Chapter 84

Kicking the Hall?

The crowd at Baling Hall drew in a cold breath. This young man was indeed bold and reckless, daring to come alone to kick the hall.

Although Baling Hall had lost two consecutive battles under Chu Huan, it was not an ordinary organization. In recent years, it had been the dominant force in Qingliu County, and no one dared to provoke them as long as they mentioned the name Baling Hall.

Kicking the hall in the Great Qin Empire was a serious matter.

Generally speaking, such actions were rare unless someone was ambitious or had a grudge.

Ambition, for example, could be like two martial arts halls appearing in one place. If one wanted to be the dominant force and believed they had the strength, they would challenge the other hall.

The result of kicking the hall directly affected the survival of the martial arts hall.

If one hall won, the other would have to remove its sign and disappear. Therefore, such actions were rarely taken unless absolutely necessary.

However, Chu Huan came today without any pressure. If he really defeated Xue Lang, the Baling Hall sign would never be hung again.

The people of Baling Hall changed color. A man with a purple complexion next to the short man, Lao Liu, sneered, "Kicking the hall? Chu Huan, I admit you have some skills, but do you think you can remove the Baling Hall sign by yourself? Aren't you overestimating yourself?" He clenched his fist and glared at Chu Huan, "Since you've come out, live your life honestly and pray for your safety... Coming to Baling Hall without knowing your limits, you really think you're something!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Chu Huan move, and the purple-faced man saw the copper staff in Chu Huan's hand thrust directly at his chest, as fast as lightning.

The purple-faced man was startled, not expecting Chu Huan to attack without warning. He had been on guard, but when he saw the copper staff coming, he did not dodge. Instead, he shouted and thrust his chest forward, reaching out with one hand to grab the staff.

Chu Huan, however, changed his move in an instant. The copper staff, which was aimed at his chest, suddenly shifted upward, striking the purple-faced man's jaw with a "pu" sound. A "crack" was heard as his jawbone shattered, and he showed signs of pain and shock. His jawbone was dislocated and even fractured, causing him to squat down in pain, covering his mouth, with blood soon seeping from his fingertips.

Chu Huan instantly retracted the staff and smiled faintly, "You dared to face me with your chest, so I assume you practiced the Iron Shirt technique. But it seems your jaw wasn't as well-trained!" He smiled coldly, "Now you know who I am, right?"

Chu Huan's single strike injured the purple-faced man, and the crowd around him was shocked. Sun Zikong's mouth was wide open. Although he had heard of Chu Huan's reputation, this was the first time he saw Chu Huan in action.

The purple-faced man was the seventh in Baling Hall, known for his brutality. Even within Baling Hall, many had suffered from his beatings, and they feared him.

Now, seeing this feared figure easily injured by Chu Huan, the crowd was unsure whether to be excited or terrified.

The thin man, Lao San, was no longer surprised by Chu Huan's skills and remained calm. He waved his hand and said solemnly, "Support the injured seventh master!" Two men immediately came forward to help the purple-faced man.

The thin man, Lao San, bowed to Chu Huan and said, "Sir Chu, it's better to show mercy. We might have done wrong in the past, but you are a magnanimous person. We are not enemies but acquaintances. You know that Baling Hall is influential in Qingliu County. In the future, Sir Chu and Baling Hall will be friends. If you need anything from us, just let us know, and we will do our best to help. As the saying goes, more friends mean more paths, and more enemies mean more obstacles. Sir Chu, a wise person, surely knows how to choose."

Chu Huan smiled, "In Baling Hall, you are a significant figure, knowing when to advance and retreat, and you are eloquent...!" He then shook his head and sighed, "But you are not qualified to speak to me like this. Where is Xue Lang?"

"I'm here!" The main hall door creaked open, and Xue Lang, wearing a brocade robe and a square cap, stepped out, holding two iron balls in his right hand. His face was grim as he looked down at Chu Huan from the doorway and sneered, "Who dares to come to Baling Hall and cause trouble?"

This was the first time Chu Huan saw Xue Lang. Seeing the brute on his face and his fierce appearance, he knew he was not a good person. Chu Huan smiled faintly, "You are the leader of Baling Hall?"

"I am Xue Lang!" Although Xue Lang knew Chu Huan was skilled, he could not show weakness when someone came to his door.

