Chapter 74: Chapter 73: You Want to Compare Sizes With Me?

"Kid, you can only blame yourself for showing up at the wrong time."

"You’re standing in the way of my fortune!"

The old retainer’s grab was a guaranteed hit, and he put every last ounce of his strength into it.

Never mind the close distance—with the sheer force of this grab, he was confident that even if he just snagged a bit of flesh, he’d tear it open and leave the boy in excruciating pain.

A smile spread across his old face at the thought.

He could already picture the boy before him on his knees, crying and begging for mercy, pleading for him to let go.

CRACK!

But after the crisp sound, the old retainer froze.

He had crushed enough bones in his time to know that wasn’t the sound of grabbing flesh and skin.

Besides, his arm wasn’t even fully extended; he couldn’t have possibly reached the boy.

What baffled him even more was how the immense strength in his grasp had vanished in an instant.

’It... it was blocked?’

The old retainer’s expression was dazed as he stared at his own wrist in disbelief.

At some point, five fingers had quietly closed around it, halting his attack.

But the skin on these fingers was smooth and delicate, without a single callus. They didn’t belong to someone who trained for strength. ’How could they have possibly stopped me!’

He then gave a mocking laugh. "Quick reflexes, but what about your strength?"

"If your strength doesn’t match mine, you’re still going to suffer, kid!"

His Qi and Blood surged once more. A thousand pounds of force welled up, ready to overpower the hand on his wrist, twist it back, and snap it to teach the boy a lesson.

But no matter how madly the old retainer’s Qi and Blood surged, even as his old face flushed an unnatural crimson...

...the force in his arm vanished as if a clay ox plunging into the sea, failing to budge the figure before him in the slightest.

The two of them remained frozen in this position. An unknowing observer might have thought they were long-lost friends, shaking hands warmly, lamenting the years apart.

The old retainer’s expression was slack. ’I’ve swung a Copper Hammer my entire life, building a strength I prided myself on, and it’s no match for some little brat?’

He looked up at Wu Chen, hoping to see the boy’s face contorted in a grimace, teeth clenched, barely holding on after their contest of strength.

That, at least, would let him salvage a bit of his pride.

Besides, if the boy showed such an expression, it would mean their Qi Power was evenly matched.

He would just need one final push to break the stalemate and turn defeat into victory.

But when he looked up, his old face tightened into a scowl.

Not only was the young man’s face as placid as a still lake, but his other hand was leisurely picking up food from the table and eating at a relaxed pace.

He felt like he was putting on a sideshow, serving as mere dinner entertainment.

"Outrageous!"

The old retainer’s anger flared. He threw all thought of martial decorum to the wind and shot to his feet.

Power comes from the ground, and by standing, his strength naturally increased by thirty percent.

Moreover, the old retainer specialized in strength; his stance and legwork were exceptionally solid. For him, this bonus could easily reach fifty, even sixty percent.

"Hah!"

A low rumble emitted from his chest as his Qi Power surged again, his five fingers pressing down on Wu Chen.

But moments later, the old retainer was frozen in place again.

He discovered that no matter how he exerted himself, the figure before him remained utterly unmoved.

Even leveraging his full stance did nothing.

"You think you’re qualified to compare strength with me?"

Wu Chen knew it was time for this farce to end. He shot the Lin family’s old retainer a sidelong glance.

BOOM!

His hand, still gripping the old retainer’s wrist, didn’t seem to exert any force, but a low hum suddenly filled the air.

The old retainer’s body flew back like a rag doll and was caught by his two apprentices.

The three of them, on their six feet, stumbled backward—STOMP, STOMP, STOMP—all the way to the doorway before they finally managed to stop.

The control of force was exquisite.

Of course, this was Wu Chen holding back, not wanting to make too big of a scene.

Otherwise, the old retainer and his apprentices would have been sent crashing out the door and tumbling off the second floor; it would have been anyone’s guess if they’d survived.

The two apprentices supported their master, their eyes fixed on Wu Chen, now filled with utter horror.

It was the first time they had ever seen their master lose a contest of Qi Power.

It would be one thing if their opponent was a burly, well-built man, but this person looked even younger than them. ’What kind of monster is he!’

The old retainer’s mind was reeling as well.

One of his arms now hung limply at his side. A sharp, needle-like pain shot through the bones of his forearm before quickly giving way to a spreading numbness, rendering it devoid of feeling.

From now on, he could forget about swinging his Copper Hammer. He’d be lucky if that hand was good for anything at all.

Seeing the three of them—master and disciples—piled up at the doorway, the old retainer knew without a doubt that the boy had shown mercy.

Thinking back to his own arrogant entrance just moments ago, his old face flushed crimson with shame, and he couldn’t bring himself to say a word.

He had been defeated in his own area of expertise—Qi Power. The one who had utterly crushed him couldn’t even be bothered to pursue the matter. How could he possibly have the face to stay?

"I was blind to your greatness. My apologies for the offense."

After saying his piece and seeing that Wu Chen paid him no mind, the old retainer hastily led his apprentices away, scurrying out of the private room in disgrace.

"..."

Wu Chen didn’t give the old man another thought. Instead, he turned to Lin Gaoyuan, who was still gaping, dumbstruck by what he had just witnessed.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

He tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, signaling for Lin Gaoyuan to continue his story about the Lin family’s troubles.

"Young Master Wu, what incredible skill!"

