Ch. 100 - Smackdown

Zhang Wenchang, still slumped over the table, lifted his head and quickly wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, trying to hide his sorrow and sadness. He forced a smile and said, “Sorry, everyone. I drank a little too much. Some memories came up and I lost control of my emotions.”

Ye Fan sighed inwardly. This old classmate was living a difficult life, guilt-ridden over his wife, haunted by the child he’d never seen. Now, after breaking down in tears and being ridiculed, he still had to apologize and mask his pain. What kind of emotion must he be feeling right now?

Zhang Wenchang's temples were gray, his eyes swollen, the tear streaks still visible. The sorrow and grief in his heart were obvious even to outsiders, and it made Ye Fan's heart ache. This honest, mild-mannered man had fallen into such a sorry state.

“Half-crippled old man, we’re not going to stoop to your level. You can cry all you want, it’s none of our business. But your friend’s got a sharp mouth. We want to get to know him a little better.”

With mocking smiles, the group approached the table and looked down at Ye Fan and Zhang Wenchang.

Han Feiyu wore a cold smirk and stared at Ye Fan, saying, “What a small world. I thought you died in that ruin. Never expected to run into you here. It’s been more than two years, and I’ve been itching to pay you a visit.”

Ye Fan sat calmly, poured himself a drink with an air of ease, and downed it in one gulp. He said, “What a small world indeed… I’ve heard that line before. The last guy who said it tried to cause trouble and ended up dead instead. I wonder what’ll happen this time.”

He was reminded of Elder Han. Now hearing Han Feiyu use the same line, it gave him an odd feeling.

“You’re pretty calm for someone who’s about to die. Don’t pretend to be composed. No one’s coming to save you today. I’m going to skin you alive!” Han Feiyu’s eyebrows shot up, his expression fierce and menacing. He couldn’t forget how he had been beaten down back then, it was like a thorn lodged in his heart.

“Junior Brother Han, if you’ve got a grudge with him, leave it to us. We’ll beat him until he’s half-dead. No need for restraint here.”

“That loser mouthed off just now. Even if he hadn’t crossed you, we’d still make him pay.”

The group grinned coldly and prepared to attack.

Zhang Wenchang quickly stood up. “Senior and junior brothers, please don’t do this. He’s just a normal person. Don’t make trouble.”

“Half-crippled old man, step aside. This doesn’t concern you,” one of them sneered impatiently and shoved Zhang Wenchang roughly, nearly knocking him over.

“When you first joined, Elder Ma Yun treated you like a treasure. And what happened? You just got lucky unlocking your Bitter Sea. Now you’ve been revealed for what you are…”

“Stay out of the way, old man. If Liu Yiyi hadn’t kept shielding you… hmph!” The speaker let out a string of cold laughs, not finishing the sentence, but everyone knew what he meant.

“Please, I apologize. If you’re upset, take it out on me. Just don’t trouble my friend,” Zhang Wenchang pleaded, shielding Ye Fan with his body.

“Do you really think you’re someone important?” another youth scoffed. “What are you even worth?” He looked Zhang Wenchang up and down with disdain, then shoved him aside and barked, “Move!”

Ye Fan caught Zhang Wenchang and helped him steady himself. Then he glanced at the group and said coldly, “And what are you supposed to be?”

“Ye Fan, don’t…” Zhang Wenchang tried to stop him, stepping forward again. “I’m sorry, he’s just a normal mortal. Please don’t hold it against him. If you’re angry, direct it at me, not him.”

The leader of the group finally lost patience. He grabbed Zhang Wenchang by the collar and snarled, “You really think Liu Yiyi can protect you forever? If you don’t want to die, get lost!”

“Let go of him,” Ye Fan said, still seated. He picked up a cup of wine and splashed it directly in the man’s face.

“You’re dead!” the man roared, his face dark with rage. He shoved Zhang Wenchang away and swung his palm toward Ye Fan’s face.

Ye Fan didn’t move. He casually raised a hand and caught the incoming slap. With a twist, crack, he snapped the man’s wrist, leaving it bent like a fishhook. Then he raised his hand and slapped the man square in the face.

“PAH!”

The slap echoed loudly. The man’s face visibly deformed, teeth flew, blood sprayed, and he was sent flying seven or eight meters like a ragdoll, crashing heavily to the ground.

No one had expected such an outcome. The man twitched on the ground, unable to get up. His ears rang, his vision blurred, and his skull felt like it had cracked open.

“Kill him for me!” he shouted.

Han Feiyu, knowing Ye Fan’s capabilities, immediately backed off and warned the others, “Be careful! This trash has a strange physique and monstrous strength. Don’t let him get close, attack from a distance and use your weapons to cut him to pieces!”

