Chapter Forty-Six: Knocking Down Tiger Brother

"Kid, let me give you a taste of what it feels like to be slammed to the ground," Tiger growled with a sinister grin as he saw that Xiao Lin was trapped and unable to move. With both hands, he exerted his strength and actually lifted Xiao Lin up around the waist. Xiao Lin weighed well over a hundred pounds, yet Tiger made it look effortless—clearly, his strength was formidable. Beads of sweat, as large as beans, rolled down Xiao Lin's forehead as he gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out in pain. This Tiger must have had some martial training. Otherwise, there was no way he could have locked onto such a vital spot and left Xiao Lin in such agony.

Tiger had nearly hoisted Xiao Lin over his head when panic seized Xiao Lin’s heart. He understood exactly what Tiger intended: to lift him high and smash him down with all his might. If Tiger succeeded, Xiao Lin would almost certainly end up in the hospital. He silently told himself to stay calm—the more flustered he became, the less likely he was to find a way out.

Just then, Sun Feifei, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly shouted, "Tiger, throw him! Smash him dead!" The sound distracted Tiger, who glanced over at Sun Feifei. His grip loosened just a fraction.

The opportunity presented itself. Xiao Lin suppressed the searing pain in his waist and, with a silent sigh, drove his right fist into Tiger's fat face. The blow made Tiger stagger, his grip wavering, though he still clung to Xiao Lin's waist. But his hold had weakened noticeably. Xiao Lin was not one to let an opening slip by—he struck again, landing three solid punches in quick succession, each one sinking into flesh. In an instant, half of Tiger's face was swollen. Seeing Xiao Lin’s fist cocked for another blow, Tiger had no choice but to release him and switch to defense; if he let Xiao Lin keep hitting, his face would be ruined.

Feeling himself finally freed, Xiao Lin let out a long breath, elated to have regained his liberty. He immediately retreated several steps, putting distance between himself and Tiger. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. This Tiger was no easy opponent; he needed a new plan. If the fight dragged on, he would likely be at a disadvantage. Though he had some background in Sanda, he knew he was no match for someone like Tiger, who lived on the edge of a knife.

While Xiao Lin was weighing his options, Tiger, already boiling with rage, could not accept the humiliation of being beaten by a mere student. With a snarl, he pulled out a small dagger, gripped it in reverse, and charged at Xiao Lin, the blade glinting as it swept for Xiao Lin’s chest. One look at the keen edge and Xiao Lin knew it would have no trouble slashing through his skin.

Xiao Lin’s eyes flashed as he quickly retreated. He knew better than to take Tiger head-on; he’d already felt the man’s brute strength. Besides, he was unarmed, and from the way Tiger handled the dagger, it was clear he was skilled. His only option was to avoid the full force of Tiger’s assault, to maneuver and bide his time. He was confident that, in terms of agility, he had the upper hand.

For a while, Tiger launched a furious onslaught, the dagger dancing up and down, switching deftly between left and right, his attacks unpredictable and varied. Xiao Lin, nimble as a black cat, eyes gleaming, tracked Tiger’s every move, dodging left and right, evading each strike.

The more Tiger fought, the more frustrated he became. This kid was slippery as an eel; no matter how he attacked, Xiao Lin always managed to slip away, leaving Tiger exhausted and exasperated. What Tiger didn’t know was that when Xiao Lin trained in Sanda, his coach hadn’t started with offense but with evasion. The coach had once been a special forces soldier, and he told Xiao Lin that in a fight, the best outcome was to knock out your opponent in one blow. But everyone had their own style—some favored overwhelming force, but such clashes often ended in mutual destruction. If your opponent was as strong as you, it made no sense to meet force with force. Instead, you should focus on dodging, draining your opponent’s energy. Evasion cost less stamina than mounting an attack, and once your opponent was worn down, that was your moment to strike.

Gradually, Xiao Lin noticed Tiger’s attacks losing their edge. His steps became unsteady, his breathing irregular. Xiao Lin silently counted: one, two, three... Tiger himself felt his condition worsening—after nearly five minutes of fighting, he hadn’t even grazed his opponent. How much longer could this go on? At that moment, he caught sight of Sun Feifei and the others standing there, dumbly watching the fight, and his temper flared.

"Sun Feifei, you damn idiot! What are you standing there for, enjoying the show? Get over here and help! Surround this brat—don’t let him back away!" Tiger roared in frustration.

Jolted by Tiger's outburst, Sun Feifei and the others snapped out of their daze and rushed toward the pair.

"Now!" Xiao Lin cried inwardly. Seizing the split-second when Tiger was distracted by yelling at Sun Feifei, Xiao Lin stopped retreating, twisted his head to avoid the sweeping dagger, and drove a powerful punch straight into Tiger’s solar plexus. Tiger let out a howl, his steps faltering completely, the knife in his hand suddenly heavy and weak. Few could withstand being struck in such a vulnerable spot.

Xiao Lin pressed his advantage. With lightning speed, he delivered an uppercut in a perfect arc to Tiger’s chin. The jaw is one of the most fragile parts of the body, and when struck by an uppercut, the head naturally snaps back. If the head is thrown back far enough, pressure on the brainstem can cause dizziness or even unconsciousness, rendering a person unable to resist.

Tiger felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, struggled to breathe, and a wave of vertigo swept over him as stars danced before his eyes. Despite his resilience, being struck in two weak spots in quick succession was more than even Tiger could endure. His body wavered, on the verge of collapse.

At that moment, Xiao Lin bent his knee and sprang into the air, his body twisting in a graceful arc. With a flawless spinning back kick, his right foot slammed into Tiger’s chest, sending the burly man crashing to the ground. Even then, Tiger struggled, twisting his hips in a futile attempt to rise. One had to admit, his willpower was astonishing—anyone else would have been down for good after such a barrage. But this time, he had met his match in Xiao Lin.

Xiao Lin stepped forward, straddled Tiger’s belly, and landed another solid punch to his face. Tiger felt a heavy blow to his gut, a flash of searing pain across his face—the world spun, his mind a fog. In his ears, Xiao Lin’s voice rang out, "Tiger, it’s over."

Before Tiger could respond, another punch landed squarely on his eye, and he finally slipped into unconsciousness.