Cruel Hands Destroy Flowers

"Did you find someone to undo the Gu?"

Qing Xue's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Chen Han's mouth. Without a word, he continued his steady pace toward them, his intentions self-evident.

However, his vigilance was heightened to the extreme.

He saw that instead of showing fear, Qing Xue laughed, her gaze playful as if she were not the least bit afraid that he might take her life.

"What are you laughing at?"

Chen Han asked.

But before Qing Xue could react, her face turned pale, her strength drained away, and her delicate body collapsed to the ground. She was not the only one in this state; the seven Heroic Assassins from the Black Market were the same.

Their faces were ashen, and they felt as if every ounce of strength in their bodies had been sucked dry, leaving them unable to even stand.

"What... what is happening?"

"Boss, what other effects does this smoke of yours have..."

Qing Xue's gaze remained fixed on Chen Han, her expression composed.

Her red lips parted slightly as she spoke, "This is a secret technique of my Gu Master lineage. If someone afflicted with a malicious Gu inhales it, the Gu will fall into a frenzy, devouring the internal organs within half an hour."

"The intense pain alone is enough to strip them of all combat capability instantly."

"And that is merely its primary effect; its secondary effect is the Bone-Softening Powder..."

Bone-Softening Powder!

One of the Heroic Assassins had heard of this substance and was instantly struck with terror.

"Is that the Bone-Softening Powder that even martial artists cannot stand up against once inhaled?"

Bone-Softening Powder, as the name suggests, softens the bones. Anyone who inhales it—unless they have reached the supreme realm of a Martial Master or higher—is guaranteed to collapse, unable to harden a single part of their body for a short period.

Qing Xue let out a few giggles, "Exactly, that is the very thing."

Gu Masters possess many methods, and there is no shortage of strange and bizarre items. This legendary powder was Qing Xue's ultimate trump card.

How could she have risen to prominence in the Black Market without formidable means?

As she spoke, she looked at Chen Han. In this terrain, where could he hide? The entire cavern had been blanketed by her Bone-Softening Powder; there was nowhere safe left.

At this moment, Chen Han's brows were tightly furrowed.

He had no countermeasure for this, but if he could not kill them in a short time, they would recover their strength once the effects of the poison wore off.

If that happened, he would truly have no hope of turning the tables.

This woman truly has impressive means; she is well-deserving of her success in the Black Market.

Am I really going to die here? No, I am not reconciled to this, I am not reconciled...

Chen Han gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he realized why everyone else had collapsed while he remained standing as if nothing had happened.

He felt a sense of disbelief and squeezed his fist hard. Crack, crack!

Veins bulged on his fist, and the muscles on his arm stood out, looking incredibly powerful. The crisp sound of his bones popping was exceptionally clear.

Finally, he confirmed that he had indeed not been affected in the slightest.

"Impossible!!"

Seeing this, a look of terror finally appeared on Qing Xue's pretty face.

"This is Bone-Softening Powder! How can you still be fine after inhaling so much of it?"

Chen Han was also puzzled. He looked at himself and finally sensed a faint, lingering fragrance near his nose.

It was this thing...

Chen Han took out the sachet he had hidden near his chest and sniffed it gently. He felt instantly refreshed.

The sachet he had scavenged from Wu Duan actually had the effect of repelling poison!

"Heaven truly does not abandon me! Heaven does not abandon me! Hahahaha!!"

Chen Han muttered to himself at first, before breaking into a wild, uncontrollable laugh.

The expressions of the eight people changed simultaneously. They looked at him as if they had seen a demon, filled with extreme fear. Qing Xue, with her tall figure, knew she was in a desperate situation, and even her legs were trembling.

"Damn you, woman, what the hell is going on!"

"Damn it, women always ruin everything!"

One of the Heroic Assassins immediately questioned her.

Qing Xue had no intention of paying them any mind. She kept her eyes on Chen Han and suddenly spoke.

"How about this, Chen Han? Let's make a deal. Spare my life. In the Black Market, besides me, no one can undo this Gu in a short time."

"I can help you remove the Gu right now. From this day forward, I will be yours, serving you as a slave or a maid, whatever you command."

As she spoke, she nonchalantly pulled open the collar of her robe, revealing a vast expanse of snowy-white skin. "How about it, Young Master Chen? This humble one is still a maiden, yet to be plucked."

"Great Hero Chen, you and I have no grudges or enmity, why must we kill each other?"

"That's right, that's right! If Great Hero Chen doesn't mind, we brothers can serve you like dogs and horses; through mountains of blades and seas of fire, we await your command."

The smiles on their faces were uglier than crying, and their humble, fawning display of goodwill brought a sense of pleasure to Chen Han, who had long been accustomed to being bullied.

This is the feeling of power; it is truly comfortable...

He sighed inwardly, the pleasant smile on his lips gradually fading, replaced by a ruthless, icy chill.

If these people could truly be used by him, that would indeed be for the best.

But, human hearts are unpredictable; he trusted no one but himself.

As long as his strength was great enough, he had no need for companions. If one opponent came, he would kill one; if ten came, he would kill ten!

If one day he were to die at the hands of an enemy because he was outnumbered, it would only prove that he hadn't worked hard enough, that he had slacked off in his cultivation, and he would deserve to die.

So...

"You should all just die..."

Chen Han walked slowly toward them, his expression unchanging as he spoke.

Killing them earlier might have been troublesome; although they were heavily injured, there were eight of them, and one was even a Hua Jin martial artist.

But now, it was as simple as slaughtering chickens...

Chen Han's target was clear; the first was the beautiful Qing Xue. He held nothing back, raising his fist high and smashing it down into those terrified, beautiful eyes—a ruthless destruction of a flower!

Seeing this, the Seven Knights of the Black Market felt their hearts turn to ash. If he could kill such a delicate and moving woman without changing his expression, then there was no need to speak of what would happen to them, a group of grown men.

Sure enough, no matter how they begged afterward, Chen Han remained unmoved, reaping their lives one by one, unhurried and steady.

Chen Han took one life with each punch, and after seven punches, he was the only living person left in the limestone cave.

Looting the bodies and burying them, Chen Han finished everything and left the place of trouble, arriving outside the cave.

It's finally over...

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, feeling a sudden sense of relief.

By now, he carried nearly a hundred lives on his conscience.

However, Chen Han felt little emotion; the faces of these people appeared before his eyes one by one, and without exception, they all wore hideous expressions.

These were all people who had once wanted to put him to death.

"Why? Why must I be bullied by others? On what grounds? Just because I am not strong enough... not ruthless enough. Since you all want to mess with me, then come, all of you come..."

Thinking of this, the killing intent on his body became thicker than ever before.

In the Black Market, Chen Han arrived at Qing Xue's shop, used the key found on her body to open the heavy iron door, and packed up everything of value.

This wealth truly shocked him; he couldn't even carry all the exotic beast meat in one trip, and there were nearly a thousand taels in silver notes, four precious exotic beast hearts and livers, and various strange or rare items.

With so many eyes around, he naturally dared not bring these things into the city, so he found a secluded cave deep in the mountains and settled there.

With these resources, he could now proceed to break through to the third realm of the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique: Uprooting Mountains and Carrying Cauldrons, Steel Tendons and Iron Bones!