"Die!" Butch roared as he swung his sword with all of his strength.
He was one of the Big Shots of the Underworld in the Savadeen Mountains, and this was the first time he had been embarrassed this badly.
Zhu didn't even glance in Butch's direction, and merely thrust the rake behind him. A resounding clanging sound was heard as the two weapons clashed against each other.
Everyone was expecting the chubby teenager to be cut in half, but the scene in front of them made their eyes widen in surprise.
Butch's bastard sword found itself trapped within the gap of the nine-tooth rake, unable to advance forward.
Zhu clicked his tongue as he twisted the handle of his rake, snapping the bastard sword in two. He then thrust the rake backwards once again, sending Butch flying a few meters behind him. The Captain of the Red Devils once again landed on the same stall he had crashed into earlier.
The merchant who owned the store was nearly in tears because all his wares were destroyed. Although he appreciated Zhu saving the little girl, he was still heartbroken due to the loss of his profits.
A powerful shockwave erupted from the stall as Butch released his battle aura. Blood flowed out of his nose, as his face contorted in anger. This was the second time that he had been sent flying by his opponent and his anger had reached its peak.
"I'll kill you!" Butch shouted as he once again lunged at Zhu while holding two short swords in his hands.
Zhu sneered as he gave Butch a side-long glance. "Can you?"
Suddenly, Zhu's body grew until he reached a height of five-meters. He then punched forward, and his meaty, right hand, smashed the incoming Butch into the ground, creating a small crater.
The members of the Red Devils' felt their legs turning soft when they saw their captain lying unconscious on the ground, with blood seeping out of all of his orifices.
Zhu towered over the unconscious man and raised his right foot. He then stepped on Butch's right arm, turning it into meat paste.
The sudden pain made Butch regain his consciousness. A blood curdling scream followed suit as the pain of his injuries crashed down on him like a giant wave, making him cry out in pain. A few of his ribs had been broken earlier, making his breathing painful and difficult.
Zhu gazed down on him with a smile as he poked the burly man's body with the end of his rake.
"Awww, you poor child." Zhu chuckled. "Does it hurt? Don't worry, this is only the beginning."
"S-Stop!" Butch pleaded. "F-Forgive me! Have mercy!"
Zhu nodded. "Okay, but you have to pay. One million gold coins will do."
"I-I don't have that much. I only have over two thousand gold coins on me."
"Okay, give it to me."
Butch moved his still intact left hand and summoned a leather pouch from his storage ring. Although he was hurting all over, the fear of dying made him regret his earlier decision of bullying the little girl.
He thought that it would be just like one of those times when he had succeeded in torturing others and spreading fear to the merchants, to prevent them from resisting his control over the marketplace.
Zhu had already returned to his original size and grabbed the leather pouch filled with gold coins. "I have received over two thousand gold coins. Now, give me the rest. You still owe me over nine hundred thousand gold coins."
Butch coughed a mouthful of blood due to anger and shame. Now he understood what his victims felt like after he had tortured them to death.
"What's going on here?!"
A loud shout spread across the marketplace, as more than thirty men, wearing blue uniforms, stormed the scene.
Cassidy, one of the captains of the City Guards, appeared after receiving a report of a battle that was currently happening in the marketplace. The Mayor had given them explicit orders to stop any potential problem that might arise during this crucial time.
The representatives of the powerful factions in the continent were currently congregating in their domain and he didn't want them to have a bad impression of his territory.
Naturally, he was also afraid that he would be kicked out of his position by the Elders of the Misty Sect if he didn't do his job right. Because of this, he had mobilized several guards to patrol the city in regular intervals.
Cassidy glanced at Butch who was lying in a pool of blood. A frown appeared on his face because he was one of the captains that was bribed by the Red Devils to turn a blind eye to their criminal activities.
However, with so many witnesses, he knew that he had to play his cards right in order to take control of the conflict.
"As the Captain of the City Guards, I order that all of you must come with me to the station for questioning," Cassidy replied. "Do not resist, and you will not be hurt. Men seize them!"
The men encircled Zhu and his scholar friend, but they completely ignored Butch and the members of the Red Devil. Clearly, they were in cahoots with the criminal organization, just like their captain.
Zhu chuckled when he saw this scene and glanced at his friend, who was currently standing beside the little girl.
