Free Web NovelChapter 199: Chapter 176: A Martial Artist Scorns Royalty with a Fist
As the voice faded, a figure shot forward with incredible speed, and a young man appeared before the crowd.
"Brother Wu!"
"Master Wu is back!"
"We’re saved!"
Cries of surprise and joy erupted from the crowd. Wen Yunlong, who had just been grievously wounded, was especially relieved. He shouted to Wu Liangchen.
"Brother Wu, this guy beat me so hard I coughed up blood! You have to get payback for me!"
Having spent some time with him, Wen Yunlong had developed a blind admiration for Wu Liangchen. He believed there was nothing in the world Brother Wu couldn’t accomplish.
Wu Liangchen gave him a small smile, then turned and called out to Third Brother, "Third Brother!"
Third Brother let out a long sigh of relief. Although the fight had been brief, the immense pressure had completely drained her stamina, leaving her body, still recovering from grievous wounds, utterly exhausted.
She fell back to Wu Liangchen’s side, panting as she asked, "When did you get back?"
"I just got here myself. I heard there was trouble and rushed over."
Wu Liangchen had indeed just arrived at the Huangpu Guard. But the moment he entered Flower Square, before he could even get Erya settled, he overheard people on the street saying someone was causing trouble at Jufu Pavilion, and that even Third Brother had gone to deal with it.
Wu Liangchen knew immediately that something was wrong.
If it were just an ordinary disturbance, Wen Yunlong or Yan Feng would have handled it. There was no way it should have required Third Brother’s attention.
In his haste, he spotted one of Wen Yunlong’s men on the street, rushing toward Jufu Pavilion.
He grabbed the young man and told him to take Erya and her father back to their small courtyard, while he himself galloped over without a moment’s delay.
He could hear the sounds of fighting from inside before he even reached the restaurant’s entrance.
Wu Liangchen no longer cared about causing a scene. He leaped to the second floor of a brothel across the street and fired several arrows at Tie Wuchang, defusing the crisis.
Wu Liangchen now said to Third Brother, "Get some rest. I’ll take it from here."
"Be careful. He’s a Martial Artist of the Minor Fourth Realm," Third Brother urged, her voice laced with concern.
Wu Liangchen smiled and nodded, then turned to face Tie Wuchang and spoke calmly.
"I’m the Wu Liangchen you’re looking for!"
Tie Wuchang’s expression was grim. A glint flickered in his eyes, a mixture of frenzied killing intent and a hint of wariness.
He had spent many years honing his skills in the Minor Fourth Realm and considered himself invincible among his peers, but that didn’t mean he was arrogant to the point of dismissing everyone.
Quite the opposite. Old veterans like him might appear arrogant, but they never truly underestimated anyone. Even when facing opponents of a lower realm, he would remain cautious. It was the principle of a lion using its full strength even when hunting a rabbit.
Furthermore, the archery and Qinggong Body Technique Wu Liangchen had just displayed far exceeded his expectations, filling him with a sense of apprehension.
Despite this, he felt no fear. Instead, a blazing fighting spirit ignited within him.
The competitive drive that had lain dormant during his long years of seclusion now began to boil over.
He split his face into a savage grin and sneered at Wu Liangchen.
"Excellent. A fine young hero. What a pity you’ll die by my hand today. The very thought... it’s thrilling!"
"The feeling’s mutual," Wu Liangchen retorted with a cold smirk.
"The thought of an old relic like you—who lets his lackeys run rampant and still thinks he’s infallible—dying by my fists makes me quite happy."
Tie Wuchang snorted. He stomped his feet, the immense force instantly blasting a crater in the bluestone floor. Then, he launched himself toward Wu Liangchen like a cannonball.
Mid-air, he had already gathered his full strength, his arms descending with the force of a thunderclap.
If this strike landed, it would pulverize not just a man, but even a massive boulder.
WHOOSH!
The passage of his palms whipped up a furious gale that tore through the hall.
The sheer, violent power of the attack made everyone’s face pale.
Third Brother’s expression was incredibly grim. She knew this was Tie Wuchang’s true power; before, he had merely been toying with them.
Standing by the second-floor window, Yan Rui couldn’t help but sigh at the sight. "If a Martial Artist of the Minor Fourth Realm is this formidable, I can’t even imagine the power of a Martial Arts Grandmaster."
At the same time, a flicker of regret surfaced in his heart.
Wu Liangchen had once clashed with the Xiao family, and had even killed one of their disciples whom Yan Rui had rather admired, but that was all in the past.
’Now, the age of great contention has arrived,’ he thought. ’A young genius like Wu Liangchen is exactly the kind of person worth recruiting.’
’But to see him about to die at Tie Wuchang’s hands... it’s a shame.’
But just then, something happened that no one expected.
Wu Liangchen didn’t dodge or evade. Instead, his frame seemed to instantly grow taller and more robust. He looked up.
And threw a punch to meet the attack!
THUD!
A colossal, sickening thud, heavy enough to make one feel like vomiting blood, sent a shockwave expanding outward, flipping all the nearby tables and chairs.
