Chapter 125: Chapter 121: Hero’s Grave, Land of Tenderness

Drunken men staggered in small groups, laughing and joking as they headed toward their familiar haunts.

The air was a mixture of perfume, alcohol, and the aromas of various foods. Carried on the cool evening breeze, it was enough to make anyone unwittingly relax and lose themselves in the atmosphere.

’What a hero’s grave, this land of earthly delights!’

Wu Liangchen sighed to himself. Just as he was about to cross the long street, he suddenly heard the sound of something smashing from a brothel behind him, followed by a woman’s scream.

He immediately looked back. The second floor of the brothel was in chaos. The girls were all crowding into a room from which angry shouts erupted.

"You slept with me, refused to pay, and then you hit me! You’re not leaving today until you give me an explanation!"

"That’s right! Don’t even think about leaving until you’ve settled this!"

A man’s voice immediately sneered back, completely unconcerned. "What a joke. I’ve never paid, no matter where I go. Get lost, or I’ll burn this whorehouse to the ground."

"Damn it! He dares bully my girls? Kill him!" The madam was clearly furious and roared.

The bouncers, the ones usually responsible for serving tea and water, rushed in. But a moment later, a series of CRASHES and BANGS rang out. They were sent flying back out just as quickly as they had charged in.

Two of them even smashed through the door and windows, landing on the balcony outside.

A fiercely-bearded, bare-chested man then walked nonchalantly to the window. "I don’t have time to play with you anymore. I’m outta here!"

With that, he was about to leap away when a sudden, loud THUD echoed from down the street. The sound was so powerful that the entire street seemed to tremble.

Immediately after, a massive figure was seen charging toward them at an incredible speed.

The man took enormous strides, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. He then leaped up and threw a punch.

WHOOSH!

The punch stirred up a gale, and the bearded man’s expression changed dramatically. In a panic, he could only raise his arms to block.

A moment later, he regretted it.

The force of the blow was so immense it nearly shattered both his arms.

But just then, a voice called out from a distance.

"Don’t kill him!"

Hearing the voice, the puncher instantly pulled back some of his strength, but the blow still sent the bearded man flying.

After a cacophony of crashes, everything fell silent.

Wu Liangchen’s pupils contracted. He had gotten a clear look at the man who threw the punch.

He was a man easily two meters tall, built like a black bear, but his features weren’t the least bit ferocious.

On the contrary, he looked simple and honest.

His eyes, in particular, held a childlike innocence.

But Wu Liangchen had just seen it clearly. This burly man—no, this giant—was not only incredibly fast, but also terrifyingly strong.

If someone hadn’t called out in time, he could have killed the bearded man with a single punch.

But that wasn’t the crucial part. The crucial part was that Wu Liangchen couldn’t sense the aura of a Martial Artist from this giant.

In other words, he wasn’t a Martial Artist. His power came purely from his natural physical gifts.

Just as Wu Liangchen was reeling from the sight of this giant, who seemed like a divine guardian descended to earth, the commotion on the second floor, which had just fallen silent, started up again.

A figure suddenly burst from a side window and fled into the distance at top speed.

The giant didn’t give chase. Instead, he stood in the middle of the street, smiling simple-mindedly.

The next moment, the bearded man had already reached Wu Liangchen and his companions. Just as he was about to escape the long street, another massive THUD rang out. Another colossal figure was charging toward them, fist raised.

The bearded man, who had thought himself home free and was secretly celebrating, let out a bloodcurdling scream at the sight.

"There’s another one?"

The next instant, he was sent flying again, spitting several mouthfuls of blood in midair.

But the bearded man was indeed quite skilled. Or perhaps it was that the two giants never intended to kill him.

So, despite his injuries, he wasn’t dead. In fact, it only brought out his viciousness. Enduring the intense pain, he raised a hand and flung a handful of hidden weapons at the crowd below.

Iron caltrops, glinting with a faint blue light, whistled through the air toward the crowd.

The onlookers shrieked in alarm and scattered, but there was no time to escape.

