Chapter 4: Tiger Claw

Words : 1739 Updated : Mar 26th, 2026

Timothy Cutmore did not even have time to react before his body lifted off the ground. He flew like a kite with its string cut and slammed hard into the wall of the side courtyard. "Sixth Level of Spiritual Warrior? How is that even possible?!" Clutching his stomach, Timothy stared ahead in disbelief. He remembered it clearly. Archie Cutmore's Spirit Flame Bloodline had been ripped away, his foundation ruined, his cultivation crippled to nothing. How could Archie still have cultivation at all, let alone reach the Sixth Level of Spiritual Warrior? "This has to be fake!" Timothy roared and drove his spiritual energy at full throttle. His Sixth Level of Spiritual Warrior cultivation surged to its limit as he charged Archie like a madman. "Tiger Claw!" A low, savage tiger's roar seemed to roll across the courtyard. To crush Archie, Timothy went all out, even unleashing a martial technique. The Tiger Claw he used was a High-tier Yellow Martial Technique, one of the strongest techniques in Quirby's Cutmore family side branch. Ordinary clan members were not even qualified to learn it. Timothy had earned the privilege only because his father was the side branch's Third Elder. He had only trained Tiger Claw to minor mastery, but when he poured everything into it, even an ordinary Sixth Level of Spiritual Warrior would not dare take it head-on. "Die!" A cold glint flashed in Timothy's eyes. His right hand curled into a claw, dense force gathering along his fingers. It tore through the air as it raked straight for Archie's chest! "Fire Cloud Palm!" Boom! A deep sonic burst cracked through the air. Archie's right hand opened into a palm. Violent spiritual power wrapped around it as it split the air and slammed toward Timothy's chest! Fire Cloud Palm had not reached the Mystic-tier, but it stood at the very peak of High-tier Yellow Martial Technique. Its power surpassed Tiger Claw. In the blink of an eye, claw and palm collided. Archie's palm blasted apart the force around Timothy's claw, and a crushing surge hammered into Timothy's hand. "Ahhh!" Timothy screamed. His right claw twisted out of shape, the bones in his hand shattered to pieces. It was ruined. "How is this possible?!" His eyes went wide. Before he could even process it, a sharp whoosh cut past his ear. Archie moved like lightning, appearing at his side in an instant. Terror flooded Timothy. He swung his left fist in panic, smashing it toward Archie. Archie's expression stayed calm. He raised his palm again and slapped Timothy's left fist aside. "Ahhh!" Another scream ripped out. Timothy's left fist shattered as well. Before the cry even faded, two more screams burst from his throat. Thud! He dropped to his knees in front of Archie. Archie had kicked his knees to pieces, crippling both legs. Earlier, Timothy had threatened to cripple Archie's limbs. In the next moment, his own four limbs were the ones destroyed. "Do you want to die, or do you want to live?" Archie looked down at him, his voice cold as ice. "I want to live! I want to live!" Timothy wet himself, sobbing and begging at the top of his lungs. The commotion drew a crowd of servants into the courtyard. When they saw Timothy kneeling and pleading, their eyes bulged with shock. Someone even rubbed their eyes hard, as if convinced they were still dreaming. Archie ignored the onlookers. "Tell me. Who sent you to pick a fight?" "No one sent me. I just heard people saying you took a hundred taels' worth of silver notes to the shops and bought a huge amount of dried rations…" Before Timothy could finish, Archie's palm smashed into his left shoulder. "Ah!" Timothy shrieked, his face contorting with agony. "Next time," Archie said, voice icy, "I won't break your shoulder. I'll break your skull." Timothy shuddered, the threat of death squeezing his throat. "It was Flynn Cutmore!" he blurted. "He told me to cause trouble, then take the chance to kill you and eliminate the threat for good!" Archie narrowed his eyes, a sharp chill passing through them. "So it was him." "Young Master Archie, it was all Flynn Cutmore. Please, show mercy. Spare me." Timothy begged, shaking. Archie glanced at him. "How are you going to compensate me for the damage to my courtyard gate?" Timothy hurriedly said, "One hundred taels! I'll pay one hundred taels!" It was only a wooden gate. It would not even cost a single tael to replace. A hundred taels was over a hundred times the value. In Timothy's mind, it should have been more than enough. Archie's next words made Timothy go ice-cold. "I'll give you one last chance." It was obvious Archie was not satisfied. Worse, Timothy heard impatience in that calm voice. If his next offer still failed, his fate would be far more miserable than broken limbs. "A thousand taels, plus one bottle of Fasting Pill and one bottle of Energy Nurturing Pill!" Timothy shouted, words tumbling out. "That's everything I have. I'll pay it all!" He was not lying. Even as the Third Elder's son, his cultivation was still low, and he did not have much wealth he could freely use. A thousand taels and two bottles of pills truly were his entire stash. Like medicinal herbs, pills were divided into nine grades. Each grade was further split into low, mid, and high tiers. A first-grade herb as the main ingredient could refine a first-grade pill. A second-grade herb could refine a second-grade pill, and so on. Fasting Pill was the most common first-grade low-tier pill. One pill could keep a person from needing food for half a month. Energy Nurturing Pill, on the other hand, was a first-grade mid-tier pill that could speed up cultivation. Its effects were far stronger than the basic herbs Archie had been taking. Archie raised a finger and said flatly, "Half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Have the servants bring the compensation here. Otherwise…" His gaze flicked toward Josiah and Pete, their necks already crushed. The meaning spoke for itself. Timothy trembled violently. He shouted at the servants gathered outside the courtyard, "What are you standing around for? Go to my side courtyard! Bring back the silver notes under my bed, and the two bottles of pills!" Among the onlookers were servants from Timothy's own courtyard. They rushed off at once. Not long after, they returned with the silver notes and two bottles of pills. Archie took them with one hand. "Get out." The servants immediately carried Timothy away, his limbs ruined. The rest of the crowd scattered as well. Archie glanced at the silver notes and pills in his hand. A cold smile tugged at his mouth. He did not return to the room. He put everything away and left the Cutmore family estate. Archie went to Quirby's trading market and used the thousand-tael silver note to buy two bottles of Fasting Pill, one bottle of Rejuvenation Pill, a copy of Basics of Alchemy, and the most ordinary cauldron. Rejuvenation Pill was a first-grade low-tier pill with healing effects. Basics of Alchemy was an alchemist's beginner manual, guiding a cultivator on the path to becoming a first-grade alchemist.

Chapter 4: Tiger Claw

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