The Helping Hand

"Who?! Who was it?!"

The young man shouted furiously and whipped around, trying to find out who had dared to ambush him.

The thugs also turned around viciously, glaring toward where the "hidden weapon" had come from.

Chen Feng stood there with several books in his arms, wearing a bashful smile. "Sorry about that. This book is mine."

His kind, shy smile left the thugs confused. What was this kid here for? Was there some misunderstanding?

Then, beneath everyone's disbelieving stares, Chen Feng squeezed into the circle surrounding Yicheng Hall.

He reached for the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon in the young man's hands, trying to take it back.

"Wrong book, wrong book. This one's more expensive..."

The young man nearly choked when he heard that. So he'd thrown the wrong book, not hit the wrong person.

"You've got some nerve!"

The young man clung tightly to the book, glaring furiously.

But Chen Feng was stronger. He snatched it back in one pull, then furrowed his brow.

"You. I told you the book was mine. Don't you know how to return something?"

The young man stared at Chen Feng in disbelief, pointing a trembling finger at his nose. For a long while, he couldn't get a word out.

Only when his face had turned red did he finally curse, "Break his legs!"

The thugs belatedly reacted, their faces turning cruel as they rushed at Chen Feng.

"You dare make a fool of us? You're dead!"

All at once, their full attention shifted to Chen Feng, and the men from Yicheng Hall forgot to attack Meng Zhiwei.

They only wanted to kill Chen Feng first.

"Quick! Go help him!" Meng Zhiwei cried, her face drained of color. With so many people beating Chen Feng, she feared he might not make it out alive.

However.

Chen Feng simply raised the book in his hand and smacked it across the faces of the two nearest thugs.

"Smack! Smack!"

Two more crisp slaps rang out.

The two thugs hadn't even managed to touch Chen Feng's clothes before the book smacked them so hard their vision swam and their heads rang. They nearly collapsed to the ground.

Chen Feng then sidestepped several more thugs' attacks and turned to look at the young man, who had fallen onto his backside.

Young man: "!!!"

Seeing Chen Feng walking toward him, the young man hastily shouted, "Quick! Stop him!"

[Seeing injustice on the road, draw your blade to help...]

[Experience +1000]

Chen Feng let out an "Oh-ho!" His eyes gleamed. He hadn't expected an unexpected bonus.

After that.

He ignored the young man and focused on dealing with the thugs, landing several more strikes with "Power of Knowledge."

Several more thugs ended up with swollen cheeks and briefly lost consciousness.

As a Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist, dealing with these small fry couldn't have been easier.

In just a few short breaths.

Several burly men were sprawled outside the Pastry Shop.

Chen Feng's swift, decisive fighting style made everyone wary of him. They couldn't help wondering whether the book had something hidden inside it.

Otherwise, why did it hurt more than a slap?

"What? Want another smack in the mouth?"

Chen Feng looked coldly at the thugs from Yicheng Hall and patted the book he'd just bought, as if worried it might have gotten dirty.

Meng Zhiwei and the others stared at Chen Feng, dumbfounded, their mouths hanging open.

"You! Who are you?!"

The young man stared at Chen Feng in terror. He could tell this was a ruthless opponent; so many people couldn't take him down.

He had to be a Martial Artist.

"You don't know me?"

Chen Feng frowned.

He'd been a Personal Disciple of Dragon Walk Martial Arts School for so long that his name should have spread by now.

Yicheng Hall was a gang powerful enough to survive in the Inner City. Surely they should have been well informed.

Wait...

Chen Feng suddenly remembered. When he should have been making appearances before Pingcheng's various factions, Senior Brother Yao had taken him sightseeing instead.

Then, a few days later, he'd hurried off to earn money on an Escort Mission. He'd barely shown his face in public at all.

So now, most of Pingcheng's factions.

Only knew that Zhou Bingzhong had taken on a new Personal Disciple named Chen Feng. As for what Chen Feng looked like...

