Chapter 30: The Youth Among Them

The market was as bustling as ever, with a constant stream of pedestrians. Qin Liang moved forward among the crowd.

Suddenly, a commotion ahead caught his attention. A curious crowd had gathered, and although he could not see what they were watching, the sound of voices emerged from within the circle.

"Little lady, why not come with me now? Let your brother show you a good time. Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of work for you."

A young man with a leering, wicked smile pressed forward, accompanied by two lackeys. Everyone could see they were wearing the livery of the Wang family, rolling up their sleeves as if they intended to use brutal force should the woman refuse.

"Don't push me too far! I would rather die than submit!"

The pure, young girl stood her ground with stubborn resolve. She clutched a short blade tightly, retreating step by step until her back hit a wall. With nowhere left to run, her face turned even paler.

"Rather die than submit? Then go ahead and die for us to see." The youth from the Wang family sneered. "You don't have the guts to die, or you would have done it already."

As he reached out to seize her, his two lackeys flanked her from the sides, cutting off any path of escape. Just as the three were about to succeed, a slightly youthful voice rang out.

"Stop that! The Wang family truly produces nothing but trash; you are nothing but an embarrassment."

A young boy pushed through the crowd and stood before the girl, shielding her with his arms. Though he was clearly young, his sense of justice was unwavering. "Big sister, don't be afraid. I will protect you."

The boy who had suddenly appeared only reached the girl's shoulder, still looking like he was barely weaned.

"Hahaha..."

The three men from the Wang family roared with laughter. "Whose little brat are you? Daring to play the hero and save the beauty? Haven't you had your fill of mother's milk yet? Hahaha..."

"Little brother, hurry and run. Don't worry about me." The girl, unable to bear the thought of an innocent child getting hurt, tugged at his sleeve. She could see he was even younger than she was.

"Big sister, don't worry. I will protect you." The boy remained stubborn, shouting at the men, "I am Jiang Chang, a disciple of the Jiang family! You scoundrels, doing nothing but evil—the Wang family is surely not far from its own destruction. Why don't you get lost?"

The three men laughed again; they had never even heard of such a person in the Jiang family.

"Who is Jiang Chang? I, Wang Feng, have never heard of you. With that posturing of yours, I almost thought Qin Liang had arrived! Hahaha..."

As the laughter echoed, the onlookers sighed. The boy was certainly brave, but far too reckless. Seeing Jiang Chang’s stubbornness, Wang Feng lost his patience and waved for his lackeys to pull him away so he could finish his business.

The two lackeys stepped forward to grab the boy and toss him aside. Jiang Chang drew a steel sword, performing a flourish before holding it defensively, looking as though he were ready to die.

"Seeking death!"

The two men’s hands moved like vipers, bypassing the sword and reaching directly for Jiang Chang’s throat. Before two Fifth-Level Spirit Refiners, Jiang Chang—a mere Second-Level Refiner—was no match. He retreated quickly, but was soon grabbed by the throat and hoisted into the air like a chick.

"Little brother..." the girl cried out in panic.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Jiang Chang was not thrown aside or strangled as they had expected. The youth’s wrist was gripped by a taller, older teenager, the pressure immense.

Seeing the newcomer, Jiang Chang’s eyes lit up with joy. "Qin… Brother Qin?"

This was his idol, the man who had once shattered the Questioning Monument with a single palm strike. It was because of him that Jiang Chang had joined the Jiang family, hoping to follow in his footsteps and become a man like him.

Qin Liang gripped the lackey’s wrist, twisting it until he forced him to release Jiang Chang.

"You all saw it—the Wang family are all scum. I once said that for every one I see, I will cripple them, and for every pair, I will cripple both. Seeing three at once today, it seems my luck is finally turning around."

As he spoke, Qin Liang slammed a fist into the lackey’s chest, shattering his heart pulse. The lackey recognized Qin Liang and was filled with terror. He tried to dodge the punch, but with his wrist held captive, he was sent flying before he could even speak, crashing onto the other side of the street and coughing up blood.

"You… you crippled me?" he stared at Qin Liang in shock and fury.

Qin Liang said coldly, "So, the people of the Jiang family are either fools or deaf; no wonder you don't understand human speech."

"Qin Liang, I heard you crippled the Second Young Master and the Third Young Lady. I have long wanted to see what you’re capable of."

Wang Feng was furious. Even though he saw that Qin Liang was only at the Fifth Level of Spirit Refining, he unleashed his movement technique and threw a powerful punch.

The Wang family’s basic martial art, "Tiger Form Fist," was accompanied by the sound of a tiger’s roar. The sonic waves churned the air, shaking the street. The onlookers, fearing for their hearing, covered their ears and scrambled to retreat. Within the surging wind, the phantom of a fierce tiger appeared, rushing toward Qin Liang.

Qin Liang narrowed his eyes, a thought occurring to him: he should learn more martial arts.

He unleashed a Seven-Star Fist, which also roiled the air. Seven layers of hidden force lay within the wind, invisible and traceless, colliding with the tiger in an instant and shredding it. The tiger’s roar turned into a howl of agony.

"Sixth-Level Spirit Refining?"

After the clash, Qin Liang sensed the opponent’s strength, but he did not care. After each level of spirit refinement, his strength far exceeded those at the same level. Facing a Sixth-Level Refiner now, he felt no fear.

"How is this possible?"

Wang Feng’s face changed as he was forced to retreat repeatedly. He gasped in shock, "How can the strength of a Fifth-Level Refiner be this strong?"

Qin Liang didn't say a word. He stepped forward, his speed like the wind, and reached Wang Feng in an instant. Wang Feng could only react in haste, throwing more punches, but it was to no avail. Qin Liang struck him with a single blow, shattering his bones.

Wang Feng had the illusion that he was not fighting a human, but a ferocious beast. Watching helplessly as Qin Liang snatched his storage bag, he was so filled with rage that he spat out another mouthful of blood and collapsed, unconscious. To be defeated by a Fifth-Level Refiner when he was at the Sixth Level was a deep humiliation.

The crowd remained silent, trembling in awe. A few days ago, Qin Liang could only cripple a Fifth-Level Refiner; today, he could cripple a Sixth-Level one. This rate of growth was simply too terrifying—even the greatest genius of the City Lord’s Mansion could hardly compare.

Having dealt with the two, Qin Liang did not let the remaining lackey go. In a world where the strong reign supreme, without their cultivation, they would find every step difficult and their lives worse than death.

"Just going out for a walk, and I get such unexpected gains. It really does pay to go out more often!"

Qin Liang sighed, pulled a few spirit coins from the storage bag, and scattered them over the three men from the Wang family. Seeing this, the onlookers became quite helpful. Those who were fast ran over to pick up the coins and skillfully hauled the three men away, preparing to dump them at the entrance of the Wang family estate.

"Kid, if you aren't strong enough, why go around playing the hero?"

Qin Liang turned back and flicked the forehead of the young Jiang Chang. "Always getting into trouble you can't handle."

"But I learned it from Brother Qin," Jiang Chang lowered his head.

"You..." Qin Liang was speechless. He sighed and instructed, "Alright, go home if you’re fine. Don't get beaten up again."

After sending Jiang Chang away, Qin Liang looked at the girl. He felt she looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.

The girl studied Qin Liang, then exclaimed in surprise, "So it was you!"