Seeing Zhang Meng Again, the Blood Wolf Gang

Young Master Tang left, his retreating figure dejected.

Watching Young Master Tang leave, Lin Fan silently made up his mind.

"Green Snake Bandits, we'll settle our grudge soon." His icy words melted into the wind.

Lin Fan returned to the training room to continue practicing the Bone Forging Art, and his progress began to rise.

Bone Forging Art (beginner 10/2000)...20...50...100...

Compared with his previous techniques, progress in the Bone Forging Art was slow. He trained until evening, yet his progress only reached 120.

Partly, this was because he was not familiar enough with it, but the main reason was that performing a complete round of the Bone Forging Art itself took a great deal of time. After performing one form, he had to wait until his muscles stopped trembling and tempering his bones before he could perform the second.

In the dining hall, Lin Fan sat with Yang Kuan.

"Lin Fan, I heard Zhang Yu has gone missing," Yang Kuan said quietly, leaning closer.

Something stirred in Lin Fan's heart, but his expression betrayed nothing. "Isn't it normal not to see someone for half a day or a day?" he asked in puzzlement.

"That's different. Zhang Yu serves as the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother. If he leaves the martial arts hall for more than a morning, he has to notify the third steward. Now he hasn't said a word, and he's nowhere to be found. We can pretty much be certain something happened," Yang Kuan explained.

Lin Fan smiled. "That's good news, then. That bastard gave me plenty of trouble."

"Zhang Yu certainly is a bastard, but his disappearing without a trace like this could very well be the Green Snake Bandits taking revenge on our Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall. We need to be more careful too." Yang Kuan's expression grew grave and murderous.

During their last mission, he had nearly died at the hands of the Green Snake Bandits. He would never forget that grudge.

Lin Fan drank his medicinal meal and gently set the bowl on the table with a soft clink. "Senior Brother Yang, there's something I don't understand. There's no way the Law Enforcement Court doesn't know Zhang Yu has been skimming the outer courtyard disciples' medicinal meals. Why have they let him carry on unchecked?"

"Ah..."

Yang Kuan sighed, then gave a bitter smile. "It's not that they don't want to intervene. They can't."

Lin Fan's brows drew together slightly. "Master places so much importance on rules. Even he can't intervene as the head steward?"

Yang Kuan looked even more melancholy. "Even Master can't do anything. It's not convenient for me to explain. You'll understand someday. Stay out of the outer courtyard's affairs. This isn't something we can concern ourselves with. Interfere, and we'll draw the flames onto ourselves. Even Master won't be able to save us." By the end, Lin Fan's expression had grown serious.

Lin Fan had not expected Zhang Yu's skimming of the medicinal meals to have such deep implications that even Yue Shan, the head steward, could not intervene.

Yue Shan was the fourth-highest authority in the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall, with only the hall master and deputy hall masters above him. Even if a deputy hall master was involved, Yue Shan should not have been afraid to intervene, since his strength was no less than that of either deputy hall master.

And this could not involve the hall master. The martial arts hall belonged to him. Wouldn't it be ridiculous for him to skim his own disciples' medicinal meals and sell them for profit?

Lin Fan was utterly baffled. He simply could not understand why Yue Shan could do nothing about this.

He shook his head. If he could not figure it out, he would stop thinking about it. Once his strength reached the right level, everything would naturally come to light. Just because his master could not intervene did not mean he could not.

He was determined to intervene. The hatred for someone who obstructed his path was irreconcilable. No matter who stood behind Zhang Yu, he would twist their neck off.

After finishing his meal, Lin Fan left the martial arts hall again. This time, the guard disciple who had been shocked pale the previous night turned deathly white upon seeing him, wishing he could tuck his head into his neck and not daring to meet Lin Fan's eyes.

Zhang Yu had gone out to deal with Lin Fan last night, but Lin Fan had returned while Zhang Yu had disappeared. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.

