Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Is This Still Human?

"Hm? What’s that?!"

Zhang Fuyun started, getting up with his senior sister, Huo Qiao’Er. The two of them peered out the window in unison.

Just then, they heard someone shouting outside:

"Someone’s challenging the hall! Everyone, come quick!"

’A challenge?!’

Hearing the shout, the two of them—senior sister and junior brother—sensed trouble and decided to go see what was happening.

"It must be the Three Rivers Gang!"

Huo Qiao’Er tightened the sash around her waist and said angrily.

Wang Xi suddenly stopped them.

"Qiao’Er, Fuyun, help me outside."

"Senior Brother?"

Huo Qiao’Er paused, then said worriedly:

"Father said you’re not supposed to get out of bed. Your injuries will get worse..."

But Wang Xi threw off the covers and got out of bed as if nothing was wrong. Under their stunned gazes, he put on a serious expression and said in a deep voice:

"Actually, I realized this morning that my body feels much better, though I’m not sure why... Don’t worry, Junior Sister, I’ll be fine."

"This...?"

Huo Qiao’Er was filled with shock and doubt. First, she sized him up, then she began prodding and pinching her senior brother’s body. But she quickly realized her actions were a bit improper and rude, and she apologized with a blush, whispering:

"How did you... how did your body get so much better overnight, Senior Brother? Could you have really opened your Ren and Du Meridians... But I’ve never heard of that happening!"

"Senior Brother, I’ll help you."

Zhang Fuyun didn’t overthink it. He simply supported Wang Xi and started walking outside.

Huo Qiao’Er could only bury her doubts and step forward to help. She kept glancing at her senior brother’s profile, feeling that something about him had changed, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

The senior sister and junior brother helped Wang Xi through the courtyard and out the wooden door.

A few steps brought them into the main hall of the martial arts hall.

There, two groups of people were facing off, with four or five disciples from the hall lying on the floor.

On one side was Master Huo Mingchuan, his face ashen, along with Senior Brother Yu Ruiyang and seven or eight ordinary disciples in gray training clothes.

Opposite them was a menacing crowd of about twenty young men. Some wore short jackets or cross-collared shirts, others sleeveless vests or tank tops. They carried clubs and blades, looking fierce and aggressive.

Two men were leading them.

One was a short, skinny man who looked like a monkey. His skin was dark, his face was bruised, and his arm was wrapped in gauze. Yet, he wore a mocking, triumphant expression.

Beside him stood a tall, burly man in a black military uniform, complete with a white beret with black trim. A fat eel was embroidered on his chest.

Behind him were two deputies in the same military uniform, with box-magazine pistols holstered on their leather belts.

Wang Xi instantly understood the situation.

Just as he’d overheard his master telling his wife last night, Liu Mengzi of the Three Rivers Gang had come looking for trouble.

"What exactly do you want?"

Huo Mingchuan demanded in a low voice.

Liu Mengzi gave a sinister smile, his mouth twisting to reveal a set of yellowed teeth before he spat on the clean floor.

"Master Huo, don’t play dumb. Yesterday, your daughter stole something from me, and I caught her in the act. But your disciple, relying on his martial arts, beat me up without even asking what was going on."

He pointed to his face, then lifted his hand, which was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, his expression savage.

"Heh heh, I, Liu Hou’Er, may not be a big shot, but a man has to have some face in this world... Now where am I supposed to show my face?"

As he spoke, he beckoned to the men behind him.

Two men in short jackets came forward, struggling to carry a signboard. On it, four large characters reading "Huo Family Martial Arts Hall" were written in vigorous, powerful strokes of red ink.

This very signboard had been handwritten by Huo Mingchuan’s grandfather and was considered a family heirloom.

Seeing Liu Mengzi’s intentions, Master Huo’s expression changed instantly. As the senior-most brother, Yu Ruiyang had already made his move.

CRACK!

With a flicker of his body, he shot forward.

