Chapter 7116
A Reckless Fool
Chapter 7116 A Reckless Fool
Amidst the grateful gazes of the father and son, Tang Zhen left alone, walking slowly and leisurely along the long street back to his courtyard on Gusong Street.
He walked slowly and steadily, looking no different from any other ordinary citizen.
No one would have guessed that this was actually a demigod cultivator. The cultivators who occasionally passed by on the street were nothing more than ants in his eyes, whom he could easily suppress and crush with a flick of his wrist.
Back in the courtyard, he casually closed the wooden gate, shutting out the noise from outside.
The courtyard was only a few feet square, with some dry firewood piled in one corner and a rough earthenware water vat in the other. The water in the vat was clear and reflected the sky and clouds. It was as simple as it could be.
Two withered leaves float on the water's surface, along with a slender stem, and a lotus flower stubbornly grows between them.
Tang Zhen sat cross-legged in the corner, closed his eyes slightly, and entered a state of meditation again.
Deep within his dantian, the vast, star-like divine power was sealed layer by layer, leaving only a trace that flowed slowly along his meridians.
He is currently stuck at the critical juncture of life and death in the demigod realm, a hurdle more dangerous than any previous realm.
One wrong step could lead to the destruction of one's soul; but once one takes that step and condenses one's own divine essence, one truly transcends life and death and ascends to that supreme realm.
In the past, he cultivated in secret realms and forbidden areas of the divine domain, proving his path through battle and tempering his heart with powerful enemies.
Now that things have come to this point, it would be best to choose a small, ordinary town, hidden among the common people, without revealing any divine power.
This is the best cultivation method summarized in the classics, so it should naturally be regarded as the standard and followed.
After all, the paths taken by predecessors have been proven correct, so there is really no need to explore them alone, because that would require bearing too much of the cost of trial and error.
Surrounded by powerful enemies, the aura of the otherworldly evil god is like a leech, lurking somewhere and ready to pounce at any moment.
The more he concealed his aura, the safer he became.
Besides, the myriad aspects of human life, the mundane world, are also a path.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Tang Zhen slowly opened his eyes, a flash of light in them, before he returned to his usual calm and unremarkable appearance.
He got up, pushed open the door, walked into the courtyard, took a deep breath of the air filled with the scent of cooking fires, and felt a sense of peace in his heart.
Over the next few days, Tang Zhen completely integrated into the everyday life of Gusong Street.
Every morning, he would get up to sweep the courtyard, fetch water, and chop firewood, doing everything meticulously, just like an ordinary mortal who lived in seclusion here.
After daybreak, he would leave his courtyard and eat something casually at a street stall.
Old Zhang, who sells breakfast at the street corner, was already familiar with this young customer who didn't talk much but never skimped on the money.
"Brother Tang, the usual? A bowl of soy milk, two fried dough sticks, with extra scallions?"
Tang Zhen nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Zhang."
"Don't mention it!" Old Zhang said with a smile as he brought over the steaming food. "Young man, you have a calm and composed demeanor, you don't seem like someone from our small town. Where are you from?"
"Just wandering around, staying here temporarily," Tang Zhen said casually.
Old Zhang didn't ask any more questions, but just kept rambling to himself: "Our Nuchuan City looks lively, but it's really chaotic. Especially those big and small gangs, they run rampant on the streets all day long, bullying the people. The government turns a blind eye to it, so how can ordinary people dare to mess with them?"
Tang Zhen silently drank his soy milk, remaining noncommittal.
How could he not know?
Since that day, he has noticed that there are many more suspicious figures on the streets and alleys.
Most of these people were dressed in shorts, with short sticks hidden at their waists, and had sinister eyes. They seemed to be strolling around the street, but their gazes always seemed to be glancing at him.
Tang Zhen understood, but remained calm and composed.
A few ants peeking out weren't worth his personal attention.
He simply ate his meals as usual, chatted with his neighbors as usual, and strolled along the long street as usual.
As time went on, those prying eyes became increasingly undisguised.
After the underlings scout ahead, stronger ones will inevitably come knocking.
He's not in a hurry.
Since we have chosen to engage with the world, we should perform this play as completely as possible.
The sun was shining brightly that afternoon.
Tang Zhen had just returned from outside when a light and cautious knocking sounded at the gate.
"Uncle Tang, are you there?"
