Chapter 5 The Waiter
The young woman wasn't very old, and her expression was as dull as her gaze.
She crouched quietly in front of Chu Qing, staring at him without a word.
When she saw that Chu Qing only looked frightened and didn't take the offered bowl of tea, she withdrew her hand and instead took a sip herself.
Chu Qing: "…"
What was wrong with this woman?
Why was she staring at him like that?
Under that empty, almost emotionless gaze, Chu Qing even began to suspect she had seen through his disguise.
But he had no time to worry about that now, for the bandit leader's wild laughter echoed outside.
"So you're the Second Young Master of the Chu Family, disciple of the Wrathless Divine Fist? I thought you had some real skill—but it seems you're just another pretender!"
Chu Qing turned his gaze toward the window again. Outside, Chu Fan stood amid the galloping horses, his arms and legs already hooked by the bandits' iron claws, his body immobilized in midair.
"What in the world… is he doing?"
Chu Qing's lips twitched. He had thought his second brother would at least dodge or counterattack—but instead, he'd just taken every blow head-on!
Meanwhile, the Iron Horse Seven Bandits began to move again.
The six mounted men holding the hooked chains turned their horses and galloped in opposite directions.
They were going to tear Chu Fan apart alive!
But Chu Fan only smiled faintly.
"Then I'll show you… what I'm truly capable of!"
As he spoke, his voice thundered across the clearing. He stamped his feet into the ground, and with a deafening boom, waves of true energy rippled outward.
Neighhh!!
The Iron Horse bandits' steeds shrieked in terror, rearing wildly as if struck by an unseen force.
The two bandits who had hooked Chu Fan's legs suddenly felt as though they were trying to pull down a mountain.
The mountain didn't budge—instead, they were the ones dragged off their horses.
The chains binding Chu Fan rattled violently, no longer taut as before.
Then, in that same instant, Chu Fan twisted his wrists, gripped the two chains at his sides, and pulled sharply.
With two sharp cracks, the bandits were yanked into the air, crashing into each other midflight with a sickening crunch of shattering bone.
Blood spurted from their mouths as their bodies went limp.
"Fourth! Sixth!!"
The leader roared in fury, spurring his horse forward and swinging his massive battle axe down toward Chu Fan.
Chu Fan looked up, twisted his arms, and broke the chains around his wrists with a loud snap. Then he brought his palms together, catching the heavy axe barehanded in midair.
The leader's forehead veins bulged as he gathered his full strength into the strike, straining to press the axe down—to split Chu Fan in half.
The ground cracked beneath Chu Fan's feet as his legs sank slightly under the immense pressure.
Yet the axe refused to descend any farther.
The leader inhaled sharply and bellowed, "He's holding me off—strike now! Take his head!"
Three of the Iron Horse Seven were already dead. With their leader locked in stalemate, only three remained.
Two of them exchanged glances, then tightened their grip on the chains binding Chu Fan's legs, pouring their inner energy into the pull.
The third, free to move, leapt from his saddle, his ring-bladed saber gleaming as he swung it fiercely toward the back of Chu Fan's neck.
But at that moment, the leader's face changed drastically.
Not good!
A crackling sound came from his hands—the surface of his battle axe splintered like glass.
Before he could react, there was a loud crash. The weapon shattered completely.
He's not defending—he's destroying my weapon!
What kind of monstrous strength was this?
How could it be so terrifying?
Chu Fan clenched his fist. For a split second, the air itself seemed to collapse inward.
He lowered his stance, rooted his feet, and turned sharply—then drove his fist forward with the full might of his body.
Taiyi Divine Fist!
A violent explosion tore through the air as the first thing to meet his fist was the blade of the oncoming saber.
The blade's momentum shattered beneath that single punch, its force scattered and broken. The attacker lost control, his defense wide open. With a deafening crack, Chu Fan's fist smashed straight into his chest and abdomen.
A violent spray of blood burst from the man's back. His body crumpled like a torn sack, flung through the air, landing twisted and unrecognizable.
The leader of the Iron Horse Bandits froze in terror, pupils contracting sharply. Then, with a furious roar, he bellowed, "Run!!"
From start to finish, barely a few breaths had passed—yet three of his men were already dead.
One of his axes was shattered beyond use, and facing a monster like Chu Fan was hopeless.
He clenched his legs around his horse and spurred it forward, charging straight toward the teahouse.
In a blur, he crashed inside, shouting, "Out of my way!!"
He was yelling at the waiter.
The poor waiter, who had been trembling in fear as he peeked at the chaos, hadn't expected the chaos to come charging right at him.
Panicking, he leapt to his feet and ran—but in his fright, he stumbled directly into the horse's path.
The Iron Horse Bandit's steed was a powerful warhorse. With one heavy step, it kicked the waiter violently, sending him flying out of the teahouse before he could even scream.
The change happened too fast. Even the martial experts inside couldn't react in time.
The leader burst through the opposite wall of the teahouse with a crash, then turned sharply. Earlier, he had thrown one of his axes into a nearby carriage—now, using the teahouse as a shortcut, he reached out and snatched it back into his hand.
Without pausing, he spurred his horse onward, shouting over his shoulder, "Chu Fan! I'll return this debt another day!!"
"Scoundrel, don't you dare run!!"
Chu Fan's face darkened—he would never allow the man to escape so easily.
The two bandits who had chained his legs were already gone, fleeing while they had the chance.
Chu Fan's eyes hardened. Fine then—kill the leader first!
"Junior Sister!!"
At his call, Chu Qing heard the woman beside him answer softly, "Coming!"
The two of them launched into the air, light as swallows, pursuing the fleeing bandit leader at full speed.
"What a remarkable Second Young Master of the Chu Family!"
"A true hero indeed—so young, yet so fierce!"
The teahouse patrons, seeing that the danger had passed, murmured their admiration—but none lingered. This place was tainted by blood; best to leave quickly.
Within moments, the teahouse stood empty.
No one spared a glance at the corpses of the dead waiter or the first man who'd been cleaved apart.
Only the shopkeeper remained, his face pale and blank as he stumbled toward the fallen waiter.
He knelt beside him, patting his cheek gently.
"Huzi… Huzi? Get up, they're gone now.
"Didn't I tell you, the floor's cold? Don't lie on it so long.
"Your mother sent word a few days ago—said she arranged a marriage for you. I was just thinking of giving you a few days off to go home and see the girl.
"If you ruin your body like this, how will you ever have children?
"Huzi… Huzi, wake up. Don't scare your uncle like that…"
He shook the lifeless body as if trying to rouse a sleeping nephew.
But how could the dead ever answer?
(End of Chapter)