"Put that signboard down!"

Yu Ruiyang roared, his eyes wide with fury.

At the same time, he reached out to grab the signboard.

But someone was faster than him—one of the deputies behind the man in the military uniform.

CRACKLE!

BANG!

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged three blows, but Yu Ruiyang staggered back several steps, clutching his chest.

"You?!"

He looked up, his face twisted in pain.

The man’s punch had left his chest feeling tight, and the residual force tore at his internal organs. His breathing became erratic, his face turned white as a sheet, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

"Master Huo, is this how you teach your disciples?"

the man in the military uniform said coldly.

"To attack at the slightest disagreement?"

From the back of the crowd, Wang Xi silently observed the man.

[Black Eel Army Detachment Commander · Mao Xinrong (Hostile/One Star/Elite)]

But the two deputies behind him both had the tag [Five Lakes Wanderer·Gray Swallow], with the strength of a Whiteboard Three Stars.

These two were clearly not part of the local warlord’s forces, but rather skilled martial artists from the outside, hired to pose as soldiers.

Wang Xi took the opportunity to glance at Master Huo.

[Huo Mingchuan (Friendly/Three Stars/Elite)]

’The martial arts hall is probably going to suffer a huge loss in this conflict.’

"Bullying the weak with your strength, breaking the law with martial arts."

Detachment Commander Mao Xinrong scanned the room with his hands behind his back, sneering.

"You people truly have no respect for Mr. Han or the Black Eel Army!"

The Mr. Han he mentioned was the second-in-command of the Chen Country’s government and the commander of the Black Eel Army.

The de facto emperor of the current Provincial City, Fengdeng City.

"Captain Mao, this is all a misunderstanding,"

Huo Mingchuan said in a low voice.

The man in uniform took a few steps forward, leaned in close to Master Huo, and whispered in his ear:

"Master Huo, you’ve been in this little corner of Qingwei Town for many years. I’d rather not argue with you. Why don’t you reconsider Patriarch Tian’s kind offer?"

"..."

Huo Mingchuan clenched his fists and fell silent.

The man in uniform said no more and turned to walk back. At that moment, Liu Mengzi spoke up with a cheeky grin:

"Master Huo, have your disciple and daughter come out, kowtow to me a few times, and pay a hundred silver coins in compensation. Then we can call this matter settled."

"Otherwise, you can forget about keeping this hall open. Believe it or not, I’ll smash your sign to pieces today!"

"You dare!"

Yu Ruiyang shouted fiercely.

Liu Mengzi’s face darkened, and he started cursing.

Beside them, Captain Mao sighed and gave a hand signal. His deputy immediately drew the box-magazine pistol from his waist and aimed it at Yu Ruiyang’s leg.

"What era are we in? Still practicing martial arts."

Captain Mao scoffed.

Just as everyone’s hearts leaped into their throats, they heard a few sharp whistles cutting through the air. The next moment, the deputy grunted, and the pistol fell from his hand to the ground.

CLACK!

Two glass marbles, the kind children play with, clattered and bounced across the floor.

"Who the fuck did that?!"

Captain Mao roared, his fury uncontrollable.

The hall fell deathly silent.

Outside, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, pointing and murmuring about the scene inside.

Wang Xi glanced nearby. A slender figure in a gray training uniform stood silently, their pale profile completely expressionless.

It was the hidden weapon thrown by his senior sister, Huo Silin.

Just then, Captain Mao drew his own sidearm and aimed it toward the back door of the hall.

Everyone looked over and saw Huo Qiao’Er, Zhang Fuyun, and Wang Xi standing by the door.

"It was you, you brat!"

Liu Mengzi shrieked.

"Get the hell over here and kowtow to me!"

"Qiao’Er! Fuyun!"

The master’s wife hurried over from the side, whispering urgently:

"What are you doing here? Hurry and help Xizhi back! Quickly!!"

"Are you deaf?! Huh?!"

