West Market Pier.
The sun sank toward the west, its dying embers painting the water a crimson red.
A few sand barges were moored along the bank. On the shore stood a wine tavern and tea shed, where long tables were set out. Groups of off-duty boatmen and laborers huddled inside in twos and threes, drinking cheap liquor, betting on fistfights, and boasting loudly. Their raucous laughter and shouts drifted far across the water.
“A toast of respect! Two bosom friends! Three sworn brothers! Four fortunes of joy!”
“Hahaha! I won! Drink! Drink up!”
A one-armed man sat cross-legged on a long bench.
He held his bowl high, bellowed his drinking games at the top of his lungs, and let loose a stream of crude jokes that had everyone doubled over with laughter, slapping their thighs in approval.
Not far away, two thugs from the Luanbo Gang leaned against a pillar.
One of them, a thin-faced man, nudged his companion and whispered,
“Hey, what's the deal with that one-armed guy? He looks incredibly unfamiliar. Doesn't seem like he's from around here.”
The other man, chewing on a blade of grass, replied nonchalantly,
“How should I know? He's been coming around for the past few days, buying drinks for everyone each time. Who cares where he's from? As long as he pays, we let him have his fun. Why worry about it?”
The thin-faced man was about to reply when his gaze suddenly froze, and he stiffened on the spot.
Seeing this, the round-faced man instinctively followed his gaze, and his body froze as well.
At the end of the stone steps, a figure clad in green robes was slowly approaching.
The youth was about seventeen or eighteen, standing as straight and tall as a pine tree. A long sword hung at his waist, and his clean, washed green robes fluttered gently in the river breeze.
The moment they saw his handsome, heroic face, both of them gasped in unison!
“T-The Six Prodigies of Changyun!”
“Shen Xiuhan!”
Lately, the name of this young genius from the Outer City had been ringing like thunder, spreading throughout the entirety of Changyun County.
Even bottom-feeding gang lackeys like them had personally witnessed his spectacular performance during the martial feast's arena tournament last month.
Now, seeing this famous Inner City genius walking toward them, their scalps tingled with anxiety, and they had no idea what to do.
Fortunately—
Whoosh!
Behind them, the bamboo curtain of the tavern was lifted, and a hulking, muscular figure strode out.
He had the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, his face thick with folds of flesh, and a sharp gleam flickering in his triangular eyes. He was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
It was Zhong Kui, the third chief of the Luanbo Gang.
Seeing him, the two lackeys felt as though they had been granted a reprieve and cried out in unison,
“Third Chief!”
Zhong Kui ignored them, his gaze locked onto the green-robed figure. His heart pounded as he gritted his teeth in secret.
Damn it... Why the hell did he come to this pier?
Zhong Kui had personally witnessed Shen Xiuhan's match against Luo Qiance from below the stage.
He knew he wouldn't last ten moves against Luo Qiance, yet Shen Xiuhan had completely dominated the man. The gulf between their strengths was like heaven and earth.
What was more, rumors were rampant in the Inner City that after entering the Dragon Blood Essence-Infusing Pool, Shen Xiuhan's cultivation had already reached the Anjin Rank...
As a mere Tendon Tempering martial artist, Zhong Kui felt immense pressure facing such a figure. He had no choice but to force a smile, stepping forward to greet him.
“So it is Young Master Shen. I am Zhong Kui, humbled to serve as the third chief of the Luanbo Gang, in charge of the pier and the fish stalls. Greetings.”
Zhong Kui lowered his posture significantly, but Shen Xiuhan only gave him a cold, indifferent glance before looking away. Only two words escaped his lips:
“Clear out.”
His voice was quiet and his tone calm, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.
Zhong Kui's face stiffened slightly, and he was about to try and smooth things over.
But when he noticed that Shen Xiuhan's gaze was fixed entirely on the one-armed man, his heart stirred. Realizing what was happening, he said no more and shot a glance at his two lackeys.
Understanding his meaning, the two ran into the tavern shed and began shouting,
“Clear out, clear out! Everyone get the hell out of here! Drinking time is over for today, beat it!”
“Stop drinking! Put down your bowls! Move, move!”
The boatmen were startled by the sudden commotion and scrambled to get up and leave.
Bowls and plates clattered, tables and chairs were knocked askew, and wine and food spilled all over the floor.
Within moments, the shed was completely empty, leaving only the one-armed man sitting alone amidst the clutter.
“How fucking disappointing...”
The one-armed man cursed under his breath, grabbing his wine jug and tilting his head back to guzzle it down.
The murky liquor glugged down his throat, spilling from the corners of his mouth and soaking a large patch of his gray hemp tunic. Yet, he paid it no mind.
“I came all this way just to have a drink, and I still can't get any peace.”
Thud!
Slamming the jug onto the table, the one-armed man stood up unsteadily. His gaze, three parts drunk and seven parts cold, locked onto Shen Xiuhan.
