Chapter 21
“Young master, I’ve finished.”
Ke Er said, in a refined and gentle voice. After finishing the last piece of dim sum, the young girl drank the last sip of soy-bean milk, then she looked at the youth with a delicate and touching expression.
“OK, let’s head to the marketplace to get some things before heading home.”
The youth faintly smiled as he picked up his sheathed sword from the table.
The young girl meekly nodded, following behind the youth. Under the gazes of everyone present, they slowly walked down the second floor of the Agarwood Restaurant.
“He’s really unafraid of death.”
Noticing Duan Ling Tian leaving, Chen Mei Er brought along her servant girl and followed suit, leaving behind her leftovers.
The remaining guests on the second floor stood as well and followed behind Chen Mei Er.
Wanting to watch a scene was human nature.
At the front door of the Agarwood Restaurant stood Fang Quan and the three Fang family youths who were fiercely glaring at the restaurant. They seemed to be waiting for something.
“It’s been so long and he still hasn’t come out. He can’t be planning to be a coward, right?”
“Cheh! Wasn’t he acting all brave earlier? But he cowers the moment Brother Fang Quan gets here. What a pu**y!”
“He’s coming!”
Before the third youth could even open his mouth and continue mocking Duan Ling Tian, they noticed the couple walking slowly out of the restaurant.
Even though they were enemies, they couldn’t stop themselves from sighing in their hearts. What a match made in heaven!
Of course, their gaze towards the youth was filled with jealousy…
“I didn’t expect you to be daring enough to come out.”
Fang Quan looked towards the youth as he sneered, speaking in a condescending manner.
“Why wouldn’t I dare to come out? It’s only a mad dog and three handicapped smaller mad dogs blocking my way.”
The youth smiled indifferently with a carefree expression, seeming to look down upon Fang Quan.
“This guy dares to enrage Fang Quan even in this situation. Isn’t he afraid Fang Quan will really kill him?”
Chen Mei Er stood at the front of the crowd that followed Duan Ling Tian out. Watching him provoke Fang Quan caused her expression to unconsciously freeze.
The other people in the crowd had the same thoughts as Chen Mei Er, but their gazes were filled with pity.
“What a dumb little kid! I, Fang Quan, will tell you right here right now: you will certainly die today!”
After being thoroughly enraged by the youth, Fang Quan’s eyes flashed coldly as he clenched his fists and the muscles on his body bulged slightly.
As a sixth level Body Tempering martial artist, he was capable of exerting a thousand pounds of strength!
“There are plenty of people who want me dead, but I’m afraid you’re not capable of killing me.”
Duan Ling Tian smiled indifferently while grasping his sword in one hand and holding Ke Er’s hand in the other. He slowly walked out as if nothing was happening.
“What’s he doing?”
Noticing Duan Ling Tian bringing the young girl into the battle, everyone was struck dumb with puzzled expressions.
Don’t tell me he thinks Fang Quan would show mercy due to the young girl’s presence?
In front of the window on the third floor of the Agarwood Restaurant.
“What an interesting kid. I wonder where he comes from. Not mentioning anything else, just his courage and composure are far superior to that of people of the same age.”
Manager Ma looked at the youth with an intrigued expression.
The coldness in Fang Quan’s gaze increased and the corners of his mouth curled up into a sneer.
His thoughts were exactly similar to everyone else’s. He assumed that Duan Ling Tian was bringing the young girl into the battle on purpose, hoping he would be scrupled and show mercy.
But would he?
The answer was no….
“Die!”
Fang Quan abruptly shouted as he stomped his feet on the ground.
He burst forth with the strength of a sixth level Body Tempering martial artist With the help of a thousand pounds of strength, he flew like a cannonball straight towards Duan Ling Tian…
His fists exploded towards Duan Ling Tian, going straight for Duan Ling Tian’s chest.
Middle grade Yellow Rank martial skill, Raging Bull Fist!
Hearing the wind shrieking by his ears, the sneer on Fang Quan’s face grew wider. It was as if he could see Duan Ling Tian being blasted away and dying from severe injuries.
In the instant that Fang Quan attacked, everyone in the crowd’s hearts were in their mouths!
The three Fang family youths had expressions filled with pleasure and satisfaction.
You dared to touch us, so go die!
“This guy…”
Chen Mei Er frowned.
Although the youth was rude to her from beginning until the end.
Somehow, in her heart, she didn’t hate him one bit. Instead, she was curious about him and wanted to get to know him.
“Stop!”
Eventually, Chen Mei Er stepped forward, desiring to stop Fang Quan.
But her reaction was still too late.
Fang Quan’s fists, which were just like cannonballs, were just about to strike Duan Ling Tian…
At this moment, even if Fang Quan wanted to stop, it was too late! Not to mention he had no intention of stopping.
“Ke Er, relax your body!”
Duan Ling Tian’s mouth moved slightly as he warned the young girl, then his left hand embraced her slender waist and his body moved.
Fully exhibiting the flexibility he had gained from cultivating the Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique’s Spirit Serpent Form, he carried the young girl along as he dodged Fang Quan’s fist strike!
Fang Quan’s fists brushed past Duan Ling Tian’s clothes…
Whoosh.
Clang!
Practically in the same moment, the sound of a sword being drawn and returning to its sheath sounded!
In the next moment.
Everyone present clearly saw.