An angry grunt came from the distance. The two giants charged forward without hesitation, apparently intending to shield the crowd from the projectiles with their own bodies.

Just then, a blade flashed. A continuous series of crisp DINGs rang out.

Amid a shower of sparks, every single incoming caltrop was struck from the air. Not only that, but the bearded man, who had been trying to escape in the chaos, had his Achilles tendon severed by the blade and fell to the ground screaming.

Wu Liangchen then sheathed his saber and kicked the bearded man, breaking several of his ribs. "Shut up," he said coolly, "or the next cut takes your life."

The screaming man immediately shut his mouth. Even with his face contorted in agony, he didn’t dare make another sound.

Only then did Wu Liangchen turn to the two giants standing before him, praising them inwardly.

’What a pair of divine guardians, tiger-taming Arhats.’

It turned out that not only were the two giants the same height, but their faces were also identical. Even the innocence in their eyes was the same. Standing together, it was as if a mirror had been placed between them.

They were clearly twin brothers.

The crowd finally reacted, and some people cupped their hands toward Wu Liangchen in thanks.

"What fine saber skills!"

"Such incredible skill!"

"Thank you for saving us, brother! If you don’t mind, could we buy you a few drinks?"

Amid the calls of gratitude, some shot malevolent glances at the bearded man on the ground, eager to step forward and finish him off.

At that moment, the girls from the brothel, including the madam, ran over. First, they bowed respectfully to the two giants.

"Big Brother Niu, Second Brother Niu, thank you for saving us."

The two giants scratched the backs of their heads and chuckled, their laughter nearly in perfect sync.

Then, the girls came over to thank Wu Liangchen.

"Thank you for your help, young master. Things would have gotten much worse today if not for you."

"Please wait a moment, young master. Once we’ve tidied up the room, you must allow us to show our gratitude."

Some of the bolder girls came right up close, stealing glances at Wu Liangchen as they thanked him, sighing in admiration.

’Such a handsome young man, and so skilled, too. I wonder which noble family he’s from?’

Wu Liangchen smiled and waved a hand, declining the girls’ enthusiastic invitations.

The bearded man’s attack had been indiscriminate, directed at him as well, so of course Wu Liangchen had to retaliate.

As for why he didn’t kill him, Wu Liangchen knew the person behind these two brothers would surely want to interrogate the man.

’Though, I imagine after they’re done with him, this guy will wish he were dead.’

Sure enough, several young men in smart attire and carrying sabers soon rushed over. They first tied the bearded man up securely, throwing in a few punches and kicks for good measure.

Afterward, one of them approached Wu Liangchen, cupping his hands in admiration. "Thank you for your assistance just now, brother. Third Brother would like to see you."

’Third Brother?’

Wu Liangchen’s interest was piqued upon hearing the name.

’One thing’s for sure,’ he thought, ’this Third Brother must wield considerable power. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have subordinates as astonishingly strong as Niu Da and Niu Er.’

Wu Liangchen would never believe that a place like Flower Square wasn’t secretly controlled by some powerful faction.

After all, it was a huge prize.

’But judging by the attitude of the people and the girls’ reactions, this Third Brother probably isn’t a bad person.’

Thinking this, he nodded slightly. "Alright!"

Soon, the saber-wielding men carried off the bearded man, and others began to quickly clean up the scene.

The street quickly returned to normal, with only the smashed-up second floor serving as a reminder of the fight that had just occurred.

Wu Liangchen, along with his younger sister and Yang Lian’Er, followed the lead of the young man in smart attire to a tall building nearby.

Just as they reached the top of the stairs, a hearty laugh came from within the room.

"Excellent saber skills! I didn’t expect another young hero to emerge on Huangpu Beach."

As the voice spoke, someone lifted a curtain, and Wu Liangchen finally saw the scene inside.

In the middle of a large hall sat a single table, on which were a few simple vegetarian dishes. A person sat before the table, slowly sipping wine.

The person was slender and dressed in black. Though they were just sitting there, they exuded an intimidating aura.

But when the person looked up, Wu Liangchen was stunned.

He had never imagined that the person revered as Third Brother would be a woman nearing forty.