“Kid, I was in a fine mood to drink today, but you had to go and ruin it...”
He suddenly trailed off.
Through his drunken eyes, the green-robed figure gradually became clear.
Shen Xiuhan stood just ten paces away, his expression indifferent, his dark eyes calmly staring at him.
The one-armed man shuddered, instantly losing most of his intoxication.
“You?!”
Shen Xiuhan did not answer. He stared blankly for a moment before finally speaking in a slow, measured voice,
“What immense courage... Since when does the fifth chief of Chenjian Dock dare to stroll into Changyun to drink and make merry?”
At these words, Zhong Kui and his two lackeys, who had been straining their ears to listen, froze simultaneously.
The fifth chief of Chenjian Dock?
A loud buzzing rang in their minds as they simultaneously recalled the recent rumors from the Inner City.
The genius of the Ji family, Ji Ning, had unleashed a dazzling sword light on Yunyi Island, slaying several powerful enemies in a row. Among them was the fifth chief of Chenjian Dock, whose right arm had been severed!
The three of them instinctively looked at the man's right sleeve. It was completely empty, swaying gently in the wind.
“T-Tang Jin!”
“It's Tang Jin of Chenjian Dock! How dare this scoundrel come to Changyun?”
“Does he have a death wish? Is he not afraid the County Magistrate will lead the constables to burn him alive at the stake?!”
Although they talked tough, their feet were honest. They quickly shuffled backward, retreating behind Shen Xiuhan in a few quick steps.
Tang Jin paid no attention to those ants. His eyes remained fixed on Shen Xiuhan, his pale face darkening with shifting emotions.
The brutal memories of that battle rushed back to him like a tidal wave.
Tu Xiaotian, Pang Yi, Chen Xin... dead, one after another.
And that youth in black!
The blinding white light, the agonizing pain of his arm being severed, and the spraying blood!
And...
The humiliation of having his chief's seat stripped by Duan Xiao and being reassigned to oversee farming!
Shame, pain, and hatred surged up all at once like boiling lava, searing his organs until they spasmed, his face twisting visibly in rage.
“You little beast!”
“I hadn't even come looking for you yet, and you dare deliver yourself to my doorstep... Oh, now I see. No wonder you're so bold. You've broken through to the Anjin Rank!”
Tang Jin growled, his eyes instantly turning blood-red.
His left hand slowly clenched into a fist, his knuckles popping loudly. A murderous intent like an invisible blade began to radiate from his body.
“But kid... do you really think that just because you managed to step into the Anjin Rank, you can trample all over my broken body?!”
“Trample you?”
The corner of Shen Xiuhan's mouth curled into a cold, mirthless smile.
Suddenly, he sank his waist and hips, lowering his center of gravity. He tucked his right hand behind his back and slowly extended his left hand. His five fingers curled slightly like iron hooks, joints distinct and force concentrated at the fingertips. It was the opening stance of the 【Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Hand】!
“Then today, I will show you exactly where you stand.”
As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Tang Jin's empty right sleeve, his meaning as clear as day.
Since you only have one arm left, I will fight you with one hand.
Tang Jin's face twitched violently, his murderous intent solidifying as he ground his teeth.
“Little beast! How dare you humiliate me!”
Their gazes clashed in midair, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense, as if even the river breeze had ground to a halt.
In the next instant!
Tang Jin snapped his left hand forward, dropping into a boxing stance. His spine dropped like a collapsing cliff as he bent one knee. The muscles in his left arm swelled, veins writhing beneath his skin like earthworms.
Boom!
A muffled explosion echoed beneath his feet. Mud exploded outward, and muddy water splashed several feet high.
Tang Jin's massive body shot forward like a heavy bolt from a ballista, wrapping his left fist in a fierce wind!
The punch was incredibly fast and brutal, aiming straight for Shen Xiuhan's throat!
【Baboon Fist: Baboon Probing the Forest】
Before the fist even arrived, the biting Anjin force caused goosebumps to break out all over Shen Xiuhan's neck, his hairs standing on end.
Shen Xiuhan's eyes turned cold. His left arm snapped forward like a striking viper!
With his fingers pressed together and the tips curved like an eagle's beak, he struck second but arrived first, lightly tapping Tang Jin's left wrist!
【Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Hand: Eagle Beak Snatching Snake】
Ssh!
The fingertips pierced the air, producing a scalp-numbing hiss that sounded like a viper's warning or an iron awl drilling through stone.
The Anjin force was like red-hot steel needles, driving deep into Tang Jin's meridians through his flesh!
“Hmph!”
Tang Jin let out a muffled groan, his entire left arm trembling violently.
Beneath his skin, it felt as though countless steel needles were piercing outward from within. His blood qi ground to a sudden halt, and his arm became as heavy as molten lead, making it incredibly difficult to even lift.
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