I Don't Eat Beef!

"So, this is Wutan City?"

Ning Chen walked leisurely along the bluestone-paved street with his hands behind his back, observing the strange and novel sights around him with keen interest.

His relaxed and carefree demeanor stood in stark contrast to the group of Xiao Clan members behind him, who wore grim expressions as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Patriarch, can this kid of unknown origin really resolve the harassment from the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families?" the Third Elder of Xiao Clan lowered his voice, his brow furrowed with suspicion.

"Things have reached this point; what harm is there in trying?"

Xiao Zhan's gaze remained locked on the relaxed figure walking ahead. His tone sounded calm, but his heart was surging with waves of uncertainty.

"Even if he is powerless to resolve this, our Xiao Clan must face this trouble ourselves in the end."

After much deliberation earlier, he had finally agreed to let Ning Chen take action.

But in truth, this was a move born of desperation.

If Ning Chen failed, the Xiao Clan would inevitably face a brutal battle.

If he succeeded... a stranger of unfathomable strength and such youth suddenly becoming entangled with the Xiao Clan—whether this would be a blessing or a curse for the isolated Xiao Clan remained to be seen.

He feared this small temple could not accommodate such a great Buddha.

With each member harboring their own thoughts, the group turned a street corner, and the bustling Herb Market of Wutan City came into view.

The center of the street was already packed tight with onlookers eager to see the spectacle.

At the heart of the crowd, two distinct factions stood clearly separated: the joint forces of the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family. They stood aggressively, locked in a tense standoff with the Xiao Clan disciples who were struggling to maintain order.

Ning Chen's gaze swept over the crowd and quickly settled on a pair of young people at the edge of the confrontation.

The youth had a somewhat callow face; he was quite handsome with well-defined features, but his brows were perpetually knitted, as if he were burdened by heavy thoughts.

Beside him, the young girl standing gracefully was even more eye-catching.

She wore a pale purple dress, her figure light and nimble, like a green lotus just beginning to bloom.

Her appearance was pure and peerless, her temperament elegant and ethereal; despite standing in the noisy marketplace, she seemed to exist apart from the mundane world.

She stood there quietly, yet everything around her seemed to lose its luster.

It seems they are Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er... A look of interest appeared in Ning Chen's eyes. Seeing characters from a novel right before his eyes was quite a peculiar feeling.

Just then, Xiao Zhan, accompanied by the three elders and Ning Chen, pushed through the crowd and arrived at the front of the Xiao Clan's formation.

"Father!"

"Uncle Xiao!"

Seeing Xiao Zhan arrive, Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er immediately stepped forward to greet him.

However, both of their gazes lingered for a moment on the handsome, unfamiliar young man beside Xiao Zhan, their eyes filled with confusion.

Xiao Yan, in particular, muttered to himself, Who is this guy? His looks are just too unfair, aren't they? Even in my dreams, I wouldn't dare imagine looking like that!

Facing the gazes cast by the two, Ning Chen simply responded with a gentle smile.

He was already peerlessly handsome, and this smile felt like a spring breeze, making the surrounding light seem to brighten slightly, causing even Xiao Xun'er to glance at him sideways.

However, this brief moment of calm was immediately shattered.

"Xiao Zhan! You finally decided to show yourself?" A cold shout filled with mockery and provocation rang out.

Across from them, the patriarch of the Jia Lie Family, Jia Lie Bi, stepped out alongside the head of the Ao Ba Family.

Behind the two men, the elite disciples of their clans glared with ill intent, their battle qi fluctuating faintly, as if they were ready to resort to force if the Xiao Clan refused to yield today.

"Hmph, your two families have joined forces to block my market and smear my reputation. Do you really think my Xiao Clan is afraid of you?"

Xiao Zhan's expression darkened, and the aura of a five-star Great Dou Shi erupted, clashing head-on with the opposition.

"Afraid or not, won't we find out if we try?"

Jia Lie Bi gave a cold, sinister laugh. His gaze swept over the members of the Xiao Clan, but ultimately landed on the composed Ning Chen, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"What, is the Xiao Clan out of people? You actually found a wet-behind-the-ears pretty boy to hold the line? If you ask me, this is probably even worse than your son Xiao Yan, whose battle qi has faded away! Hahaha!"

Ao Ba Pa joined in the laughter, and the disciples of both clans erupted into jeers, mocking them to the extreme.

The members of the Xiao Clan turned angry at these words, and Xiao Yan clenched his fists, fury rising in his eyes.

Damn it, you can insult this guy all you want, but why drag me into it? Did I eat your family's rice or something?!

