In a martial world where class distinctions were starkly evident, ordinary people dared not oppose the powerful and influential. The survival of the fittest, the strong preying on the weak, was showcased in its entirety within the martial path. Consequently, most common folk exhibited a certain subservience. In their eyes, offending a prominent figure would inevitably lead to dire consequences, a truth that often held. Without strength, one was destined to be severely punished.
While killing within the city was forbidden, those with power and influence possessed countless methods to torment an ordinary person to death. Instead of outright killing, they could subject one to hundreds of beatings daily, a fate worse than death. Once endurance failed and one fled the city, their demise was sealed.
"You dared to defy him earlier, yet you are so fearful now?" Qin Hanchu asked Fu Yuexin.
"I am alone; at worst, I will die," Fu Yuexin replied solemnly. "But I do not wish to implicate others."
Qin Hanchu smiled gently. "It was I who intended to hit him; it has nothing to do with you."
"Are you not afraid of death?" Fu Yuexin asked, seeing Qin Hanchu's continued indifference.
Qin Hanchu chuckled. "I fear death, but that brat alone cannot kill me."
"That person is the young master of the Wan Clan Chamber of Commerce, and their guild leader is a peak Grandmaster," Fu Yuexin explained. "Even if you are a Grandmaster, you lack the strength to oppose them." In Fu Yuexin's eyes, Qin Hanchu was merely an ordinary person at the Grandmaster realm. If he had a background, he wouldn't be living in such a shared dwelling.
"Is a peak Grandmaster considered a strong practitioner?" Qin Hanchu scoffed dismissively.
Qin Hanchu's disdain irked Fu Yuexin. What kind of attitude was this? She replied, displeased, "A peak Grandmaster isn't strong? Then, in your eyes, what kind of person qualifies as a strong practitioner?"
Qin Hanchu pondered for a moment. "At the very least, an Element Lord."
"What?" Fu Yuexin stared at Qin Hanchu in shock. She was amused to the point of exasperation. "Your aspirations are truly high! Ordinary people can barely access Element Warriors, and you aim to fight Element Lords? Do you even know the status of Element Lords in Wanliu City? Each of them is a city councilor, wielding terrifying power."
"Hurry and eat your noodles; they'll get cold if you don't," Qin Hanchu said, no longer wanting to argue with Fu Yuexin. He gestured to the noodles on the table.
Fu Yuexin had no appetite. "I'll go with you," she said. "Wanliu City can no longer accommodate us. We should leave while there's still time."
"Wake me when they arrive; I'm going to sleep for a bit," Qin Hanchu replied, lazily lying down on the sofa and closing his eyes. Qin Hanchu's actions completely deflated Fu Yuexin's spirit.
Just then, the door to the apartment was knocked upon. Immediately after, a couple walked in. This couple were the tenants from another room. Besides these two, there were two other rooms in the apartment, occupied by a man and a woman respectively.
"Yuexin, is this your boyfriend?" the girl from the couple asked, looking at Qin Hanchu.
Fu Yuexin was in no mood for small talk. "You two should go back to your room and don't come out no matter what happens."
"What's wrong?" the boyfriend asked.
"You'll find out soon enough. Just don't come out," Fu Yuexin said, not wanting to implicate anyone else. Seeing Fu Yuexin's grave expression, the couple nodded and returned to their room.
A quarter of an hour later, the door was knocked upon again, this time with palpable anger. Fu Yuexin knew she couldn't evade them and walked to the door to open it. As soon as she did, three men entered, followed by the young master.
"It's him; beat him!" the young master roared, pointing at Qin Hanchu.
"How dare he strike the young master! He's seeking death!" declared a middle-aged man, a warrior in the mid-Grandmaster realm.
Qin Hanchu had just opened his eyes. He glanced at the young master's three subordinates and then chuckled, "I expected some Grandmasters, but it turns out to be mere pawns?"
"Such arrogance! Let me avenge the young master." With that, the middle-aged man lunged at Qin Hanchu. The room was not large, so the man was instantly in front of Qin Hanchu. Before Fu Yuexin could react, the middle-aged man's fist was already aimed at Qin Hanchu. Just as Fu Yuexin thought Qin Hanchu was about to be beaten, she saw a hand effortlessly intercept the middle-aged man's punch. The owner of the hand was Qin Hanchu. The middle-aged man felt as if his fist had struck cotton.
"Too weak!" Qin Hanchu stated calmly.
"What?" The middle-aged man exclaimed in disbelief. His punch, even a late-stage Grandmaster couldn't have blocked it so easily! As the man attempted to withdraw his hand, Qin Hanchu suddenly applied force.
Crack!
Under everyone's gaze, the middle-aged man's fist was crushed like a freshly steamed bun by Qin Hanchu's grip. The sound of shattering bones mingled with the man's screams, creating a chilling spectacle.
"You're seeking death!"
The remaining two middle-aged men, seeing their companion injured, rushed forward together. Qin Hanchu casually flung the man in front of him towards the one on the right. That man quickly moved to catch his companion. However, the moment he caught his companion, an immense force sent him flying backward.
Bang!
The man slammed into the wall before crashing to the ground. Throwing a living person with such terrifying force was incredibly potent. The man on the left had no chance to stop. Before he could even react, Qin Hanchu appeared before him.
Bang!
In the next instant, Qin Hanchu's fist landed squarely on the man's face. The man immediately fell to the ground, disoriented. If Qin Hanchu had not controlled his strength, these three would have been dead. In Qin Hanchu's presence, even "Element Warriors" were not qualified to be arrogant, let alone these "youngsters" at the Grandmaster realm.
The young master was stunned! These were three Grandmasters, one of whom was a late-stage Grandmaster, and they were defeated so easily? What realm was the youth before him in? Even a peak Grandmaster couldn't be this strong, could they? Could he be a Grandmaster? While the martial foundation of this world was stronger than Blue Star, Grandmasters as young as Qin Hanchu were rare. Typically, only terrifying powers could cultivate such formidable descendants. Qin Hanchu, living in this shared dwelling, could not possibly be an heir of such major powers.
"Next time, bring someone more capable," Qin Hanchu said as he walked towards the young master. As the young master attempted to flee, Qin Hanchu produced a fruit knife. "If you dare to run, I'll use this as a projectile and stick it in your backside!" Hearing this, the young master immediately froze. Qin Hanchu approached him and, without warning, slapped him across the face. The blow sent the young master flying and smashing hard against the wall. Fortunately, the buildings in this world were quite sturdy. On Blue Star, such a wall might have cracked.