As soon as he stepped out of the dock, Han Li had the two porters walk ahead to lead him to a nearby inn, intending to rest properly before considering other matters.
The two men readily agreed and led Han Li and his companion into the city. However, after numerous twists and turns along the way, they had walked for quite some time without catching sight of an inn.
Though Han Li continued to follow the porters, he frowned slightly as the paths they took grew increasingly remote and the number of people they encountered dwindled.
Even without prior experience staying in large towns, he knew that an inn would never be built in such a secluded area—there would be no customers here.
Therefore, when they were led into a filthy, dark alley, Han Li smiled bitterly, feeling that he should immediately subdue the two and interrogate them to uncover their intentions.
Just as Han Li was about to take action, over a dozen burly men suddenly emerged from the depths of the alley ahead. They looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen them in the dock’s shed.
These men, armed with iron rods and sharp knives, now stared maliciously at Han Li and Qu Hun. The two porters carrying the packages suddenly dashed into the crowd, turning back to sneer at Han Li.
Han Li sighed. It seemed there was no need for interrogation—their intentions were clear. He had not expected to encounter a life-threatening scheme the moment he set foot in Mo Dafu’s hometown.
“Kid, don’t blame us for being ruthless. Blame your bad luck for carrying so much silver!” a rough voice called out from behind.
Han Li turned to see seven or eight strong men behind him. The two leaders—one dark-skinned and burly, the other skinny with shifty eyes—were none other than Hei Xiong and Sun Ergou.
This was not the first time these two had engaged in such murderous, wealth-seeking schemes. They knew that as long as the job was done cleanly, leaving no witnesses, the authorities would hardly bother with the disappearance of a non-local, even if it was reported. After all, too many people went missing here every year for the officials to investigate each case thoroughly.
After speaking, Hei Xiong wasted no time. He signaled to the dozen men, who brandished their weapons and charged fiercely at Han Li and Qu Hun, trapping them in the middle.
Seeing the bloodthirsty ferocity in these men’s eyes, a flicker of killing intent passed through Han Li’s gaze. He could tell they had done this more than once—each carried the stench of blood.
“Kill them. Show no mercy,” Han Li coldly ordered Qu Hun.
Upon hearing this, Qu Hun let out a low growl, tinged with excitement, and lunged forward into the oncoming crowd.
With a swift, lightning-like punch, he struck one man’s head, sending him flying like a sandbag against a stone wall. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, leaving only half of his skull intact.
At that moment, a sharp knife and a thick iron rod simultaneously struck at Qu Hun’s back from behind.
Without even turning his head, Qu Hun swung his other arm in a half-circle. With two loud thuds, the weapons flew into the air upon contact with his arm, leaving the two men’s hands bloodied.
Then, balancing on one leg, Qu Hun swept his other leg like a scythe backward. The two men were kicked in their abdomens and flung more than ten feet away, collapsing motionless to the ground.
The others who witnessed this gasped in shock, and those surrounding Qu Hun grew fearful, hesitating to advance.
Even as they halted, Qu Hun showed no mercy, striking left and right to shatter the skulls of two more men nearby. Without Han Li’s order, he would not stop.
Sun Ergou and Hei Xiong’s faces darkened. Clearly, they had misjudged the situation—this giant was no ordinary bodyguard but an exceptionally formidable opponent.
“Kill this giant, and each of you will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver!” Sun Ergou, sensing impending doom, hastily offered a heavy reward to the few “experts” beside him.
Upon hearing this, the men around them brightened. These were crude martial artists with only superficial skills, unable to recognize the vast gap between themselves and Qu Hun. They assumed he was merely strong and somewhat skilled, feeling no fear. Spurred by the generous reward, they charged at Qu Hun.
After hearing Sun Ergou’s words, Hei Xiong’s facial muscles twitched, but he remained silent, his gaze shifting restlessly toward Han Li.
Inwardly, Hei Xiong was lamenting his misfortune.
Unlike Sun Ergou, he had risen to his position through daring and ruthless combat. Not only did he possess decent skills that barely placed him among third-rate fighters, but he also had keen judgment.
The moment he saw Qu Hun in action, his heart sank. He immediately recognized that Qu Hun’s prowess was such that even their gang leader might not stand a chance, let alone their motley crew. Yet, he dared not flee, as it was evident the giant had not yet exerted his full strength. If he attempted to escape, he would likely meet a quicker death.
To survive, it seemed his only option was to target the rustic-looking young man. Clearly, this youth held a higher status than the giant. Taking him hostage might be their only chance to escape. As for the silver, Hei Xiong no longer dared to entertain the thought. With such a powerful bodyguard, this was no simple rich man’s son but likely a young master from a prominent family in disguise. If he could escape with his life today, it would be by divine grace. Carrying such a heavy package was out of the question!
With this in mind, Hei Xiong took advantage of the chaos as his men charged forward. After exchanging a glance with Sun Ergou, he stealthily moved toward the center of the scene.
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