Ah Mu quickly tried to shake off the man’s grip but found his wrist joint locked in a clever hold—any movement sent sharp pain shooting through him.
He swallowed hard, raised his head slightly, and asked with forced politeness, “Wh-what do you want to say?”
“Listen,” the man replied. “If you’re going to fight, fight properly. Don’t pull out knives.”
“That woman threw the first punch!” Ah Mu snarled viciously. “We were just asking a question, and she attacked us outright! How could we let that slide without teaching her a lesson?!”
By now, the blonde and the bald man had noticed Ah Mu’s unnatural expression and abandoned their encirclement, stepping toward Joe Karate one by one.
“You’re saying that pretty girl beat you up?” Joe Karate nodded, feigning surprise. “That’s odd—why didn’t she hit me?”
“You… you’re just looking for trouble!” Ah Mu gritted his teeth. “If you really want a fight, we’re not afraid of you!”
The bald man and the blonde exchanged cold glances, gripping their knives as they took another step forward.
“Perfect. I was just worried I wouldn’t have a reason to fight.”
In one swift motion, Joe Karate grabbed Ah Mu’s collar with his left hand and seized his wrist with his right, squeezing hard. Ah Mu let out a scream and dropped the knife.
The bald man lunged forward, knife raised for a stab. But with a burst of strength, Joe Karate lifted Ah Mu clean off the ground, swung him in a perfect arc, and hurled him straight at the bald man.
Knowing he couldn’t possibly catch Ah Mu midair, the bald man dodged—just in time for Ah Mu to crash hard onto the ground, landing flat on his back, dazed and groaning.
The bald man barely had time to recover before he charged again, slashing horizontally with his knife.
Most people would instinctively lean back to avoid such an attack—escaping a fatal blow but leaving themselves wide open.
But Joe Karate didn’t dodge. Instead, he stepped forward the moment the bald man struck, closing the distance until he was nearly chest-to-chest with him.
In the next second, he drove his left elbow into the bald man’s forearm, briefly halting the attack, then swung his right elbow upward into the man’s chin. At such close quarters, elbows were far more effective than fists.
The bald man took the full force of the blow, staggering backward—but before he could fall, Joe Karate grabbed his collar and yanked him back upright.
“I’ll kill—”
The bald man barely had time to snarl before Joe Karate shifted his fist into an open palm and drove it upward into his chin.
His mouth snapped shut violently, teeth crashing together with a loud, jarring crack.
Silenced, the bald man finally collapsed, crashing backward onto the ground.
Joe Karate didn’t let his guard down. He sidestepped just in time to evade the knife thrust from behind.
Then, in one fluid motion, he trapped the attacker’s arm under his own, locking it in place—right hand below, left hand above.
The blonde seemed to realize what was coming and shouted, “Don’t—!”
But he was too late. Before he could finish, Joe Karate twisted sharply, dislocating the man’s arm with a sickening pop.
A piercing scream tore through the air as the blonde’s knife clattered to the ground.
Joe Karate spun around, seized the blonde by the collar, and swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing down.
In just thirty seconds, the three men—who had been so arrogant moments ago—lay groaning on the ground in pain.
“Wow! You’re amazing!” Yun Yao cheered, rushing over to grab Joe Karate’s arm. “Are you a martial artist?”
Joe Karate scratched his nose sheepishly before turning to Qi Xia. “See, Liar? Told you I’ve got skills.”
“Yeah, I already knew,” Qi Xia admitted with a nod. “But it’s different from what I expected. Why do you keep grabbing their collars? Is that some kind of martial arts technique?”
“Ah…” Joe Karate flashed an awkward smile. “No technique. I just… accidentally got some on my hands when I was taking a leak earlier.”
Yun Yao froze, then immediately let go of his arm.
…
The green-haired Ah Mu, the bald man, and the blonde now stood before Qi Xia and the others, heads bowed in deference—except for the bald man, whose expression remained defiant.
“Ah… it was all just a misunderstanding,” Ah Mu said with an ingratiating smile. “We had no idea we were messing with Karate Joe here. We were blind not to recognize a true master!”
*Smack!*
Joe Karate slapped him across the face. “Apologize properly.”
“Yes, yes, of course!” Ah Mu, despite the slap, grinned even wider. “Brothers and sisters, we were wrong. If we’d known Karate Joe was this skilled, we’d never have dared cause trouble…”
*Smack!*
Another slap.
“What, so if I wasn’t skilled, you’d be fine with causing trouble?”
“No, no!” Ah Mu waved his hands frantically. “We won’t bother anyone ever again! We’ll turn over a new leaf, swear off trouble for good!”
*Smack!*
“Eh?” Ah Mu blinked in confusion. “Wait… Karate Joe, what I just said wasn’t wrong, was it?”
“It wasn’t. But what about your two lackeys? Why aren’t they saying anything?” Joe Karate demanded.
Ah Mu clutched his stinging cheek, looking aggrieved. “If they’re not talking, why are you hitting *me*…?”
*Smack!*
After several more slaps, Ah Mu’s cheeks were swollen and red.
“Alright, alright, I get it!” Ah Mu turned and smacked the bald man. “You two, apologize now!”
“I won’t!” the bald man roared. “Losing earlier was just a fluke! Ah Mu, since when do we bow to anyone? This isn’t like you!”
“You idiot—!” Ah Mu gnashed his teeth in frustration. He knew full well how terrifying Joe Karate’s skills were—the man had taken on three knife-wielding opponents without breaking a sweat, meaning his true strength was far beyond what they’d seen.
Joe Karate eyed the bald man. “What do you want, then?”
“A one-on-one fight!”
“One-on-one? Fine.” Joe Karate nodded, stepping into an open space and rolling his neck. Then he pointed at the bald man. “You. Come at me.”
The bald man glared. “You think luck will save you every time?!”
“Come.” Joe Karate didn’t bother arguing, just beckoned him forward.
The bald man, incensed, ripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground, revealing a sculpted, gym-toned physique.
Joe Karate smirked and removed his own shirt.
The bald man’s confidence wavered as he swallowed hard—this wasn’t even close.
Though Joe Karate’s muscles weren’t as bulky, his body was a canvas of intricate tattoos and brutal scars, each telling a story of relentless battles.
A dragon coiled over his left shoulder, a tiger prowled down his right, and across his back surged a massive koi fish, leaping through stormy waves.
Above the koi, bold calligraphy swept down in a striking declaration:
**”The world is vast—yet fools confine themselves.”**
“Baldie,” Joe Karate said coolly, “if we’re doing this, it’s not gonna be a friendly spar.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage