Under the guidance of the steamed bun shop owner, Su Mo arrived at a hidden underground gambling den.
The place was sizable, but the dim lighting reeked of smoke, alcohol, and the stench of unwashed feet—enough to make his eyes sting.
Gamblers roared like their lives depended on it—some celebrating huge wins, others wailing over lost fortunes. A few, disheveled, darted around as if driven by some manic impulse.
“Gambling dens are like this. Don’t mind the mess.”
Su Mo smirked coldly. “How honest of you—actually bringing me straight to your headquarters.”
The shop owner forced a smile. “You flatter me. I’m just an errand boy for them. Can’t really say ‘we’.”
Su Mo scoffed.
Just then, someone shouted, “Check out the beauty!” and dozens of eyes instantly locked onto them.
“Whose kid is this? So young and already running around places like this.”
“Says you—weren’t you underage when you started?”
“That’s different!”
The crowd burst into laughter.
“But damn, she’s pretty. Not fully grown yet, but that potential… tsk tsk, impressive.”
The moment the old-timer spoke up, cheers and whistles erupted, the crude noises grating on Su Mo’s nerves.
“Shut it! Never seen a woman before?” The bun shop owner barked, and the room fell silent, everyone suddenly minding their own business as if nothing had happened.
“Apologies for the scene.” His smile returned.
Su Mo simply smiled back without a word.
Passing through the den, they reached an open area where over a dozen burly men stood in formation, cleavers in hand, exuding an intimidating aura.
“What’s this? A welcoming party?” The owner snapped. Instantly, the men lunged, swinging their blades straight at Su Mo’s head.
At the same time, the owner darted away, vanishing several meters back and leaving Su Mo encircled.
“They’ll take care of you now. Gotta get back to the shop.” With a genial smile, he shut the door behind him.
Su Mo eyed the charging men—barely at the peak of Body Refinement realm—and sneered. “This is all you’ve got to ‘entertain’ me? Who exactly are you looking down on?”
Despite his slender frame, his body contained explosive power. A single punch to one man’s chest sent him flying, slamming into the far wall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
While the men had cleavers, Su Mo relied on his fists—simple, brutal, and effective. In under three minutes, a dozen armed brutes were utterly demolished by an “unarmed weak girl.”
BOOM!
The heavy iron door, firmly locked, tore off its hinges as Su Mo stepped out, cool as a breeze.
For a moment, he almost wanted to shout, “Who’s next?!”
The gambling den fell silent, every pair of eyes fixed on him.
The bun shop owner, still lingering, glared in shock. “Nineteen F-rank elites… and not one could touch you?”
“Did your informant forget to mention? I’m E-rank.”
The owner’s face twitched, as if ten thousand cursed alpacas stampeded through his mind.
Exactly because you’re E-rank, we sent so many! But you just had to one-shot them all—what kind of martial ethics is that?!
Experts claim one E-rank cultivator equals ten F-rank elites. This… this isn’t scientific!
With a signal from him, the gamblers rose—each revealing a vicious edge. Clearly, they weren’t just ordinary punters.
“If I had to guess, you’re one of the three E-ranks here,” Su Mo said, casually picking up a cleaver, ready for battle.
“Sharp eyes, kid. Got guts too. Pity you’re too arrogant—society’ll beat that out of you.”
“If I weren’t arrogant, would you have let your guard down and led me straight to your hideout?” Su Mo advanced, the cleaver in hand, his aura cowing the crowd.
Suddenly, the blade in his grip trembled, resisting his control. No matter how hard he clenched, he could barely restrain it—let alone wield it.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The eighteen other cleavers he’d knocked aside earlier shot toward him, slashing with deadly precision.
Even the one in his hand turned traitor, breaking free.
Su Mo fought barehanded.
The blades were razor-sharp, forcing him to dodge and deflect strikes from the flats. Yet these weapons moved like living things—attacking, even evading.
According to intel, the gang’s leader, Li Tieshou, had awakened an E-rank ability: metal manipulation. Against him, any metal weapon was useless.
“Impressive, Li Tieshou. Your metal control is god-tier.” Su Mo grimaced, annoyed he couldn’t summon his Yin Flames on demand. So much for looking cool.
Li focused on his blade array, trapping Su Mo in a storm of steel.
Then—Su Mo spotted an opening.
He lunged, enduring three deep cuts to his arm as he burst through the swarm, charging straight at Li.
Li’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected such recklessness—trading injuries for a chance to strike. Steeling himself, he stood his ground, pouring all focus into the pursuing blades.
A deadly chase unfolded.
Only steps apart, Su Mo closed the distance in an instant—while the cleavers nipped at his back, inches from his skull.
Just as his fist was about to smash into Li’s temple, a tiny dagger shot from Li’s waist, streaking toward Su Mo’s abdomen.
The dagger was sharp, but Su Mo’s fist was deadly—a hit to the vitals meant death or crippling injury.
Both gambled on speed. One misstep, and mutual destruction was certain.
Li had the edge. The dagger struck first, piercing Su Mo’s abdomen—but fear flickered in Li’s eyes at the last second, making him hesitate.
That split-second falter slowed the blades.
Su Mo seized it. His left hand wrenched the half-buried dagger free as his right fist connected with Li’s temple.
THUD!
Li collapsed, consciousness wiped away.
CRASH!
Su Mo planted a foot on Li’s chest as the cleavers clattered uselessly behind him.
Blood seeped from his abdomen. His arms and back were laced with wounds. Yet his gaze was eerily calm—hiding a storm of madness, waiting to erupt.