Burning Fury

The moment Zhang Wu moved, Huo Xuan instinctively assumed the True Womb Fist stance. His feet shifted with the Dragon-Riding Steps, and in a blur, he appeared to Zhang Wu's left, unleashing a punch—a hammer-blow derived from the Taiji Mother Fist, its force magnified by the True Womb Fist's framework.

To Zhang Wu, it felt as though Huo Xuan's fist had transformed into a thousand-jin warhammer, crashing down with devastating weight. Instinctively, he crossed his arms and raised them to block.

BOOM!

The ground trembled faintly. Huo Xuan's body remained unmoved, yet he slid back three steps as if pulled by an unseen force. Zhang Wu, meanwhile, staggered two steps backward, his arms throbbing with pain. He stared in disbelief.

Hua Buyi chuckled. "Zhang Wu, give him another year or two, and he'll be knocking your teeth out."

Zhang Wu exhaled sharply. "Master once said some people train for three days and surpass others who've trained for three years. I never believed it—until now."

Rubbing his fist, Huo Xuan suddenly remembered something. "Master, what was the Yuxu Temple master's trick? He somehow stirred the qi and blood in my body, letting me develop lead-mercury force overnight."

Hua Buyi explained, "That was Wudang's Empowerment Ritual—forcibly unlocking the flow of qi and blood throughout your body. Fewer than five people in this world can perform it."

"Even you can't?" Huo Xuan asked curiously.

"No," Hua Buyi admitted. "In truth, the Yuxu Temple master's medical skills are extraordinary. His cultivation surpasses mine, granting him deeper insight into the human body. Only if I reach the Danjin level could I perform such an empowerment for you."

By the time the three returned to Jiangzhou, night had fallen. At the hotel, Huo Xuan shaved his beard, cut his hair, and changed clothes—instantly reverting to his pre-mountain appearance.

Freshly groomed, he knocked on Hua Buyi's door and asked bluntly: "Master, can I formally become your disciple now?"

"No." The answer caught Huo Xuan off guard.

"Still not?" He laughed bitterly. "How much longer must I wait?"

Hua Buyi's expression turned grave. "Too many conflicts of interest surround me. Until you're strong enough, you cannot shoulder the burdens that come with this title."

Huo Xuan let out a sigh. "Understood. I'll keep striving."

Hua Buyi's tone softened. "Huo Xuan, take the next six months to consolidate what you've learned in the mountains. After that, I'll send you for military training."

"Military?" Huo Xuan blinked.

"Correct. Life-and-death trials accelerate growth—tempering both resolve and comprehension."

Nodding, Huo Xuan clenched his fists. "I'll make every day count."

"Use this time to settle personal matters too." With a dismissive wave, Hua Buyi ended the conversation.

Back in his room, Huo Xuan immediately dialed home. Nine months without contact—his family must've been frantic.

The line rang endlessly before connecting. "Mom, how's the shop?" he forced cheerfully.

"Son! Don't come back to Nangang—they're hunting you!" Lu Hongmei's voice trembled.

Ice flooded Huo Xuan's veins. "What happened?"

Over the next minutes, his mother unraveled the nightmare: For half a year, gangs had systematically terrorized their noodle shop—smashing tables, hurling feces, even tossing Molotov cocktails. Police intervention proved futile; the thugs vanished only to return fiercer.

When the Huos shuttered the business, the persecution escalated. Their home became a target—doors splashed with red paint, eggs rotting on thresholds, feces smeared across entryways. Saboteurs cut power lines, slashed tires, leaving the family in perpetual dread.

Then came the ultimatum: Hand over Huo Xuan, or we burn your bloodline from this earth. Too terrified to contact Huo Xuan or Huo Guoqiang, they'd endured in silence.

"Those animals!" Huo Xuan's vision tinged red. A murderous aura erupted from his core, his pupils dilating like a predator's.

"Mom, don't worry. Everything will be settled soon." After offering a few more words of comfort, Huo Xuan ended the call.

His next call was to Lin Yue to check on the jewelry store's progress. After nine months of preparation, the Tianxing Jewelry Store was ready for business, waiting only for Huo Xuan's return to officially open.

"Sister Yue, I just got back to Jiangzhou, but I need to go home first. The store opening will have to wait a few more days," Huo Xuan apologized.

Lin Yue replied calmly, "A few days won't matter. Call me as soon as you return."

That night, Huo Xuan explained the situation to Zhang Wu, who flew into a rage. He immediately selected five of his most capable men to accompany Huo Xuan to Nangang the next morning.

At 8 a.m. the following day, the group of seven boarded a flight to Dongling City. By 11 a.m., they had landed and hired a private car to continue their journey to Nangang County.

During the ride, Huo Xuan remembered that Shang Yang had considerable influence in Dongling City and decided to call him.

