Chapter 0079: A Frog at the Bottom of a Well

Kimura Tano moved with incredible speed—almost before his words faded, his figure was already in front of Zhang Xiaofan, delivering a sweeping kick aimed straight at Zhang Xiaofan’s head.

At the same time, this fellow Kimura Tano managed to throw a straight punch while kicking, his body arched like a bow. That he could execute such a difficult move spoke to his skill. Both the force of his kick and the wind of his punch exploded with a fierce sound, slicing through the air. His attack was ruthless and swift, yet he kept enough control to avoid going all out.

He was certainly much stronger than Kimura Tanji, and standing before Zhang Xiaofan now, it was clear Kimura Tano possessed late-stage prowess of the Transcendent Realm. A single punch from him could probably topple a large tree.

Zhang Xiaofan hadn’t expected such ability from this Japanese warrior, but his surprise was only fleeting. He had at least ten ways to kill this man in an instant, but this was a Japanese warrior, and with such skills, his status in Japan was surely notable. If he killed him, that old man Du Yuefeng would come seeking revenge.

Zhang Xiaofan could wipe out certain dark forces without hesitation, but this Kimura Tano was different. Of course, if Kimura Tano truly tried to kill him, Zhang Xiaofan would not hesitate to return the favor. For now, the man merely wanted to defeat Zhang Xiaofan to wash away his shame, so Zhang Xiaofan refrained from killing him.

He snatched the card from atop Yin Rou Rou’s head, twisted his wrist, and swept it toward Kimura Tano’s incoming fist.

Kimura Tano was startled; he had absolute confidence in this move, believing it would catch Zhang Xiaofan off guard. After all, he struck first, and by his own strength, he didn’t think this young man could be stronger than his master.

His tactic forced Zhang Xiaofan into a direct confrontation. Yet, Zhang Xiaofan didn’t block or punch back—instead, he used a woman’s card to meet his fist. How shameless could one be? Was this man even a warrior?

Yin Rou Rou’s card wasn’t particularly sturdy, but in Zhang Xiaofan’s hand, it was as sharp as a blade. Kimura Tano understood this, and facing the card, he was compelled to withdraw his punch.

His body, previously arched like a bow, lost balance. At that moment, Zhang Xiaofan spun around and delivered a powerful spinning kick to Kimura Tano’s abdomen, sending him flying and knocking down several people behind.

“You’re despicable!” Despite Zhang Xiaofan’s strength, Kimura Tano’s resilience was considerable, and his prowess equated to a late-stage Transcendent Realm martial artist in China. So long as Zhang Xiaofan didn’t intend to kill him, Kimura Tano wouldn’t be truly incapacitated.

“I don’t want to fight you little devils. I can’t kill you, so could you stop buzzing around me like a fly?” Zhang Xiaofan looked at him impatiently. What he wanted most was to interrogate those henchmen of Long San, to see if there was a new mastermind behind them.

First they had tried to kill him, then kidnapped Aunt Yun and her daughter—Zhang Xiaofan had long entertained murderous thoughts, but hadn’t made time to act. Now, faced with Long San’s henchmen again, his patience was wearing thin. Whether they targeted him or not, he would not let them off, and he would squeeze out some clues.

Kimura Tano, however, still refused to back down, blocking his path and snarling, “Despicable coward! Are all Chinese warriors like you? Did you use such disgraceful tricks to defeat my brother?”

Zhang Xiaofan was truly exasperated. Damn it, he didn’t want to fight, yet this guy still acted tough. If killing him were an option, did he think he’d still be standing here talking?

“What do you want?” Zhang Xiaofan said coldly, ready to teach him a lesson if he remained stubborn.

“Fight me honorably, face to face!” Kimura Tano demanded earnestly.

“Heh, I’m afraid I might not know my own strength and kill you,” Zhang Xiaofan sneered. “You dying doesn’t matter, but I’d have a mountain of trouble.”

“If my skills are inferior, I would have no regrets dying,” Kimura Tano replied.

“Fine, stand aside for now. I’ll fight you later,” Zhang Xiaofan said, then strode toward Lu Feng.

Seeing this killing star approach, Lu Feng’s eyeballs nearly popped out in terror. Long Ye had so many protectors, even two experts, yet had been slaughtered. He, a mere minor leader, was nothing more than an ant waiting to be crushed.

“What are you thinking? Let me tell you, Young Master Long is back. If you kill me, he won’t let you off,” Lu Feng threatened, though his body trembled uncontrollably with fear.

“Oh? Young Master Long? Which Young Master Long?” Zhang Xiaofan’s interest was piqued.

“He’s Long Ye’s son! Afraid now, aren’t you? Let me tell you, Young Master Long is a martial arts expert—he could crush you in seconds,” Lu Feng said, mistaking Zhang Xiaofan’s calm for fear.

