Explosive Barrel Chen Lei

The next day, Hou Chun arrived on schedule with a group of men in tow.

Having learned from Master Bear's cautionary tale, he dared not walk around alone; at the very least, he had to bring along a Mingjin Martial Artist of equal standing.

The group arrived at the entrance of Chen Han's home, and seeing the door tightly shut, Hou Chun raised his leg and kicked it, sending the wood flying several meters away.

"Little brat of the Shen family, did you not know that this master was coming today?"

His tone was cold and sinister as he strode into the small courtyard.

But the next moment, he froze.

At the far end of the courtyard, behind an open door, sat two men—one elderly and one in middle age—sipping tea in a calm and unhurried manner.

He recognized both of them: the former was the family steward of the Chen Family, a martial arts clan in Black Lion City, and the latter was Squire Li, a wealthy merchant from the inner city.

Standing behind each of them were several men; with their protruding temples, taut skin, and sturdy builds, they were all Mingjin Martial Artists!

Hou Chun's gaze instantly turned grave. Does this brat really have such backing?

"Lord Hou, what is the meaning of this?"

Squire Li was the first to speak, his voice sharp with interrogation.

He was merely a wealthy merchant in the city, and his household only employed a few Mingjin Martial Artists as guards; while he was far from being a match for the Black Mountain Gang, he was still capable of holding his own against a mere Hou Chun.

"Nothing at all. I've just come to take someone away. I wonder why Squire Li has graced this place with his presence?"

The latter retorted with a cold sneer.

With the Black Mountain Gang—local tyrants who dared to burn down the magistrate's office—backing him, Hou Chun naturally felt no fear.

"I've come to visit my nephew's home. As for you, you've broken my nephew's door. If you don't provide an explanation, I'm afraid you won't be leaving so easily today."

Before Hou Chun arrived, Squire Li had been enjoying a pleasant conversation with the Old Steward of the Chen Family. The two had discussed much, even exchanging insights and reaching preliminary agreements on several collaborations.

But now, just as they were chatting, someone had suddenly popped up to cause trouble for the Chen Family's young friend. Naturally, he had to respond with strength to demonstrate his backbone and ensure the Old Steward did not look down on him.

"The Chen Family's young friend... how interesting. I never expected this brat to have a connection to you."

The Old Steward suddenly spoke up, interrupting with a stern tone. "Enough, Hou Chun. Aside from getting to know Brother Li, I have come today to handle matters regarding my nephew."

Instantly, the gazes of several Mingjin Martial Artists behind the Old Steward fell upon Hou Chun.

Among them was Chen Han's good friend, Chen Lei. Chen Lei had a fiery temperament, prone to exploding like a powder keg at the slightest provocation. Possessing excellent bone structure and innate talent, he was currently preparing to break through to the Anjin realm. His blood energy was terrifyingly potent, and the atmosphere instantly solidified.

Even Hou Chun, who had the backing of the biggest local tyrant in Black Lion City, felt immense pressure.

"I heard from my nephew that you intend to snatch his wife and child? And that you want to ruin his family! Is this true!"

"What!"

Chen Lei's fists clenched instantly, and he nearly couldn't stop himself from rushing forward to beat Hou Chun to death. He roared, "You sissy! Do you know he is my brother? You dare touch him? Do you want to die!"

"Wait!"

Meeting Chen Lei's furious gaze, Hou Chun panicked for a moment, terrified that if Chen Lei took the lead, the others would swarm them and beat them to death with a flurry of fists!

Even if the Black Mountain Gang would eventually make these two families pay a heavy price, he would already be dead by then, and what use would that be?

His own life was what mattered most!

"Gentlemen, let's talk this over. I was merely playing a joke on young friend Chen Han."

The Old Steward waved his hand, signaling for Chen Lei to stand down. At this juncture, killing would only worsen the situation, and in the end, no one would benefit.

"Hou Chun, I have a fair amount of influence in the martial arts circles of Black Lion City. The matter between you and Chen Han was your fault to begin with. Let's resolve this properly... what do you think?"

Though the Old Steward was aged, his presence was imposing. Knowing how to handle people, he offered Hou Chun a way out in just a few sentences.

Hou Chun forced a smile, realizing that these people truly dared to strike, and he no longer dared to act out. His tone became much smoother. "This matter, indeed, was my fault to begin with. I offer my apologies to young friend Chen Han. My previous words were just child's play; they weren't meant to be taken seriously, truly."

