Little Er

The girl was young, and her face was utterly expressionless.

She crouched there, quietly watching Chu Qing.

Seeing that Chu Qing was only frightened and hadn't taken the bowl of tea, she withdrew her hand and took a sip herself.

Chu Qing: "..."

What was wrong with this woman?

Why was she staring at me like that?

Under that somewhat vacant gaze, Chu Qing even began to wonder if she had seen through his disguise.

But there was no time to worry about that now. The leader burst into raucous laughter.

"The Second Young Master of the Chu Family, disciple of the Wrathful God Fist! I thought you'd have some real skill, but now it looks like you're nothing special!"

Chu Qing immediately turned his gaze back out the window. Chu Fan stood among the galloping horses, both arms and legs caught by hooked claws. He was completely unable to move.

"...What kind of trick is this supposed to be?"

Chu Qing's mouth twitched. He'd thought Chu Fan would dodge, or counterattack, but instead... whatever move they threw at him, he took it head-on.

At the same time, the Iron Horse Seven Bandits changed their tactics once more.

The bandits held hooked chains in their hands, wheeled their horses around, and charged in the opposite direction.

They meant to tear Chu Fan apart on the spot!

But Chu Fan only smiled faintly.

"Then let me show you what I'm capable of!"

With that, he roared and stamped both feet against the ground. A rumble shook the air as his true energy surged in every direction.

Neighhh!!

The Iron Horse Seven Bandits' mounts reared and whinnied, seemingly badly frightened.

The two bandits whose hooks had caught Chu Fan's legs suddenly felt as if they were trying to haul away a mountain. The mountain wouldn't budge; instead, they were dragged off their horses.

The hooked chains fastened to Chu Fan clattered, no longer stretched taut as they had been before.

Right then, Chu Fan suddenly turned both palms and seized the chains on either side. He yanked hard, and with two clanging crashes, the two Great Thieves felt an irresistible force sweep over them. Their bodies shot backward against their will.

With a bang, the two collided in midair, smashing into each other. The faint sound of breaking bones could be heard.

They both spewed blood, their faces deathly pale. They were clearly done for.

"Fourth! Sixth!"

The leader roared in fury, spurred his horse forward, and brought his broad axe crashing down at Chu Fan in a mighty swing.

Chu Fan raised his head and snapped both arms outward. The chains around his arms shattered at once. Then he brought his palms together and caught the leader's axe barehanded.

The veins on the leader's forehead bulged and throbbed as he poured all his strength into the blow.

He pressed down with all his might, trying to cleave Chu Fan in two.

The tremendous force drove Chu Fan's feet slightly into the ground, sinking them deeper and deeper.

Yet the axe still wouldn't come down.

The leader drew a deep breath and roared:

"He's locked in a stalemate with me! Seize the chance and cut off his head!"

Three of the Iron Horse Seven Bandits had already died today. The leader was locked in a struggle with Chu Fan, leaving three others.

The two Great Thieves who had entangled Chu Fan's legs exchanged a glance. They immediately tightened their chains, and without bothering to get back on their beloved steeds, channeled their Internal Energy and dragged.

Meanwhile, the only man left free had already reached Chu Fan's back. He brought a ring-handled saber down hard at the back of Chu Fan's neck.

But at that very moment, the leader's face suddenly changed.

Not good!!

Cracks spread across the axe in his hands with a series of sharp snaps. Before he could react, it shattered with a crash.

He wasn't trying to stop my axe... He was trying to break my weapon!!

What kind of freakish strength was this?

How could it be so absurd?

Chu Fan suddenly clenched his fist. In an instant, it seemed as if the air had been swept away. He sank into a horse stance, then spun around and drove out a punch!

Tai Yi Divine Fist!!

A sharp blast tore through the air. The first thing to collide with the punch's Fist Momentum was the saber behind him.

The force of the saber was instantly scattered by the punch, losing all cohesion. The attacker couldn't keep hold of it, leaving his guard wide open. With a bang, Chu Fan's fist slammed into his chest and abdomen.

Whoosh!

A great burst of blood erupted from the man's back. He flew away like a torn sack, his whole body deformed by the punch.

Shaken by the punch's power, the leader's pupils contracted sharply. He suddenly bellowed:

"Run!!!"

From the start of the fight until now, only a few breaths had passed, yet three of his men had already died one after another.

One of his two axes was ruined. There was no way he could fight a monster like Chu Fan.

He clamped his legs against his horse's flanks and surged forward, charging straight for the teahouse.

In a flash, he was inside the teahouse. He roared:

"Out of my way!!"

He was shouting at the waiter.

The waiter had been inside the teahouse, trembling as he watched the spectacle.

He'd never imagined the spectacle would come barreling straight at him.

He sprang up and tried to run, but his first step put him directly in the path of the oncoming horse.

The Iron Horse Seven Bandits' steeds were all prized horses with exceptional bloodlines. One stomp was all it took. The waiter didn't even have time to react before a hoof kicked him right out of the teahouse.

It all happened too quickly. Though there were experts inside the teahouse, none had time to save him.

The leader galloped straight ahead, bursting out the other side of the teahouse with a rumble. Then he turned his horse around and changed direction. Earlier, he had thrown one of his axes, and it had struck the carriage. He had ridden through the teahouse to retrieve it. Reaching out, he caught the axe in his hand.

He immediately galloped off, shouting as he went:

"Chu Fan, I'll repay you for today's gift in full someday!"

"Thief, don't run!"

Chu Fan's expression darkened. How could he let the man escape?

The other two who had used their hooked chains to trap his legs had also taken advantage of the moment to vanish.

He made up his mind at once: kill the ringleader first!

"Junior Sister!!"

Chu Qing heard the woman beside him answer his shout:

"Coming!"

The two of them used their lightness skills and raced after the leader.

"Well done, Second Young Master of the Chu Family! Truly impressive!"

"A hero indeed, even at such a young age!"

Seeing that the danger had temporarily passed, the teahouse's patrons praised Chu Fan one after another. Then they hurried away as well. This was no place to linger; better to leave at once.

In moments, the entire teahouse had emptied.

No one spared a glance for the dead waiter or the man who had been the first to be cleaved down.

Only the owner remained, staring blankly as he came to the dead waiter's side.

He reached out and patted the young man's face.

"Huzi... Huzi? Wake up. They've all left.

"I'm telling you, the ground's cold. It's no good lying there all the time.

"Your mother sent word through someone the other day. She said she'd found you a match. I've been thinking I should send you home in the next few days so you can get married first.

"If you ruin your health, it'll affect your chances of having children.

"Huzi... Huzi, wake up. Don't scare your uncle!"

He shook the corpse, as if trying to wake a younger relative from a deep sleep.

But how could a corpse answer?