They had no idea.

All right... Chen Feng felt a little disappointed. He'd wanted everyone to recognize him, then watch them gape in shock.

But it seemed he could only speak with his fists—no, with books. What a bore.

Seeing how casually Chen Feng was acting.

"You're going to die!"

The young man roared, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes as he lunged at Chen Feng.

He had already thrown away his folding fan. Now he clenched his fist and summoned every ounce of strength in his body.

In an instant, his Qi Blood surged, revealing his Blood Refining Realm cultivation in full.

He was the strongest among them!

The young man had been watching for a long time, waiting for this one chance to ambush Chen Feng. He was determined to punch him to death right here!

"Watch out!" Meng Zhiwei cried, warning him.

However...

"Hahaha! You'll pay for your arrogance!"

The young man gave a sinister laugh. It was as if he could already see Chen Feng spitting blood and collapsing.

His fist, wrapped in Blood Qi, smashed toward Chen Feng.

Bam!

A loud crash rang out.

With one arm holding the books, Chen Feng caught the young man's fist in his free hand. The tremendous recoil filled the young man with pain, twisting his face into a grimace.

"You—you're in the Bone Forging Realm!"

Terror flickered in the young man's eyes.

But Chen Feng had no intention of letting him off so easily.

He twisted.

"Crack."

The young man's wrist bent backward at a horrifying angle that defied the human body's natural structure.

Then Chen Feng kicked him.

The young man flew backward.

He screamed in midair, then crashed heavily into the thugs behind him. The force carried a whole group of them down like stalks of straw.

A whole row toppled over.

At the sight of this.

Meng Zhiwei and the others froze in place. Even the warning they'd called out felt pointless now.

"Ahhh!"

The young man clutched his bent wrist in agony, cold sweat pouring down his face as it turned deathly pale.

Before long, the pain was so intense that he passed out!

The other thugs looked at Chen Feng with nothing but fear.

They'd clearly heard their young master call out that the man before them was a Bone Forging Martial Artist!

Even a genius like their young master.

Had been defeated with ease.

And this man looked quite a bit younger than their young master!

Who on earth was he?!

The thugs couldn't help thinking about running, but they were also afraid Chen Feng would keep attacking. Their whole group wouldn't be enough to take a beating from a Bone Forging Martial Artist.

Chen Feng swept his gaze over the thugs and barked:

"Why are you still standing here? Get lost!"

Only then did the thugs from Yicheng Hall help their unconscious young master to his feet. They fled from Chen Feng like they were running from a raging flood, scrambling away.

Before leaving, a few of them still tried to threaten him. "Just you wait!"

But in truth, they didn't even dare ask Chen Feng's name before running off.

Chen Feng watched the thugs scatter, then lightly weighed the medical book in his hand and marveled at how good it felt to swing.

Knowledge really was power.

Knowledge paired with strength worked even better.

Meng Zhiwei watched the thugs disappear into the distance in just a few short breaths, her feelings complicated.

A problem that had given them no end of headaches.

Had been effortlessly solved by this young man before them.

He didn't look twenty yet...

"Thank you, sir, for coming to our aid."

Meng Zhiwei hurried forward and bowed to Chen Feng, then asked who he was.

"May I ask how I should address you, sir? We have a token of our gratitude here. Please accept it."

"No need. I'm friends with Meng Zhaowu. It was just a small favor, so there's no need to be so formal."

Chen Feng cupped his hands in return.

He hadn't come to earn money. He'd only stepped in because he'd heard it was the Fuxing Merchant Association.

So Chen Feng didn't linger. After replying, he hurried off with the books in his arms.

A gleam flashed in Meng Zhiwei's eyes. Her beautiful eyes widened slightly and her lips parted, but for a moment she couldn't find the words.

She had no idea when her younger brother had gotten to know someone like him.

By the time she came to her senses.

Chen Feng had already disappeared into the crowd.