The four were supporting one another as they walked back when their footsteps stopped in unison, their gazes instinctively turning toward the place where they had just eaten pot-braised beef.
People crowded around it in ring upon ring, shouting and clamoring. A disturbance had clearly broken out.
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, his heart instantly giving a lurch.
He first shot Xie Xie a look, signaling for him to go ahead and check the situation. Then he glanced down at the soul guidance communicator on his wrist, looked back up toward the center of the chaos, gritted his teeth, and pushed off, instantly following.
What did he have to fear?
It was only a two-ring Grand Soul Master. He could hardly stir up any great waves.
As for whatever older brother that fellow might mention, wasn't he just a Soul Emperor?
If trouble really arose, either Teacher Wu or Brother Long could step in and settle it for him in minutes!
Besides, a heart filled with heroic ambition and fire burning in one's eyes-that was how a youth ought to be.
What kind of youth cowered in fear?
Besides, if Chu Zihang were here, he might already have charged in with his blade drawn, right?
He couldn't disgrace his brother.
When Lu Chen pushed through the crowd and rushed inside, the sight before him instantly made his eyes redden.
The perfectly good pot-braised beef shop had been reduced to a wreck.
The stove by the entrance had been completely overturned, and the clay pots lay smashed to pieces. Rich beef broth mingled with broken pottery across the ground, and amid the steaming fragrance of meat lingered a faint trace of blood.
Uncle Li lay at the shop entrance, a shocking smear of blood at the corner of his mouth. One eye was swollen like a walnut, and a clear handprint marked his face. His breathing was faint; he looked to be in very bad shape.
A tall, burly man stood before Uncle Li with his arms folded, his face full of arrogance.
His voice was as cold as ice, thick with menace. "Listen, Li. A wise man knows which way the wind blows! What shop on this street dares not pay protection money? What makes you so special?"
That voice belonged to Guang Long!
Lu Chen's lungs nearly burst with rage.
He was an orphan in this life, and in his previous life, he had received the best education. All of that made this sort of bullying of the weak and tyrannical behavior something he could not bear to see.
Besides, Uncle Li's pot-braised beef was so delicious, and he had been so welcoming to him. How could he let someone bully him like this?
"Hmph-"
An icy snort escaped Lu Chen's mouth. He did not even release his Martial Soul, merely lighting up his eyes in an instant.
His reddish-gold Golden Eyes shone with an uncanny light in the night, filled with undisguised fury.
The oppressive might originating from Nidhogg's bloodline spread instantly like an invisible, towering wave.
Even the surrounding air seemed to freeze at that moment.
"Kshana!"
Lu Chen silently uttered the word in his mind. His figure flickered like a phantom, instantly appearing in front of Uncle Li and shielding him securely behind him.
His movements were as fast as lightning. Even Guang Long failed to react.
Guang Long froze for a moment, then saw that Lu Chen was merely a half-grown child. He immediately sneered, his tone growing even more arrogant:
"Where did this little brat come from? You dare meddle in my business? A newborn calf really doesn't fear the tiger! Get the hell out of here, or I'll beat you too!"
Lu Chen did not spare him so much as a glance. First, he carefully helped Uncle Li up, then took a bottle of healing medicine from his Storage Soul Guidance Device and handed it to him.
Only then did he slowly turn around, fixing Guang Long with an icy stare.
With a turn of his wrist, he put away the soul guidance communicator that identified him as a military inspector.
He couldn't show that thing.
Once he did, if the other party recognized his identity, he would have trouble giving this fellow a beating openly.
Today, he absolutely had to teach this arrogant fellow a proper lesson!
Seeing Lu Chen completely ignore him, Guang Long instantly flew into a rage. He immediately released his Martial Soul, the Iron Armored Dragon!
With a furious roar, Guang Long's body instantly swelled, a thick layer of black scales covering him. His arms grew thick and powerful, studded with sharp bone spurs.
Two Soul Rings, one white and one yellow, slowly rose beneath his feet, radiating strong fluctuations of Soul Power.
A two-ring Grand Soul Master!
Guang Long roared and pushed off, charging fiercely at Lu Chen like a cannonball fired from its barrel.
His right fist clenched, covered in thick scales, and smashed viciously toward Lu Chen's head with a howling rush of wind.
The punch carried tremendous force. If it landed solidly, it could probably smash even stone to pieces.
Lu Chen's gaze turned cold. Rather than retreat, he advanced.
He threw a punch as well, without any flashy moves-only a collision of pure strength.
"Bang!"
With a tremendous crash, their fists collided.
Guang Long felt a terrifying force surge from Lu Chen's fist, as though it could topple mountains and overturn seas.
His arm instantly went numb. As though struck by a speeding carriage, he staggered back seven or eight steps before barely managing to steady himself.
Disbelief covered his face.
How could this little brat possess such tremendous strength?
Yet Lu Chen remained where he stood, not budging an inch.
Not only had Guang Long's punch failed to hurt him in the slightest, it had instead completely awakened the Nidhogg bloodline within him!
An even denser black mist slowly spread from Lu Chen's body.
The oppressive might originating from the ancient black dragon grew even more terrifying, instantly filling Guang Long with fear from the depths of his soul.
Lu Chen slowly raised his head, icy killing intent flashing in his reddish-gold Golden Eyes.
His voice slowly rang out, carrying an ancient and majestic cadence:
"Thou shalt pay for thy transgression with pain."
"Thou shalt pay for thy arrogance with thine eyes."
The instant his words fell, Lu Chen's figure flickered again, appearing before Guang Long like a phantom.
Scared out of his wits, Guang Long hastily raised his arms to block.
But in Lu Chen's eyes, his movements were far too slow.
Lu Chen lashed out with a kick, driving it viciously into Guang Long's stomach.
"Bang!"
Guang Long instantly doubled over like a shrimp, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Before he could react, Lu Chen's fists rained down on his body.
Every punch carried terrifying strength, splitting his skin and flesh and sending scales flying.
Guang Long let out one piercing scream after another, without even a chance to fight back.
Before Lu Chen, his Iron Armored Dragon Martial Soul was like something made of paper, unable to withstand a single blow.
The surrounding onlookers were all dumbstruck.
Wasn't this youth far too ferocious?
He was actually beating a two-ring Grand Soul Master so badly that he couldn't fight back at all?
Xie Xie, Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin also squeezed through. Seeing the scene before them, their faces filled with shock as well.
Xie Xie in particular shouted excitedly, "Brother Lu, you're fucking awesome! Beat him! Beat him hard!"
Gu Yue, meanwhile, pondered the meaning of those words just spoken.