74: Chapter 74 Are you threatening me?

As soon as these words were spoken, Xu Kui was stunned.

He stopped the step he was about to take onto the second floor, his thick neck turning stiffly as he carefully sized up the young man who dared to stand up to him.

The light in the booth was dim, but Chen Ran's appearance could still be clearly seen.

The man was dressed in white brocade robes.

Although the fabric was not top-tier Shu brocade or Suzhou embroidery, it was extremely exquisite, well-tailored, and spotless.

He sat upright on a yellow pear wood chair, his posture as straight as a pine, his face refined, and his temperament otherworldly.

No matter how one looked at it, this did not seem like someone from the lower rungs of society who would frequent a street-side tea house.

"Where did this greenhorn come from, daring to meddle in your Grandpa Xu's business? Haven't you even heard of the great name of the Flying Bear Gang!" Xu Kui snorted coldly, his thick eyebrows suddenly standing on end, and the flab on his face trembling fiercely.

Although a hint of doubt arose in his heart, it was quickly suppressed by his habit of throwing his weight around.

Having mixed in this area of the Outer City of the capital for so long, what kind of person hadn't Xu Kui seen?

Located on the outskirts of the capital, this place was not prosperous. Let alone powerful nobles, even merchants were rare here; there were only some commoners running small businesses.

It was impossible for any big shots to come here for inspections, which was the reason why their Flying Bear Gang could be so wanton and rampant here.

However, he still focused his attention on Chen Ran. After sizing him up carefully, he saw that there wasn't even a decent attendant by his side.

He didn't match any of the powerful Families that the Gang had warned them about before.

Only then did he heave a sigh of relief and sneer.

"Where did this Young Master come from? Don't you know this is the capital?"

Clearly, he took Chen Ran for some ignorant, wealthy Young Master from a small place who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

He had seen plenty of such people; usually, they could act like tyrants in the countryside, waited on hand and foot by servants and maids.

But once they went outside, they still thought the whole world was their father, wanting to stick their noses into any injustice they saw.

To deal with such Young Masters, a few words of intimidation would guarantee they'd wet their pants.

"Looking at how you're dressed, your Family shouldn't be short of money." Xu Kui's face was full of malice as he threatened viciously, "Since you want to stand up for this wench and play the hero saving the beauty, then pay for her share as well! One hundred taels of silver. If you're short by even a copper, not only will I smash this tea house today, but I'll also take that young lady behind you to pay off the debt!"

At the end, the few hooligans behind Xu Kui echoed with lewd laughter.

Standing on the side, Han Jiuping added fuel to the fire with a sarcastic tone: "Master Xu is right. This soft-skinned pretty boy is only good at talking. If he can't come up with the silver later, break his legs and throw him to the Mass Grave outside the city to feed the wild dogs!"

Hearing this, Jiang Mengli's eyes darkened, her face cold as frost.

The Internal Energy circulating in her body slowly flowed to her palms, and a strange red glow flickered in and out of existence.

Who was she? The Saintess of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult. How could she have ever endured such mockery? If it were any other day, the person opposite her would already be a corpse.

But now… her gaze rested on Chen Ran, and the movement in her hands slowly dissipated.

"Forget it. If I make a move, I probably won't be able to stay in the capital, and this kid definitely won't be able to hide either…"

Chen Ran also sensed the movement behind him; he slowly waved his hand, temporarily holding Jiang Mengli back.

He pondered the memories regarding this Flying Bear Gang.

From the time he started to Cultivate until now, he wouldn't say he knew everything about the inside of the capital, but he had heard of Gangs both big and small.

This Flying Bear Gang was one of them, entrenched in a corner of the South City. It was not a very strong force; otherwise, it wouldn't be huddled on the outskirts of the capital, failing to even enter the core area.

Seeing that the person opposite did not speak, Xu Kui thought that the person before him might be afraid of his Gang, so he laughed loudly: "You should go and ask around. On this side of the South City, who is it that provides protection?"

Chen Ran remained seated on the chair, without getting up, and slowly set down the teacup in his hand.

He spoke calmly: "I indeed do not have silver, but I do have a few gifts I can give to you."

"Gifts? What gifts?"

Xu Kui's complexion improved quite a bit. If the other party could compensate with precious jewelry or the like, it would be well worth the price.

But he suddenly realized that something seemed wrong.

He saw the young man in brocade robes before him hook the corners of his mouth, raise his right hand, and strike the tabletop casually with his palm.

