chapter 4 He is still a boy when he returns!

"Scum, I warn you, if you dare to lay a finger on me..." Seeing Nick release Harper and Mia, and taking a step toward him, Phillip's face changed, and he warned Nick once again. Dare he? Whoosh! Nick's figure flashed, instantly appearing in front of Phillip. His right hand swung, delivering a resounding slap to Phillip. Unyielding as a mountain, swift as lightning! In the face of the warning, Nick responded with action. "Snap—" A crisp sound of bones breaking echoed. Phillip's voice abruptly stopped, falling to the ground in response to Nick's slap! In the dark of night, the cheekbone on the right side of his face shattered instantly, blood oozing from his mouth. "Ugh..." The sudden scene stunned everyone. No one expected that Nick, without a second thought, would deliver such a slap to Phillip! "Stop!" "Are you trying to ruin our Liu family?" After a brief moment of shock, Zeron and Mia's other uncles shouted in terror, afraid that this incident would implicate the Liu family. At Nick's glare, Zeron and the others felt as if death itself was upon them, instinctively clamping their mouths shut, not daring to utter a word. "Bas...tard, do you dare to hit me?" Phillip's face was covered in blood. He struggled to rise and resentedly spoke. As soon as he did, a few teeth, mixed with blood, fell to the ground. "Did I tell you to stand up? Kneel!" Nick coldly commanded, raising his right foot and stomping on Phillip's right ankle. "Crack!" A clear sound of bones breaking rang out. Phillip's right ankle shattered instantly, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground once again. "Bas...tard, the Zheng family won't let you get away with this..." Agonized, Phillip's body convulsed, his facial muscles contorted, his voice hoarse and filled with hatred and murderous intent. He wished the Zheng family would immediately avenge him, reducing Nick to ashes. "Daring to harm my mom and my sister, even if you die ten times, it wouldn't be enough!" Nick repeated the process, raising his right foot once more, crushing Phillip's left ankle. "Ah—" Phillip screamed in agony. Both of his ankles were completely shattered, blood and flesh mingling, his whole body convulsing uncontrollably. "Make reparations for my mom and my sister!" Nick said, then stepped on the back of Phillip's head. Thud! With a muffled sound, Phillip's face was firmly pressed against the ground, kneeling in front of Harper and Mia. At this moment, with Levi at the forefront, the elders of the Liu family were anxious, both worried that this incident would lead the Liu family to ruin, yet also afraid to speak up and stop Nick. Simultaneously, Harper's eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down freely. Before this, she would have rather died herself than let her daughter marry Phillip, but apart from seeking help from her father Levi, there was nothing else she could do. However, both Levi and the rest of the Liu family are resolute in their stance; Mia must marry Phillip. Even Phillip, disregarding tradition, came to Liu Yard on the night before the wedding, aiming to defile Mia, but the Liu family remained indifferent. This made her feel as though she had fallen into an abyss, overwhelmed by despair and hopelessness. Meanwhile, Mia covered her mouth, unable to speak. Wasn't this scene eerily similar to eight years ago? Eight years ago, to protect himself, Nick used a bottle to strike down Phillip. He shouted, "Dare to touch my sister, and I'll kill you!" As he yelled, he grabbed the broken bottle and wildly thrust it at Phillip, nearly killing him! Back then, Nick was still very young and unaware of the potential retaliation from the Zheng family. But now, he must be aware of it, understanding that taking a life carries severe consequences. Yet, to stand up for himself and his mother, he had Phillip kneel before them in apology! Eight years had passed, and Nick had experienced who knows what, but his return showed that he was still the same young man! On the other side, the flunkies who followed Phillip to the Liu family were all dumbfounded. In their memory, Phillip always walked with a swagger in Guishan. It was others who should be wary of crossing him. At this moment, they even suspected that they were seeing an illusion! An illusion? "And you, kneel and make amends!" Nick's tone was beyond doubt as he continued to step on Phillip. "Plop—" The first flunky to catch Nick's gaze was so scared that his legs gave way, and he knelt first. "I...I didn't do anything, please don't kill me..." "Plop!" "Plop!" "Plop!" Following suit, the remaining flunkies also knelt, begging for mercy and kowtowing even more vigorously than during ancestral worship. They were terrified. Truly terrified. At this moment, they had ten thousand reasons to believe that if they didn't do as Nick said, they would meet the same fate as Phillip—beaten to death like a dog! Seeing this, Nick withdrew his gaze, preparing to step on Phillip to finish the job. "Nick, wait!" Levi was the first to snap out of his shock, calling out to Nick loudly as he hurried towards him. That's right... He was running! At this moment, the over eighty-year-old Levi wished he could summon the vigor of his youth to rush towards Nick. Because reason told him that Nick was truly about to kill Phillip! Upon hearing Levi, Nick turned to look at him. "Nick, when you, Harper, and Mia returned to the Liu family eight years ago, the Liu family, led by me, treated you and Mia equally." Levi let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Nick hadn't continued his attack. He then came to Nick's side and spoke again. "Yes." Nick nodded slightly. Back then, when he Harper, and Mia were driven out of the Su family and came to the Liu family, the Liu family, led by Levi, treated him and Mia the same. "Eight years ago, you almost killed Phillip. The Zheng family wanted the Liu family to hand you over. Your mother and Mia begged me to protect you, and I agreed. But then you left on your own accord." Levi brought up the events of the past. Nick was momentarily stunned, looking at Harper and Mia. Eight years ago, when Harper and Mia came to Levi to plead, Nick secretly followed them, witnessing the scene and overhearing their conversation. It was on that day that Nick learned he wasn't the biological child of Harper and the deceased Robert Su, but rather adopted by the two of them! This revelation had a tremendous impact on twelve-year-old Nick at the time. So much so that without waiting for Levi to make a decision, he left Liu Yard with a dazed expression. "Nick, this is the truth." Seeing Nick's gaze, Harper spoke up. Although she now had grievances against the Liu family, she couldn't deny what happened back then. Mia also nodded gently, confirming that Levi hadn't lied. "Nick, times have changed. The Zheng family now holds immense power in Guishan, and our Liu family can't afford to provoke them." Levi looked at Nick with a trembling voice. "Can you, in consideration of how the Liu family treated you in the past, spare Phillip's life and give the Liu family a chance at survival?" ...