Chapter 102

As soon as he stepped off the dock, Han Li had the two porters walk ahead, instructing them to lead him to the nearest inn, intending to rest properly before considering anything else. WWW.feiazw.COM

The two men readily agreed and led Han Li and the others toward the city, but after winding through alley after alley for a long while, they still saw no sign of an inn.

Although Han Li still followed behind the two porters, he noticed the streets growing increasingly remote and the number of passersby dwindling; he furrowed his brow slightly.

Even without experience staying in large towns, he knew no inn could possibly be built in such a secluded spot—there would be no customers here.

So when they led him into a filthy, pitch-black alley, Han Li gave a bitter smile, realizing he should immediately seize the two and interrogate them to uncover their true intentions.

Just as Han Li was about to act, a dozen large men suddenly emerged from the depths of the alley ahead; they looked familiar, as if he had seen them all in the dockside sheds.

These men brandished iron rods and daggers, eyeing Han Li and Qu Hun with clear malice, while the two porters carrying the bundles suddenly dashed into the crowd and turned to grin wickedly at Han Li.

Han Li sighed; he no longer needed to interrogate them—he already knew their intent. He hadn’t expected to encounter a robbery and murder scheme the moment he set foot in Master Mo’s hometown.

“Don’t blame us for being cruel—blame your bad luck for carrying so much silver!” A coarse voice came from behind.

Han Li turned to see seven or eight more burly men appearing behind him; the two leaders were a massive, jet-black giant and a thin man with a crooked head and rat-like eyes—Black Bear and Sun Ergou.

This sort of robbery and murder was not their first time. They knew that if they cleaned up thoroughly and left no survivors, such disappearances of outsiders would never draw official attention—too many people vanished here each year for the authorities to bother investigating each one.

So after speaking, Black Bear wasted no time; he signaled to the dozen men, who immediately raised their weapons and charged toward Han Li and Qu Hun, trapped in the center.

Watching the bloodthirsty ferocity of these men, Han Li’s eyes flickered with killing intent—he recognized they had done this many times before, for each carried the stench of blood.

“Kill them. Don’t hold back,” Han Li coldly ordered Qu Hun.

Upon hearing this, Qu Hun let out a low roar, tinged with excitement, and lunged forward, crashing into the oncoming crowd.

With a whoosh, his fist shot out like lightning, striking one thug’s skull; the man flew sideways into the stone wall like a sack of sand, brains and blood splattering the ground, his head reduced to half.

At that moment, a dagger and a thick iron rod struck simultaneously at Qu Hun’s back.

Qu Hun didn’t turn his head; his other hand swept backward in a half-circle—“Bang! Bang!”—the two weapons shattered on contact with his arm, flying into the air, their wielders’ palms gushing blood.

Immediately after, Qu Hun stood on one leg and whipped his other foot out like a scythe, striking both men in the waist and abdomen; they flew over a zhang away and lay motionless on the ground.

All others watching this scene drew in sharp breaths; those surrounding Qu Hun now wore expressions of fear, hesitating to advance.

Even if they stopped, Qu Hun showed no mercy—he struck left and right, crushing the skulls of two more men beside him; without Han Li’s order, he would not cease.

Sun Ergou and Black Bear’s faces darkened—they had misjudged badly. This giant was no ordinary bodyguard; he was terrifyingly skilled.

“Kill the giant! Twenty taels of silver for each of you!” Sun Ergou, sensing impending doom, immediately offered a heavy reward to the few “experts” near him.

Hearing this, those around Sun Ergou and Black Bear brightened. These men were crude fighters with only rudimentary martial knowledge; they couldn’t perceive the vast gulf between them and Qu Hun, thinking he was merely strong and slightly better skilled—so they felt no fear. Now, spurred by the reward, they charged at Qu Hun.

After hearing Sun Ergou’s words, Black Bear’s facial muscles twitched; he remained silent, his gaze darting uneasily between Han Li and the fight.

At this moment, Black Bear was silently cursing his luck.

Unlike Sun Ergou, he had reached his current position solely through sheer grit and real combat—his martial skill was decent, barely qualifying him as a third-rate fighter, and his eyesight was sharp.

So the moment he saw Qu Hun strike, his heart sank. He instantly recognized Qu Hun’s skill—even their boss himself might not win, let alone these pitiful fools. But he dared not flee, for clearly Qu Hun hadn’t even used his full strength—if he sensed Black Bear’s intent to escape, he’d die even sooner.

To survive, he had no choice but to target the rustic-looking young man—clearly, this youth held higher status than the giant. Only by taking him hostage could he possibly escape. As for the silver, he dared not even think of it anymore; someone with a bodyguard this powerful couldn’t possibly be a local landowner’s son—he was clearly a noble scion in disguise. If he escaped alive today, it would be divine protection enough; to carry such a heavy bundle now? Impossible!

Having reached this conclusion, Black Bear took advantage of his men charging forward, exchanged a glance with Sun Ergou, and quietly edged toward the center of the fray.

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