"How about this: from now on, I will stay far away from young friend Chen Han and won't come here again, alright? As for this door, I will compensate the young friend with a new one."

"Old sir, surely this is acceptable?"

The Old Steward frowned slightly. "How much protection money do you collect from my nephew each month?"

A flash of displeasure crossed Hou Chun's eyes, but he quickly returned to a respectful expression, thinking to himself, Chen Han, that brat, really is thorough.

"Not much, just half a tael of silver."

He lied.

"You're lying! It's clearly ten taels, a full ten taels!"

A bright-eyed, sharp-toothed young girl popped out from somewhere and pointed at Hou Chun's nose, loudly exposing his lie. It was Shen Yue.

"What! Ten taels!"

Chen Lei's eyes widened in fury, his pupils seemingly spitting fire.

"Everyone else is usually charged a hundred or so wen, so why is it ten taels for my brother? You are trying to strip him to the bone and marrow, trying to make it impossible for my brother to survive!"

"Villain, die!"

Overcome with rage and unable to hold back any longer, Chen Lei stepped forward like a ferocious tiger pouncing. The power of his Mountain Breaking Fist erupted, and he threw a punch straight at Hou Chun!

This scene caught everyone present off guard; Squire Li's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and even Chen Han had not expected Chen Lei to go to such lengths for him, even going so far as to risk a life-or-death struggle with Hou Chun.

The very thing he feared most had come to pass. Hou Chun took a step back, shielding his chest with his arms, his muscles coiled tight. He had to grit his yellow teeth until they nearly shattered just to barely withstand that punch.

Before he could even catch his breath, the onslaught from the person before him descended like a violent storm. Every strike was ruthless, aimed directly at his vitals, landing several blows in the blink of an eye.

Hou Chun was inwardly terrified, retreating repeatedly while raising his arms to defend. He dared not release the breath he was holding, fearing that a single lapse in rhythm would expose a flaw and lead to him being beaten to death on the spot.

"Chen Lei! Stop this at once!"

Finally, a voice that sounded like a savior rang out.

Only when the Old Steward spoke did Chen Lei cease his assault. He glared at the visibly shaken Hou Chun, and as if still unsatisfied, he spat fiercely onto the ground.

"Let me tell you, don't think your Black Mountain Gang is so formidable. Times have changed. Do you think I don't know that the Black Mountain Gang is struggling to leave Black Lion City, having sent out the bulk of your combat strength to hunt exotic beasts? You're teetering on the brink of collapse yourselves."

Chen Lei was young, hot-blooded, and full of vigor; he thought primarily in terms of "the enemy is weak, we are strong," and "if you don't submit, we fight!"

If we are having a hard time, you are having an even harder time. If it comes to it, we'll just drag each other down and perish together!

Yet, in the eyes of Squire Li, the Old Steward, and the various factions within the city, such thoughts and actions were incredibly foolish.

With disaster looming, the various factions should be thinking about how to unite with one another to better weather the storm, yet this fellow was intent on internal strife, leaving their side plagued by both internal and external troubles.

It was simply moronic!

Chen Han, however, was overjoyed. He had originally only intended to temporarily intimidate the other party to buy time for his recovery, but now, thanks to Chen Lei's explosive temper, he had far exceeded his goal of deterrence.

He was merely a small fry; in the face of catastrophe, neither side would allow their overall situation to be ruined by this. By comparison, settling the matter peacefully was the best choice for the moment.

Having roamed the underworld for many years, Hou Chun was cunning and calculating, and he naturally saw this clearly. He had initially intended to use the Black Mountain Gang's reputation to negotiate, perhaps admitting a minor fault and settling for a smaller fee, but unfortunately, there was a hothead on the other side!

He no longer dared to play word games or stall for time; if Chen Lei couldn't hold back and started fighting him again, he would have nowhere to turn to vent his grievances.

Sure enough, he gritted his teeth and said, "Regarding the protection money, it was indeed my fault to begin with. How about this: from now on, young friend Chen Han only needs to pay one tael of silver per month."

"What! One tael! I'm not satisfied. One hundred wen, and not a single coin more!"

"Uh... one hundred wen it is, then. No matter, let's just consider it a way to make friends."