Chapter 31: The Banquet

The impact—the timing, the angle, and the force—was all exquisitely precise.

"Bang! Crack!"

Another dull thud was followed by the crisp sound of shattering bone.

The short, stocky man felt as if his wrist had collided with a heavy sledgehammer; a surge of excruciating pain instantly radiated through his entire body as his wrist bones were pulverized in an instant.

He let out a shrill, agonizing scream, clutching his wrist as he staggered backward.

"Big Brother!"

Seeing his two brothers instantly crippled, the burly man was consumed by a mixture of shock and rage. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he descended into total madness! Disregarding everything, he charged like a frenzied bull, intending to use sheer brute force to grab Chen Qing and strangle him to death.

Facing this collision of pure strength, a cold light flashed in Chen Qing's eyes. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward. At the very moment the opponent was about to close the distance, Chen Qing's body suddenly shrank, slipping beneath the burly man's outstretched arms like a startled ape.

Simultaneously, his hands formed claws and shot out like lightning. One hand clamped down on the opponent's thick right wrist joint, while the other locked onto the gap in the man's shoulder blade like an iron vise.

"Bone-splitting and tendon-dislocating? I know a thing or two about that as well!"

Chen Qing's icy voice rang in the burly man's ear.

In the next instant, Chen Qing unified his waist and stance, unleashing his full strength in a sudden burst.

The hand gripping the wrist twisted violently outward, while the hand locking the shoulder pressed downward. At the same time, his right knee struck the opponent's lower spine like a battering ram.

"Argh!"

The burly man let out a scream that sounded less than human! He felt his right arm instantly lose all sensation, a tearing pain erupting from his shoulder joint, while his lower back felt as if it had been pierced by an iron spike, leaving his entire lower body paralyzed.

*Thud—!*

The massive frame collapsed forward like a stray dog whose spine had been ripped out, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The burly man's right arm was twisted at a grotesque angle; clearly, his shoulder joint had been forcibly dislocated or his tendons torn, and his spine had suffered a heavy blow.

The entire sequence unfolded with the swiftness of a leaping hawk, taking no more than a dozen breaths.

The three men, who just moments ago had been aggressive and perfectly coordinated, now had two fallen.

The tall, thin man rolled on the ground wailing, clutching a broken leg, while the burly man lay limp like a dead dog.

Only the short, stocky man remained, clutching his deformed wrist, his face as pale as paper, staring at Chen Qing in absolute terror.

The night wind blew, swirling the dust and the scent of blood.

At this moment, Chen Qing's spirit was in a state of strange euphoria.

After his second breakthrough, his internal strength had undergone a qualitative change, and consequently, his overall strength had transformed as well.

"An expert of Hidden Strength!"

The short, stocky man recognized the signature of *Anjin* (Hidden Strength) in the energy radiating from his brothers.

Looking into Chen Qing's eyes, he felt as if he were being watched by a predator; a chill raced from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

"Spare... spare my life!"

The short, stocky man fell to his knees with a thud. Ignoring the agonizing pain in his wrist, he kowtowed repeatedly. "Great Lord, spare me! We were blind and failed to recognize your greatness. We offended you! I beg you to show mercy and leave me a path to live! All our money is yours!"

As he pleaded, he used his functional left hand to fumble through his robes.

"If you die, the money is mine regardless."

Chen Qing looked at him expressionlessly, his gaze cold and devoid of any emotion.

The short, stocky man's body stiffened, and the last flicker of hope in his eyes died out, replaced by total desperation.

He knew Chen Qing would never let him go.

"Then go to hell!"

The short, stocky man suddenly snapped his head up. What he pulled from his robes with his left hand was not silver, but a small, poisoned sleeve arrow!

*Twang! Whoosh!*

A poison arrow, shimmering with a faint blue light, shot toward Chen Qing's chest like a venomous snake at such close range!

This vicious strike was almost impossible to evade!

However, Chen Qing had been on high alert. He lunged forward, landing directly in front of the man, and gripped his wrist with immense force.

"Ah!" The short, stocky man's wrist was seized again, the pain piercing his heart.

Chen Qing did not hesitate for a second! The hand gripping the wrist twisted with violent force.

*Crack!*

The crisp sound of breaking bone rang out again! The man's left wrist was completely destroyed.

Chen Qing threw a punch. The wind from the strike howled with a tragic momentum, slamming heavily into the man's undefended chest!

*BOOM!!!*

A heavy, drum-like explosion erupted in the silent night sky.

The short, stocky man was struck as if by a charging bull, sent flying backward off the ground. He sprayed blood from his mouth, mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

His chest collapsed at a visible rate, and the force of the punch even tore a hole through the clothing on his back.

He slammed heavily onto the ground several yards away. After a few violent convulsions, his body went completely still, leaving only his wide-open eyes reflecting the terror and disbelief of his final moments.

One punch, one kill.