Slap!

The three or five coarse porcelain teacups and a teapot with a handle sitting on the table seemed to be hit by some incredible, massive force; they were suddenly shaken up and bounced into mid-air!

The next second. "Whoosh—!"

A piercing sound of wind being broken suddenly rang out, as if even the air had been torn apart.

Those teacups and the teapot turned into several blurred afterimages.

The speed was as fast as thunder and lightning, leaving no time for anyone to make any reaction!

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

A series of dull sounds of sharp blades forcibly cutting through flesh and bones breaking came through.

The shrill screams instantly pierced through the roof of the tea house.

"Ah—my hand! My hand!"

Xu Kui and Han Jiuping simultaneously let out a miserable howl like a slaughtered pig.

Their bodies were like being hit head-on by an invisible, ten-thousand-catty heavy hammer; their feet instantly left the ground, and they flew backward uncontrollably.

The two of them drew a parabola in mid-air and smashed heavily onto the bluestone floor of the first-floor lobby, rolling several times before stopping, knocking over countless tables and chairs.

Blood, like a fountain, instantly stained the ground red.

Inside the lobby, everyone could see the miserable state of the two.

Not just the two of them, but the few Flying Bear Gang members following behind them were also unable to escape unscathed.

Some were rolling on the ground, scalded by the splashing tea; others had their cheeks and arms slashed by the shattered porcelain pieces. The wails merged into one.

Inside the tea house, it fell into a deathly silence. One could hear a pin drop.

All the tea house guests stood frozen on the spot, eyes wide and mouths agape, watching everything that had happened before them.

No one had expected that this person would suddenly lash out.

Even Old Sun, the tea house owner who was trembling behind the counter, forgot the pain in his body, his eyes filled with disbelief.

With a casual slap on the table, a few ordinary teacups could fly through the air and pierce through a person's hand?!

With such methods, this person was definitely a ranked Martial Artist!

Xu Kui was sweating profusely from the pain, his face covered in flab now pale as paper, devoid of any color.

He gripped his blood-dripping right hand tightly with his left, trying to slow the loss of blood, his eyes filled with unprecedented fear.

He hadn't even seen how the other party made a move, and one of his hands was already ruined!

Then, the young man in brocade robes picked up a towel, wiped his palms, and chuckled slowly: "Everyone, I wonder if this gift is satisfactory?"

Stimulated by the pain, Xu Kui's face became ferocious: "You… you dare to hurt us?! Kid, you've gotten yourself into big trouble, you're dead!"

"Oh? Is that so."

Chen Ran finally rose slowly. He unhurriedly straightened the cuffs of his moon-white casual clothes, his movements elegant and composed.

He walked to the stairs and, following the wooden steps, walked down one by one. "Tap, tap, tap…"

The sound of his boots stepping on the wooden boards was very light, with a steady rhythm.

Chen Ran walked to the center of the lobby and stopped a few steps away from Xu Kui. He looked down from a high position at the group of hooligans who were rolling on the ground, covered in blood.

"Are you threatening me?"

Chen Ran's thin lips parted slightly, his voice colder. As his words fell, the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to plummet by more than ten degrees, and an invisible aura of Killing Intent permeated the area.

Xu Kui shuddered all over, scrambling backward, his legs kicking wildly. "You… what do you want? Don't come over!" Xu Kui's voice was trembling.

"I'm warning you, this is the capital! Under the feet of the Emperor, killing someone requires paying with your life. If you dare to mess around, the officials of the Six Doors will absolutely not let you go!"

Hearing the word "officials," Chen Ran was unmoved, even wanting to laugh.

A hooligan from a Gang, unable to win a fight, actually brought out the imperial laws as a shield. It was truly the biggest joke in the world.

Just at this moment, the commotion here finally attracted onlookers.

On the street outside the tea house, a burst of chaotic and heavy footsteps suddenly came. Accompanying it was the uniform clashing sound of armor plates, and the cold, sharp sound of waist sabers rubbing against scabbards.

"Bang!" The already dilapidated wooden door of the tea house was kicked open rudely from the outside, and the two door panels collapsed with a crash.

A squad of constables dressed in dark red official uniforms, with standard-issue sabers at their waists, rushed in with murderous Killing Intent.

Leading them was a constable with a full beard, his eyes like lightning. Scanning the bloody and messy scene in the lobby, his expression changed slightly: he slammed his hand onto the hilt of his saber and shouted sternly.

"Who dares to cause trouble in the capital?!"