The grand gates of the Sihai Inn had already been shut tight. Inside, four ruthless-looking men exuded the unmistakable aura of seasoned killers from the martial world.
Three of them stood guard at the entrance, gripping long blades in hand. Though their clothes were disheveled from earlier scuffles, they remained upright, their eyes sharp and menacing.
A short distance away, the fourth man—addressed by the others as "Big Brother"—was pinning down a young girl no older than thirteen or fourteen, her slender frame still in the midst of growing. He was attempting to force himself upon her, right there in broad daylight, with no concern for the place or time.
"Good sir, it's still daylight," pleaded the innkeeper's wife, her voice trembling. "Can't you wait till nightfall? Then… I'll send my daughter to your room myself…"
She was a woman of alluring charm, still full of mature grace. Merchants passing through often stole second glances at her figure. But at this moment, all her beauty was wasted on the brute before her.
Despite her desperate attempts to flirt, to delay, nothing could stop what was happening. Her daughter was about to be violated, and she was powerless to stop it.
Several of the inn's servants already lay on the ground, bloodied and groaning—proof enough of the invaders' strength. The innkeeper's wife could only try to stall for time, hoping for a miracle to spare her daughter from the beast's hands. As for what came after… she no longer dared think that far.
The three blade-wielding thugs relaxed slightly, certain that no more resistance remained. They leaned lazily on their weapons and turned hungry eyes toward the innkeeper's wife.
The short, sleazy-looking one even began to drool.
"Hahaha! Since when do the Five Tigers of Tianmen need to wait till nightfall for such pleasures? Broad daylight makes it even more exciting!"
The little girl had caught the eye of their big brother—none of them dared touch her. But the innkeeper's wife? Fair game.
The short one, nicknamed the "Burrowing Tiger," cast a glance at his two companions, then licked his lips shamelessly.
"This ripe old peach—Second Brother gets her first. Once I've had my fill, you two can take your turns."
The "Mountain Tiger" and "Sea-Watching Tiger" dared not protest. Not because they lacked lust, but because they lacked courage. When the Burrowing Tiger spoke, they obeyed, offering polite replies while staying vigilant.
"Brother, go ahead." ×2
The innkeeper's wife saw the situation turning hopeless and silently cursed her useless husband a thousand times over. That damned fool had snuck off to gamble, leaving her and their daughter to face this alone.
She watched in horror as the short brute leered and approached her. Her daughter's cries had gone hoarse, her weak struggles slowly fading. Despair tightened around the woman's heart.
Suddenly, a firm hand landed on her shoulder—a broad, powerful palm. A glimmer of hope surged through her. Had her husband returned?
But as she turned, her heart sank again.
It was only the teenage cook from their inn—Li Chaofeng. The boy's face still bore traces of youth, barely past puberty. Yet now, he stepped forward with steady eyes, staring directly at the four ruffians.
He was unarmed. Barehanded.
The innkeeper's wife panicked. She grabbed at his sleeve and scolded him sharply:
"What are you doing here? These gentlemen are still waiting for their food! Go back to the kitchen—now!"
But Li Chaofeng stood firm. He glanced down at the lecherous dwarf approaching them, and his hands slowly curled into fists.
His intent to fight was unmistakable.
The Burrowing Tiger scoffed at him with contempt.
He had seen the youth walk into the main hall earlier—clumsy footsteps, sluggish movements. Clearly a weakling, untrained in martial arts.
Seeing the boy now daring to raise a fist, he burst into mocking laughter and pointed at his own head arrogantly.
"Oho? You wanna fight, little brat? Go ahead—aim here! If you can even make me flinch, your Tiger Grandpa isn't a man!"
"Gladly."
Li Chaofeng smiled faintly. If the man was begging to die, then there was no need for hesitation.
Ignoring the innkeeper's desperate pull, Li Chaofeng drew back his right fist—structured like a crushing "collapse punch," with his index knuckle extended—and drove it straight at the dwarf's chest-height head.
But the Burrowing Tiger wasn't a fool. Though he was arrogant, he knew that even with inner energy guarding his body, a blow to the head still hurt.
His left hand snapped up in defense—meeting Li Chaofeng's fist head-on.
"You really dare throw a—AARGH!"
A sharp scream pierced the inn.
The Mountain Tiger and Sea-Watching Tiger instantly raised their blades, while their leader—the Heaven-Piercing Tiger—turned sharply, looking over in confusion.
The innkeeper's wife froze in disbelief. Her hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide.
The young cook stood firm, jaw clenched, eyes fierce.
The Burrowing Tiger clutched his right wrist in agony—his left hand had been cleanly severed at the wrist.
All eyes turned toward the boy.
But Li Chaofeng only smiled. It was a bright, relieved smile, as though he had shed some great burden.
He flicked his right index finger sharply.
A silver gleam flashed. The Burrowing Tiger's eyes went wide. Blood sprayed from his throat.
He collapsed without a sound.
"Second Brother!" ×2"Old Two!"
Three anguished shouts rang out.
The Heaven-Piercing Tiger gripped his gold-ringed broadsword with both hands. A chorus of metallic jingles echoed as he adjusted his grip, finding comfort in the familiar weight of the blade.