It was Lin Xiaoman's voice.
Tang Zhen stood up and slowly opened the courtyard gate.
On the bluestone path outside the door stood Lin Dashan and his son Lin Xiaoman.
The two were dressed in brand-new coarse cloth clothes, which were washed clean and their hair was neatly combed. Their faces were full of undisguised joy, and they were carrying a basket of eggs and a basket of freshly picked fruit, which showed that they had made careful preparations.
"Mr. Tang, I'm sorry to bother you."
Lin Dashan smiled honestly, his tone extremely respectful, "My son and I, as you suggested, bought a small house on Gusong Street. Although it's not big, it's clean and peaceful, and we no longer have to go back to that shantytown."
Lin Xiaoman's eyes sparkled as she looked up, full of admiration: "Uncle Tang, that courtyard isn't far from here, so I can see you every day from now on!"
Seeing the genuine joy on the faces of the father and son, Tang Zhen felt a slight stirring in his heart, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"It's good that you've moved out." Tang Zhen stepped slightly to the side. "Come in and sit down."
The father and son quickly thanked him and cautiously entered the courtyard, their eyes showing a hint of restraint.
"Uncle Tang, this is a small token of our appreciation, please accept it." Lin Dashan put the things down.
Tang Zhen did not refuse: "Thank you for your kind offer."
Lin Xiaoman, standing to the side, couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Tang, are you a very powerful martial artist? That day at the pawnshop, you..."
"It's just some rudimentary martial arts," Tang Zhen interrupted casually. "From now on, live a peaceful life, study hard, and if the opportunity arises, then we can talk about cultivation."
Lin Xiaoman nodded emphatically, her eyes filled with unwavering determination: "I will definitely work hard and become someone like Uncle Tang in the future, so that no one will bully my dad anymore!"
Tang Zhen remained calm, looking at the indomitable tenacity in the boy's eyes, and nodded slightly.
The reincarnation of a fallen god is bound to have good aptitude; it's just that the time for awakening hasn't come yet.
It will take some time to hone and cultivate oneself until one truly embarks on the path of cultivation.
At that very moment—
"Dengdengdeng-"
A series of hurried and heavy footsteps approached from afar, violently shattering the tranquility of Gusong Street.
Immediately afterwards, several fierce auras locked onto the small courtyard.
The neighbors outside the courtyard turned pale upon hearing the noise and quickly moved away, not daring to approach.
Lin Dashan's face turned pale instantly. He instinctively shielded Lin Xiaoman behind him, his voice trembling, "They're...the Black Snake Gang!"
Tang Zhen slowly raised his head and looked towards the end of the street, his expression still calm.
Five burly men with fierce auras, followed by a group of henchmen, rushed towards us in a dark mass.
They were all carrying steel knives, their faces filled with ferocity, clearly a group of thugs who bullied men and women.
The leader had a hideous scar across his face, running from his brow bone to his jaw, and his eyes were as sinister as a wolf's. His gaze swept over Tang Zhen, landing on him, and he shouted sharply:
"You fool, how dare you cripple my Black Snake Gang brother Zhou Hu?"
A bystander whispered that the man was a leader of the Black Snake Gang, known in the underworld as Scarface Liu.
After being crippled, Zhou Hu wailed all day long, begging for help to avenge himself.
Upon hearing of this, the gang leader ordered that Tang Zhen be captured alive and skinned alive as a warning to others.
This time, Scarface Liu personally led the team, and the men he brought were all top-notch fighters in the gang. Each of them had cultivated internal strength, and ordinary dozen or so strong men could not even get close to them.
In their view, even if Tang Zhen could defeat Zhou Hu, he was at most a rogue martial artist with some strength, and there was no way he could withstand the combined attack of the five of them.
Scarface Liu sneered, "I'll give you two choices—either cripple your own arms, kneel down and kowtow to admit your mistake, and pay a thousand taels of silver in compensation, or I'll let you die a violent death on the spot today!"
Lin Dashan was trembling with fear, but he still held Lin Xiaoman tightly, his voice shaking: "Please...please don't do anything rash!"
"Get out of the way!" a master shouted sharply, raising his hand to slap Lin Dashan across the face.
That slap was incredibly powerful; if it had landed squarely, Lin Dashan would have broken at least a few teeth.
Lin Xiaoman's eyes were bloodshot, and she rushed forward to try to stop him.
