81. The Outcast Disciple of Azure City

"Boss Fei, this kid has seen our goods. I’m afraid we can't let him go," a young man whispered as he leaned in close to the middle-aged man.

"Kid, I don't care who you are. Daring to come here and make trouble for me—if I don’t teach you a lesson today, you might really think I, Yu Fei, am easy to mess with. Boys, break his arms and legs, then toss him into the cesspool," the middle-aged man said with a sinister grin. He didn’t know why this young man had come looking for trouble, but since their secret had been discovered, there was no way he could let him leave alive.

"Get him!"

"Go straight for the blades!"

"If we don’t take him down today, none of us will get off easy!"

"Cripple him!"

At once, a group of men surrounded him, all armed—some with clubs, some with cleavers, others with steel-spiked knuckles.

"I thought you were just a gang of thieves and only planned to teach you a lesson. Never expected you’d be trafficking drugs as well. Don’t blame me for ridding society of a scourge," Chen Fengyun said with a cold smile.

If someone from this band of thieves hadn’t provoked him, he might have turned a blind eye even knowing they were thieves dealing drugs. After all, the world is vast, and there are countless crimes—he couldn’t possibly take it all upon himself. But now that he’d crossed paths with them and hostility had arisen, he had no choice but to intervene. Otherwise, if these people became more ruthless, not only could An Jing be endangered, but even his own family might be threatened.

"Yaaah—"

The bald man was the first to charge, swinging a steel pipe down at Chen Fengyun’s head with deadly force and ruthless intent—a seasoned thug with no hesitation.

But with a simple pivot, Chen Fengyun was suddenly at the bald man’s side. As his assailant’s strike missed, Chen delivered a heavy elbow to the man’s back, sending him crashing into another attacker who was lunging from behind.

On the other side, a burly man let out a shout and hurled a rack at him, but Chen Fengyun shattered it with a single punch. Splinters of wood flew in all directions, turning into projectiles that struck several men.

One unfortunate soul took a sharp shard to the face and screamed in agony, but the others ignored him, rushing at Chen Fengyun.

Chen Fengyun welcomed the warm-up, not even bothering to activate his Iron Shirt technique. Relying solely on his mastery of the Eight Trigrams Step, Eight Trigrams Palm, and Bajiquan, he moved freely among the gang, his fists and feet leaving a trail of wailing and misery.

Though the telling seems lengthy, in reality, from the moment Chen Fengyun entered the room to the end of the fight, barely a minute or two had passed.

When he stopped, chaos reigned. Seven or eight men lay sprawled on the ground, writhing and howling in pain, unable to move.

Now, only Chen Fengyun remained standing in the center. Fei—Boss Fei—and two women still sat on the sofa, the women covering their mouths in terror, afraid to utter a sound. Fei, meanwhile, wore a look of mild astonishment.

"Kid, what gang are you with? We’re under Boss Qin—aren’t you afraid he’ll come after you for causing trouble here?" Fei asked, frowning. Though his men had been defeated, he showed no fear.

"Why are you all so troublesome? Each of you claims to have a boss. And who does this Boss Qin answer to? How many bosses do you have? Call them all—I’d like to see if I’m afraid," Chen Fengyun replied with a cold sneer.

"Kid, there are things in this world beyond your imagination, and many matters that aren’t yours to meddle with. All of you, get out," Fei said, rising slowly and waving his hand. The two women and the few remaining men hurried out, while he removed his shirt, revealing a body of solid muscle.

Chen Fengyun ignored the fleeing women and gazed at Fei with interest, noting that he too was a martial artist—not a mere brawler like his lackeys, but someone versed in old-school martial arts, like Feng Tianbao or Yang Wanshi.

"Very well, I’m curious to see what matter is beyond my concern," Chen Fengyun said with a smile.

"Then let me show you true power," Fei replied. He had already observed Chen Fengyun’s skill, noting his quick reflexes and some knowledge of traditional martial arts, but nothing outstanding.

With a sudden burst, Fei charged forward, fast as lightning—a movement technique of remarkable speed. His arms whipped forward, hands forming claws, radiating an oppressive aura as he reached for Chen Fengyun’s shoulders.

"Impressive technique," Chen Fengyun exclaimed, his body flickering aside like a darting fish, narrowly evading Fei’s attack using authentic Eight Trigrams Step.

"Try receiving one of my palms," he said. Instantly, his body flowed backward then surged forward, both palms sweeping down with the weight of a mountain, colliding with Fei’s hands.

A deep thud echoed as both men staggered back—Chen Fengyun only a single step, while Fei retreated three, his gaze sharpening in surprise.

"Eight Trigrams Step, Eight Trigrams Palm—you’re a disciple of the Eight Trigrams School?" Fei was an old hand, experienced in martial arts and travel. At a glance, he recognized Chen Fengyun’s style.

"And what is your art?" Chen Fengyun asked, eyes alight. He sensed Fei’s ancient martial discipline was formidable, though perhaps not perfectly mastered.

"Qingcheng Sect’s Dragon-Seizing Hand and Nine Palace Step," Luo Fei replied coldly, though only he knew he was actually a cast-out disciple, never having mastered Qingcheng’s full arts.

"Good. I’d like to see the Qingcheng Sect’s famed techniques," Chen Fengyun said, genuinely curious, as he’d encountered few true martial artists.

He did not use his spiritual energy, relying solely on Eight Trigrams Step, Eight Trigrams Palm, and Bajiquan. Pressing Luo Fei step by step, he forced him to fight with all his might, using the Nine Palace Step and Dragon-Seizing Hand he had practiced for decades.

Using his spiritual sense to observe the flow of Luo Fei’s energy, it took Chen Fengyun only a few dozen exchanges to steal the essence of Nine Palace Step and Dragon-Seizing Hand. Suddenly, his style shifted—matching Nine Palace Step for Nine Palace Step, Dragon-Seizing Hand for Dragon-Seizing Hand, leaving Luo Fei utterly overwhelmed.

"How can you possibly know Nine Palace Step and Dragon-Seizing Hand? Are you also of the Qingcheng Sect?" Luo Fei gasped between dodges, shocked to sense his opponent’s skill was superior.

"Seems you never truly mastered the Qingcheng arts, though the Nine Palace Step and Dragon-Seizing Hand are indeed remarkable," Chen Fengyun remarked, using Luo Fei as a sparring partner while teasing him.