"Sha, back me up," Zhu said with a smile. "It's time to sweep away the trash, Oink."
"Okay." Sha sighed as he shook his head. "To think that we would get into trouble as soon as we entered the city. I guess you still carry your bad luck with you."
Although Sha's tone carried a trace of resignation, the contempt and disappointment in his eyes towards the City Guards was very evident.
"Get behind me," Sha said as he patted the little girl's head. "This might get a bit messy."
The little girl nodded her head and obediently hid behind Sha. For her, the chubby teenager and the scholar were good people because they saved her. Her body had already been cured, and she was no longer feeling any pain in her body.
However, she was still sad because the apples that she and her mother had worked hard to pick, had been trampled by the bad guys.
"Hmm? The two of you plan to resist?" Cassidy sneered. "You think you can do whatever you want in Eirwen City?!"
The City Guards had all unsheathed their weapons and aimed them at Sha and Zhu. It was also at that time, when several men wearing red robes appeared in the marketplace.
"Captain Cassidy, it seems that there are some troublemakers roaming around the city today," a middle-aged man with a scar on his face greeted with a smile.
Cassidy was shocked because he recognized the middle-aged man. He was other than Devin, the leader of the Red Devils.
He had stepped into the Saint Rank two years ago, and had been the King of the Underworld in Eirwen City. The Mayor as well as the City Guards were also on his payroll, which allowed them to grow and become the biggest gang in the Savadeen Mountains.
"Sir Devin, everything is under control," Cassidy replied. "We are now in the process of arresting these criminals. They will be taken to the station and interrogated for the crimes that they have committed."
"Is that so?" Devin asked back and eyed Sha and Zhu with great interest. He glanced at Butch who was seriously injured on the ground before shifting his attention back to the chubby teenager who was looking at him with indifference.
"Captain Cassidy, these people injured my men," Devin stated. "Since that is the case, can you leave them to me?"
Cassidy frowned. There were many eye witnesses, and it would be difficult if the Misty Sect got wind of this incident. The only way to handle this matter was to resolve it as fast as possible.
The Captain of the City Guards scanned the surroundings and found that more men wearing red robes had arrived at the marketplace. According to his estimate, there were now over three hundred members of the Red Devils, and it would be very difficult to say no to Devin's request.
"Very well, but make sure that it doesn't go out of hand." Cassidy compromised. "You already know that now is a very difficult time for us and if the Misty Sect becomes displeased, it will be bad for your people as well."
Devin nodded his head in understanding. He also knew that if they wanted to wrap this incident up properly, their reaction must be swift and not leave any traces behind.
The leader of the Red Devils raised his hand, ordering his men to capture Zhu and Sha.
The CIty Guards backed away hurriedly because they didn't want to be involved in the Red Devils' revenge against those who dared to challenge their authority.
Zhu was about to transform into a five-meter tall giant when a carefree voice broke the tense atmosphere.
"I just left the two of you to buy a drink and you're already creating trouble?" a lazy voice said. Perfect! I love trouble. Why didn't you call for me?"
"Senior brother." Zhu chuckled as he waved at the person that was walking towards them holding a jug of wine. "Don't worry, you came at the right time. We were just about to start."
Sha smiled and nodded his head. Now that their Senior Brother has arrived, he could just focus on protecting the little girl that was hiding behind his back.
The new arrival drank the jug of wine as he walked over in a carefree manner. He had short brown hair, and his light-brown eyes were filled with mischief.
The brown-haired young man looked like someone in his early twenties. He walked unsteadily, but each step was like a flowing river that flowed freely across the land, unhindered by the affairs of the mortal realm.
After giving a loud burp, the newcomer threw the jug to the side, hitting Butch, and knocking him unconscious.
The corner of Devin's and Cassidy's lips twitched when they saw the burly man's pitiful state, but didn't say anything. For some reason, the newcomer made them feel a sense of dread that they couldn't explain.
It was as if they were being stared at by a wild animal who could go berserk at any moment.
"Well then, are you guys ready to rumble?" the brown-haired young man said as he pulled something out of his right ear.
Everyone looked in disbelief when they saw the golden, metallic, staff that had come out from the brown-haired man's ear.
Devin's expression became serious because his sixth sense was screaming at him.. It was telling him that this was someone that he couldn't afford to offend no matter what.