Chen Qing walked to the side of the tall, thin man, raised his foot, and stomped hard against his throat!

*Crack!*

With a soft sound, the man's throat bones shattered; his body jerked once before going limp.

He then moved to the burly man. The man seemed to still be struggling, but with his lower body completely paralyzed, he could only twitch futilely.

Chen Qing delivered a similar stomp, ending his life.

Then, he targeted the vital points of the three corpses, delivering final, merciless blows.

His fingertips struck like iron spikes into temples and cervical vertebrae; his toes exploded with inch-power, kicking into solar plexuses and groins.

Every strike was infused with full strength to ensure that all life was extinguished, preventing any possibility of an "accidental awakening."

Afterward, he quickly looted their money pouches. Once he had checked thoroughly to ensure nothing was left behind, he swiftly cleaned the scene of any traces before dragging the bodies to a tributary of the South River.

To prevent the bodies from floating up and being discovered, Chen Qing moved heavy, angular stones from the bank and used strips of cloth torn from the corpses to bind them tightly around their waists and ankles.

*Plop! Plop! Plop!*

The bodies sank instantly, the swirling water swallowing them without leaving a trace.

Only after completing all this did Chen Qing head back home.

When Lady Han saw Chen Qing pushing the door open, her hanging heart finally settled. "A-Qing, why are you back so late tonight? You had your mother worried sick."

Her voice carried a hint of lingering fear.

Chen Qing replied with a flat, perfunctory tone, "Master had some matters to discuss, which delayed me. I'm sorry for worrying you, Mother."

"That's good, that's good."

Lady Han let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing. "The food was made long ago and kept warm on the stove. Eat while it's hot."

As she spoke, she carefully put away the few sticks of incense offered on a simple wooden board.

"The River God Festival is in a few days."

Lady Han's voice lowered. "Even though your father is gone, the two of us still rely on this boat for our living. We cannot neglect the incense offerings that must be made."

Chen Qing nodded silently.

The River God Festival was the largest sacrificial event in Gaolin County and the most bustling annual celebration.

After a quick meal, the exhausted Lady Han retired early.

Only Chen Qing remained in the cabin, the dim, flickering light of the oil lamp swaying.

He then pulled the night's earnings from his robes and laid them out before him.

There were twenty taels of loose silver in total, along with four Blood-Qi Pills.

It was worth noting that Chen Qing's position at the River Bureau only paid two or three taels a month; killing three men tonight had yielded over twenty taels, equivalent to more than a year's salary.

"These three brothers were specialized ambushers. It seems they were targeting me because I was alone."

Chen Qing's eyes were cold as he instantly deduced the cause.

He looked down at his unremarkable old clothes; in the dim night, he indeed looked like an easy target.

"Next time..."

A very clear thought took hold of his mind. "I absolutely cannot travel by night again."

He had run into three highly coordinated, ruthless desperadoes tonight. What if next time he encountered something even more cunning, more ferocious, or even supernatural beings possessing strange arts?

***

The next morning.

Chen Qing arrived at the Zhou Courtyard as usual, as if nothing had happened the night before.

The other disciples arrived one after another, busily setting up their training equipment.

"Have you heard? Senior Brother Qin has been invited by the Commandant!" one disciple whispered, unable to hide his excitement.

"Really? To the Commandant's banquet?" The person beside him immediately leaned in, face full of disbelief.

"It's absolutely true! At the Linjiang Restaurant! They say the guests include the top young talents of Gaolin County—Zhang Chen, the eldest disciple of Tianju Martial Arts Hall; Ding Yiyang of Hongyun Martial Arts Hall... every single one of them is a big name!" The well-informed disciple spoke animatedly, as if he had been there himself.

Upon hearing that Qin Lie was attending the Commandant's victory banquet, the disciples in the courtyard lost all interest in practicing, erupting into various discussions.

"My god... Senior Brother Qin actually managed to climb into the Commandant's inner circle?" Song Yufeng's mouth hung open in shock, his eyes filled with amazement and envy.

In Gaolin County, the Commandant's Manor was the ultimate authority over everyone.

Even the five great local clans and the two major gangs could only bow their heads to it.

Chen Qing said indifferently, "Don't envy others. Focus on your fist training."

In his view, this was not necessarily a good thing.

The Commandant's Manor was a massive tree, lush and providing shade to the entire region; clinging to it could bring temporary glory.

However, the higher the tree, the stronger the wind it attracts.

Pang Qinghai held immense power and was the "heaven" of Gaolin County, but he was also the target of countless hidden arrows and spears.

The tighter one clung to such power, the easier it was to be swept into a storm that ordinary people could not imagine.

Song Yufeng quickly composed himself, suppressing his restlessness, and followed behind Chen Qing to practice his stance training.

In the evening, Qin Lie returned, smelling of wine, with an unmistakable air of pride and excitement.

However, he had not been in the courtyard for long before being summoned to the backyard by Zhou Liang.

(End of Chapter)