Chu Feng was no great philanthropist. The world was vast, and injustice was beyond count—people were probably dying unjustly every single day, suffering terrible fates on a daily basis. These were things no one could manage, nor had the capacity to address.
That said, Chu Feng was no great villain either. When such things happened right beside him—within the scope of what he could do—he simply couldn't turn a blind eye. He refused to stand by and do nothing.
So while everyone else couldn't be bothered to spare the old beggar a single glance—even hoping the waiter would hurry up and kick him out so he wouldn't ruin their appetites—
Chu Feng rose to his feet, walked to the entrance, shoved the waiter aside, and then helped the old beggar up. "Come, old man—join me and make do with a bite to eat."
"Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord!" The old beggar was overjoyed at this, bowing to Chu Feng repeatedly.
Once he reached Chu Feng's table, the old beggar began devouring the food like a whirlwind sweeping away the clouds. He single-handedly polished off every last dish and drink on the table, leaving nothing behind.
"No need to rush, old man. Take your time—today I'll make sure you eat your fill." Chu Feng smiled faintly, then called out to the waiter. "Boy, bring a few more hearty dishes."
Hearing Chu Feng's words, the old beggar suddenly smiled with gratitude and said, "Young man, you really are a good person. But sometimes, good people don't necessarily get rewarded for their goodness."
Whoosh.
The moment those words left his lips, the old man's gaze suddenly flashed. His previously kind and feeble expression transformed into a ferocious visage. Though he still looked like an old man, the aura he gave off was entirely different.
At the same time, a Heaven Martial Third Stage aura surged from within the old man's body, and a blue barrier materialized around Chu Feng, sealing off the entire tavern.
This sudden turn of events startled Chu Feng. He hastily leaped backward, putting distance between himself and the old man, then shouted, "Who are you?!"
Whoosh—the old man didn't answer directly. Instead, he spread his wide hand, and the bounty warrant that the tall man had left on the table flew into his grasp. He then addressed Chu Feng: "I take payment and settle debts. I am the Hundred-Faced Old Man—the number one assassin in the world."
"What?! The Hundred-Faced Old Man?!" Only then did the other patrons in the tavern snap back to their senses. Upon hearing the old man's words, every single one of them was horrified. They began trembling uncontrollably and screaming in terror. People wanted to flee, but with the tavern completely sealed off, there was nowhere to run.
"So you're the Hundred-Faced Old Man. You really do have some skill—you actually managed to find me." With that, Chu Feng dropped all pretense of hiding, removing the bamboo hat from his head to reveal his true face.
"Heavens... he—he's actually Chu Feng?!" When the already-shocked patrons saw Chu Feng's face, they were struck completely dumb with terror.
Because this meant that on the Nine Provinces Continent, the two demons with the most fearsome reputations and countless kills had appeared before them. If these two fought each other, wouldn't they all be dragged down and killed in the crossfire?
Hum. And just then, the Hundred-Faced Old Man stirred his will. The aura he was emanating grew wildly violent, transforming into crushing pressure that shattered everything in the tavern. Even the innocent patrons were directly reduced to pools of blood by his overwhelming might.
"Anyone who has seen my true face must die." After wiping out every other patron in the tavern in the span of a single thought, the Hundred-Faced Old Man spoke calmly. Not a hint of emotion crossed his face—as though he had merely crushed a few ants, not worth a single flicker of pity.
"What a vicious old thing. Creatures like you are the true scourge of this world. Today, I, Chu Feng, will carry out heaven's justice and put down this old beast."
Though the Heaven Martial Third Stage pressure was formidable, it couldn't suppress the current Chu Feng. Chu Feng was now at the Xuan Martial Sixth Stage, and with his two types of thunder power, that effectively put him at the Xuan Martial Eighth Stage. At that level of cultivation, even a Heaven Martial Second Stage opponent was no match for him—and a Heaven Martial Third Stage opponent was entirely within his ability to fight.
Boom. Chu Feng willed his own power, and a massive wave of pressure descended from above, causing the blue barrier the Hundred-Faced Old Man had set up to shudder.
Right after, a golden longsword materialized in Chu Feng's hand. The moment it appeared, dragon roars rang out one after another. This was none other than the martial art Chu Feng had obtained from the Void Sect—the Void Dragon Roar Blade.
"A seventh-rank martial art, mastered to perfection. Not bad—you really are a prodigy, a rare cultivation genius indeed."
"However, it's a pity that your opponent is me. It's not that I look down on you, but with tricks like these, don't even think about contending with me. Why don't you bring out that Asura Ghost Axe of yours? Perhaps then I'll leave your corpse intact." The Hundred-Faced Old Man spoke with a laugh, showing not the slightest fear of Chu Feng's Void Dragon Roar Blade—contempt, even.
"So that's what you're after—my Asura Ghost Axe." Chu Feng furrowed his brow slightly. He could tell this old man was no simple character—a cunning old fox who had killed countless people.
"A rare weapon is priceless. Could a million Mystic Pearls ever buy one?"
"When I take a contract, I've always kept my word. But when faced with a rare weapon, I simply can't help myself. So I'll be taking your life—and your rare weapon as well." The Hundred-Faced Old Man wore an air of absolute certainty.
"You want to steal my rare weapon? You want my life? Then let's see if you've got the skill to take them." Chu Feng stepped forward, his entire body transforming into a streak of light as the Dragon Roar Sword in his hand thrust straight for the Hundred-Faced Old Man's throat.
Hum.
However, just as the Dragon Roar Sword was less than half an inch from the Hundred-Faced Old Man's throat, the old man shot out his palm and extended two fingers, catching Chu Feng's Dragon Roar Sword right between them.
"No matter how powerful a martial art may be, it's still an illusion. You think a martial art forged from Mystic Force can touch my Heaven Martial body? What a delusion." The Hundred-Faced Old Man grinned eerily, then sent a surge of Heaven Force through his fingers. The Dragon Roar Sword in Chu Feng's hand was instantly shattered to pieces.
At the same time, a powerful wave of force swept toward Chu Feng, sending him stumbling backward until he nearly fell to the ground.
"How is this possible? How can this old man be so strong?" Chu Feng's brow furrowed deeply. He realized that this Hundred-Faced Old Man—whether in the density of his Heaven Force or his true combat power—was extraordinarily formidable, far beyond what an ordinary Heaven Martial Third Stage cultivator should be capable of.
"I entered the assassin camp at five years old. At six, I killed my first person. By seven, I had already slaughtered thirty-three of my fellow trainees. At eight, I became a full-fledged assassin—the fastest anyone has ever risen through the ranks in the camp's entire history."
"In my career as an assassin, I've killed a total of three hundred and thirty-eight thousand, five hundred and forty-one people, annihilated eight hundred and seventy-one families, and clawed my way back from the brink of death more times than I can count. The combat skills I've honed, the life-and-death trials I've endured—how could a child like you possibly compare?"
"Don't think that just because you've cultivated a high-grade Mystic Art, mastered a supreme secret technique, and wield a bound rare weapon, you can use your Xuan Martial Eighth Stage cultivation to challenge me."
"Before me, you're nothing but an ant. Your life—I'll take it whenever I please, and there's nowhere you can run." The Hundred-Faced Old Man's eyes were like blades, murderous intent radiating from every fiber of his being. His aura grew terrifyingly intense—the true mark of an executioner, a murderous demon drenched in countless drops of blood.