In his eyes, Lin Fan had become a devil who devoured people without even spitting out their bones.

Lin Fan had come out to find Zhang Meng. Now that he had become an inner courtyard disciple of the martial arts hall, he could be considered to have "made a name for himself." It was time to show off a little to his brother.

Most importantly, he wanted Zhang Meng to stop worrying that, as a Human Stake, he might someday have his limbs broken or even be beaten to death.

He headed east all the way to the main street in the eastern outskirts, where Zhang Meng's family ran a noodle shop.

Lin Fan unconsciously quickened his pace. Zhang Meng had been his close brother since childhood, and after more than ten days apart, he missed him dearly.

But as he approached Zhang Meng's family noodle shop, the sight that greeted him set his anger ablaze and his killing intent boiling.

"Brother, didn't we just pay the monthly fee yesterday? Why do we have to pay again today?" Zhang Meng shouted at two thugs holding cleavers, struggling to contain his anger.

"Fuck your mother!" One thug kicked Zhang Meng to the ground. "I'll collect whenever I fucking want! Keep running your mouth, and I'll cleave you in two!"

"Cut off one of his hands first to teach him a lesson!" The other thug raised his cleaver and hacked at Zhang Meng's right hand.

As the cleaver drew closer and closer to his hand, Zhang Meng turned deathly pale. He wanted to dodge, but he could not.

At the critical moment, a foot slammed into the back of the thug swinging the cleaver, sending him flying and saving Zhang Meng.

A familiar face entered Zhang Meng's vision, filling him with delighted surprise. "Lin Fan!"

Just then, the other thug swung his cleaver at Lin Fan's neck.

"Brat, you dare meddle in our Blood Wolf Gang's business? Die!" The thug's face twisted savagely.

"Watch out!" Zhang Meng cried.

Lin Fan's gaze turned cold. He lashed out with a kick that struck first despite coming later, driving straight into the thug's chest.

Crack...

The sound of ribs breaking rang out. The thug flew backward, spraying blood from his mouth. By the time he hit the ground, he was no longer breathing.

The sight stunned Zhang Meng. He could not understand how his brother had become so fierce after just ten-odd days apart.

Lin Fan pulled him to his feet, his face filled with lingering fear. "Good thing I came back in time."

"Lin Fan, how did you...?" Zhang Meng had a hundred questions, but he did not know where to begin.

"I'll tell you in a bit. Let me deal with that small fry first." Lin Fan patted Zhang Meng's shoulder and turned his gaze toward the thug who had tried to chop off Zhang Meng's arm.

By then, the thug had stood up, clutching his back. His eyes were filled with wariness and killing intent as he looked at Lin Fan.

"Brat, we're from the Blood Wolf Gang! Lay a hand on us, and death is your only way out!" he threatened, fierce on the outside but cowardly within.

"Heh..." Lin Fan gave a disdainful laugh and pointed at the fist emblem on the chest of his robe. "Open those dog eyes of yours and take a good look. I'm from the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall. Is the Blood Wolf Gang supposed to be so impressive?"

"What?"

The thug cried out. His pupils contracted as he stared at the fist emblem, his face stricken with horror and his legs trembling violently.

The Blood Wolf Gang was not even worth a fart before the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall, yet he had actually offended one of its disciples.

Zhang Meng, meanwhile, was overjoyed. All these days, he had been worried that something would happen to his close brother while he worked as a Human Stake at the martial arts hall. He had never expected him to become a formal disciple.

"Brother, you're fucking incredible!" Zhang Meng roared, venting his excitement and joy.

Lin Fan closed in on the thug, who threw away his cleaver and begged for mercy. "A misunderstanding! It was all a misunderstanding!"

Lin Fan picked up the cleaver and stared coldly at him. "You wanted to chop off my brother's hand. Now I'll chop off both of yours."

The blade flashed. Two arms fell to the ground, and the thug let out an utterly harrowing scream as he collapsed.