But it was too late. Ye Fan moved like lightning, snatching one man and slapping him across the face repeatedly. The man was left dazed and bleeding from the mouth. Then, like wielding a weapon, Ye Fan swung the man around.

BANG! BANG!

His power and speed were terrifying. Using the man as a human club, Ye Fan smashed three approaching cultivators, sending them flying with screams of pain. The sound of bones breaking filled the air.

“Retreat! Don’t get close to him!” Han Feiyu shouted.

But by then it was too late. The elegant-looking youth seemed more like a human beast. He swung a full-grown man like a twig, beating the others senseless.

“Didn’t you say he was a useless cripple?”

“Where the hell did this strength come from?”

The remaining attackers looked shaken and turned to question Han Feiyu.

“He is a cripple! He can’t cultivate, he’s just freakishly strong. Just stay away from him. Killing him should be easy,” Han Feiyu said with a sinister grin.

Everyone summoned their magical weapons, emerald wood seals, cold iron rulers, blood-red spears. Glowing and humming, they hovered in the air, all pointed at Ye Fan.

“If you want to kill him, go ahead and attack. I don’t mind using him as a human shield,” Ye Fan said casually, swinging the unconscious man in his hand. These Bitter Sea cultivators weren’t even worth exposing his full strength.

“Stop, everyone calm down!” Zhang Wenchang stepped forward, panic in his eyes, standing protectively in front of Ye Fan. “He’s my friend, and Liu Yiyi’s too. You can’t do this to him!”

“Get lost, old man! I don’t care who you bring up. Unless we kill him, I won’t rest!” the man Ye Fan had slapped earlier shouted. Holding his swollen cheek, his eyes flashed with cold light. “So what if Liu Yiyi’s something special? If she dares to meddle, someone will deal with her too!”

Ye Fan sighed again. Looking at his old classmate, he gently patted him on the shoulder and whispered, “Step back. They can’t touch me.” Then, with perfect timing, he flung Zhang Wenchang away from the battle.

“What are you all waiting for? Skin him alive!” the leader roared.

“Swish swish swish…”

Weapons streaked through the air, emerald seals, iron rulers, blood spears flying toward Ye Fan like deadly bolts.

Ye Fan remained calm, swinging his “human weapon” to block the attacks.

“Aaah! You bastards, you’re hitting me!” The man in Ye Fan’s hand had just regained consciousness and screamed as he was repeatedly slashed. If the others hadn’t pulled their blows, he would’ve been hacked to pieces.

“Attack together! Let’s see if he can block them all! I will skin him alive!” shouted the leader.

“Chen Feng, don’t do this! You’re going to get me killed!” the man in Ye Fan’s grip wailed, before being knocked unconscious again by a blow from the emerald seal.

Despite being careful, the others couldn’t avoid hitting their own man, he was bleeding all over.

Ye Fan didn’t want to waste more time. With his cultivation at the Life Spring Realm, killing Bitter Sea cultivators was as easy as swatting flies. Using the unconscious man as a shield, Ye Fan turned into a blur of motion and appeared in front of Chen Feng before he could react, grabbing him by the collar.

“AAAH!” Chen Feng screamed in terror as he, too, was used as a human shield, his body quickly riddled with cuts and wounds.

The rest of the group hesitated. Ye Fan moved like lightning, slamming everyone to the ground with terrifying force.

Only Han Feiyu remained standing. He struggled to summon his green wood seal again and hurled it at Ye Fan, trying to crush him.

But to his horror, Ye Fan casually caught the giant, grinding seal mid-air like it was nothing, completely unmoving.

“BAM!”

Han Feiyu turned pale with fear. His treasured green wood seal had been effortlessly snatched, then swatted back like a flyswatter. In that moment, he felt like a fly.

“CRACK!”

Han Feiyu’s ribs shattered. He coughed up blood and was knocked to the ground, unable to move.

Outside the tavern, bodies lay scattered, all groaning in pain. Not one could get up. Zhang Wenchang, not far away, looked on in disbelief. “This…”

Ye Fan gathered the injured men into a pile. Then, one by one, he began slapping them across the face.

“Just who do you think you are, trying to bully people? Even if I am a cripple who can’t cultivate, I’ll still beat you senseless.”

“PAH! PAH! PAH!”

Slap after slap rang out. Saliva flew, blood spattered, and teeth scattered across the ground.

The group wailed and begged for mercy.

Ye Fan gave special attention to Han Feiyu and Chen Feng, lining them up like dead dogs and delivering repeated slaps, the crisp sounds echoing nonstop.

“You…” Han Feiyu muttered through blood, eyes full of hatred.

“PAH!”

Ye Fan slapped him again, then hauled him up and said, “What a small world, eh?”

Han Feiyu, hearing those words, spat blood in fury. His body trembled, nearly dying from sheer rage.

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