Chapter 45: Taking Sides
Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Taking Sides
Seeing Tianlang appear and block Fang Chen’s retreat, Cao Xu and his group instantly revealed expressions of wild ecstasy mixed with bitter resentment.
Fang Chen, however, didn’t even spare a glance at Tianlang behind him. His gaze remained locked on the low wall where Cao Xu and the others were hiding. His tone was flat but carried an undeniable air of authority, "Cao Xu, stop hiding. Get out here."
Cao Xu and the others exchanged glances. Knowing Tianlang had their backs gave them a significant boost of confidence. Relying on crutches and wheelchairs, they slowly shuffled out from their hiding spot.
A twisted smile spread across Cao Xu’s face. "Heh, so what if you saw us? There’s no one else around anyway. Originally, we just wanted to cripple you, but today..." His eyes flashed with malice. "...we want your life!"
Dragging their crippled legs, the group—who had initially been spread out along Fang Chen’s flanks—now subconsciously moved toward Tianlang, acting as if his side were the only safe zone. They were still deeply traumatized by Fang Chen’s elusive Finger Technique.
Cao Xu glared at Fang Chen, grinding his teeth. "Heh, Fang Chen, didn’t you think you were so strong? So badass? You dared to cripple our cultivation bases! We won’t let you die easily today!" He turned to Tianlang, his tone fawning and urgent. "Tianlang, it’s him!"
Tianlang’s face was ashen. He squeezed a low roar through his teeth, "Kneel!"
Sitting in her wheelchair, Wang Lu immediately echoed in a shrill voice, "Did you hear that?! Tianlang told you to crawl over here on your knees!"
Fang Chen raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze to Tianlang. "Oh? Is that so?"
SLAP! A resounding slap rang out!
But the target wasn’t Fang Chen. It was the shrieking Wang Lu in her wheelchair! Tianlang’s palm was so heavy and forceful that it sent her flying right out of the chair. She crashed heavily onto the ground and passed out without so much as a groan.
"Stupid bitch!" Tianlang cursed. He whipped his head around, his bloodshot eyes locked onto Cao Xu and the others. His voice was slightly distorted by a mix of fear and fury. "I was telling you all to kneel before Mr. Feng!!!"
Cao Xu was utterly bewildered by this sudden turn of events. "Huh? Tianlang... are you..." His voice subconsciously trailed off because he could clearly see Tianlang’s body trembling. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and in his eyes... was that fear?! Pure, unadulterated fear! Something wasn’t right!
Cao Xu’s heart skipped a beat. An absurd yet terrifying thought uncontrollably bubbled up in his mind, "Could it be... could it be that Tianlang... is no match for him?! That’s impossible, right?!"
Tianlang glared at him viciously, looking as if he wanted to eat him alive. "You little bastard! How fucking dare you mess with Mr. Feng?! Are you trying to get me killed?!"
As he cursed, he lunged forward, raining fists and feet down upon the still-dazed Cao Xu!
THUD! WHACK! BAM!
Tianlang struck out of pure anger. Even without using a Combat Skill, this was not something the crippled Cao Xu could withstand. He was instantly beaten to a pulp, rolling on the ground and coughing up blood, unable to even muster a scream.
Seeing this, the others were scared out of their wits. THUD! THUD! They all collapsed, kowtowing frantically toward Fang Chen and Tianlang.
Spitting bloody froth, Cao Xu struggled to scream, "Mr... Mr. Feng? Tianlang, you’ve got the wrong person... He’s Fang Chen, from our school..."
"Shut up!" Tianlang kicked him square in the mouth, cutting him off.
Only then did Tianlang turn to Fang Chen. The ferocity on his face instantly melted into extreme sycophancy. He forced a smile that looked uglier than crying, his voice trembling. "Heh... hehe... Mr. Feng, it’s a misunderstanding. This is all a huge misunderstanding..."
