Chapter 31: It’s not that they are too weak, I am just too strong i

Xu Yan rode his horse, observing the two figures from the martial arts underworld ahead. They had long knives slung around their waists, their faces displayed a mixture of surprise and delight, and their eyes hinted at a cold, mysterious gleam. A thoughtful expression overtook his features. “Am I being targeted? A kidnap attempt? ” “That can’t be right. Why haven’t I been targeted before?” “Could it be because my engagement hadn’t been broken off yet, and because I was affiliated with the high-ranking General’s House, these underworld figures didn’t dare to touch me?” He had been searching for skilled masters for quite a while, wandering around Donghe County on his own. No one from the martial arts underworld ever dared to kidnap him, the richest young master of Donghe. And now, someone was boldly plotting against him right on the main road! The first thing Xu Yan thought of was that his engagement with the General’s house had been called off, which might have provoked these martial artists to target him, no longer fearing any consequences. “Even though I am no longer the son-in-law-to-be at the General’s House, my maternal grandfather is the Minister of Personnel!” Xu Yan reconsidered. Even if he was no longer connected to the General’s House, he was still the Minister of Personnel’s grandson, an official of the current court. “Silly boy, just come along with us peacefully,” One of the martial artists sprang up, reaching out to grab Xu Yan from his horse. Although there were no passers-by on the road at that moment, they still had to act quickly to avoid any complications and take him away as soon as possible. With Xu Yan in their hands, their next steps would be a lot easier. He reached out and grabbed Xu Yan’s shoulder, tensing up to yank him off his horse, but was shocked to find that it was like attempting to move a mountain. The opponent didn’t budge! This is bad! A chill ran through his heart. As he tried to release his hand and back off, he felt a tight grasp on his neck. Before he knew it, he was hoisted into the air. “Who gave you the audacity to lay a hand on me?” Xu Yan stared at him. Seeing this, the other man was taken aback. He drew his sword and lunged at Xu Yan, raising his blade. “Let go!” A lethal intent burst forth from his eyes, accompanied by a flash of brutality. “Humph!” Xu Yan scoffed. The other hand shot out to seize the incoming blade, a surge of energy swarming up his arm as he grasped it fiercely. Smack! Upon capturing the blade, it shattered into pieces under his unyielding grip of blood and energy. Boom! A surge of energy swelled from Xu Yan, instantly bombarding the attacker. There was a loud thud! The man, suspended in mid-air, exploded on impact. Blood and flesh rained down, startling Xu Yan as his energy enveloped him. As a result, the man whose neck he had held tightly was caught in the release of energy, his body cracking and shattering in an instant. His eyes were filled with horror as he died on the spot. Boom! The wave of energy rolled out, flinging all remnants of flesh and body parts into the bushes lining the road. “They’re far too fragile!” After disposing of the corpse in the bushes, Xu Yan stood shocked. It was just a surge of energy, and it had caused the man to explode! “Am I too strong? “I am on a completely different level than them.” Xu Yan exhaled, his heart bursting with excitement. This was true martial arts in action! He was just in the energy realm, but already possessed such terrifying power. “I still need to work on my control over my strength. I must be careful next time!” Having learned from this experience, Xu Yan continued on his journey. At this moment, the official road was deserted. The incident of the two martial artists being killed remained unseen, so Xu Yan could return home with an easy conscience. “Yan’er, you’re finally home!” Madam Xu happily grabbed her son’s hand, looking him up and down. He hadn’t become skinny, nor tanned; he seemed even more robust, setting her mind at ease. As long as her precious son hadn’t suffered, it was all good. “Yan’er, don’t just roam around aimlessly after you return this time, it’s not safe out there now.” Madam Xu warned. “Mother, where’s Father?” Xu Yan inquired, confused. Each time he returned, his father would always show up sternly, ready to reprimand him. Today, he was nowhere to be seen! “Your father has gone to handle some business.” Madam Xu replied, a touch of worry in her eyes. “Mother, has something happened to our family?” Xu Yan understood at once that something had happened to his family. Otherwise, his father wouldn’t have had to handle matters personally. To make her son realize the dangers outside, Madam Xu sighed and said, “A group of bandits suddenly appeared along the Jin’an route in Donghe County and robbed our goods. “Now, your father is arranging for the goods to be sent again. If the goods don’t arrive as agreed, we’ll have to pay triple the compensation. “Yan’er, your father will handle these matters. You just returned, must be hungry, right?” Madam Xu instructed the servants to prepare a feast to welcome her precious son home. Xu Yan furrowed his brows, and immediately, an idea began to form in his mind. “Even though I’ve just started learning Martial Arts, the top martial artists on Jianghu are nothing to me! If these bandits dare to go after my family’s goods, they must pay for it! “Perfect opportunity for me to test my abilities, see if I can overturn all of these bandits by myself!” This was also a chance to solve his family’s problem while testing his abilities. Over the years, he had spent a lot of his family's money. If a transaction this big got his father’s attention, the shipment must’ve been extremely valuable. “Mother, where are these bandits? Why haven’t the authorities sent someone to wipe them out?” Xu Yan asked, feigning curiosity. Unaware of her son’s intention to single-handedly overthrow the bandits, Madam Xu didn’t withhold any information and said, “They’re up on Heifeng Mountain, about 200 li away from Donghe county, right beside the Jin’an route.” “Jiang Pingshan is refusing to dispatch troops to eliminate the bandits under the pretext of preventing chaos from the Heavenly Mother Sect. Humph, he’s just standing by indifferently because he’s broken off the marriage and no longer has any ties with our family.” Madam Xu’s face expressed anger when she mentioned Jiang Pingshan. Upon hearing this, Xu Yan understood the situation. This shipment, which was going along the Jin’an route, was surely heading to the capital of Qi Country, and those bandits dared to rob it. Surely, there was more to it. However, Xu Yan didn’t care. He just wanted to test his abilities and overthrow the bandits! “Mother, something just came up, I need to step out for a bit.” “Yan’er, where are you going? Come back!” Madam Xu anxiously said. Xu Yan led a horse out of the stable, then he set off directly away from the city. “I should reach Heifeng Mountain just as it’s getting dark, perfect timing!” Xu Yan thought exhilaratingly. On Heifeng Mountain, a group of martial artists gathered, discussing how to rob the Xu Family’s goods. The leader was a burly man with a hairy chest, bare to the waist. A large machete was plunged into the ground beside him, and he said in a deep voice, “This mission must succeed. Xu Junhe is a formidable man; having already lost one shipment, he will no doubt be on guard. We must not take this lightly!” “Don’t worry, Dark Bear, as long as Jiang Pingshan doesn’t send troops, no matter how capable Xu Junhe is, he can’t secure the shipment!” “Right!” Just then, a figure emerged, wrapped in a fierce aura, fiercely charging up the mountain, sneering, “If you desire my family’s goods, we’ll see if you’re capable enough to take them!”