Chapter 45: Chapter 44: Deliberately Being a Bully
"Qin... Feng..." Qin Muhai was stunned. His eyes flew open as he pointed at the four people emerging from around the bend, stammering.
"How can you possibly be here?!" Qin Muhai’s face was livid. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. ’How did Qin Feng get here?’
"Qin Muhai, I seem to recall you used to call me ’trash,’ didn’t you? Why the change of heart today?" Qin Feng wore a sardonic smile, but his eyes held an icy killing intent.
In the past, this very same Qin Muhai had constantly caused him trouble. For years, Qin Muhai had forcibly seized his monthly stipend, causing his cultivation to stagnate completely. More importantly, if Qin Muhai hadn’t brought his men to humiliate him half a month ago, the original ’Qin Feng’ wouldn’t have been beaten to within an inch of his life!
It was a case of new grudges piled on top of old hatreds. Enemies truly were destined to cross paths.
At the side, a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Third Heaven saw Qin Muhai’s furious expression. Thinking he could score some points, he immediately jumped out, pointed at Qin Feng, and barked, "You audacious piece of trash! How dare you speak to our Fifth Young Master like that! You must have a death wish!"
"Annoying," Qin Feng’s eyes went cold as a sharp killing intent flashed within them. He took a single step, activating his Clear Wind Body Technique, and moved like a sudden gust of wind. The next instant, he appeared behind the Martial Artist. As terror filled the man’s face, Qin Feng unleashed a palm strike. BANG! The Martial Artist of the Third Heaven was sent flying like a cannonball.
BOOM!
The man’s body slammed violently against the wall of the mine tunnel, erupting in a spray of blood. He had been killed in a single strike.
Qin Feng’s form materialized from the darkness. He stood motionless, his gaze sweeping over them, radiating a killing intent so severe it was chilling to the bone.
"You..." Qin Muhai’s face turned an ugly shade of purple, a mixture of shock and terror. That Martial Artist was at the same realm as him—the Martial Arts Third Heaven! He was no weaker than Qin Muhai himself, yet he couldn’t even withstand a single blow from Qin Feng!
Qin Muhai’s face was livid. His eyes flashed with a mad mix of resentment, jealousy, fear, and indignation. To see his own subordinate’s blood paint the ground before him and be powerless to take revenge... it filled the usually domineering Qin Muhai with a boundless hatred.
’Damn it! He’s just a piece of trash! Trash is meant to be stepped on forever! How does he deserve this kind of power? That power should be mine, Qin Muhai’s! I can’t accept this! I should have just killed this waste of space back then, made sure he could never get back on his feet! I hate him so much!’ He screamed internally, his features twisting into a distorted mask.
’How dare he humiliate me like this! Once I get out of here, I’ll do whatever it takes. Even if I have to spend every last coin to my name, I will kill this little bastard! It’s him or me!’
Though his heart was filled with hatred, Qin Muhai forced a smile onto his face. He put on a disguise of sincerity and pleaded in a low voice.
"Qin Feng, we’re brothers, after all. We share the blood of the Qin Family. I admit I’ve wronged you in the past, but I’m willing to make it up to you and apologize. Once we get out of here, I’ll not only return your mansion in the Qi Yang Mountain Range, but I’ll also compensate you with one thousand silver taels. What do you say?"
A flicker of mockery appeared in Qin Feng’s eyes. ’Does he take me for a fool?’ He advanced step by step. Seeing him approach, the few Martial Artists of the Third Heaven behind Qin Muhai exchanged a terrified glance and hastily backed away, leaving Qin Muhai isolated.
Qin Feng gave a sarcastic smile and stared coldly at Qin Muhai. "Qin Muhai, spare me the nonsense. You think I don’t know what kind of person you are? You bully the weak and fear the strong, seizing whatever you want by force. You’re sinister, cunning, and vengeful over the smallest slight. You love to scheme and stab people in the back. After how I’ve humiliated you today, you’re already dead set on killing me. You’ve probably wanted me dead for a long time. Nothing you say today can save your pathetic life!"
"Qin Feng, don’t push me too far! Aren’t you afraid of retribution?!" Knowing his escape was impossible, Qin Muhai completely dropped his facade. He stared at Qin Feng with bloodshot, venomous eyes filled with utter hatred.
"Push you too far? That’s exactly what I’m going to do! Today, this ’trash’ will kill a treacherous, two-faced villain like you with one hand! And you’re going to spit back out everything you’ve taken from me over the years, with interest!" An icy glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes as he shot forward like a cheetah. His hand darted out like an iron claw, moving with lightning speed to clamp around Qin Muhai’s neck and lift him off the ground.
The gap between them was simply too vast. Qin Muhai didn’t even have time to draw his weapon to defend himself before his life was in Qin Feng’s hands.
Hoisted by his throat, Qin Muhai couldn’t breathe. His face turned beet red as he began to suffocate. He glared at Qin Feng, gasping like a fish out of water. Qin Feng’s fingers, like an iron vise, held him fast. Looking down at his captive, Qin Feng sneered.
