C16 To Establish Prestige

On a spacious training ground, Shi Wei, a man with a muscular build, broad shoulders, and a face framed by a mane-like beard, let out a wild roar. With a mighty heave, he hoisted a burly man weighing over a hundred kilograms into the air and, with a flick of his arms, sent him flying nearly ten meters. Around him, over twenty members of the Fate Gathering lay on the ground, writhing in agony. Despite their numbers, they hadn't lasted even half the time it takes an incense stick to burn against Shi Wei alone.

"You bunch of weaklings, what's the matter? Haven't eaten? Get up and continue!" Shi Wei bellowed like a raging lion.

His body was a network of bulging muscles and scars that crisscrossed his skin like centipedes, presenting a fearsome sight.

The group exchanged pained glances, each person's face etched with bitterness, none daring to be the first to rise.

"Master Wei, there's trouble!" A short, stocky man came running, his forehead beaded with sweat, shouting from a distance.

"What's the problem?" Shi Wei asked, his face falling at the sight of the messenger.

"Second Master, Second Master... He..." The man, intimidated by Shi Wei's stern look, trembled and stuttered out the news he had just learned.

"What?!" Shi Wei's eyes widened with fury, as large as copper bells, upon hearing that his younger brother, Shi Qing, was dead in Killing Bull Lane, in the city's southern district.

Enraged, Shi Wei grabbed a two-meter-long machete from a nearby weapons rack. Without even bothering to put on his clothes, he charged out bare-chested, followed closely by his men.

"..."

"Military officer, Shi Wei is heading to the southern part of the city!" Zhang Chao received the update shortly after. The informant, swallowing hard, warned, "He's a madman. Even after taking down Chen Xiaozhi and Zhao Qi, he might come for us next!"

"Go, tell your godfather—quickly."

Zhang Chao felt a knot of anxiety. He inhaled deeply and issued his orders with urgency.

He then commanded his twenty to thirty underlings to bolt the courtyard door, weapons at the ready, poised for confrontation.

"Damn it, Chen Xiaozhi has to die, no matter what," Zhang Chao spat out bitterly, cursing his misfortune.

As a military officer, he had led an easy life, overseeing his territory day in and day out without a care. Even when the Fate Gathering clashed with the Green Bamboo Gang, his area remained untouched. But he had never anticipated that one of his own men would cause such a disaster. Shi Wei was a formidable figure within the Fate Gathering.

"Also, get someone to keep watch over Killing Bull Lane. Any developments, I want to know immediately!"

Suddenly recalling something, Zhang Chao, who had been pacing restlessly, issued another command to one of his men.

Elsewhere, after the patrolling officers had cleared the scene, Chen Xiaozhi returned, casually seating himself on a stool at the shop's entrance, exuding an air of nonchalance. The Flower House had been sealed off, slated for closure for some time. The women and madams had vanished, clearly aware that a major incident was unfolding. These streetwise women knew all too well that among those who had perished in the establishment was someone of significant standing.

Moreover, most of the other shops on the street had shuttered their doors. Shopkeepers huddled together at a distance, casting furtive glances at the unruffled Chen Xiaozhi, murmuring amongst themselves.

"This kid is the new head of the Green Bamboo Gang? Seems awfully young, doesn't he?"

"He just offed someone from Fate Gathering and he's not running? Is he looking to get himself killed?"

"Where's he gonna run to? Fate Gathering's reach is even wider than the Green Bamboo Gang's. The guy he took down had a brother, a real tough one with a lot of blood on his hands. You notice he's all alone? No backup from the Green Bamboo Gang..."

"Poor kid, so young."

The breakfast stall owner and a few neighbors took shelter under a nearby tree, casting sympathetic glances at Chen Xiaozhi.

Chen Xiaozhi paid no mind to the covert stares, instead narrowing his eyes at the clear blue sky. It was past noon, the sun beating down fiercely, and he felt a wave of drowsiness. He couldn't resist a good stretch.

"Is this guy for real?" A Green Bamboo Gang member watching from a distance couldn't help but sneer as Chen Xiaozhi seemed more interested in napping than escaping.

"Young Master Chen."

Chen Xiaozhi opened his eyes to see who approached. "Didn't I tell you to go home and wait for me?"

Who else could it be but Zhao Qi?

"My life is in your hands, Young Master." Without another word, Zhao Qi took his place behind Chen Xiaozhi, ready to face whatever came their way together.

Chen Xiaozhi simply nodded, offering no further comment.

"Nice weather we're having today," Chen Xiaozhi remarked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Ding, ding, ding...

The sudden clashing of metal pierced the air.

Chen Xiaozhi turned toward the noise and saw a towering figure, dragging a large sword behind him, approaching with a menacing air. The blade scraped the ground, sparking as it went. His eyes were blood-red, his face twisted in madness. An unsuspecting passerby was sent flying with a punch as he hurried past.

"Come out and face me!" Shi Wei's bellow echoed down the street.

Chen Xiaozhi recognized the arrival of Shi Wei!

A warrior of the Copper Skin and Iron Bones Realm, with vitality far surpassing that of an average man.

The man had some serious skills.

"Members of the Green Bamboo Gang, show yourselves!" Shi Wei stormed up to the Flower House, followed by a group of winded Fate Gathering members.

"Yelling for your grandpa, are you? Compensating for something with that loud voice?" Chen Xiaozhi quipped, legs crossed nonchalantly.

