Chapter 109 - 105: Night Raid, Qi Blood Pill, Offering a Sister in Marriage

Chapter 109: Chapter 105: Night Raid, Qi Blood Pill, Offering a Sister in Marriage

"Strange, why hasn’t Xu returned after so long? Could something have happened?"

Half an hour had passed, and Tan Xu had yet to return. Looking at the completely darkened night sky, Tan Run’s expression turned stern with worry. He waved his hand, summoning a few guards of the Tan Family, and lowered his voice. "Go look for Xu. Once you find him, bring him back as soon as possible."

Although Tan Xu’s strength was considered outstanding among the younger generation, out in the world, strength alone couldn’t resolve everything. If anything untoward were to happen to him, Tan Run wouldn’t know how to explain it to his third brother.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Tan Xu returned, carrying a robust wild boar on his shoulder. A pungent stench of blood hit them, quickly wafting throughout the inn.

Tan Xu glanced at Su Chen, who had already finished his meal, before instructing the guards, "Process this wild boar. We’ll roast the meat in a bit."

"Yes, sir!"

The group began to busily prepare in full swing. Seeing this, Tan Run couldn’t help but offer a wry smile. This nephew of his truly knew how to find joy in hardship.

Once the wild boar was cleaned, it was swiftly carved into large chunks of meat and set on roasting racks over the fire. Strands of savory aroma drifted through the air, permeating the entire inn. Exhausted from a long day’s journey, the crowd found their appetites instantly stimulated by the scent. Even those who had just eaten couldn’t resist tearing off a glistening, marbled piece of meat to feast upon.

CHOMP, SMACK... Sounds of enthusiastic chewing and lip-smacking echoed endlessly, accompanied by the crowd’s satisfied laughter.

"Friend, do you want a piece?" While everyone was eating and laughing merrily, Tan Xu cut off a piece of meat, walked over to Su Chen, and handed it to him.

Su Chen had already finished his meal and was sitting all alone in the corner, setting up a bed on the floor. Hearing this, he glanced at Tan Xu, took the meat, and nodded in thanks. "Thank you."

Tan Xu smiled and waved a hand. "Don’t mention it. It’s just a bit of meat." Before Su Chen could react, Tan Xu sat down and asked with a familiar ease, "I see that you dare to travel through these vast mountains all by yourself. Aren’t you afraid of encountering bandits, friend?"

"Bandits wouldn’t care for the meager amount of money I have."

Tan Xu chuckled and chatted with Su Chen for a bit longer. Seeing that Su Chen wasn’t particularly in the mood to talk, he stood up and excused himself.

The meal lasted for nearly two hours before everyone was finally full and satisfied, ready to rest. Tan Run dispatched five guards to stand watch outside the door, taking turns to keep the night vigil.

During the Fourth Watch of the Night, a chorus of snores could be heard all around.

"Enemy attack!"

Just as everyone was deep in slumber, a sharp scream pierced the tranquil night sky. The crowd instantly bolted upright at the sound.

Tan Run’s eyes snapped open, and he strode outside. The area beyond the door was already swarming with bandits. The man leading them was none other than the green-faced brute they had encountered earlier.

Upon seeing the large man, Tan Run’s face darkened, and he demanded sternly, "What is the meaning of this? We let you off last time, yet you’re still pestering us. Do you really think our Tan Family Trading Team is that easy to bully?"

"Haha, you old fool! You killed so many of my brothers, and this time, I want you to pay in blood!" He might have remained calm if not provoked, but those words instantly reminded him of their humiliating retreat, causing the green-faced man to roar in fury.

"Oh?" Although it was unclear what had happened over the past half-day, the green-faced man, who had fled in panic just earlier, now seemed completely full of confidence.

Tan Run soon noticed a cloaked man standing behind the green-faced brute. The figure was short and quite inconspicuous amidst the crowd, yet everyone around him seemed to treat him with deep respect.

"Black Tiger, I’ll leave this old geezer to you!" the green-faced man said, looking at the cloaked figure behind him.

Black Tiger remained silent. A pair of gloomy eyes fixed intently on Tan Run. The moment those eyes locked onto him, Tan Run felt as though he were being targeted by a venomous snake, breaking out in goosebumps all over his body.

"Leave no one alive!" the green-faced man ordered in a deep voice.

"Kill!" Tan Run also issued the command, and the two sides immediately clashed.

Sitting in the corner, Su Chen watched the scene with the demeanor of a spectator. Both sides were locked in fierce combat, and for the moment, no one had noticed him. His gaze lingered on Black Tiger and Tan Run, though he occasionally threw a glance at Tan Xu and the green-faced man.

To Su Chen’s surprise, despite his young age, Tan Xu was able to fight the green-faced man to a standstill. His strength had evidently reached the level of a Power Training Martial Artist. Every move the green-faced man made was ferocious. He held a slight edge in combat experience, but Tan Xu’s superb Sword Technique barely made up for this flaw.

After watching for a few moments, Su Chen shifted his focus back to Tan Run and Black Tiger. Their battle was the most intense of all.

If he guessed correctly, both of their strengths had reached the Refining Internal Realm. However, Tan Run’s prowess was inferior to Black Tiger’s—or more accurately, he wasn’t as ruthless. Almost every move Black Tiger made was a lethal strike; he fought with a completely suicidal style, trading life for life. Tan Run’s moves were even more exquisite than Tan Xu’s, but when facing someone like Black Tiger, he found himself in the awkward position of having nowhere to exert his strength. If this continued, it wouldn’t be long before Tan Run was defeated by Black Tiger.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Su Chen’s expression changed. Unwittingly, he caught a faint scent drifting through the air. It smelled similar to Mind Confusing Powder, but its effects were even more potent. Just taking a single breath made Su Chen feel his head grow dizzy.

Fortunately, since he had stepped into the Refining Internal Realm, such knockout powder could no longer affect him. But the same couldn’t be said for the others.

Within half a quarter of an hour, the guards fighting the bandits collapsed limply one by one, as if their strength had been siphoned away. The bandits, on the other hand, remained lively and vigorous, seizing control of everyone with sinister smiles.