Just as the tension reached a breaking point and Xiao Zhan prepared to retort sharply, a light, airy voice suddenly rang out, clearly cutting through all the noise and laughter.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound to see Ning Chen slowly step forward to the very front of the confrontation.

He still wore that gentle, spring-breeze smile, as if the vicious taunts from moments ago were nothing more than the buzzing of mosquitoes.

He looked calmly at the arrogant Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa, his tone playful.

"It seems both patriarchs are very confident in your own strength?"

Jia Lie Bi was stunned by the sudden counter-question, then sneered, "What? Kid, you want to be the sacrificial lamb? Just based on your..."

"Did I give you permission to speak?"

Ning Chen interrupted Jia Lie Bi's mockery without the slightest hesitation. His tone remained gentle, yet the coldness and dominance in his words instantly ignited the already thick tension in the air!

"On the Dou Qi Continent, the strong are respected. Everything should be determined by strength."

He swept his indifferent gaze over the faces of Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa, which were twisted in astonishment, his tone carrying a hint of pity.

"But if one lacks the strength and only knows how to bark like a dog in the marketplace, it only invites ridicule and makes a fool of oneself."

Having said that, Ning Chen turned his head leisurely to look at Xiao Yan, who was looking grim after being dragged into this for no reason, and chuckled.

"Little brother Xiao Yan, do you think what I said makes sense?"

How does he know my name?

Xiao Yan was startled, and as he met Ning Chen's eyes—which seemed to see through everything—he nodded subconsciously.

"Good, good, good! What a sharp-tongued brat!"

Jia Lie Bi was so angry that his face turned livid and his entire body trembled.

As the patriarch of the Jia Lie Family, when had he ever suffered such humiliation in Wutan City? Especially being slapped in the face in public by a young man of unknown origin!

If he didn't cripple the person in front of him today, how could he ever maintain his standing in the clan?!

"It seems you are determined to stand up for the Xiao Clan! In that case, don't blame us for bullying the weak and showing no mercy!"

Ao Ba Pa's fat face was also filled with malice as he shouted sharply.

"Why waste words with him! Attack together, cripple this arrogant brat first, then settle the score with the Xiao Clan!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Before their words had even faded, two powerful surges of Dou Qi erupted from within their bodies!

Crimson and earthy-yellow lights of Dou Qi soared into the sky. The pressure belonging to Great Dou Masters was released without reservation, causing the surrounding crowd of onlookers to gasp and retreat repeatedly.

"Liezhao Ji!"

Jia Lie Bi let out a sharp cry. His five fingers curled into claws, and the crimson Dou Qi condensed into a hideous flaming claw, accompanied by a piercing whistle that tore through the air, striking directly at Ning Chen's face!

He had used eighty percent of his power in this strike; an ordinary Dou Master would die upon contact!

"Zhongshan Quan!"

Almost simultaneously, Ao Ba Pa's fat body erupted with speed that defied his appearance, throwing a punch forward.

The earthy-yellow Dou Qi was as heavy as a mountain, carrying the momentum to crush everything in its path as it smashed toward Ning Chen's chest!

Where the fist wind passed, even the bluestone floor cracked slightly!

"Careful!"

Xiao Zhan's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously moved to intervene.

He could see that these two patriarchs were attacking in a rage, leaving no room for error. Their strikes were vicious and tricky; even he might not be able to escape unscathed if caught off guard!

The three elders felt their hearts jump into their throats, while Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er held their breath. Everyone around was stunned by this sudden and vicious pincer attack.

However, facing a joint strike that would make any Great Dou Master prepare for a desperate fight, Ning Chen, who stood at the center of the storm, did not even change the gentle smile on his lips.

If he didn't have the system, and if he hadn't developed his strength, he certainly wouldn't have stepped out now. But with the system—especially an invincible system like Wu Wu Kai—well, sorry.

I don't eat beef!

The moment the flaming claw and the heavy fist energy were about to strike his body, Ning Chen finally moved.

He did not dodge, nor did he block. He simply raised his fair, slender right hand in a casual manner, and then, pointed a single index finger at the violent torrent of energy rushing toward him.

He tapped lightly against the void.

"Hum—!"

There was no deafening explosion, no dazzling collision of light.

Under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, a visible, transparent ripple rippled out from the tip of Ning Chen's finger like water waves.

The flaming claw and the heavy fist energy, which were powerful enough to shatter monuments and stones, touched this invisible ripple and vanished—strangely and silently—just like ice under a scorching sun, or a pebble thrown into a deep pool, without even stirring up a splash.

Completely and utterly annihilated into nothingness.

As if they had never appeared at all.

In the marketplace, time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The wind stopped, the noise vanished, and even the sound of breathing almost ceased.