Fang Chen looked at him, his tone betraying neither joy nor anger. "And what about you?"
Tianlang stiffened. Without a moment’s hesitation, he fell to his knees before Fang Chen with a loud THUD, pressing his forehead firmly against the ground.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Feng! I... I was just passing by and fell for his lies! This kid... this kid said... he said there was an arrogant student and asked me to... to teach him a lesson... I... I didn’t know it was you! I swear I didn’t!"
His voice trembled uncontrollably, his mind an absolute mess. The only thing he could think of was the scene he had witnessed at the Geta Club, where Feng Yuxiu had effortlessly defeated Iron Hand. Iron Hand had completely crushed Thunderbolt Hand, and he himself had absolutely zero chance of winning against Thunderbolt Hand... This massive gap in strength snuffed out even the slightest thought of resistance!
Fang Chen spoke nonchalantly, "But this friend of yours..."
"He’s not my friend!" Tianlang snapped his head up, desperately trying to distance himself. "He is absolutely not my friend! We just met! Mr. Feng, please be the bigger person and let me off!"
He screamed frantically in his mind, "You’ve got to be kidding me! How did I end up crossing this god?!"
Fang Chen slightly raised his hand, signaling him to shut up. "I wasn’t finished."
"Please go ahead! Please go ahead!" Tianlang immediately clamped his mouth shut, waiting as if for his final judgment.
Fang Chen’s gaze swept over the dying Cao Xu on the ground, then turned to the group of cripples kowtowing profusely. His tone remained calm. "Whether this is your brother or your fair-weather friend, he just said... he wanted to kill me. He also pointed out that there’s no one else around."
Tianlang’s body shuddered violently. In a flash, he understood exactly what Fang Chen meant. "Mr... Mr. Feng, I... I understand!"
He gritted his teeth, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. As soon as the words left his mouth, Tianlang’s right hand moved like lightning, whipping a gleaming dagger out from behind his waist!
Under Cao Xu’s terrified and despairing gaze, Tianlang didn’t hesitate for a second. With a cold flash of steel, he drove the dagger viciously and accurately straight into Cao Xu’s heart!
"Agh—!" Cao Xu only had time to let out a brief, half-choked wail. His body convulsed violently twice before going completely limp and silent.
"Ah!!"
"Oh no! Run!!"
Seeing this, the others were scared out of their minds. They thrashed frantically, desperately trying to scatter and flee. But with their already crippled legs, relying on crutches and wheelchairs, how could they possibly outrun him?
At this moment, to save his own skin, Tianlang had to prove his loyalty with all his might. He yanked the dagger out and lunged forward like a vicious wolf! His left hand locked onto the neck of Wang Lu—the closest to him—like an iron vice!
CRACK! A sickening, bone-chilling snap echoed out! Wang Lu’s head lolled to the side, killing her instantly!
"You little shits! You think I’d let you escape?!" Tianlang growled, charging in like a tiger amongst a flock of sheep! The dagger danced through the air as his fists and feet flew! After all, he was an experienced Geta fighter. Dealing with this group of defenseless cripples was as easy as slicing through butter!
SQUELCH! THUD! "Ah!"
Screams, pleas for mercy, and the sound of breaking bones rose and fell in rapid succession, though they were extremely short-lived. In less than twenty seconds, the remaining seven people had all collapsed in pools of blood, utterly devoid of life.
Tianlang panted heavily, his dagger dripping with fresh blood. He tossed the weapon aside, hurried back to Fang Chen, and fell to his knees once more. His voice trembled with the sheer relief of survival:
"Mr... Feng, it’s been cleaned up completely. Don’t worry, this Cao Xu was a local thug who often brawled with folks from the neighboring villages. He’s made plenty of enemies.
"Now that his cultivation is gone and he was left a cripple, it makes perfect sense that his enemies in society would come for revenge...
"When the time comes, I’ll testify to it. I guarantee you won’t be implicated in the slightest."