The Chen Xuan that appeared before his eyes was tall and powerfully built, his gaze icy. His exposed skin had a bronze luster, and his muscles and veins bulged with immense power. He looked as if he were cast from steel.

’How could Chen Xuan be this strong?’

’How could this be?’

Elder Ge’s mind was in chaos. A sharp, throbbing pain shot up from his wrist, leaving him shocked and horrified. He was beginning to question his very existence.

’That last exchange...’

’It felt like I was hit by a giant beast.’

’Is he even fucking human?’

’How did he get so strong so fast!’

’Just how many more secrets does he have?’

"Elder Ge, I’ve received your ’generous gift’!"

Chen Xuan’s voice was frigid, his body suffused with power. Beneath his dark gaze lay the silence before a volcanic eruption. "And now, I’ve come to... return the favor!"

SWOOSH!

His powerful frame shot forward in an instant, lunging straight for Elder Ge.

Elder Ge’s face twisted, and he screeched, "Chen Xuan, stop! I am a gang elder! If you dare to touch me, the gang’s rules will not spare you!"

He scrambled to his feet in an instant. Throwing caution to the wind, he mobilized the full Power of his Dark Force Ninth Layer and blasted it toward Chen Xuan.

He knew there was no retreat, only a fight to the death!

His palms instantly turned fiery red, even emitting wisps of scorching white steam. The temperature in the room began to rise rapidly.

This was his ultimate trump card!

A superior mid-grade martial art! The Red Fiend Palm!

Red Fiend Burning Heart: Double-Layered Waves!

The palm strikes came like waves, each stronger than the last. The scorching, acrid wind from his palms seemed powerful enough to melt gold and corrode iron.

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

Fists and palms clashed in a mad frenzy, the impacts sounding like a dense drumroll.

Waves of terrifying energy blasted outwards, wrecking the room beyond recognition.

In the blink of an eye!

Elder Ge screamed in agony. He felt the bones in his palms shatter, sending waves of heart-piercing pain through him.

Even using his ultimate technique with the full Power of the Dark Force Ninth Layer, he couldn’t resist in the slightest.

It was like striking adamantine steel.

"Chen Xuan, we can talk about this! Spare me!"

Elder Ge cried out in desperation.

"Spare you? Who would have spared me?"

Chen Xuan’s voice was ice. The form of his fist suddenly changed as he focused all the power in his body into one ultimate point, then smashed it down violently at Ge Xuan before him.

Vajra Subdues Demons!

A look of horror crossed Ge Xuan’s face. He quickly crossed his arms, pushing his Red Fiend Palm Power to its absolute limit in a desperate block.

CRACK!

BOOM!

A sound like the earth cracking apart erupted, accompanied by the crisp snap of breaking bones.

Elder Ge let out a bloodcurdling scream as his body was flung backward. He slammed violently against the wall behind him, then bounced off the hard surface and crashed to the floor, wailing in agony.

That one punch from Chen Xuan had not only broken both of Elder Ge’s arms but had also landed squarely on his chest, shattering his sternum and ribs and leaving him completely incapacitated.

Chen Xuan strode forward, his massive shadow completely engulfing Elder Ge.

His sharp, icy eyes stared down at the terrified, pain-wracked Elder Ge.

"Chen Xuan... no, Squad Leader Chen! Uncle Chen, have mercy! Spare this old life of mine!"

Elder Ge’s voice was filled with terror. Snot and tears streamed down his face. Not a trace of his former dignity remained, only the absolute fear of death.

"Spare me for the sake of me once recommending you!"

"It was the Left Protector! Zuo Qiuyun made me do it!"

"He was the one who told the Gang Leader to execute you! And making you apologize last time, that was his idea too! Please, spare me! I’ll quit the Jianghu right now! I’ll retire and go home..."

BOOM!

Without a word, Chen Xuan had already smashed his fist down with the power of his Vajra Fist.

Instantly, Elder Ge’s skull shattered, and he died on the spot.

’Once you enter the Jianghu!’

’You think you can just quit?’

’It’s not that simple!’

’If I don’t kill you today, you’ll report me tomorrow!’

[Vengeance taken with decisive ease. Retribution points +2400!]

Chen Xuan’s eyes were cold. He knelt and struck Elder Ge’s body several more times, completely obliterating the tell-tale marks of his Vajra Fist. Then, he began searching the corpse.

Unfortunately, he found nothing.

He then moved on to quickly search Elder Ge’s study.

Finally, he found a hand-copied book.

A superior mid-grade martial art!

The Red Fiend Palm!

