Chapter 57

Shi Lei was sweating like rain in the courtyard, his fist wind whistling.

His eyes were red, his teeth were clenched, and every punch was heavier than the last, as if wanting to vent all the pent-up resentment in his chest onto that innocent wooden dummy.

Bang——!!!

A muffled explosion to the extreme.

That wooden dummy, cast from hardwood and thicker than the waist of an ordinary strong man, was actually blasted with a shocking crack by his punch.

Wood chips splashed, the dummy body swayed, emitting an unbearable groan.

"Hah... hah..."

Shi Lei panted heavily, his fists hanging by his sides, blood oozing from his knuckles, but he was completely unaware.

He only felt a ball of fire blocking his chest, burning him until he was restless and almost going crazy.

Before coming to the prefecture city, he was full of enthusiasm, thinking he could finally show his skills, follow Liu Shi, and go further on the martial path.

But as soon as he arrived at the prefecture city, he learned a shocking piece of bad news from Liu Shi.

That Old Jiang who woke him up when he was most confused had actually... disappeared during the impact of the refugees that night.

No bones left.

He didn't even have the chance to kowtow and say thank you.

Now, his most respected Liu Shi and his closest Zhang Zhang Shixiong Zhao had been beaten into serious injuries by those so-called "Three Wolves of Kanglin" and were lying in the room drinking medicine.

And him?

A mere Ming Force, not even qualified to fight others.

He could only stand in the courtyard and vent at the wooden dummy.

Always steady, he was now somewhat hating his own powerlessness.

He glanced at the direction of the study, where the lights were dim and yellow, and suppressed coughing sounds came faintly.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and didn't continue practicing fist techniques.

He was afraid that the commotion would be too loud and disturb his senior brother and master's recovery.

He lowered his footsteps and walked out of the house quietly.

Shi Lei passed through several quiet alleys and finally stopped under an old locust tree that only a few people could embrace.

This place was empty and deserted, with only the rustling sound of the breeze passing through the branches and leaves.

He set up the starting stance of the Mountain-Crushing Fist, lowered his waist, bent his knees, and twisted his hips—just after throwing a few punches, slight footsteps suddenly came from behind.

"Hmm?!"

He turned around abruptly, his fist momentum not yet retracted, his eyes full of vigilance.

He saw an old man in plain gray clothes walking toward him unhurriedly.

Shi Lei's gaze fell on the old man, and his heart shook violently, "Old Jiang..."

But for only an instant, he shook his head and threw that absurd thought out of his mind.

No, it's not him.

The old man in front of him, except for being similar in age to Old Jiang, had no other similarities.

Shi Lei lowered his eyes, just about to retract his gaze, when the old man had already passed by his side.

"Young man, you practice your fist techniques well; you will surely become a great talent in the future."

The voice was aged and flat, but it carried a sense of peace and steadiness, like a casual compliment from an elder.

Hearing this, Shi Lei's heart shook violently.

Although he knew that the person in front of him was definitely not Old Jiang, Shi Lei felt as if he had been praised by that former old man again.

For a moment, he was actually a bit dazed.

Not until the back was about to disappear at the mouth of the alley did he wake up like a dream, bowing deeply to that direction, his voice trembling slightly due to excitement:

"Thank you for the compliment, Old Man!!!"

The sound echoed in the empty alley, startling several birds perched on the treetops.

That back didn't stop at all, still walking unhurriedly, and finally disappeared from his sight.

Shi Lei straightened up, looking at the empty mouth of the alley, and suddenly felt that the frustration that had been blocking his chest for several days had dissipated by more than half.

Replacing it was a burning drive, surging and boiling in his blood.

"I must become stronger!"

He took a deep breath, turned around, and set up the starting stance of the Mountain-Crushing Fist again.

This punch was thrown, no longer with the previous frustration and irritability, only an indomitable firmness.

The sky gradually darkened, and inside a side room deep in the Ding family mansion, the candles were bright.

Three sturdy men with tiger backs and bear waists sat around the wine table, pushing cups and changing lamps, the smell of alcohol filling the air.

The three looked similar, all with thick eyebrows and wide mouths, and faces full of horizontal flesh; they were the "Three Wolves of Kanglin" who had a fierce reputation in the Martial Arts circle of the prefecture city.

"That Liu Qingshi looks quiet, didn't expect him to have a bit of a backbone."

The eldest brother poured down a mouthful of strong liquor, wiped the corner of his mouth, and laughed loudly: "It's a pity that no matter how hard his fists are, when he meets our three brothers, he only has the share of being beaten!"

The second brother chuckled, a lewd light flashing in his eyes: "It's a pity we didn't leave the life of that old guy today. Otherwise... hehe, I could taste his wife's flavor right now."

He smacked his lips, looking like he was reminiscing: "You guys didn't see it, that Liu Qingshi's wife, tsk tsk, a forty-year-old woman, maintained like she's in her early thirties, but her figure has more charm than a young girl!"

"Especially that butt......" He gestured, his face full of lewdness, "As big as a millstone, I'm afraid it could hook people's souls when she twists it!"

The third brother was still burying his head in eating meat, but when he heard this, he immediately became energetic, even putting down the bones in his hands, evil light emerging from his mung bean-sized eyes: "Is it really that wonderful? Second brother, don't tell me you're seeing things because you're drunk!"

"Seeing things? When have my eyes ever seen things wrong when looking at women!" The second brother slapped the table, "When that woman stands there, that ripe charm, tsk tsk......"

The third brother licked his lips, his face full of excitement, "Then we must work harder next, and kill that guy surnamed Liu early! By then, I must also taste his wife well!"

The eldest brother was made hot-headed by his two brothers, poured down a mouthful of wine, and laughed loudly: "Damn, being said by you two, it made me hot too!"

He put down his wine glass, a similarly lewd look flashing in his eyes, "The young master will come to reward us later; when he comes, let him take us to 'Zui Xiang Lou' to vent our fire first! His treat!"

"Eldest brother is wise!" The second and third brothers laughed at the same time, raised their wine glasses, and drank them in one gulp.

Just at this time.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

A knock on the door suddenly sounded, neither light nor heavy, just right.

"Hey, the young master is here!"

The third brother stood up abruptly, walking toward the door with a face full of smiles, muttering: "This young master, he actually knows etiquette today, knows how to knock on the door......"

The eldest brother sitting in the middle frowned, subconsciously feeling that something was wrong.

That playboy young master, when did he learn to knock on the door when coming over.

"Third brother, wait..."

He had just spoken.

Creak.

The third brother had already opened the door.

The next instant.

Swish!

A sound of breaking through the air that was sharp to the extreme suddenly exploded.

There was no figure of the young master outside the door, only a blade light like a blood moon slashing toward his face.

That blade light was exquisitely beautiful, as if it were a remnant moon rising from a sea of corpses and blood, carrying a suffocating killing intent, falling straight down.

Pfft.

A light sound, like a hot knife cutting into butter, smooth without any stagnation.

That blade light cut in from the center of the third brother's crown, straight down, instantly passing his nose bridge, lips, chin, neck, chest, and abdomen, splitting him into two, from head to crotch, neatly chopped into two halves.