Chapter 20: A Fiery Temper

As Gu Changqing turned around, he saw disciples of the Yu family bursting from the forest. Each was clad in embroidered brocade, a single Yu character stitched onto their chests. Three of them drew blades mid-air, one wielded a pair of hammers, and another brandished a long spear.

Without hesitation, Gu Changqing swung his gun toward the spear-wielder and fired three bursts. The enemy spun his spear like a dragon, scattering blossoms of steel, but Gu Changqing’s shot struck his foot, knocking him off balance in mid-flight. Two more shots followed, ending the Yu disciple’s life before he could land.

“Careful, he’s deadly with hidden weapons!” the others warned, faces grim. The fallen spear-wielder had been their strongest, and he was dead in a single exchange. If even he couldn’t withstand Gu Changqing, the remaining three—less skilled—stood no chance.

Gu Changqing adjusted his aim, firing two long bursts and felling two more. Tossing his gun aside, he drew the blade he’d picked up earlier, stepping forward to meet the third, who was armed with a knife.

“Die, you bastard!” The Yu disciple’s eyes were wide with fury, muscles bulging, and even before his blade descended, Gu Changqing could feel its sting. A faint tiger’s roar echoed, unsettling the soul.

Gu Changqing’s blood surged, and he slashed diagonally with the blade.

Clang!

He was surprised by the immense force transmitted through the weapons, nearly matching his own strength, even though the opponent’s blood energy was visibly weaker. Both felt the shock: one rolled backward, the other retreated several steps.

But as Gu Changqing stepped back, he drew a pistol with his free hand, aiming it at his adversary with a mocking sneer.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Flames spat from the muzzle.

Before the Yu disciple could hit the ground, blood blossomed across his body. Gu Changqing lunged forward, and as the foe landed, he drove a kick into his chest and abdomen, bones shattering, life extinguished mid-air.

Boom!

A massive hammer crashed nearby with a sound like an explosion. Gu Changqing shifted his stance, muscles swelling, veins bulging across his forearms like writhing dragons. He struck the side of the hammer with ferocious strength.

He’d always been wary of the Yu disciples with spears and blades—their skills far exceeded his own, their weapons razor-sharp. The hammer-wielder, relying on brute force, posed less of a threat.

Yet as his hand struck the hammer, the air seemed to explode, bouncing his palm away.

“Hm?” Gu Changqing was a little surprised—martial arts in this world truly had their secrets.

Still, his blow knocked the hammer off course.

The hammer-wielder spun, swinging again, but Gu Changqing shot each of his calves. The Yu disciple collapsed instantly.

Gu Changqing moved swiftly, stamping on the hammer, then crushing the man's arm with his foot. The disciple groaned, raising his remaining hand to swing the hammer at Gu Changqing, but another kick sent the weapon flying, and Gu Changqing broke his other arm.

“So, you’re from the Yu family of Far River? Did you really think I was made of clay?” Gu Changqing sneered, staring down at the youth beneath his heel.

“You killed our family’s disciples—you’ll die for sure! Not only you, but your whole family and sect!” The Yu disciple, eyes bloodshot, cursed Gu Changqing, knowing he was doomed.

“Well, thanks for that!” Gu Changqing grinned, showing gleaming white teeth, and slowly ground the man’s bones beneath his foot.

“How many did you bring?”

“There will be someone to avenge us!” Despite the pain, sweat streaming down his face, the Yu disciple spat blood at Gu Changqing, refusing to answer.

Gu Changqing scoffed—since the man wouldn’t speak, he didn’t bother asking further. The gunfire would soon attract pursuers anyway.

He stomped on the man’s head.

Something crunched beneath his foot. Gu Changqing didn’t look down; he couldn’t stand the sight of blood.

He moved to collect his gun and bag, then raced off toward the distance.

He remembered seeing a river in that direction from the mountaintop.

Less than three minutes after Gu Changqing left, over a dozen Yu family disciples arrived, eyes burning red as they stared at the corpses.

“After him!”

“We can’t let him escape!”

…

Half an hour later, Gu Changqing reached a wide river—seven or eight meters across. He stopped and glanced back, face cold and murderous.

He could already hear the sound of pursuit behind him.

“When I return after cleansing my marrow and blood, I’ll settle accounts with you!”

“Yu family of Far River, I will wipe out your entire clan!”

With that, Gu Changqing logged out.

Minutes later, the Yu disciples reached the river’s edge and leaped across, then returned.

“There are tracks only up to the riverbank—nothing ahead. He went through the water!”

“Search the area!”

“Send some upstream!”

“Notify the others to block downstream!”

A while later, a woman arrived at the riverbank.

“Too late! The Yu family is useless! How could they let him escape?”

She surveyed the scene for a moment, then vanished.

She didn’t head downstream, but searched upstream. More than an hour later, she returned and then began searching downstream.

…

Gu Changqing’s vision blurred, and he found himself back in his own room.

He kicked the coffee table, smashing it.

“Damn!” Gu Changqing paced restlessly, kicking the cabinet next.

He’d never suffered such humiliation—being hunted like this.

“Damn it, does this world have nuclear weapons? I’d drop one on the Yu family if I could!”

He no longer cared why he’d made enemies of the Yu family or why they pursued him. All he could think of was how to wipe them out.

Gu Changqing wasn’t a man who held grudges, but he couldn’t stomach this insult.

He changed clothes, picked up his binoculars, and watched his old residence from the window for a while, face dark.

Hands in his pockets, he kicked over a trash bin as he walked.

A group of youths with brightly dyed hair approached. Gu Changqing kicked one to the ground, then slapped each of the others down in turn.

Still fuming, he drove away.

As he drove, he called Meng Xi: “Where are you?”

“You sound upset,” Meng Xi’s gentle voice replied.

“I’m furious! I need to cool off!”

After getting her address, he drove over. Meng Xi, dressed in a skirt, was waiting on the roadside.

“Did something happen to make you angry?” she asked kindly as she got in the passenger seat.

“Don’t talk about anything else! Is there a hotel nearby?”

He floored the accelerator, heading straight for the nearest hotel.

Gu Changqing entered the room, tossed Meng Xi onto the bed, and tore off his own clothes.

Meng Xi had always thought he was strong, but now she realized he was far more muscular than she’d imagined. His entire body was packed with explosive muscle, like a bomb ready to go off.

…Ten thousand words omitted…

It seemed his father had quite the temper—no wonder he was always so irritable!

Gu Changqing sat on the sofa, searching his phone for a long time. He’d already looked up blood banks when he was learning to type.

But to build a blood pool, he’d need not only blood but also a proper basin.

Using his phone’s calculator, he figured he needed a pool of fifteen cubic meters—not too large.

He remembered Jin Manfu’s villa had a big bath in addition to the swimming pool; it should suffice.

Dressed, Gu Changqing picked up a bag, took out fifty thousand and tossed it onto the coffee table.

Then he drove to the largest blood bank in An Harbor, did a round, and borrowed a refrigerated truck.

As he waited for nightfall, his phone chimed.

It was a message from Meng Xi.

“Mr. Gu, I met a very generous person today and earned fifty thousand. Tomorrow I’ll treat you to a feast. Is there anything you’d like as a gift?”

Gu Changqing smiled wryly, tossing his phone aside.