Chapter 21: Oppressing the Powerful, Aiding the Weak; Eliminating Violence, Restoring Justice

Su Yi tightened his grip, forcing the man to stagger backwards. He pushed him into the room, and the door swung shut behind them.

At the far end of the room, a woman stood naked, her limbs bound by iron chains. Her back was mottled with bruises, some wounds split open and bleeding. Several pairs of fierce eyes glared at him, their curses ringing out, “Where did this brat come from?”

“Looking for death!”

“Doesn’t want to live!”

“Let him go!”

Su Yi remained unmoved. The man held in his grasp trembled like a leaf, and as Su Yi finished absorbing his vital energy, his fingers dug deep into the man’s flesh, blood seeping between them. With a violent shove, the man collapsed—a corpse.

Four men remained, weapons raised, charging at him. Su Yi hadn’t even drawn his blade; he wielded the scabbard, spinning with swift grace. The first attacker felt a sharp pain in his wrist, his knife clattering to the floor, and Su Yi spun sideways, kicking him hard. The man crashed into two others, turning them into a tangle of bodies rolling across the floor.

A long whip cracked through the air. Su Yi caught its tip in one hand, the formidable force dissipating as if swallowed by the void. The whip’s wielder struggled desperately to reclaim it, but an overwhelming strength held it immobile.

“Come here!” Su Yi commanded softly. The man sensed danger and tried to release the whip, but a sudden, irresistible pull seized him. With a flick of the whip, the man seemed to fly forward as if carried by the wind.

Su Yi caught him, hand closing around his throat. The man’s face turned crimson, his strangled cries little more than garbled moans.

“Boss!” “Boss!” “Let him go!” The other men, just scrambling to their feet, shouted in panic, afraid to act rashly.

“You must be Xue Lingbao?” Su Yi said carelessly, not bothering with the man’s identity.

“Then you can die now.” He squeezed harder, releasing Xue Lingbao, who crashed to the floor. Even in death, his wide eyes were filled with terror.

From Xue Lingbao, Su Yi absorbed far more vital energy than from his three henchmen.

His cultivation of the Whale Swallowing Technique had reached the first stage’s perfection, and now, as if a dam had burst, he broke through and stepped into the second stage.

Unity of force and vital energy—this was a realm only second-rate masters in this world could attain, merging all external muscle strength and internal energy into one, constantly pushing bodily limits toward the pinnacle.

With his body’s extreme enhancement, Su Yi’s physical strength and speed far surpassed human limits. At this moment, his external power still exceeded his inner energy, yet the initial integration of both made him vastly stronger than before.

Seeing their boss fall instantly, Xue Lingbao’s three men realized there was no way out. Driven to desperation, they charged at Su Yi with reckless ferocity.

Su Yi frowned, drew his blade, and unleashed the Willow in the Wind sword technique he had just learned.

Steel clashed, and the air was thick with the scent of blood. Su Yi moved like a willow in the wind, stepping lightly, and in a few exchanges, severed all three men’s legs.

Their screams filled the room. One by one, they collapsed, blood quickly soaking the floor as they writhed in agony. Su Yi strode over, pressed his palm to each of their backs, extracting their internal energy, then ended their lives.

He took a key from the wall and freed the chained woman. Though she hadn’t seen what happened behind her, the sounds alone had revealed the carnage. As she struggled out of her shackles and turned, she recoiled, covering her mouth in terror and retreating to a corner.

Su Yi glanced about, tossed her a tattered garment, then turned and left without a word.

Once again, he walked down that dark corridor.

He returned to the wooden cot where the young girl lay. She was still curled up, only her bright eyes watching him. He paused and said, “I’ve killed him. You’re free now.” Without another word, he strode quickly downstairs.

Behind him, he faintly heard soft sobbing.

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Dong’an Street, Hengyuan Gambling House.

Torches of varying heights blazed, illuminating the hall as brightly as day. At battered gaming tables, gamblers in patched coarse cloth sat with bloodshot eyes, cursing their luck hoarsely. Yet they dug out their last coppers and scraps of silver, urging the dealers to begin another round.

Card games, dice, fish-shrimp-crab, pitch-pot—every manner of gambling stirred the deepest desires within these patrons. Their frantic pursuit of wealth stripped away the last of their reason, leaving family and duty forgotten in the haze.

In the farthest corner of the hall, a crowd had gathered.

A portly man, clad in silk, sat upright in a grand chair, his gaze cold as he looked at the man kneeling before him, whose arms were twisted behind by burly henchmen.

“Zhang Tie, you’ve got some nerve. You still owe me six taels of silver from last time, and now you dare come begging for more to win it back? Do you take me, Lord Kui, for a charity?”

The kneeling man was in rags, his expression desperate. “Lord Kui, please be fair. I’d never dare owe you money. Last time, I pledged you a painting—a gift from the renowned scholar Cao Zhen to thank my grandfather. I’ve asked around the market; if it finds the right buyer, it’s worth at least thirty taels. If I hadn’t been unable to sell it in time, I wouldn’t have given it to you. You agreed to it then, didn’t you?”

“Did I? I don’t recall,” Lord Kui sneered. “Just your word? You claim your painting’s worth thirty taels—I say my chair is worth a thousand!” The henchmen laughed uproariously.

“I’ve never even heard of your so-called scholar. If I hadn’t felt pity and wanted to give you another chance, do you think your worthless painting would fetch even half a tael? If you don’t come up with six taels now, I’ll break your leg!”

At Lord Kui’s signal, a burly man stomped hard on Zhang Tie’s right ankle.

“Ah!” Zhang Tie screamed in agony. “Please, Lord Kui! I truly have nothing left!”

“No money, yet you still gamble? Look at you.” Lord Kui gestured for his man to press harder, and Zhang Tie nearly fainted from pain.

“I’ll give you a way out. I hear you have two daughters at home. Sign them over to me, and your debt is cleared. Otherwise, tomorrow I’ll throw you in the river to feed the fish!”