Chapter 23: Standing Up for Justice on the Road

Chapter Twenty-Three: Justice on the Road—A Broken Leg

“That… damn it… do you even know… who I, Du Qingfeng, am? You dared… to ambush… me? You must… be tired of living…”

Du Qingfeng’s jaw had been dislocated by Li Hao’s punch, his mouth full of blood. He struggled to utter even a single sentence, stammering for ages before finally managing those few words with immense effort.

Kui Hu and his companions, witnessing this scene, felt greatly vindicated.

Lu Yao, on the other hand, thought her brother Li Hao was simply too decisive; her heart pounded uncontrollably, swept along by the forceful way he handled things.

In Lu Xuemei’s eyes, Li Hao was nothing short of a mischief god. She wondered how many cultivators in the future would suffer similar hidden losses at his hands. Yet she felt no resentment toward Li Hao, for she recognized his heart was righteous, always siding with the weak against the strong.

“Cripple those three clowns for me—just don’t kill them,” Du Qingfeng snarled to his six followers. His jaw ached horribly, and his words were barely comprehensible to anyone but those six men who, having followed him for years, could still make out his meaning. Then he turned, his eyes narrowing, fixing Li Hao with a venomous, serpent-like glare.

As Du Qingfeng’s gaze swept over, Li Hao calmly pulled up his sleeve to wipe his hand, a clear provocation. He wanted Du Qingfeng to know that hitting him had dirtied his own hand. His expression remained unchanged, the corners of his lips curled in a wicked, mocking smile. If anyone had looked closely into Li Hao’s eyes just then, they would have seen a glint of cold light, enough to send chills down the spine.

“Boy, I don’t care who you are. Since you dared to strike me today, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, you won’t escape my grasp,” Du Qingfeng sneered, regarding Li Hao as nothing more than a pitiful, struggling insect. Enduring the searing pain, he grabbed his jaw and, with a cracking sound, reset the dislocated bone. He seemed like the very devil itself, as if he alone could decide Li Hao’s fate without anyone’s consent. His gaze swept over the crowd, as if to memorize the faces of all who mocked him, to settle scores after dealing with his immediate problem.

Among the onlookers, many avoided Du Qingfeng’s gaze, but a handful remained unfazed, as if unconcerned by his threats.

The standoff between Du Qingfeng and Li Hao was like that of a demon confronting a wickedly righteous lord.

“You’re really going too far. I don’t think he meant to block your way, and he’s already apologized—that’s giving you enough face. I’m in a good mood today, so take your dog and get lost, or else—”

Li Hao finally spoke, but before he could finish, Du Qingfeng cut him off.

“Or else what? You little brat, barely grown, all you can do is sneak attack. Let me teach you who you can and cannot cross, so you’ll remember it well.”

The moment he finished speaking, Du Qingfeng began to channel the world’s laws within a radius of several hundred meters. After a single cycle, all the energy condensed into fire attribute power, enveloping his body in a fiery domain. He assumed an attacking stance, like a dragon plunging into the sea, and the surrounding flames gathered swiftly, swirling from under his feet, around his body, and up to his fists.

Du Qingfeng’s fire laws perfectly countered Li Hao’s wood attribute.

“Brother Li Hao, be careful!”

Lu Yao knew Li Hao cultivated the wood law, and seeing Du Qingfeng’s fire, she became deeply worried and hurriedly warned him.

No sooner had she spoken than Du Qingfeng’s fist, roaring like a dragon, struck toward Li Hao.

Li Hao thought to himself, “This is bad.”

In that moment, Li Hao decided not to contest Du Qingfeng’s fire power with his own laws. Although he was in the same realm as Du Qingfeng and his own laws were far more complex, when it came to fire versus wood, his power was completely suppressed. No matter how pure his wood power, it would eventually succumb to Du Qingfeng’s flames.

He steeled himself: “There’s no other choice. I’ll have to do this.”

Lu Xuemei saw the danger and prepared to help, but caught a reassuring glance from Li Hao. Though she didn’t know his plan, she trusted him—and reasoned that if he truly was in danger, she could intervene; it wasn’t so easy to kill someone in their realm with a single blow.

Meanwhile, Kui Hu and Li Zhan were locked in a fierce two-on-four battle, dust swirling everywhere. Poor Qin Zhen, forced to defend himself, could only delay his two opponents by dodging and defending, barely managing to avoid serious injury.