Those closest to the impact clutched their chests as if they’d been punched, stumbling back with looks of alarm.
Back in the center of the room, Wu Liangchen’s feet had sunk into the floor, lowering his stance by at least a foot, but his expression was unchanged. He was completely unharmed.
Tie Wuchang, on the other hand, was sent flying backward. When he landed, his arms trembled uncontrollably, and the iron-like sheen on his hands flickered erratically—a sign that his Qi and Blood had been violently disrupted, on the verge of boiling over.
He stared at Wu Liangchen in utter horror, hissing in disbelief, "The Minor Fourth Realm... you’re in the Minor Fourth Realm, too?"
His words stunned the entire room.
On the second floor, Yan Rui’s eyes flew open, filled with utter astonishment.
He had read Wu Liangchen’s file, so he knew it had only been a little over a year since the young man had started his martial arts journey.
To go from an ordinary person to a Minor Fourth Realm Martial Artist who had passed the blood-exchange threshold—all in such a short time... If Yan Rui hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.
But the proof was right before his eyes, leaving him no choice but to believe.
He then gave a wry smile.
’Even as a prince,’ he thought, ’I’ve met countless young talents, but none of them combined are as staggering as this young man.’
This realization, however, extinguished any thought Yan Rui had of recruiting him.
He knew perfectly well that someone with such talent would never be swayed by worldly fame or fortune. In Wu Liangchen’s eyes, his own so-called status as a prince was probably no more valuable than a clay pot.
Because a Martial Artist’s purpose was to use their fists to stand proud before kings and nobles.
Meanwhile, Wu Liangchen slowly pulled his legs from the crater he’d made in the floor. He dusted himself off and gave Tie Wuchang a slight smile.
"My apologies. I just broke through the blood-exchange threshold last night. So sorry I didn’t give you a heads-up."
The expression on Tie Wuchang’s face was a mixture of shock, doubt, and a hint of regret.
After all, if he had known Wu Liangchen was also a Martial Artist of the Minor Fourth Realm, he never would have come knocking so recklessly.
But the question remained: if Wu Liangchen had only just broken through, how could he be so powerful? How could he gain the upper hand in a direct confrontation?
He had spent ages tempering his skills in the Minor Fourth Realm, believing he had refined them to their absolute peak. It was why he had dared to call himself invincible among his peers. And now, the moment he emerged from seclusion, he was proven wrong.
Just then, Wu Liangchen raised a hand, slowly curling his fingers into a fist. He spoke calmly.
"You gave me two palm strikes. It’s only polite to return the favor. Now... I’ll give you two punches!"
The words had barely left his lips before Wu Liangchen blurred into motion. He instantly accelerated, appearing before Tie Wuchang and unleashing a punch.
Tie Wuchang roared, held his ground, and met the fist with his open palm.
Tie Wuchang pushed his Qi and Blood to their absolute limit. The iron-gray hue of his arms spread rapidly up to his neck, and his bulging muscles tore his wide sleeves to shreds. The sight was terrifying.
In contrast, Wu Liangchen’s punch looked deceptively light and effortless.
The next instant, fist met palm. With a thunderous CRACK, Tie Wuchang was blasted backward, not stopping until he had smashed clean through a wall.
Though he fought to control himself, trickles of blood flowed from his ears. He had clearly suffered a severe internal shock.
But Wu Liangchen had no intention of letting him off that easily.
"Again!"
With a cold shout, Wu Liangchen was upon him again, his fist raised for another strike.
A flicker of fear crossed Tie Wuchang’s eyes. The last punch had roiled his Qi and Blood so violently he still felt nauseous.
But with everyone watching, his pride wouldn’t allow him to flee. After a moment’s hesitation, he grimly raised his palm to meet the attack.
THUD!
Another tremendous thud. This time, Tie Wuchang was driven into the ground up to his knees. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth, and his hands trembled violently.
The force had been so great that the capillaries in Tie Wuchang’s arms had burst. Blood dripped down, staining his arms completely red.
Two punches. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Just two punches.
And Tie Wuchang—so arrogant and seemingly invincible just moments before—was now beaten into a near-crippled state.
The entire room was dead silent.
Even his own allies, like Third Brother, were too stunned to speak.
Up on the second floor, Yan Rui’s eyes shone with a peculiar light as he watched. He murmured under his breath.
"Such a tyrannical fist technique... such immense power!"
But it still wasn’t over. Wu Liangchen raised his fist again and, under Tie Wuchang’s despairing gaze, brought it crashing down.
CRACK! SNAP!
With a sound like bamboo snapping, the hands that Tie Wuchang had taken so much pride in were shattered. His arms twisted like pretzels, the broken bones piercing through skin and muscle to reveal gruesome white shards.
The fight was simple, brutal, and utterly devoid of flashiness.
But only a true Martial Artist could understand the sheer danger involved.
The two had clashed head-on, a raw contest of fundamental strength and realm mastery.
In such a contest, there was no room for deceit.
You either had what it took, or you didn’t. No amount of skill or technique could change the outcome.
The result was obvious. Tie Wuchang had lost—and lost miserably.