But how could he, with his frail physique, possibly withstand a martial arts master?
In the blink of an eye...
Tang was shocked.
He didn't take a step, nor did he leap into the air; he simply raised one hand gently.
It appears slow, but it is incredibly fast.
"Snapped."
A soft sound.
The expert's outstretched arm was gently caught by Tang Zhen's two fingers.
The next moment—
"Crack!"
A clear, piercing sound of bones cracking echoed through the courtyard.
"what--!"
A piercing scream erupted instantly.
The expert's entire arm bent at a bizarre and terrifying angle, causing him to collapse to his knees in pain, his body convulsing.
one move.
Just one move.
The expressions of the others changed drastically, and a look of surprise flashed across their eyes.
Scarface Liu's pupils shrank sharply: "You do have some skill, but unfortunately, you're still going to die today!"
He roared, his inner strength surging, and gripped the sword with both hands. The sword flashed like a bolt of lightning, accompanied by a whistling sound, and slashed down at Tang Zhen!
With this strike, he exerted all his strength, determined to cleave Tang Zhen in two!
The other three experts also launched their attacks simultaneously, using fists, palms, knives, and sticks to surround Tang Zhen from all sides.
A strong wind swept through, raising dust high into the air.
Upon seeing this, Lin Dashan and Lin Xiaoman were so frightened that they closed their eyes and dared not look.
however--
The bloody scene I had imagined did not occur.
Tang Zhen remained standing in the same spot, motionless, as majestic as a mountain.
Faced with the overwhelming onslaught, he merely raised his hand slightly and flicked his fingertips.
"Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!"
The four crisp sounds almost blended together.
Scarface Liu felt an irresistible force coming from the blade, his hand instantly split open, blood splattered, and the steel knife flew out of his hand with a clang, embedding itself deeply in the courtyard wall.
He felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, his chest ached, and he staggered back several steps before falling to the ground with a thud.
The other three experts didn't even get a touch on Tang Zhen's clothes before they were each thrown back by a gentle yet irresistible force, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out blood, their bones broken, and immediately losing consciousness.
From the moment the crowd attacked until they all fell to the ground, it was only a moment.
The outcome is decided.
Scarface Liu lay sprawled on the ground, his gaze towards Tang Zhen shifting from fierceness to horror, then from horror to terror, until finally, only a deathly silence remained.
He finally understood—
They were not facing ordinary martial artists, but true super masters.
Even if the gang leader personally intervenes, he may not necessarily gain the upper hand.
Tang Zhen's gaze fell indifferently on Scarface Liu, his voice calm, yet carrying a soul-piercing pressure:
"Go back and tell everyone in the Black Snake Gang."
“Gusong Street is not a place for you to run wild.”
"If you dare to disturb my peace again, next time it won't be as simple as breaking your hands and feet."
Every word struck Scarface Liu's heart like a heavy hammer.
A group of Black Snake Gang henchmen scrambled to help the injured men to their feet, then scrambled and crawled away from Gusong Street as fast as they could.
Lin Dashan and Lin Xiaoman slowly opened their eyes, stared at the scene before them, and stood there speechless for a long time.
The neighbors peered out from a distance, and when they saw that all the Black Snake Gang's experts had been crippled, they were all dumbfounded, their gazes towards the courtyard filled with awe.
Tang Zhen stood still, as if he had merely brushed away a few specks of dust.
He turned to look at the father and son, his expression softening.
"It's alright, you can go back now."
"From now on, you can live in peace, and no one will dare to bully you again."
Lin Dashan seemed to wake from a dream, and quickly pulled Lin Xiaoman into a deep bow:
"Thank you so much, Brother Tang! My father and I will never forget your kindness!"
Lin Xiaoman's eyes were filled with starlight, and the seed of longing for the strong in her heart took root and sprouted at this moment.
The father and son expressed their deepest gratitude and departed respectfully.
Tang Zhen closed the courtyard gate, shutting out the awe and clamor of the outside world.
He walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. Looking at the fruits that Lin Xiaoman and his son had brought, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Human life is full of joys and sorrows; the world is a test of character.
The mundane world holds many mysterious flavors that need to be savored and experienced.
As for those clowns like the Black Snake Gang—
They were nothing more than a few ants who brought shame upon themselves on his path of cultivation in the mortal world; he could easily eliminate them if needed.