Chapter 22: A Gamble with Life
Bang!
A sharp pain exploded in Ning Fan's abdomen as his body was sent flying.
Chen Wu's speed was astonishing, enhanced by his Soul Servant.
Unlike Qiao Fei's, Chen Wu's Soul Servant utilized wind currents to boost his movement.
In Chen Wu's own boastful words, "With a tailwind, I'm invincible!"
No sooner had Ning Fan hit the ground than he felt a gust of wind. The next moment, a leather boot pressed down on his head.
The force of the stomp was immense, driving half of Ning Fan's face into the dirt.
"Hey! Qiao Fei, who's this kid? Lin Chuan's bastard?" Chen Wu, cocky in his apparent victory, jeered at Qiao Fei, who was struggling against three members of the Wei He group. "Who's the mother? Don't tell me it's you?"
"Go to hell! Your stinking mouth is making me sick!" Ning Fan planted his hands on the ground, trying to stand.
Bang!
Chen Wu lifted his foot, only to stomp down again!
Ning Fan's head spun, and several cuts appeared on his face from the hard edges of the leather boot.
"Kid, I'm at least of the same generation as Lin Chuan. How dare you curse your elders?" Chen Wu frowned in displeasure. "How about this? Call me grandpa, and I'll let you go."
"Ning Fan! If you dare to call him that, I'll kill you myself!" Hui Zi shouted from the side, panic in his voice.
"No need to threaten me! Do I look that pathetic?" Ning Fan snapped back, equally furious. "Don't worry about me! Why don't you use that same energy you had when you were kicking me? Why are you so useless against outsiders? You only know how to bully me?"
Hui Zi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.
"You little brat, trying to provoke me, huh?"
As he spoke, Hui Zi's figure blurred.
Although half of Ning Fan's face was buried in the dirt, he witnessed a bizarre scene.
Hui Zi's shadow separated from his body!
In the split second one of the opponents was stunned, Hui Zi's shadow approached the man's shadow.
"Ahh!!" The man screamed in agony.
His shadow had been pinned down.
It was similar to how Hui Zi had controlled Cheng Bin before.
The difference was, last time Hui Zi had used a real dagger, but now, it was just a shadow.
Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, Hui Zi turned to face his other opponent. "Damn it! You two have been bullying me for a while now. Let's have some real fun, just the two of us!"
Chen Wu also noticed the situation on the other side.
It wasn't just Hui Zi; Qiao Fei was also gaining the upper hand.
The man who had just helped Chen Wu block Hua Wu now had his arms nearly hacked to pieces.
"If one cut isn't enough, I'll just keep cutting," Qiao Fei's beautiful eyes were as cold as frost. "Let's see how many of my slashes you can endure."
Although Qiao Fei had also sustained injuries, her aura completely overwhelmed the members of the Hunting Group.
Chen Wu furrowed his brows tightly.
He couldn't understand how these two lone wolves could hold their own against his Hunting Group.
Of course, he didn't even consider the boy under his foot as a person.
"Bunch of useless trash! Looks like I'll have to step in myself!" Chen Wu was furious.
He couldn't afford to lose this battle!
But just as Chen Wu was about to make his move, he suddenly found his left calf tightly gripped!
"You!"
Chen Wu looked down to find that although Ning Fan was pinned under his foot, the boy had wrapped both arms tightly around his calf!
"Your opponent... is me!" One of Ning Fan's eyes was bloodshot from the stomping, but a strange smile appeared on his lips. "Big nephew!"
Chen Wu was stunned.
Soon, he understood.
He had called Hui Zi "dad" before.
Ning Fan called Hui Zi "brother".
So, calling him "big nephew"...
From a generational perspective, it made sense!
"You're asking for death!" Chen Wu's face contorted with rage. A short blade slid out from his sleeve, plunging towards Ning Fan's neck!
But at that moment, Ning Fan's waist flexed powerfully, his lower body rising into the air, and his foot smashed into Chen Wu's chin.
At the same time, Ning Fan released his grip, and Chen Wu was sent flying!
"Puh puh puh!" Ning Fan propped himself up, spitting out mouthfuls of blood-mixed mud.
Hui Zi noticed the situation and his eyes lit up.
"Kid! Not bad at all!"
It had to be said, Ning Fan's series of movements just now were incredibly smooth.
Textbook-perfect counterattack techniques.
Moreover, the fact that he could knock Chen Wu down was something neither Hui Zi nor Qiao Fei had anticipated.
"You thought I was joking when I said I scored full marks in nine subjects?" Ning Fan wiped the blood from his face, his vision slightly blurred.
One of his eyes was severely bloodshot.
"Not bad!" Even Qiao Fei spared a moment to praise him.
She could see that Ning Fan had deliberately provoked Chen Wu.
This was also thanks to Chen Wu not taking Ning Fan seriously at all, thinking killing him would be easier than killing a chicken. So when he brought down the dagger, he hadn't used his Soul Servant.
Without Soul Servants involved, Ning Fan wasn't at too much of a disadvantage.
"Damn it!" Chen Wu stood up, shaking his head.
This kick didn't cause much damage, but the insult was extreme!
Being kicked down by a dog of a kid who didn't even have a Soul Servant—if word got out, it would make the entire Hunting Group a laughingstock!
Ning Fan picked up his broken sword again, beckoning
Bang!
A sharp pain exploded in Ning Fan's abdomen as his body was sent flying.
Chen Wu's speed was astonishing, enhanced by his Soul Servant.
Unlike Qiao Fei's, Chen Wu's Soul Servant utilized wind currents to boost his movement.
In Chen Wu's own boastful words, "With a tailwind, I'm invincible!"
No sooner had Ning Fan hit the ground than he felt a gust of wind. The next moment, a leather boot pressed down on his head.
