"Who are you?"
Sun Dayou flew into a rage. He had only just managed to subdue Wei He and was about to make him put his thumbprint on the contract, only for someone to snatch it away. All his efforts had gone to waste.
In his fury, Sun Dayou threw a punch without thinking.
Then the other man caught it with his free hand.
Unable to break free, Sun Dayou finally realized that someone had appeared beside him without his noticing.
"Brother!"
Before he could make out the man's face, Sun Dayou heard Wei He's startled cry beside him.
"Brother? You're Wei Sheng?!"
Sun Dayou's eyes widened instantly, disbelief covering his face.
He had seen Wei Sheng once a little over a month ago, a scrawny youth scarcely better off than the Wei He before him.
But now...
His build was well-proportioned and solid, his bearing upright, his face cold and stern, his eyes dark and chilly. An unsettling presence emanated from his entire body. Compared with the Wei Sheng from before, he seemed like a different person!
He could not understand how Wei Sheng had changed so much in just over a month.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was getting Wei Sheng to let go.
Sun Dayou hastily explained, "Brother Wei Sheng, this is all a misunderstanding, a misunder-ow, ow, ah!!"
Wei Sheng ignored him.
He was reading the contract.
The more he read, the darker his expression grew.
He knew that the eldest master of the Hong family had his eye on Wei He. That had been one of the reasons Niu Er had targeted the two brothers back then.
Later, Niu Er had died, and there had been no further movement from the Hong Residence.
He had thought the matter was over.
He had never expected the Hong Residence to be holding back something this big.
They had actually taken advantage of his absence to force Xiao He to sign a contract selling himself into servitude.
Had he not returned in time, Xiao He would probably have become the Hong family's slave by now.
Once the contract was signed, even if he took the matter to the authorities, the Hong Residence's power and influence in Black Mountain City would have been enough to suppress it.
Getting Wei He back then would have been harder than hard.
At that thought, Wei Sheng felt a surge of lingering fear.
Then a nameless savagery rose in his heart, and fury surged through him. That was why he crushed Sun Dayou's wrist outright.
The steward from the Hong Residence standing nearby had been about to say something, but his gaze tightened slightly at the sight, and he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
First Refinement!
This Wei Sheng is actually a First Refinement martial artist!!
Having spent years in the Hong Residence, he had seen much and knew much. He recognized Wei Sheng's strength at a glance.
To crush someone's wrist bones so effortlessly required strength far beyond that of an ordinary practitioner. Only a First Refinement martial artist could do it!
But hadn't Wei Sheng been nothing more than a lowly mud-legged peasant before? Even after joining the Fish-Dragon Gang, he had only been an ordinary lackey. When had he reached First Refinement?
Steward Hong's expression soured.
He had found plenty of "pageboys" for the eldest master of the Hong family before, and there had never been a problem.
That was because those "pageboys" all came from poor families and had no one to rely on. Even if they took their grievances to the authorities, they could not stir up so much as a ripple.
He had assumed Wei Sheng was no different.
He had never expected him to have quietly broken through to First Refinement.
Fortunately.
It was only First Refinement!
The Hong Residence still had enough clout to keep him down.
At that thought, Steward Hong's expression eased slightly, and he barked, "Wei Sheng, you dare commit violence in the street? Let go at once, or I'll take you before the authorities!"
As his words fell.
The blood and qi within Steward Hong surged, and he unleashed a presence no weaker than Zhang Yan's.
He, too, was a First Refinement martial artist!
Wei Sheng looked at him.
As though frightened by his presence, or perhaps wary of the Hong Residence behind him, he actually released Sun Dayou.
"Let's go!"
Steward Hong gave Wei Sheng a long look, then turned and left with Sun Dayou.
"Brother..."
Watching the two receding figures, Wei He started to speak, then stopped.
Wei Sheng lowered the large bundle of daily necessities from his shoulder. "Xiao He, take these things inside and shut the door."
With that, he turned and pursued Steward Hong and Sun Dayou in the direction they had gone.
Black Mud Ward, a secluded alley!
"Ah, my hand! My hand! Damn that Wei Sheng! I'll kill him, kill him! ... Crack!"
Steward Hong pinned Sun Dayou against the wall to hold him still. After barely managing to set one bone back into place, he shook his head.
"No good. It's shattered too badly! That brat Wei Sheng looked harmless enough, but I never expected him to be so vicious! This arm of yours is done for!"
Steward Hong's face darkened.
Judging by this, there was no guarantee Wei Sheng would not bear a grudge against him for trying to buy Wei He by force.
"Steward Hong, are we just going to let this go?"
Sun Dayou clutched his shattered left wrist, his eyes thick with hatred.
"Let him off? It won't be that easy!"
Steward Hong looked irritated. He had come to see Wei He on his own initiative today, intending to buy him quietly and give his master a surprise that evening.
But Wei Sheng had ruined it.
How could he not be angry?
"He dared spoil my plans. Even if he's broken through to First Refinement, he's as good as dead!"
"Will you ask one of the residence's Second Refinement experts to act?"
Sun Dayou knew that the Hong Residence had several martial artists. The strongest among them was said to be a Fourth Refinement expert.
"No need! He's just a mud-legged peasant who lucked his way into First Refinement. I have a hundred ways to kill him!"
Steward Hong shook his head disdainfully.
Even if Wei Sheng had reached First Refinement, he was still a mud-legged peasant by birth, while Steward Hong had the Hong family behind him. The resources he could call upon were far beyond anything Wei Sheng could match.
He alone could toy with Wei Sheng until he died!
"Really? I don't believe you!"
A cold, chilling voice suddenly came from behind Steward Hong.
"Who?!"
Startled, Steward Hong turned and punched at the same time!
He hit no one. All he saw was a cloud of silvery-gray powder rushing toward his face.
Caught off guard, Steward Hong took a large amount of the powder in his eyes, mouth, and nose. An intense burning sensation instantly seized his eyes, and he screamed in pain.
"Lime?! You despicable little-"
Steward Hong was about to curse further, but before he could finish, a pair of heavy fists struck his chest. Like two sharp bull horns, they nearly pierced through his chest. He spat blood and toppled backward onto the ground, his expression horrified.
"You, you're Wei..."
Before he could utter the final word, "Sheng," his head lolled, and he died on the spot!
"Wei Sheng, you dare kill someone in the street? You're breaking the law!"
Beside him, Sun Dayou struggled to keep open his eyes, which were burned red by the lime and even streaming with tears, as he shouted and backed away.
Wei Sheng was so angry he laughed.
Forcing someone into slavery in broad daylight wasn't breaking the law?
And you have the nerve to say I'm breaking the law?
That was precisely why.
When Steward Hong had threatened to take him before the authorities earlier, he had said nothing. He truly had not wanted to waste another word. All he wanted was to beat these two scumbags to death!
He had followed them all the way here and finally found his chance!
Crack!
Wei Sheng stamped on Sun Dayou's left leg, breaking it. Then, amid his pleas for mercy, he broke his right leg and right arm as well.
Finally, under his despairing, terrified gaze, he twisted his neck and broke it.
Who knew how many slave transactions this man had helped the Hong family carry out?
How many of those had involved forced sales? How many families had been torn apart because of them?!
The Hong family was hateful, but lackeys like Sun Dayou were even more loathsome and deserved to die!
And so.
Wei Sheng showed not the slightest mercy as he killed them.
After finishing both men off completely, Wei Sheng searched their bodies and found a dozen or so taels of silver, then hurried away!
Before you continue