Chapter 100: Beaten Until Teeth Fly Everywhere
Zhang Wenchang, who had been lying on the wine table, lifted his head and hurriedly wiped the tear stains from his face with his sleeve, concealing his grief and sorrow. Forcing a smile, he said, "My apologies to you all. I drank too much and thought of some past events. I lost control of my emotions."
Ye Fan sighed inwardly. This old classmate of his had been living a very difficult life—ashamed before his wife, longing for a child he had never seen. Unable to contain himself, he had broken down crying. Yet after being mocked by these people, he had to hide his sorrow and apologize to others. What kind of state of mind must he be in right now?
At this moment, Zhang Wenchang's temples were streaked with white, his eyes were swollen, and his tear stains were still fresh. The grief and melancholy buried deep in his heart were palpable to outsiders, causing Ye Fan's heart to clench painfully. This old classmate had truly endured so much—a simple, honest, and taciturn man, now reduced to such a state.
"Half-crippled old man, we can't be bothered to argue with you. Even if you cried yourself to death, it wouldn't concern us. But your friend here has a sharp tongue, and we'd like to get to know him."
The group wore mocking expressions as they approached the table, looking down at Ye Fan and Zhang Wenchang. Han Feiyu let out a cold sneer, staring at Ye Fan. "What a small world. I always thought you died in those ruins, but I never expected to run into you here. Over two years have passed, and I've thought of getting close to you every single day."
Ye Fan sat there calmly, pouring himself a glass of wine. With an easy and composed demeanor, he raised the cup and downed it in one gulp. "What a small world... I never thought I'd hear those words again. The last person who said them tried to harm others but ended up harming himself instead. I wonder how this time will turn out." He thought of Elder Han, and hearing Han Feiyu utter the same phrase struck him as deeply ironic.
"You're quite composed. Don't pretend to be calm. No one can save you today. I'm going to skin you alive!" As he spoke, Han Feiyu's brows shot up, his eyes terrifying, his face twisted with malice. He could never forget the beating he had suffered back then; it was like a thorn forever lodged in his heart.
"Junior Brother Han, you have a grudge against him? Leave him to us. We'll beat him to a pulp. There's no need to hold back here."
"That useless old man had a sharp tongue earlier. Even if he hadn't offended Junior Brother Han, we wouldn't let him off."
The group sneered and prepared to make their move.
Zhang Wenchang quickly stood up. "Senior and junior brothers, please don't. He's just an ordinary person. Don't do anything rash."
"Half-crippled old man, stay out of this. It's none of your business." One of them sneered dismissively, shoving Zhang Wenchang so hard he stumbled and nearly fell.
"When you first joined the sect, Elder Ma Yun treated you like a treasure. And what came of it? You just happened to open your bitter sea first. What good did it do? Given time, you were completely exposed as a fraud..."
"Half-crippled old man, stop getting in the way. If Liu Yiyi weren't always protecting you... Hah!" The speaker laughed coldly, leaving the rest unsaid, though everyone understood his meaning.
"Everyone, I apologize to you. If you're not satisfied, take it out on me. Don't make things hard for my friend." Zhang Wenchang stretched out his arm to block them, shielding Ye Fan behind him.
"Half-crippled old man, do you really think you're someone important? Think about it—what are you?" One of them, displeased, swept a contemptuous glance at him and shoved him hard. "Move aside!"
Ye Fan steadied Zhang Wenchang and looked over the group. "And what are you supposed to be?"
"Ye Fan, don't..." Zhang Wenchang hurriedly tried to stop Ye Fan from continuing, then stepped forward again. "Everyone, I'm truly sorry. My friend is just an ordinary mortal. Please don't mind him. If you're angry, take it out on me. Don't trouble him."
The young man at the lead had long since lost patience. Unable to hold back any longer, he grabbed Zhang Wenchang by the collar. "Do you really think Liu Yiyi can protect you? If you don't want to die, get lost!"
"Let him go!" Ye Fan remained seated, not rising. He picked up a glass of wine and splashed it directly into the man's face.
"You're asking for death!" The lead man's face turned grim to the extreme. He shoved Zhang Wenchang aside and swung his palm toward Ye Fan's face.
Ye Fan didn't move from his seat. He reached out, caught the incoming palm, and twisted it hard. With a crisp "crack," he snapped the wrist, bending it into a hook shape. Then he raised his hand and delivered a heavy slap to the man's face.
"Slap!"
The sound of the slap was deafening. The man's face visibly deformed as teeth flew out and blood sprayed. He flew backward like a puppet, crashing seven or eight meters away and hitting the ground hard.
No one had expected such an outcome. The man struggled on the ground a few times but couldn't get up. His ears rang, his head spun, and his skull nearly split from the force. He roared, "Kill him!"
Han Feiyu, who knew Ye Fan better, had already retreated and warned the others, "Be careful! This waste has a special physique—immense strength. Don't let him grab you. Attack from a distance and use your weapons to chop him into mincemeat!"