At that moment, both Lu Xuemei and Lu Yao were focused on Li Hao, unconcerned about the others.

Seeing Du Qingfeng’s fire roaring toward him, Li Hao gathered all available power for defense, bracing himself to withstand the flames and counterattack with his physical strength.

Yet as he mobilized his strength, he failed to notice the mysterious, primordial chaos force within him quietly awakening.

Li Hao was eight or nine years younger and much shorter than Du Qingfeng, only reaching his ear. As Du Qingfeng’s dragon punch descended, Li Hao used his height to his advantage—ducking just in time, he slipped beneath Du Qingfeng’s arm, and as he emerged behind him, spun nimbly and drove his left knee with full force into Du Qingfeng’s abdomen.

With a resounding crash, Du Qingfeng was sent flying over ten meters, coughing blood and unable to rise. Before he could recover, Li Hao darted over and stomped hard on his chest.

“Today, I’ll let scum like you know there’s always someone greater. Weren’t you going to break someone’s legs? Now you’ll taste it yourself. I’ve never had a broken leg, so you can tell me how it feels,” Li Hao said coldly, his expression icy, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.

“You—”

“Ah, you’ll regret this! I’ll never let you go!”

Before Du Qingfeng could finish, Li Hao stomped down on his leg. With a crack, it broke instantly. Even as Du Qingfeng, consumed by rage and humiliation, spat out venomous threats, Li Hao broke his other leg, silencing him with a scream of despair.

The bloody, brutal scene chilled the crowd, even Lu Xuemei and Lu Yao, who never imagined Li Hao could be so ruthless when enraged. At that moment, the usually sunny Li Hao seemed to transform into a fearsome demon lord—no one could have imagined the gentle young man could become so terrifying.

On the other battlefield, when Du Qingfeng’s followers heard his screams, they faltered, allowing Kui Hu and Li Zhan to defeat them quickly, then help Qin Zhen finish off his opponents. With that, all seven of Du Qingfeng’s group were lying defeated by Li Hao’s team of four.

“If you’re not satisfied and want trouble, come any time. I’ll be waiting, but next time it won’t just be two broken legs. Think about the consequences before you come after me,” Li Hao warned Du Qingfeng.

“I remember Grandpa Baicao telling me: people may be high or low, but life has no rank. Beating scum like you only dirties my hands and wastes my precious time.”

“Young master, how should we deal with the rest?” Kui Hu stepped forward to ask.

“These wretches who help the wicked—since their master lost both legs, they can lose one,” Li Hao replied.

In that moment, the three were utterly loyal to Li Hao, obeying his every word. They approached the six followers. Remembering how they once tried to rob Li Hao, they felt incredibly fortunate. They couldn’t understand why their leader was so ruthless today.

“What are you doing?”

“No, please!”

“My leg…”

Now, the agonized screams and curses of Du Qingfeng’s group echoed together.

The crowd was deeply shaken by Li Hao’s blood-soaked methods. After a long pause, in the eyes of the onlookers, Li Hao became the very embodiment of righteous evil. The young women gazed at him like a prized treasure, each wishing to claim him for herself. Seeing Lu Xuemei and Lu Yao at his side, they could only feel inferior.

A man with justice in his heart, whatever means he uses, will always win approval. Villains like Du Qingfeng, full of malice, will be despised and condemned no matter how righteous their methods may seem. Although Li Hao’s actions were calculated, bloody, and ruthless, everyone found them deeply satisfying. When evil rises, the righteous must rise higher—today, Du Qingfeng’s arrogance was paid for with blood.

Yet if weeds are not pulled up by the roots, spring winds will make them grow again. Who knows how much trouble Li Hao spared them today, or how much more may come.

“That little brother is so manly. If only he were a bit older, I’d want to eat him up,” one lively girl said, her words laden with meaning, accompanied by a coquettish laugh. Of course, she didn’t mean she wanted to eat Li Hao literally.

“Shameless! Disgraceful!” some of the more conservative girls whispered, scandalized by her brazenness.

“It stinks! Who’s farting in public?” The lively girl waved her delicate hand in front of her nose, slyly mocking her critics. The crowd burst into laughter; some girls covered their mouths to stifle giggles, finding the banter amusing.

“If you’re so desperate for a man, I can oblige—and for free. If you’re embarrassed to talk here, we can find a quiet place to discuss it further, what do you say?”

“Get lost! The farther the better! You think a toad like you could even dream of me?” she retorted.

Once again, the crowd erupted in laughter.