The sharp sound jolted Lin Gaoyuan back to his senses. He immediately offered a bit of flattery, now more certain than ever that he had come to the right person.

Witnessing how effortlessly Wu Chen had neutralized the old retainer’s sudden assault...

...he suspected this Young Master Wu wasn’t just at the Jade Bone Realm, but was likely a cut above other Martial Artists of the same level!

After that brief interlude, Lin Gaoyuan began to explain his family’s situation.

"Young Master Wu, it’s about a mountain peak that belongs to the Lin family, located about six miles north of the city. There’s been some trouble there."

"Some days ago, a vicious beast began causing trouble on the mountain. Several of our most experienced Hunters ended up dead."

"I knew something was wrong, so I immediately hired several skilled hands from the martial world, including a Martial Artist at the Perfection level of the Meridian Passage Realm, to go into the mountains."

"We waited a full day, but there was no word from them. Even the expert at the Perfection level of the Meridian Passage Realm never came back."

"I knew the situation was serious, so I forbade any more of the Lin family’s Hunters or herb gatherers from entering the mountains."

"That’s why I had our merchant caravan ride with all haste to Black Stone City to purchase medicinal herbs."

"And it’s thanks to you, Young Master Wu, that they were saved. If that caravan had been lost, the Lin family would be facing a catastrophe!"

As he spoke, Lin Gaoyuan cupped his fists in a salute to Wu Chen.

Remembering the way that mountain-sized Bear had died, his admiration for the young man before him became almost worshipful.

Having heard the full story, Wu Chen nodded.

"So, you’ve invited me into the mountains to exterminate this vicious beast?"

"Yes, that’s precisely it!"

Lin Gaoyuan nodded eagerly. Fearing Wu Chen might refuse, he had another offer prepared.

"Young Master Wu, if you can successfully slay the beast in the mountains, I have another treasure to offer you as a gift!"

Wu Chen waved his hand dismissively, not showing much excitement.

From Lin Gaoyuan’s description of the forest to the north, Wu Chen already had a suspicion about what this beast might be.

"I won’t make any grand promises until I’ve seen this beast for myself. We’ll talk after the job is done."

His minor defeat at the hands of Xue Hanyan had taught him to be more prudent.

’What, was that a black mark on Emperor Wu’s record? No, it was a stepping stone on his path to greatness!’

"Then I’ll be counting on you, Young Master Wu!" Lin Gaoyuan simply took Wu Chen’s words as a sign of modesty.

After all, in his eyes, what could possibly defeat someone who could topple a Bear with a single kick?

Wu Chen didn’t waste any more words. "When do we set out for the mountains?" he asked directly.

"If you’re not busy, we can head out tomorrow."

The matter was crucial to his family’s business, so the sooner it was resolved, the better. Lin Gaoyuan was understandably anxious.

"I have more than ten of my Hunters at the Perfection level of the Flesh Refining Realm, as well as two from the Realm One Lineage of the Meridian Passage Realm, all prepared to enter the mountains with you, Young Master Wu. They are at your disposal."

"I myself will also accompany you into the mountains to help you slay this fiend!"

Wu Chen considered this for a moment, then shook his head. "Just the two of us will be enough. There’s no need to make such a big fuss."

’If I can’t handle this beast,’ Wu Chen thought, ’then those dozen or so Hunters will just be throwing their lives away.’

’All I need is someone who knows the way.’

Lin Gaoyuan didn’t hesitate or question the decision. "Understood," he agreed at once. "I’ll follow your lead, Young Master Wu."

With the matter settled, they finished their meal.

Wu Chen returned to his inn to rest.

The next day dawned faintly. Just as the first calls of the street vendors echoed from outside his window...

...Wu Chen rolled out of bed.

He cleaned his teeth with fine salt and splashed his face with cold water.

The lingering grogginess of sleep quickly vanished.

He went to the inn’s rear courtyard, led out his date-red steed, and made his way toward the city gate.

He soon spotted the figure of Lin Gaoyuan.

Only...

"Didn’t I say not to bring the Hunters? Why are there so many people?"

He frowned, peering at the figures in the morning mist. It wasn’t just Lin Gaoyuan in the distance; several other people stood beside him.

As he drew closer and recognized their faces, Wu Chen was rendered speechless.

"Young Master Wu, I had no choice,"

Lin Gaoyuan said awkwardly. "They showed up at my house last night, threatening to cause a scene and refusing to leave. They insisted on coming..."

The figures standing beside Lin Gaoyuan were, of course, Chen Xiaoqing, Qiu Tong, and Wang Lin.

After Lin Gaoyuan and Wu Chen had finalized their plans yesterday, the women, who had been hiding near the Manxiang Building, followed Lin Gaoyuan back to the Lin family estate.

Three women are enough to stage a drama, as the saying goes, and the Lin family estate had never been so lively. Their commotion nearly tore the roof off the house.

It was only then that they managed to wrench the details from Lin Gaoyuan: Wu Chen was going into the mountains with him today to slay the vicious beast.

Of course, besides the three women, one other person had tagged along.

In contrast to their three ardent gazes, this person’s eyes were filled with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and hate as he looked at Wu Chen.

The owner of this gaze was, of course, the rotund Wang Erhu, who had suffered defeat at Wu Chen’s hands on several occasions.

Although he had been partly forced to come by his older sister, the moment he heard that Chen Xiaoqing and Qiu Tong would be there...

...he had immediately declared his eagerness to help the Lin family slay the beast and lend his strength to the cause.

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