“Haha.” Zhang Xiaofan laughed; so it was Long San’s son. Killing a father and having the son seek revenge was only natural. What surprised Zhang Xiaofan was how patient this ‘Young Master Long’ was, never showing his face. A martial arts expert? Just how strong was he?

“If you know what’s good for you, get lost!” Lu Feng shouted, seeing Zhang Xiaofan silent and feeling more certain he’d scared him.

“Are you some clown sent by the Monkey Sect?” Zhang Xiaofan looked at Lu Feng as if he were an idiot. “I dared to kill his father, why would I fear him? And you, you little runt, what’s your shouting for? Think your voice is big?”

“Smack!”

Zhang Xiaofan punched Lu Feng in the eye, then another to his other eye, instantly giving him two huge panda eyes. As Lu Feng struggled, Zhang Xiaofan grabbed his incoming fist and stuffed it deep into his mouth, almost down his throat.

“Stop!” shouted Kimura Tano. He had followed Lu Feng today to capture the girl before them—this was a transaction between the Northern Star Pavilion and Long Teng.

“I told you to stay out of it, didn’t you understand?” Zhang Xiaofan stared coldly at Kimura Tano. “Looks like you people have some shady dealings together.”

“That’s none of your concern. If you want to hurt him, you have to get my permission first,” Kimura Tano replied coldly.

“Is that so? Who do you think you are? I hadn’t reason to deal with you before, but now…” Zhang Xiaofan smiled, his gaze chilling.

Now he was certain Kimura Tano was allied with Long Teng’s henchmen. With that, he had no more scruples.

Late-stage Transcendent Realm? In Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes, that was nothing!

He struck, his fist exploding with a cacophony of force—at least three layers of hidden strength, masterfully controlled to detonate only upon contact. This punch could leave a deep dent in steel, let alone on a body merely at the late stage of the Transcendent Realm.

“Baka!” Kimura Tano shouted, his clothes bursting as he threw a punch to meet Zhang Xiaofan’s attack.

“Baka your grandmother,” Zhang Xiaofan spat coldly.

No sooner had Zhang Xiaofan’s words left his lips than their fists collided fiercely. Zhang Xiaofan could have dodged, but since this Japanese warrior was so arrogant, he decided to show him what true power was.

Boom!

A dull, heavy impact resounded. Kimura Tano’s expression changed drastically; his arm visibly bent, the sound of bones cracking in the mix. Zhang Xiaofan’s punch didn’t stop, smashing squarely into Kimura Tano’s chest.

Kimura Tano’s body didn’t fly backward; instead, his back arched sharply, blood spurting uncontrollably.

Such was the terror of triple-layered hidden force, the essence of explosive inch power—detonating in an instant.

“This is inch force… You’re a master of Wing Chun…” Kimura Tano knelt, incredulous, clearly mistaking Zhang Xiaofan’s punch for a Wing Chun technique.

“Frog in a well,” Zhang Xiaofan said disdainfully. The fact he hadn’t killed Kimura Tano was a surprise, but then he realized he hadn’t truly intended to kill him. One more layer of hidden force would have been fatal.

“Well? Are you docile now? Is Chinese kung fu satisfactory?” Zhang Xiaofan looked at the kneeling Kimura Tano.

“You’re very strong,” Kimura Tano managed to spit out, and to his credit, both Kimura Tanji and Kimura Tano, steeped in the samurai spirit, admitted defeat when faced with overwhelming strength.

They despised the weak, but revered the strong.

Truthfully, though Japanese, Zhang Xiaofan felt no urge to kill him.

“Tell me, what’s your deal with them?” Zhang Xiaofan pressed, certain their attempt to capture Yin Rou Rou had some purpose.

“Kill me, I won’t tell you,” Kimura Tano replied.

Zhang Xiaofan believed him; this man would die before divulging their secret.

So Zhang Xiaofan didn’t press, but turned to Lu Feng, asking, “Speak! Why did you try to capture my sister? Don’t make me ask twice, or the consequences will be severe.”

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!” Lu Feng said hurriedly, genuinely terrified. No wonder this man could kill Long Ye—he was a monster. Even the top master of Northern Star Martial Hall was no match.

Lu Feng looked at Yin Rou Rou and explained, “After Long Ye died, her father, Boss Yin, took over much of Long Ye’s territory. When Young Master Long returned, he wanted it back. Capturing her would force Boss Yin to comply.”

Zhang Xiaofan had always known Yin Rou Rou was no ordinary girl, but hadn’t realized her father was a prominent underworld figure in Jinghai City.

But what did that have to do with the Japanese?

“And what’s with this Japanese warrior?” Zhang Xiaofan continued.

“Baka! Don’t say another word!” Kimura Tano shouted at Lu Feng, coughing up more blood.

“Shut up!” Zhang Xiaofan kicked Kimura Tano, knocking him unconscious.