Chen Xuan took the Cultivation Technique, turned, and left, quickly vaulting over the wall to depart.

The entire Ge Mansion was deathly silent.

There hadn’t been a sound from start to finish.

All the guards had already been killed by him in secret beforehand.

The night wind blew, carrying only the faint, drifting scent of blood.

...

Chen Xuan covered his tracks and raced toward the city outskirts, preparing to scale the walls and leave before dawn.

But just then, he suddenly dodged, melting into the shadows of a dark alley.

Several sedan chair bearers were hurrying down the street, carrying a palanquin.

Chen Xuan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the palanquin. It seemed familiar, and then he suddenly realized.

’It’s Fang Tingyun’s palanquin...’

’Fang Tingyun... Fang Li’s father.’

’And the superior of Liu Zifeng, Zhou Yang, and the others...’

’What is he doing up so late?’

’Since I’ve run into him, I might as well go all the way and finish him off... saves me from being plotted against by the Right Protector’s faction in the future!’

A cold light glinted in Chen Xuan’s eyes.

He wasn’t naive enough to think Fang Tingyun would be magnanimous and let him off the hook in the future.

He had made his daughter eat feces, snatched the Squad Leader position from his son, and beaten his subordinates.

This was an irreconcilable hatred!

The man was currently only holding back from turning on him because he was busy fighting with Zuo Qiuyun.

Once they took down Zuo Qiuyun, it would be his turn to be dealt with.

He took a black cloth from his robes, masked his face, and charged out.

「Inside the palanquin.」

Fang Tingyun was smiling, having just returned from the Right Protector’s residence.

He was now fully aware of Chen Xuan’s accomplishments during the day.

He had never expected this Chen Xuan to be so formidable, even defeating Lu Yao.

’The stronger he is, the better for us. I’ll stir the pot, let his grievances with the Left Protector’s faction fester until he’s filled with hatred and makes a move... However, I must also keep an eye on this man, lest he grows too fast and slips beyond my control.’

Fang Tingyun smiled faintly.

’All in all!’

’He’s a good pawn.’

’He can definitely deal a huge blow to the Left Protector’s faction in a short time.’

’But unfortunately, he can’t be used for long.’

’Once his power reaches a certain critical point, he must be eliminated completely.’

’Clean and simple!’

’No loose ends allowed!’

’Only then will there be no backlash.’

"Little fellow, let me see how you perform for a little while longer..."

Fang Tingyun muttered to himself, "You’d better not disappoint me!"

Suddenly, his brow furrowed. An immense sense of danger washed over him, as if something terrible was about to happen. The hairs on his body stood on end. Startled, he instinctively circulated his Dark Energy throughout his body.

KABOOM!

The air exploded!

The palanquin exploded.

A terrifying, ferocious figure, like a great beast in the night, smashed through the entire palanquin and slammed into Fang Tingyun, sending them both flying wildly to the side.

Fang Tingyun roared in fury, blood spraying from his nose and mouth. Pain wracked his entire body, and his bones and muscles trembled as if they were about to shatter.

"Insolent!"

’How dare someone try to assassinate me!’

He gritted his teeth against the intense pain, his Dark Energy bursting forth. He gathered his power and launched a furious counterattack against the massive figure.

But the colossal figure was faster. The instant he sent Fang Tingyun flying, his fists began to glow with a dark bronze light. Radiating a frenzied and terrifying aura, he rained a chain of blows down on Fang Tingyun.

Each punch exploded with power, the sounds thundering.

It was like a Vajra reawakened, subduing demons and fiends.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

In a single moment, the two exchanged dozens of blows.

Chen Xuan didn’t dodge or evade at all, letting Fang Tingyun’s attacks hammer into his body. Meanwhile, his own flurry of punches rained down on Fang Tingyun like a storm. A series of sickening cracks from breaking bones could be heard. Fang Tingyun screamed continuously, spitting up torrents of blood. His chest was beaten like a drum, caving in and collapsing as his internal organs were pulverized.

Finally!

THUD!

His body was suddenly sent flying like a cannonball. It crashed into the distance, went limp, and he breathed his last.

[...Retribution points +1600!]

"Aaaah!"

"Someone help! Murder!"

Only then did the few sedan chair bearers react. They screamed in terror and turned tail to flee for their lives.

Chen Xuan’s eyes were frigid. He rushed forward, quickly searched Fang Tingyun’s body, and took two hundred taels of silver notes. Then, his fists a blur, he pummeled the wounds, completely destroying the unique markings of the Vajra Fist.

After doing all this, he followed the alleyways and quickly departed.

In a blink, he vanished without a trace.