Instructor Liu put down his teacup, his eyes showing both admiration for Jiang Lan's forbearance and deep worry. "You didn't act impulsively because you considered the bigger picture, but for a martial artist, retreat is not a problem, and humiliation is unacceptable. They used your mother as a hostage, which crossed the line. The martial arts school will not stand idly by, but we can only protect you for now."

He paused, lowered his voice to a whisper, and revealed top-secret information: "At the docks, the Canal Gang and the Black Tiger Gang have been fighting tooth and nail for control for a long time. After Ma Sandao died, Ding Qi, backed by the Zhao family, swallowed up most of the Canal Gang's territory. The other side has been holding back their anger for a long time, and a major conflict is bound to break out in the next few days. It will be a fight to the death, and the entire dock will be in chaos."

Jiang Lan felt a sudden chill, and all the clues instantly began to connect.

"There's one more thing, remember it well." Instructor Liu's tone grew increasingly serious. "The martial arts school's disciple assessment is in five days. No one is allowed to be absent or late. Focus on practicing your boxing these next few days, and don't let anything outside distract you."

One sentence completely awakened Jiang Lan.

Everyone is present for the assessment; the mother is home alone; the Canal Gang and Black Tiger Gang are about to merge in a major fire; Ding Qi, in alliance with the Zhao family, is closing in step by step...

All the clues instantly connected into one line. He had already figured out Ding Qi and the Zhao family's wicked plan—to trap him under the guise of the assessment, making him unable to attend to multiple things, and then take advantage of the chaos caused by the conflict between the two gangs to either harm his mother or drag him into the chaos to silence him, and finally frame the Canal Gang, killing two birds with one stone.

What a ruthless mind, what a vicious method! They left him absolutely no way out!

Seeing the worried look on Instructor Liu's face, Jiang Lan bowed and said, "This disciple will remember Master's teachings."

As he stepped out of the main building, the hushed conversation of two disciples in a corner of the martial arts school reached Jiang Lan's ears precisely, completely confirming his guess:

"Ding Qi came out of the Zhao family again this morning looking disheveled. I heard that the young master of the Zhao family gave him a death order, instructing him to take advantage of the chaos at the docks to completely eliminate Jiang Lan, not even sparing his frail mother, and to nip it in the bud!"

"The Zhao family is too domineering, and the Black Tiger Gang is even more wicked, only good at bullying honest people. Jiang Lan is too pitiful, always being manipulated like this..."

Jiang Lan's steps suddenly stopped, and he slowly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white and cracking. The last trace of forbearance in his eyes completely disappeared, leaving only a cold and piercing killing intent.

Ding Qi, from the Zhao family.

You take advantage of your power to bully and humiliate me, wantonly trample on my dignity, and even want to hurt my mother. You want to eliminate me completely. Do you really think I, Jiang Lan, am a soft persimmon that can be easily manipulated?

When you can no longer tolerate something, there's no need to tolerate it anymore!

If there is nowhere left to retreat, then there is no need to retreat any further!

If you want chaos, if you want to kill me, if you want to destroy my only peace, then I will go with the flow and personally disrupt this situation, making you wicked people pay a bloody price!

The morning light shone on Jiang Lan's face, half bright and half hidden in shadow, his eyes firm as iron, yet also ruthless and resolute.

Becoming stronger is the only way out; and only by taking the initiative can we protect our mother and make these villains pay for their crimes.

He turned and walked towards the training ground, each step steady and powerful, as if the bluestone slabs under his feet were about to be crushed.

Today's Mountain-Crushing Fist is more ruthless, faster, and more explosive than ever before.

【Crushing Mountain Fist (Beginner): 291/300】

He can no longer passively avoid the situation, nor can he continue to endure it passively.

His counterattack has begun.