When Shang Yang heard Huo Xuan's voice, he was delighted. "Little brother, you finally remembered me! Haven't you returned to Jiangzhou yet?"

Huo Xuan felt a pang of guilt—he had completely forgotten to stay in touch. "Mr. Shang, my apologies. I've been occupied lately and didn't reach out."

Shang Yang laughed heartily. "No matter! We'll have plenty of time later. Is there something you need?"

"Mr. Shang, do you have any connections in Nangang County? I need to handle something and require assistance from the police."

After a moment's thought, Shang Yang replied, "I don't have business in Nangang, but it falls under Yuyang City's jurisdiction. I'm planning investments in Yuyang, so I should be able to leverage the municipal government's influence over Nangang."

"Thank you, Mr. Shang."

"Don't mention it. Your affairs are mine."

After hanging up, Zhang Wu scoffed. "Why bother with the police? Let's just deal with those troublemakers ourselves."

Huo Xuan shook his head. "It's not that simple. My parents are honest, hardworking people—they wouldn't have provoked anyone. Those thugs are almost certainly targeting me, and they're just hired hands."

"If we want to trace this to the source, we'll need the police. They're the state's enforcement arm—they can investigate faster than we can."

Zhang Wu considered this and nodded. "Any idea who's behind it?"

Huo Xuan's gaze turned icy. "Whoever it is, they won't get away with this."

Upon arriving in Nangang County, Huo Xuan and Zhang Wu's group hurried to his family home. The scene that greeted them was one of devastation—the front yard littered with debris, walls splashed with red paint, and crude threats scrawled everywhere.

A pang of guilt struck Huo Xuan as he stepped forward and knocked loudly. "Mom, I'm back!"

The door creaked open, revealing Lu Hongmei's haggard face. She had visibly lost weight, her eyes darting nervously as if expecting danger. The sight twisted Huo Xuan's heart, his vision blurring with unshed tears.

"Mom." He pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry."

Lu Hongmei clutched him, torn between relief and terror. "You shouldn't have come! They'll—"

"They're gone," Huo Xuan lied smoothly. "Where's Dad?"

Her lips trembled. "Last month... he grabbed a kitchen knife to chase them off. They broke his leg."

Huo Xuan's jaw clenched audibly. He strode to the bedroom, where Huo Guozhong lay pallid and weakened.

"Dad." He forced calm into his voice as he sat beside the bed. "How's the injury?"

"Xiao Xuan?" Huo Guozhong mustered a frail smile. "Just needs time."

Through his clairvoyance, Huo Xuan saw the steel pins in his father's shattered shinbone, the cast enclosing it. He covertly channeled golden light into the wound to accelerate healing.

"I've got friends in the police," Huo Xuan assured them. "This ends today."

"Good!" Huo Guozhong's eyes lit up. "Those scum deserve worse!"

After settling his parents, Huo Xuan stationed Zhang Wu's five enforcers as guards with brutal orders: Cripple anyone who shows up.

Then, with Zhang Wu at his side, he headed for the Nangang County Public Security Bureau—where the real battle would begin.

The bureau chief, Du Rulong, was Nangang's de facto warlord—a man who colluded with local gangs, his crimes shielded by his brother-in-law, Zhao Weimin (Yuyang City's Standing Committee Member and Organization Department Director).

Beneath Zhao's protection, Du operated with impunity. Until now.

At this moment, Du Rulong was in a small villa within the county town, groping a seductive woman he had recently taken as his mistress. Just as he was about to get down to business, the phone rang.

He picked up the receiver impatiently: "Hello? What is it?"

"Director, we just received a call from the Municipal Party Committee. They said two individuals will be arriving shortly and have instructed us to provide our full cooperation," came the secretary's voice over the phone.

Du Rulong scratched his flabby belly and asked: "Did they mention who these people are?"

"The Municipal Committee didn't specify, only ordered us to cooperate fully," replied the secretary.

"Fine, I'll be right there." After hanging up, Du Rulong took the opportunity to grope his secretary a few more times, drawing a series of breathy moans from her before finally leaving.

Settling into his Audi A6, the car sped off toward the bureau. He wondered to himself: Could these visitors be friends of city leaders? Otherwise, why would the Municipal Committee get involved?

Meanwhile, Huo Xuan and Zhang Wu were already seated in the police chief's office. A secretary politely served them tea while making meaningless small talk.

After waiting for over ten minutes, the pot-bellied Du Rulong finally entered the office. "Gentlemen, my apologies for keeping you waiting," he announced loudly. "I'm Chief Du Rulong. May I ask what brings you here?"

Huo Xuan stood up and said: "Chief Du, we were hoping your bureau could assist us in investigating a certain matter."