Free Web NovelChapter 131: Chapter 130: I Went to Kill Ding Zhao’an
"BAM!!!"
The muffled thud sounded like a drumbeat on cured hide.
Before the square-faced man could fully extend his fists, a thick, powerful arm had already buried itself in his chest.
His entire upper body bent back at an exaggerated angle, his feet lifting several inches off the ground. Then, with a BOOM, he was slammed hard into the wall behind him.
Dust trickled down. A web of cracks instantly radiated out from him, fracturing the beautifully decorated wall.
The square-faced man’s eyes bulged. A sickening CRACK came from his jaw as he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with what must have been pieces of his internal organs. His face, which had turned a deep, purplish-red, quickly turned ashen. In an instant, he went silent, his limbs hanging limply.
Fu Juemin slowly retracted his fist. The dark veins in the center of his chest faded away, and the exaggerated muscles brought on by his use of Soft Bone gradually receded, returning him to his normal build.
His eyes glimmered, a look of savoring the moment on his face.
Before he had achieved Dragon Elephant Wisdom, he could fight back Kitty, who was in the Middle Stage of Tongxuan, by going all out. Now that his Dragon Elephant was in its early stage, killing a mere Early Stage Tongxuan Martial Artist in three punches was, of course, effortless.
What satisfied Fu Juemin was how perfectly the power generation techniques of Soft Bone complemented Dragon Elephant Wisdom. When pushed to its limit, it could even produce a hint of the Sea Covering Seal’s essence.
’My Snake Phase Poison Seed, when fused with my own Vitality, can almost completely ignore a Tongxuan Martial Artist’s Protective Qi Membrane. Combined with Soft Bone and the Dragon Elephant Force, can my current strength sweep through most of the Tongxuan Realm?’
As Fu Juemin considered this, he slowly turned around, his calm gaze sweeping over the people in the private room.
The room had fallen deathly silent, the only sound being the BUBBLE BUBBLE of the copper hot pot on the table.
Everyone stared at him, their eyes wide and unfocused, as if they still hadn’t processed the reality of him killing the burly, square-faced man in three punches.
Fu Juemin blinked, then slowly walked over to Ding Zhao’an, who was slumped in his chair.
Ding Zhao’an looked up at him, his gaze unfocused, his expression vacant.
The next second...
"PFFT—"
A cold glint flashed, followed by the soft sound of a blade slicing into flesh.
Fu Juemin’s hand moved like lightning. The short blade in his grasp plunged into Ding Zhao’an’s neck, passing straight through until the tip stopped with a THUNK, embedding itself in the solid rosewood chairback.
"GURGLE... GURGLE..."
Ding Zhao’an leaned back in the chair, his body convulsing violently. Thick, bloody foam gushed from his mouth and nose, and his hands flailed about like a live fish pinned to a cutting board.
Fu Juemin casually grabbed a tablecloth and draped it over the man’s face, which was twisted in pain and terror. Then, his gaze shifted to the others.
The women in cheongsams who had been serving them had long since fainted from fright. The fat man in the suit and fine bowtie was paralyzed in his chair, his face ashen. A foul stench emanated from his lower body; he had been so terrified that he’d lost control of his bladder.
The corner of Fu Juemin’s mouth lifted into a slight smile. He was just about to walk over and finish him off as well.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
"Master Ding... Master Ding? ..."
Someone called softly from the other side of the door.
Fu Juemin’s expression flickered. The terrified, paralyzed man in the suit, as if grasping at a life-saving straw, instinctively tried to run for the door, but a single, cold glance from Fu Juemin made him shrink back, trembling.
Fu Juemin grabbed a napkin from the table, wiped his hands casually, and walked slowly toward the door.
By the time he reached it, the knocking had stopped. Before the person outside could react, he yanked the door open.
"Ah..."
Standing outside was the man who had led him here earlier. He held a mahogany tray with a warmed porcelain pot and wine cups.
Seeing Fu Juemin, the man froze for a second before plastering a smile on his face. "Master Jiu, your huadiao wine is warmed and ready."
As he spoke, his eyes kept trying to peek into the room, perhaps having heard the loud commotion from before.
But Fu Juemin’s body blocked his view, preventing him from seeing what was going on inside.