His warning came too late. Ye Fan moved with incredible speed, grabbing one man and delivering two resounding slaps that left him dazed and bleeding from the mouth. Ye Fan swung him around like a ragdoll, using him as a weapon.
"Thud! Thud!"
Ye Fan's strength and speed were terrifying. Swinging the man in his grip, he sent three cultivators who had rushed at him flying backward with cries of pain. Everyone present heard the sound of bones breaking.
"Fall back! Don't get close to him!" Han Feiyu shouted.
By now, no one needed his warning. The seemingly gentle youth before them was like a humanoid savage beast, wild and untamed. He wielded a living person as easily as a toothpick, sending the others rolling across the ground.
"Junior Brother Han, didn't you say he was a waste?"
"How does this waste have such divine strength?"
The remaining few, shaken and wary, glared at Han Feiyu with displeasure.
"He really is just a waste. He can't cultivate—he's only strong. As long as we don't get close, killing him will be easy." Han Feiyu's face twisted into a vicious sneer.
Everyone summoned their weapons. In an instant, light flickered as a Green Wood Seal, a Cold Iron Ruler, a Blood Red Spear, and others hovered in the air, aimed at Ye Fan.
"If you want him dead, go ahead and use your weapons. I don't mind using him as a human shield." Ye Fan casually waved the human-shaped weapon in his hand, speaking nonchalantly. Against these bitter sea realm cultivators, he didn't need to reveal his true strength.
"Don't! Everyone, calm down!" Zhang Wenchang stepped forward, his face full of anxiety, blocking Ye Fan and shouting at the group, "He's not just my friend—he's Liu Yiyi's friend too. You can't treat him like this..."
"Half-crippled old man, get lost! No one you bring up will help now. If I don't kill him, I won't be able to vent my hatred!" The man Ye Fan had slapped first got up, clutching his swollen cheek, his eyes gleaming coldly. "Is Liu Yiyi so impressive? If she dares to come and demand an accounting, there will be someone to deal with her!"
Watching his old classmate, who had fallen on such hard times, Ye Fan sighed softly and patted him on the shoulder. "Step back. They can't do anything to me." With that, Ye Fan grabbed Zhang Wenchang's arm and gently tossed him aside.
"What are you waiting for? Skin him alive!" the lead man roared.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The sounds of cutting air rang out as the Green Wood Seal, Cold Iron Ruler, and Blood Red Spear shot forward.
Ye Fan remained calm and composed, swinging the human-shaped weapon in his hand to block the attacks.
"Ah... you... you're cutting me!"
The man Ye Fan held, now somewhat conscious, screamed in agony and cursed furiously. If the others hadn't pulled back quickly, he would have been sliced into pieces.
"Attack together! Let's see if he can block everything. I swear I'll skin him alive!" The lead man's face was as dark as water as he ordered the others to strike again.
"Chen Feng, stop this! You'll get me killed!" The man in Ye Fan's grip cried out in terror, but was soon knocked unconscious by the Green Wood Seal.
The others obeyed the man named Chen Feng without question, unleashing their weapons. Despite their caution, they still occasionally cut the human shield.
Ye Fan didn't want to waste time. At his life spring realm cultivation level, killing bitter sea realm cultivators was as easy as crushing ants. Holding the man in front of him, he turned into a blur of light and charged straight at Chen Feng, grabbing him before he could react.
"Ah..." Chen Feng screamed in agony as he too became a human shield, his body quickly covered in wounds.
The others hesitated, afraid to strike. Ye Fan moved like lightning, darting around. With a series of "thuds," he knocked everyone to the ground.
Only Han Feiyu struggled to his feet, summoning the Green Wood Seal again and hurling it at Ye Fan, hoping to crush him. But then, to his horror, he saw Ye Fan casually catch the seal, which had grown to the size of a millstone, holding it firmly.
"Thud!"
Han Feiyu was terrified out of his wits. Ye Fan caught his Green Wood Seal with ease and then slammed it back down, as effortlessly as swatting a fly. In that moment, Han Feiyu felt like a fly.
"Crack!"
Han Feiyu's chest bones broke in countless places. He spat blood and collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
The small tavern was littered with groaning bodies, none able to rise. Zhang Wenchang, standing nearby, could hardly believe his eyes. "This..."
Ye Fan picked up the men, tossed them into a pile, and began slapping them one by one. "You thought you could bully others? Even a waste like me, who can't cultivate, can still beat you until your teeth fly everywhere."
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
Ye Fan's hands moved rapidly, delivering one slap after another. Blood and saliva flew as teeth loosened and fell.
Everyone screamed and begged for mercy.
Ye Fan focused his attention on Han Feiyu and Chen Feng, lining them up like dead dogs and slapping them repeatedly. The crisp sounds of slaps filled the air.
"You..." Han Feiyu's mouth and nose bled, his eyes filled with venomous hatred.
"Slap!"
Ye Fan slapped him again, then grabbed him by the collar. "What a small world..."
Hearing those words, Han Feiyu was so enraged that he spat blood, his whole body trembling, nearly dying on the spot.