Liu Mengzi’s face twisted in a snarl as he roared.

"Get over here, you hear me!!"

"..."

Wang Xi silently removed Huo Qiao’Er’s and Zhang Fuyun’s supporting hands. Amidst their gasps of surprise, he strode forward.

As he passed his master, he felt a hand grip his arm tightly.

"This doesn’t concern you. Go back."

Huo Mingchuan said grimly, his expression serious.

Wang Xi keenly noticed a flash of resignation in the man’s eyes, as if he had just made some momentous decision.

"Master, since this trouble is because of me, let me be the one to solve it."

he said with perfect composure.

Huo Mingchuan frowned. He was about to scold him, but his expression suddenly froze. He realized that the hand he had clamped on his disciple’s arm was easily pried away.

’How could a severely injured person have this kind of strength?’

’No.’

’Even if Xizhi weren’t injured, he couldn’t possibly have such terrifying strength!’

Huo Mingchuan stood there, stunned.

"Heh, you dog-faced bastard. You were pretty impressive when you kicked me yesterday... What a pity I didn’t beat you to death then! Still have the strength to throw marbles, do you?"

Liu Mengzi glared at the approaching young man, his thin face flushed red. He bared his yellow teeth and roared, spittle flying from his mouth:

"Kneel for me—"

BOOM!!

There was a thunderous crack.

Before Liu Mengzi could finish his sentence, his entire face deformed and twisted. His head snapped to the side, his neck bending at a nearly ninety-degree angle.

His whole body was lifted off the ground before crashing down.

He collapsed into a boneless, limp heap, his head lolling with wide-open eyes. Blood gurgled from his mouth and nose. He was already dead.

A single hook punch had caved in Liu Mengzi’s head like a rubber ball. He couldn’t be any deader.

"?!"

The entire hall erupted in an uproar.

Outside, the crowd exploded into a frenzy of shocked cries.

"Murder! He killed someone!!"

Someone shouted.

No one present had seen clearly when the young man had struck...

SHING!

The faces of the Three Rivers Gang members changed drastically. They grabbed their weapons and surrounded the young man.

Captain Mao’s expression was extremely ugly.

"Good, good, good!" He laughed in fury. "You dare kill someone right in front of me? Excellent!"

With that, he raised his pistol and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Muzzle flash flared.

Everyone was stunned.

TING!

Huo Qiao’Er, Zhang Fuyun, Yu Ruiyang, and all the other disciples stared intently at the young man’s back. He had raised one hand, and held between his index and middle fingers was a mangled, gleaming yellow bullet.

"Whaaa—!!"

A few steps away, Mao Xinrong let out a strange cry, as if he had seen a ghost. He stumbled backward, trembling, and was only kept from falling by a few men who quickly supported him.

Even the two martial arts experts behind him, disguised as his deputies, wore looks of utter horror.

’Catching a bullet with his bare hands?’

’Is he even human?!’

Wang Xi held the bullet, the sides of his fingers faintly white—it was a thin layer of Ice Crystal.

His expression was calm as he flicked his finger.

PFFT!

The bullet whizzed through the air and pierced straight through Mao Xinrong’s palm, causing the pistol to clatter to the ground.

"Aaargh! Get him!"

The captain clutched his hand, letting out a pig-like squeal.

The members of the Three Rivers Gang didn’t dare to advance, but the two deputies exchanged a look and darted forward simultaneously.

Wang Xi took a step forward, his body moving like a swimming dragon. He spread his arms, one pulling left, the other pressing right. His movements seemed slow but were actually fast, leaving behind afterimages.

BANG! BANG!

The two "Gray Swallows" were sent flying back just as quickly as they had charged in.

They spat up blood as they crashed to the ground, curling into balls, clearly having suffered severe internal injuries.

The hall fell deathly silent once more.

Even Mao Xinrong seemed as if his throat had been squeezed shut, not daring to make the slightest sound.

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