Fu Juemin paid him no mind, simply picking up the white porcelain wine pot from the tray. It was pleasantly warm to the touch.
He poured a cup and drank it slowly. The wine was mellow and fragrant, with a unique flavor.
"Not bad, not bad..."
Fu Juemin patted the man’s shoulder lightly. "The temperature is just right."
"As long as Master Jiu is satisfied."
The man forced a smile. Seeing Fu Juemin looking like he was about to leave, he couldn’t help but ask, "Master Jiu, are you leaving?"
Fu Juemin nodded. "My business is finished, so of course I’m leaving."
"Then what about this pot of huadiao?"
"Leave it for them to drink."
Just as he said that, a hoarse, distorted shriek came from inside the room. "Quick, stop... stop him! He’s not..."
"CRACK—"
The wine cup Fu Juemin was toying with shattered in his hand. Without looking back, he flung the pieces behind him.
"THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!"
A few muffled thuds followed, and the screaming inside the room abruptly stopped.
Having done this, Fu Juemin smiled at the man in front of him and casually walked past.
Once Fu Juemin’s body was no longer blocking the doorway, the guide finally saw the scene inside. The forced smile on his face froze instantly—
He saw the square-faced man embedded in the wall. He saw Ding Zhao’an, covered with a tablecloth, his lower body dyed red with blood. And he saw the fat man in the suit, his face, body, and neck deeply pierced with porcelain shards, his eyes wide open in an eternal stare...
"CLATTER—"
The tray fell from his hands, splashing warm yellow wine and its fragrance all over the floor.
...
"Take care, Master Jiu!"
The door curtain fell behind him as two Qinglian Gang members guarding the entrance bowed and scraped, offering obsequious farewells.
Fu Juemin gave a casual wave of his hand and stood alone on the side of Tiantong Road as snow fell heavily around him.
Across the street, the teahouse’s steaming "tiger stove" was as bustling as ever. Beneath the wind and snow, everything was as calm and unchanged as when he had first arrived.
Fu Juemin took a deep breath of the bitingly cold air and calmly went to untie the covering of the horse-drawn carriage he had arrived in.
He vaulted onto the horse and tilted his head, listening.
He heard the lively hubbub inside Sanjiang Restaurant suddenly shattered by a piercing scream—"Master Ding is dead!"
The massive restaurant instantly fell into an eerie, dead silence.
This was immediately followed by a "ROAR—!!" as a much louder, more violent clamor and chaos erupted...
Fu Juemin smiled and dug his heel sharply into the horse’s flank.
The fine steed beneath him neighed loudly. Just as groups of Qinglian Gang members, armed with guns and weapons, began to pour out of Sanjiang Restaurant, man and horse charged against the swirling snow, plunging deep into the long street and vanishing without a trace in an instant!
He galloped all the way, winding through the streets and alleys of the old city district and heading straight for the Western Realm.
When he reached Ink Garden, seven or eight gleaming black cars were parked quietly at the entrance. Dozens of elite Qinglian Gang members stood silently in the snow, the atmosphere grim and somber.
Big Cat and Kitty were guarding Madam Ding, who was dressed in furs and about to get into a car.
The sound of hooves on snow drew everyone’s attention. When Madam Ding saw him, she was startled at first, then rushed to greet him before he could even dismount.
Fu Juemin swung down from the horse, casually tossing the reins to a nearby servant, and strode toward Madam Ding.
"Aunt Ding!"
He saw the cold, gloomy expression on Madam Ding’s face melt away like spring snow the moment she saw him.
"In this weather, you’re only wearing that?"
Madam Ding hurried over to Fu Juemin and gave him a look that was somewhere between scolding and heartbroken. She unfastened her own purple sable coat and, without another word, draped it over his shoulders.
"Where did you run off to all by yourself? I was so worried looking for you."
Fu Juemin said, "I went to Tiantong Road. Sanjiang Restaurant."
Madam Ding pulled his hands into her own warm palms, rubbing them gently and breathing on them. "What were you doing there?"
Fu Juemin let her, feeling the genuine warmth seeping from her palms into his. He suddenly smiled gently.
His tone was calm, and he answered with deliberate clarity, each word distinct:
"I wouldn’t dare hide it from you, Aunt Ding... I went and killed Ding Zhao’an."