His background was not good, and he had committed many crimes in the past. In recent years, he had established a base in Qingliu County, with a group of followers and close ties to the county government. He had lived a comfortable life, and Baling Hall was his creation. Now, Chu Huan had come alone to challenge his reputation, and Xue Lang would not allow it.

When he came out, he maintained a superior stance, a habit formed over the years, but more importantly, he could not lose face in front of his followers.

Chu Huan nodded, "Very well."

"I am fine, but you are not!" Xue Lang sneered, the iron balls in his hand clinking. He stared at Chu Huan and said, "You've been playing well lately, and I've heard of your reputation. But to kick the Baling Hall sign, you don't have the qualifications...!"

Although he said this with a calm face, he was very puzzled inside.

Xue Lang knew that Chu Huan had been imprisoned and that County Magistrate Hu was planning to execute him. He had stayed at home today, waiting for news from the county government.

Xue Lang knew that if Chu Huan was killed, Hu would send someone to inform him, and they would celebrate with drinks.

However, instead of waiting for Hu's people, Xue Lang was surprised to see Chu Huan come to his door. He was puzzled and did not know what had happened at the county government.

Wei Tianqing and Lan Tingyu had acted secretly and swiftly, arresting Hu in one night. Although Xue Lang had good sources of information, he had not received any news.

He could not have imagined that Hu would fall so quickly.

Chu Huan, however, smiled faintly and said directly, "Hu Wei has been taken to the capital. If nothing goes wrong, he will never return to Qingliu County... Since he's gone, you should go too." He looked up at the snow falling from the sky and said slowly, "I don't want to hurt our relationship. Here's a suggestion: cut off your own arms and leave Qingliu County... No, leave Yunshan Prefecture. Don't come back, or you'll lose your legs...!" He looked around and smiled, "Your house is not small and worth some silver. From now on, it belongs to me... What do you think of my proposal?"

The crowd around him looked at Chu Huan as if he were a fool, and some showed contemptuous smiles.

Although everyone knew Chu Huan was skilled, his words still brought a wave of amusement.

Xue Lang laughed loudly, "Chu Huan, I've heard many big words, but yours are the biggest." His face turned serious, and he shouted, "Listen up, whoever breaks any of his limbs today will receive 300 taels of silver...!"

With such a generous reward, some of the twenty-odd people present looked at each other and then one of them shouted, swinging his staff and rushing at Chu Huan.

As soon as one person rushed forward, the others followed, shouting and charging.

Sun Zikong's face turned pale. As everyone rushed forward, he retreated to the side, while the thin man, Lao San, stood beside Xue Lang with his arms crossed, not moving.

Chu Huan had come prepared for a battle. As the twenty-odd men charged, he showed no fear but rather excitement.

His copper staff moved like a dragon in the snow, and he fought like a tiger, moving swiftly and skillfully amidst the chaos.

Although Baling Hall was a martial arts hall, its followers were just a mob. Despite the reward, they still feared Chu Huan.

Moreover, their staff techniques were crude, lacking any form, far inferior to Chu Huan's skilled moves of thrusting, stabbing, swinging, and smashing.

An expert's move reveals their skill. Chu Huan's moves, with their fluidity and precision, were far beyond the capabilities of the mob. The cries of pain echoed as one after another, the followers fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

Chu Huan, like a dragon in the snow, moved gracefully, his copper staff unstoppable.

The thin man, Lao San, grew increasingly alarmed and slowly retreated to Xue Lang's side, lowering his voice, "Sir Xue... I feel that Chu Huan is not using a staff...!"

Xue Lang's face also turned grim. His followers seemed like appetizers before the main battle, unable to get close to Chu Huan.

"Not using a staff?" Xue Lang frowned, "What do you mean?"

"He seems to be using a spear technique!" Lao San whispered, "In the martial world, few use spears... but many skilled in spear techniques come from the battlefield...!"

Xue Lang did not seem to care about this, sneering, "Whether it's a staff or a spear, once he enters Baling Hall, I will make him crawl out...!" His figure suddenly moved, and he leaped into the air. In the snow, he swung his right hand, and an iron ball flew toward Chu Huan like a meteor, fast and powerful.