With a roar, his face twisted into a snarl of fury. He kicked the table in front of him with all his strength—sending it and the half-dressed girl atop it flying toward the towering youth.
"You little brat, still wet behind the ears, dare kill my brother? KILL HIM!"
The Mountain Tiger and Sea-Watching Tiger lunged in unison, channeling their inner energy into twin strikes as they closed in from both sides.
Blades sang through the air. The rushing wind stirred the fine hairs on Li Chaofeng's face—alerting him to their attack angles.
The Five Insects Blade had not only strengthened his body, but also sharpened his senses.
Li Chaofeng reached out and caught the flying table with one hand, then pivoted backward to avoid the Mountain Tiger's cleaving strike. With a surge of force, he hurled the table aside—sending it crashing into the wall behind the innkeeper's wife.
Then he charged forward—right toward the oncoming slash from the Sea-Watching Tiger.
The blade came straight at his chest. But Li Chaofeng raised his palm and, to everyone's shock, caught the blade between his thumb and index finger.
A metallic screech rang through the room—like iron grinding on stone.
Zzzzzzzz~
With the Five Insects Blade intercepting the attack, Li Chaofeng seized the weapon's hilt. His left hand swept out like lightning—ripping through the Sea-Watching Tiger's open chest.
A gaping slash opened from shoulder to ribs. Within, his heart could be seen still beating—moments before blood gushed out in torrents.
With a deft sidestep, Li Chaofeng avoided the torrent of blood spraying into the air. He stood motionless, arms relaxed at his sides, and turned a calm gaze upon the two remaining tigers.
"Gulp—"
The Mountain Tiger hadn't even seen what happened clearly. All he knew was that now, he didn't dare to move a muscle.
The Heaven-Piercing Tiger, however, felt true fear creeping into his heart.
What sort of technique was this youth using? He was completely unarmed, yet terrifyingly lethal. Was this some obscure martial art? Iron Sand Palm? Diamond Body?
No—it wasn't martial arts at all.
This was a monster.
What could be more terrifying than a blade sharper than hair-splitting steel? A blade that could manifest anywhere on the body—fingertip, knuckle, palm, between the fingers, elbow, even the center of the brow.
Li Chaofeng knew no martial arts. But martial arts only enhanced a fighter's strength, durability, and perception—it didn't vastly improve their speed of reaction.
And Li Chaofeng could already match them in reaction time.
As long as he wasn't completely overwhelmed by sheer speed, Li Chaofeng was—without a doubt—immensely powerful.
As the leader of the Five Tigers of Tianmen, the Heaven-Piercing Tiger was no coward. Though fear clawed at his gut, he steadied his breath and raised his massive gold-ringed broadsword.
Striding past the Mountain Tiger, he came to stand directly before Li Chaofeng, eyes narrowed in killing intent.
"Boy, what sect are you from?" he growled.
"No sect. No school."
The Heaven-Piercing Tiger let out a furious bark of laughter. "Well then, a wild dog!"
With a bellow, he swung his heavy blade in a wide arc aimed at Li Chaofeng's chest and stomach.
Li Chaofeng leapt back, avoiding the strike—but felt the chilling bite of something sharp across his midsection.
Blade qi?
The invisible force had torn a fine slit in his tunic. Through the gap, the Heaven-Piercing Tiger caught a glimpse of a faint, hair-thin line of red on Li Chaofeng's skin.
A little like Diamond Body… but not quite there yet.
If even blade qi could break his skin, how "indestructible" could it be?
A sense of confidence returned to the Heaven-Piercing Tiger. Inside the narrow confines of the inn, he began to whirl his giant blade in a deadly storm. The hall filled with the deafening clang of steel, ringing endlessly.
Li Chaofeng, relying on the Five Insects Blade's enhanced perception, dodged with agility—though a bit battered and hasty, he never let the deadly blade touch him.
Then, both fighters seized a moment.
They passed one another.
A harsh tearing sound rang out—the unmistakable noise of leather being sliced.
"Cough… cough…"
Li Chaofeng staggered. Though he had deflected much of the impact, the broadsword had still grazed his back, leaving a deep gash across his skin. Fortunately, it didn't bleed.
This was the second ability of the Five Insects Blade—Hardened Flesh.
Behind him, the arrogant and ruthless Heaven-Piercing Tiger stood frozen, his left hand outstretched… a hole drilled through his palm. Another hole gaped clean through the center of his forehead.
In his final moment, he saw it.
The weapon this deadly youth wielded.
"Ghost… Blade…"
With that last whisper, the Heaven-Piercing Tiger fell backward, dead.
The Mountain Tiger collapsed to the floor in shock, legs giving out beneath him. A breeze swept past, and he fainted on the spot.
"Daring to stir up trouble in my inn—do you even know what the hell you are?!"
Gasping for breath, the innkeeper's wife stormed in, wielding a thick wooden club. Her eyes scanned the bloody corpses scattered across the floor, then landed on the young man standing tall in the center—his shirt torn in two, muscles gleaming, his towering figure half-bared.
She turned furiously toward a dazed young servant who was still staring at the scene in shock.
"Well?! Still gawking? Get up and start cleaning! I must've been blind to feed a bunch of useless trash like you!"