"See? In my hands, you’re as helpless as a chicken. I can kill you whenever I please! Just like you did to me a month ago—hitting me whenever you felt like it, cursing me whenever you felt like it. But before you die, you’re going to settle all your old debts!" Before Qin Muhai’s terrified eyes, Qin Feng raised his other hand and delivered a furious volley of slaps. CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! He slapped Qin Muhai over a hundred times.
Qin Muhai’s cheeks swelled to a grotesque size, and all of his teeth had been knocked out. He was a miserable sight, his eyes fixed on Qin Feng, filled with absolute terror.
"This is for all the years of you bullying and humiliating me!"
"As for retribution? Didn’t you tell me yourself that believing in such things is naive? Well, if you insist on talking about retribution, then yours has just arrived!" Qin Feng’s fingers tightened, crushing Qin Muhai’s neck. He then swung him like a club, and with a violent roar, slammed his body into the tunnel wall. BOOM! A fountain of blood erupted.
Qin Muhai, the Fifth Young Master of the Qin Family, was reduced to a pile of unrecognizable flesh and gore.
The bloody, terrifying scene was shocking and utterly chilling.
"The Fifth Young Master is dead! Qin Feng killed the Fifth Young Master! Everyone, run! Go and report to the Patriarch!" Seeing Qin Muhai’s sudden, violent death, one of his lackeys screamed in horror. The remaining men immediately turned and fled in the opposite direction.
"Kill them! Don’t let a single one escape!"
Qin Feng didn’t bother dealing with these small fries himself. Qin Shou, Qin Gang, and Yu Yao had already charged forward.
Before long, the lopsided battle was over. His followers were all Martial Artists of the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, while the guards were only at the Third Heaven. They stood no chance.
"Not a single one got away!" Qin Gang and Qin Shou returned. Yu Yao’s face was grim. In her heart, she despised this kind of slaughter, but she was under Qin Feng’s control and had no choice but to obey his orders.
Qin Feng nodded. His gaze swept across the scene, finally landing on a rough, ancient-looking weapon on the ground.
It was an Ancient Sword of a peculiar style and archaic design. It was about three feet and four inches long, forged from the extremely rare Cyan Gold. Picking it up, it felt cool and metallic, with a distinct cyan tint. The body of the sword was rough and etched with dragon patterns. A light practice swing produced a strange glint of cold light and the sound of a whining wind.
This unassuming, ancient longsword was exceptionally sharp.
"What a find! This must be a Sword Artifact left over from the Prehistoric Era. Its design is archaic, and the craftsmanship is masterful. You can tell just by looking at it that it’s a Treasure Sword of exceptional quality!" Qin Gang seemed to be quite knowledgeable about weaponry. Seeing that Qin Feng couldn’t seem to put it down, he stepped forward to explain.
’Such luck. Having a weapon that suits you is like adding wings to a tiger.’ In the distance, Yu Yao’s expression was sullen. She was also skilled with a sword. If a Treasure Sword of such superior quality were to fall into her hands, her combat strength would increase by a significant margin. Alas, she could only watch from afar with envy.
Qin Feng casually tossed the other Treasure Sword—the one he had taken from Fang Tong—to Qin Shou. "This sword’s yours," he said offhandedly.
Qin Shou froze for a moment, then drew the longsword. With a resonant SHING, a sliver of silvery-white brilliance flashed out. Its edge was like autumn frost, glinting coldly. Under the torchlight, the turtle-shell pattern on the blade seemed to come alive. This, too, was clearly a Treasure Sword of superior quality.
Qin Shou beamed with delight. Although his preferred weapon was a long saber, a Treasure Sword like this was perfect to keep as a family heirloom!
"Thank you, Young Master!" Qin Shou was thrilled, and his voice boomed with excitement.
A flicker of envy crossed Qin Gang’s face. Yu Yao, however, kept her face stony, inwardly fuming. ’Qin Feng knew perfectly well that out of the three of them, both Qin Shou and Qin Gang used sabers, while she was the only one who used a sword. Yet he gave this excellent Treasure Sword to Qin Shou, who wasn’t even skilled with one.’
SHUFFLE... SHUFFLE... Suddenly, a dry, shuffling sound accompanied by a cold, sinister presence echoed from the tunnel, rapidly approaching. Qin Feng’s expression hardened and he spun around. Somehow, without him noticing, a group of strange monsters had appeared before them.
The monsters were no more than five feet tall, with the heads of dogs on humanoid bodies. Their skin was jet-black, their eyes glowed green, and their claws looked exceptionally sharp. They were staring at the group with a ferocious, bloodthirsty, and cold gaze.
The monsters radiated a savage aura, as if they had crawled straight out of hell, and foul-smelling saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths. The aura of each monster was no weaker than that of a Martial Artist at the Third Heaven. The leader, the tallest of the dog-headed monsters, had even grown a single horn, and its presence was as strong as a master of the Martial Arts Fifth Heaven! Its green eyes locked onto the group as if it had found its prey, sending a chill deep into their bones.
The sheer number of monsters was enough to make their scalps crawl, and they all broke out in a cold sweat.
As he got a clear look at the creatures, Qin Feng’s pupils contracted. He couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief, "Dog-headed Demons... Why would monsters like this be here?!"