Shi Wei had already spotted the young man outside the shop and was taken aback by his audacity to hurl insults.

"I am the Green Bamboo Gang, and yes, I killed your brother," Chen Xiaozhi declared, rising to his feet, unfazed by Shi Wei's overwhelming aura of malice.

Green Bamboo Gang?

Upon hearing these words, Shi Wei wasted no more time. He swung his massive blade down, the edge whipping up a fierce wind, gleaming like a crescent moon. Before the blade even reached him, the force of the swing sent Chen Xiaozhi's hair flying.

"This is bad!"

From a distance, a Green Bamboo Gang member watching the scene shut his eyes, fearing Chen Xiaozhi was about to be cleaved in two.

"Shi Wei's rage is a force to be reckoned with. Even within our ranks, no one can calm him down unless the Deputy Leader steps in," lamented a Fate Gathering member who was on good terms with Shi Wei, witnessing the unfolding drama.

"The Green Bamboo Gang brought this on themselves," the bystanders chimed in agreement.

Chen Xiaozhi's eyes glinted with a frosty light as he channeled all his Hidden Strength into his right hand. He recognized that Shi Wei was no ordinary opponent and that anything less than his full power could result in injury. Advancing with a stride, he threw a punch, astonishingly choosing to clash his flesh directly against the blade. The impact resounded with a metallic screech.

Crack!

In the next instant, the unbelievable occurred. Shi Wei's tightly gripped machete snapped in two, his hands flung back by a powerful force, the Hidden Strength lacerating his palms and drawing blood.

A shadow flickered at the edge of his vision. Shi Wei looked up only to lock eyes with Chen Xiaozhi, who was lunging at him.

"So I've heard you have nine lives, impossible to kill. I'm eager to put that to the test." His words barely faded before a punch, laden with fearsome power, struck Shi Wei's chest with lightning speed.

Thump!

Chen Xiaozhi's fist burst through Shi Wei's back.

With eyes wide in fury, Shi Wei glanced down at the gaping wound over his heart, then back at the young man before him. He parted his lips to speak, but his gaze dimmed and his head drooped in defeat.

One punch, death!

"You've honed your body well, and your presence is intimidating, but you're lacking in powerful martial arts techniques," Chen Xiaozhi remarked coolly as he kicked aside Shi Wei's limp body. The Heaven Upheaval White Waves technique he practiced wasn't a high-level fist art, yet few could master it as he had. Not to mention, his physical strength far surpassed Shi Wei's.

Silence fell.

The Fate Gathering crowd stood frozen in the distance, a chill enveloping them. The invincible Shi Wei had fallen—unbelievable unless witnessed firsthand.

Nearby, the hidden Green Bamboo Gang disciple snapped out of his daze and made a quick exit.

"Scram," Chen Xiaozhi addressed the Fate Gathering onlookers with a dismissive tone.

His command roused them from their stupor, and they retreated hastily, their departure tinged with desperation, as if fearing Chen Xiaozhi might pursue them.

Shi Wei's death was bound to send shockwaves through Crowfield's underworld.

Minutes later, Zhang Chao arrived on the scene, drenched in sweat and flanked by his men. "He's actually dead!" he muttered, staring at Shi Wei's body. Coming to his senses, he burst into laughter. "Excellent! With Shi Wei gone, Fate Gathering's morale will plummet. This is a significant achievement for the gang!" His role in this could elevate him from a minor military officer to a position within the hall, perhaps even as a deputy Hall Master.

Then, his gaze shifted back to Chen Xiaozhi, filled with astonishment. This young man possessed the strength to slay Shi Wei, a fact he had sorely underestimated. The mysterious death of Shi Qing now seemed likely to have been Chen Xiaozhi's handiwork.

"Who are you, really?" Zhang Chao inquired.

With such prowess at a young age, he was clearly no ordinary individual. After all, for most people, even learning martial arts was a challenge, let alone excelling at them.

"Why should you concern yourself with my origins, military officer? Isn't it enough that I can help you achieve great things and devote myself to the Green Bamboo Gang?" Chen Xiaozhi offered with a smile.

A glint of light flickered in Zhang Chao's eyes, yet he remained silent.

"Hall Master!"

"Hall Master!"

The crowd parted abruptly as the call ended, making way for an elder with snowy hair and silver eyebrows to step forward.

The elder exuded a tranquil authority, hands clasped behind his back, clad in a green robe. His eyes, gleaming with a hidden light, seemed to exert an invisible pressure that even Chen Xiaozhi could sense.

"Godfather," Zhang Chao interrupted his train of thought and approached with an ingratiating smile upon recognizing the newcomer.

"Is he dead?" The old man's gaze fell upon the body on the ground, his expression tinged with curiosity. He had come specifically to prevent Shi Wei, the hothead, from causing trouble.

"Yes, I've taken care of him. Godfather, could you please report this to our superiors and put in a good word for me?" Zhang Chao asked, a hint of unease in his voice. Chen Xiaozhi, standing to the side, remained silent, fully aware that Zhang Chao was trying to claim his credit. If he kept quiet, there was no need for anyone else to speak up.

Despite knowing the truth, the old man, who clearly shared a unique bond with Zhang Chao, didn't press the issue. He simply nodded and walked away.

Chen Xiaozhi watched the elder's retreating figure, musing that the Hall Master must have reached a level of profound mastery; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to exert such an overwhelming presence.

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