The eyes of Fang Quan, whose body was being carried by inertia, abruptly dimmed. His hands tightly gripped his throat, but he was unable to stop the blood from spraying…
In the end, he could not hold on any longer, so his body crashed towards the ground, lifeless.
Silence.
The area outside of Agarwood Restaurant’s main door was deathly silent.
Everyone’s gazes were on the lifeless Fang Quan…
The dignified Fang family medicine store’s junior manager, a sixth level Body Tempering martial artist, died just like this?
Moreover, the one who did it was obviously not even sixteen!
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
……
For a moment, the sound of people drawing in breaths of cold air sounded throughout the area around the Agarwood Restaurant’s main door.
The gazes of everyone present moved from Fang Quan’s lifeless body to the youth that was gradually walking farther away.
The youth embraced the young girl while holding the sheathed sword, leaving coolly…
Killing a man in ten steps, unstoppable for a thousand miles.[1]
Suddenly, everyone heard the voice of the leaving youth.
“Three kids of the Fang family, if you still can’t let it go, you can look for me at the Li family. Right, remember my name so you don’t look for the wrong person. I’m Duan Ling Tian!”
The voice was dull, as if killing someone was nothing to him.
“I’m Duan Ling Tian!”
The youth’s voice entered everyone’s ears.
It was not the first time they had heard this name.
Half a month ago, this name spread across the entire Fresh Breeze Town.
That disciple with another surname of the Li family was called Duan Ling Tian!
“So he’s Duan Ling Tian? The Duan Ling Tian that half a month ago declared that he would visit the Fang family and take the Fang family’s Manager’s, Fang Qiang’s, life?”
“It should be him… I didn’t expect him to be so formidable!”
“I didn’t even see how he attacked when Fang Quan’s throat had already been sliced open in a single strike. His speed is too fast!”
“I noticed that his cultivation is only at the fourth level of the Body Tempering stage, but killing a sixth level Body Tempering martial artist was as easy as cutting grass to him.”
……
The crowd could not stop themselves from discussing. The tone of their voices were filled with fear.
It appeared that the declaration that this disciple with another surname of the Li family made half a month ago was not him being arrogant and conceited, but he actually had the confidence!
“Duan Ling Tian!”
“Carry Brother Quan back to the manager!”
“We have to get an explanation about this matter from the Li family!”
They gnashed their teeth as they said this. The fear in the eyes of the three youths didn’t dissipate for a very long time. Carrying Fang Quan’s corpse, they headed towards the Fang family marketplace.
“Duan Ling Tian? So he is Duan Ling Tian?”
After Chen Mei Er recovered from the shock, a mischievous smile emerged on her face.
As far as she was concerned, as long as Duan Ling Tian was a member of the Li family, she would eventually be able to see Duan Ling Tian again, and she would slowly get even with him.
“Come, let’s go home!”
Chen Mei Er said to the servant girl before walking with her towards the Chen family marketplace.
The crowd surrounding the Agarwood Restaurant’s main door gradually dispersed, but they never stopped their discussion.
The topic of their discussions revolved around the other surnamed junior of the Li family, Duan Ling Tian.
Before, they had heard of his name but had never seen him in person.
But from this moment onwards, they had seen him in person, and even seen his skills!
Relying on his fourth level Body Tempering cultivation, with a single sword strike, he killed the sixth level Body Tempering martial artist, Fang Quan; a truly astonishing feat!
If it was just a rumor, they might not have believed it. But after seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn’t help but believe.
“He is the Li family’s Duan Ling Tian?”
In the third floor of the Agarwood Restaurant, Manager Ma’s eyes flashed brightly.
“That sword strike of his was unbelievably fast… By relying merely on his fourth level Body Tempering cultivation, he can already achieve such a speed. If he can step into the seventh level of the Body Tempering stage in the next two months, killing the Fang family’s Manager, Fang Qiang, won’t be impossible anymore!
“But to progress from the fourth level of the Body Tempering stage to the seventh level in only two months is practically an impossible feat. Although I’ve only met him once, I can tell that he isn’t the sort of person who would seek his own doom. Since he dares to challenge the Fang family’s Manager, it must be because he is confident! Now I’m slightly looking forward to it…
Li family marketplace.
Duan Ling spent some silver coins to buy materials from the Li family weapon store and the medicine store before returning to the Li family estate with Ke Er.
After obtaining these materials, he felt much more at ease.
“Fang Qiang, in three months, you will certainly die!”
A grim fire jumped about inside Duan Ling Tian’s eyes as the corners of his mouth curled into a cold smile.
“Young Master, are you alright?”
Noticing his sinister expression, Ke Er looked over with a worried expression.
“I’m fine. Ke Er, what happened earlier in front of the Agarwood Restaurant didn’t frighten you, right?”
Duan Ling Tian shook his head slightly and kneaded the young girl’s palm while he gently asked this.
“Young master didn’t allow Ke Er to look back, so Ke Er wasn’t frightened.”
The young girl shook her head.
“Good.”
Duan Ling Tian nodded.
Although he wanted to temper Ke Er, he didn’t plan to expose her to such a bloody scene straight away.
Everything requires an order to proceed gradually.
If he tried to temper her in one shot, it would unavoidably cause some complications.
Even to the extent that it may cause Ke Er to suffer from trauma that would be difficult to treat.
This was something that Duan Ling Tian was unwilling to let happen.
[1]TL note: A line from a Chinese poem, meaning the person is so strong that he can kill a man in ten steps, and during his journey of a thousand miles, no one could stop him.