Chapter 88 Fatty, Long Time No See
In southern Liangzhou.
A hundred li outside Qinglei City lay a vast, boundless wilderness stretching for over a dozen li, known as Biri Forest.
Ancient trees reached into the sky, their tangled branches and rampant undergrowth plunging the woods into deep shadow even at high noon.
A dirt road roughly a zhang wide wound through Biri Forest, wide enough for carriages and horses. It was the main thoroughfare connecting Qinglei City and the Thunder Fire Mountain Range.
Most people traveling from Qinglei City to the Thunder Fire Mountain Range chose this route. It was the shortest path, and despite the gloom, the road was relatively flat.
Early morning on this particular day.
A hazy white mist permeated Biri Forest. A rustling sound emerged from the shrubs beside the dirt road as a bare-chested, burly man swiftly darted through the woods.
Before long, the man ran to the center of a group dressed much like him. He urgently addressed a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged in cultivation. "Chief, a carriage is coming. I can't see through the driver's cultivation, but he shouldn't be as strong as you."
The cultivating middle-aged man was none other than Xu Shan of Shuiyun Stronghold. Hearing this, he opened his eyes. "A Rogue Cultivator or from Qingyang Sect?"
"Qingyang Sect. I saw the badge on his chest."
"Excellent! After waiting all these days, I've finally caught a Qingyang Sect scumbag. Steady your hands when we strike later. I want to slowly torture him to death!"
Just thinking about the Qingyang Sect brat who had snatched his resources two years ago made Xu Shan unable to suppress the hatred in his heart.
It was precisely because of those lost resources that they had been reduced to highway bandits.
"Yes, Chief!" Around Xu Shan, over a dozen burly men broke into cruel smiles.
Not long after.
Xu Shan's eyes narrowed. "He's here," he said in a deep voice.
The dozen men immediately surged out from the forest, forming a human wall across the middle of the dirt road.
Xu Shan stood up and watched from a distance, in no rush to reveal himself. His subordinate had only reported the driver's cultivation. If some old monster was sitting inside the carriage, jumping out now would simply be Courting death.
Suddenly.
Xu Shan's ears twitched, and his gaze shifted down the road to the lower right.
A pitch-black carriage was galloping toward them. Its wheels spun rapidly and the carriage bounced lightly, suggesting it was empty inside.
The driver, however, surprised him slightly. The man's robust, imposing physique was comparable to his own. In fact, those muscles visibly brimming with explosive power were something even he could not match.
If Lu Li were here, he would have instantly recognized this person-it was Chen Zhong.
The carriage careened forward, and Chen Zhong appeared to have fallen asleep at the reins.
Right at this moment.
"Stop!"
"Bastard, stop!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Stop!"
"Get out of the way! I can't stop the carriage!"
"..."
Terrified shouts, angry curses, and Chen Zhong's panicked screams all tangled together.
The carriage actually plowed straight through the human wall, sending four or five of the Shuiyun Stronghold men flying into the air.
"Kill him!"
Seeing the carriage come to a halt, the burly men waved their fists and charged at Chen Zhong.
Chen Zhong still didn't know what was happening. Thinking he was at fault, he dodged repeatedly while shouting apologies. "Don't! Don't hit me! I didn't do it on purpose! I didn't mean it!"
The crowd paid no heed. Seeing that Chen Zhong refused to fight back, their strikes only grew more vicious, raining heavy fists down upon his body.
Bang!
A fist smashed squarely into Chen Zhong's nose, making him stagger on his feet.
"You... you bastards!" Chen Zhong finally grew angry. He snatched an incoming fist and twisted it hard.
Crack! The arm was forcefully twisted into a mangled spiral.
He then raised his foot and kicked viciously into the man's armpit. With a wet tear, blood sprayed as an entire arm was forcibly ripped from its socket.
Ah-!
The man's face turned deathly pale from the pain. He clutched his bleeding shoulder and rolled on the ground in agony.
The rest of the bandits audibly swallowed, involuntarily taking a step back.
Chen Zhong looked at the severed limb in his hand, scratched his head, and offered it back to the screaming man on the ground. "I... I really didn't mean it. Do you... still want this?"
"Demon! You're a demon!"
Scrambling on his hands and knees, the man shrieked and frantically backed away.
The five men who had been sent flying by the carriage finally climbed to their feet, hastily retreating several steps.
"Trash!"
An angry roar echoed from the woods. Xu Shan flashed into view, raising his hand to manifest a massive boulder formed from True Qi that smashed straight toward Chen Zhong's face.
Chen Zhong never expected anyone else to attack him. Watching the giant rock plummet toward him with no room to dodge, his pupils contracted. In a panic, he threw a heavy punch right into the oncoming boulder.
Bang!
With an explosive crack, the giant rock shattered, dissolving into a fierce gale that howled in all directions.
But before he could even rejoice, a second boulder arrived right on its heels.
Unable to react in time, Chen Zhong was directly struck by the rock. He was sent flying over two zhang away, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Kid, blame your death on being a Qingyang Sect disciple!"
The moment Chen Zhong hit the dirt, Xu Shan leaped into the air. With a wave of his hand, yet another giant rock howled forth. It seemed he had abandoned all thoughts of torture and now aimed to take Chen Zhong's life in a single strike.
The giant rock rapidly enlarged in Chen Zhong's vision. He felt he might not even live to draw another breath.
"How bold!"
Right then, a fleeting shadow and a frigid rebuke brushed past Chen Zhong's ear.
Boom!
In the next breath, the giant rock exploded.
Immediately after, several Talismans shot toward Xu Shan. Amid a series of rumbling detonations, Xu Shan was blasted until his skin tore and flesh split. His mind buzzed, instinct screaming at him to flee immediately.
He shook his head to clear it, then quickly turned to leap away...
But his feet never left the ground!
He heard the words 'Mountain Shaker' ring out above him, and then felt as if his head had been smashed by a heavy hammer.
Squelch... His skull caved in, sending blood splattering in all directions.
"The Chief is dead!"
A panicked shriek rang out from the crowd. The subordinates scattered in a frenzy, fleeing in all directions.
"Trying to leave? Don't you think it's a bit late for that!"
An ink-green figure darted like a beam of light behind one of the men. With a sickening thud, a fist pierced through his back and exploded out of his chest.
Without pausing, the figure repeated the slaughter.
Of the fifteen Qi Refining Stage Two men from Shuiyun Stronghold, the one who ran the farthest barely made it a hundred zhang before the youth caught up. Ignoring his frantic pleas for mercy, a single punch shattered his forehead.
Chen Zhong still sat on the ground, staring at the carnage in absolute disbelief.
Was this person really his Boss?
This was far too fierce.
Lu Li dragged the corpses into a pile. With a backhand motion, he plunged a black banner into the earth at the center of the bodies. Without a second glance, he walked toward Chen Zhong, offered a hand, and grinned. "Fatty, long time no see!"
Chen Zhong rubbed his eyes. Once he confirmed that this person was indeed Lu Li, he reached out his thick, broad hand, gripped Lu Li's, and pulled himself up into a tight embrace. "Boss! It really is you! I've missed you so much!"
Overwhelmed with excitement, his voice was choked with emotion.
"Cough... Alright, alright. Are you trying to crush me to death?"
Lu Li broke free from the hug and slung an arm over Chen Zhong's shoulder. "How did you end up out here?"