The force of the stomp was immense, driving half of Ning Fan's face into the dirt.
"Hey! Qiao Fei, who's this kid? Lin Chuan's bastard?" Chen Wu, cocky in his apparent victory, jeered at Qiao Fei, who was struggling against three members of the Wei He group. "Who's the mother? Don't tell me it's you?"
"Go to hell! Your stinking mouth is making me sick!" Ning Fan planted his hands on the ground, trying to stand.
Bang!
Chen Wu lifted his foot, only to stomp down again!
Ning Fan's head spun, and several cuts appeared on his face from the hard edges of the leather boot.
"Kid, I'm at least of the same generation as Lin Chuan. How dare you curse your elders?" Chen Wu frowned in displeasure. "How about this? Call me grandpa, and I'll let you go."
"Ning Fan! If you dare to call him that, I'll kill you myself!" Hui Zi shouted from the side, panic in his voice.
"No need to threaten me! Do I look that pathetic?" Ning Fan snapped back, equally furious. "Don't worry about me! Why don't you use that same energy you had when you were kicking me? Why are you so useless against outsiders? You only know how to bully me?"
Hui Zi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.
"You little brat, trying to provoke me, huh?"
As he spoke, Hui Zi's figure blurred.
Although half of Ning Fan's face was buried in the dirt, he witnessed a bizarre scene.
Hui Zi's shadow separated from his body!
In the split second one of the opponents was stunned, Hui Zi's shadow approached the man's shadow.
"Ahh!!" The man screamed in agony.
His shadow had been pinned down.
It was similar to how Hui Zi had controlled Cheng Bin before.
The difference was, last time Hui Zi had used a real dagger, but now, it was just a shadow.
Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, Hui Zi turned to face his other opponent. "Damn it! You two have been bullying me for a while now. Let's have some real fun, just the two of us!"
Chen Wu also noticed the situation on the other side.
It wasn't just Hui Zi; Qiao Fei was also gaining the upper hand.
The man who had just helped Chen Wu block Hua Wu now had his arms nearly hacked to pieces.
"If one cut isn't enough, I'll just keep cutting," Qiao Fei's beautiful eyes were as cold as frost. "Let's see how many of my slashes you can endure."
Although Qiao Fei had also sustained injuries, her aura completely overwhelmed the members of the Hunting Group.
Chen Wu furrowed his brows tightly.
He couldn't understand how these two lone wolves could hold their own against his Hunting Group.
Of course, he didn't even consider the boy under his foot as a person.
"Bunch of useless trash! Looks like I'll have to step in myself!" Chen Wu was furious.
He couldn't afford to lose this battle!
But just as Chen Wu was about to make his move, he suddenly found his left calf tightly gripped!
"You!"
Chen Wu looked down to find that although Ning Fan was pinned under his foot, the boy had wrapped both arms tightly around his calf!
"Your opponent... is me!" One of Ning Fan's eyes was bloodshot from the stomping, but a strange smile appeared on his lips. "Big nephew!"
Chen Wu was stunned.
Soon, he understood.
He had called Hui Zi "dad" before.
Ning Fan called Hui Zi "brother".
So, calling him "big nephew"...
From a generational perspective, it made sense!
"You're asking for death!" Chen Wu's face contorted with rage. A short blade slid out from his sleeve, plunging towards Ning Fan's neck!
But at that moment, Ning Fan's waist flexed powerfully, his lower body rising into the air, and his foot smashed into Chen Wu's chin.
At the same time, Ning Fan released his grip, and Chen Wu was sent flying!
"Puh puh puh!" Ning Fan propped himself up, spitting out mouthfuls of blood-mixed mud.
Hui Zi noticed the situation and his eyes lit up.
"Kid! Not bad at all!"
It had to be said, Ning Fan's series of movements just now were incredibly smooth.
Textbook-perfect counterattack techniques.
Moreover, the fact that he could knock Chen Wu down was something neither Hui Zi nor Qiao Fei had anticipated.
"You thought I was joking when I said I scored full marks in nine subjects?" Ning Fan wiped the blood from his face, his vision slightly blurred.
One of his eyes was severely bloodshot.
"Not bad!" Even Qiao Fei spared a moment to praise him.
She could see that Ning Fan had deliberately provoked Chen Wu.
This was also thanks to Chen Wu not taking Ning Fan seriously at all, thinking killing him would be easier than killing a chicken. So when he brought down the dagger, he hadn't used his Soul Servant.
Without Soul Servants involved, Ning Fan wasn't at too much of a disadvantage.
"Damn it!" Chen Wu stood up, shaking his head.
This kick didn't cause much damage, but the insult was extreme!
Being kicked down by a dog of a kid who didn't even have a Soul Servant—if word got out, it would make the entire Hunting Group a laughingstock!
Ning Fan picked up his broken sword again, beckoning to Chen Wu with a provocative expression.
"Come on, big nephew!"
The injured Ning Fan's demeanor had changed dramatically from before.
This battle seemed to have awakened something in his blood.
Even he didn't quite understand why he wasn't nervous at all now, but rather excited.
Chen Wu, already seething with rage, saw Ning Fan daring to beckon him and immediately harbored killing intent.
Holding his short blade, he activated his Soul Servant again. Riding the wind, he appeared in front of Ning Fan almost instantly.
Ning Fan simply closed his bloodshot eye, not letting it affect his vision.
A cold glint flashed.
Ning Fan saw it!
"Die!" He heard Chen Wu's roar.
But there was no time to dodge!
However, Ning Fan had never intended to dodge.
Holding his broken sword, he thrust it towards the incoming cold glint!
Puchi!
Puchi!
A tearing pain shot through Ning Fan's shoulder.
Chen Wu's short blade had completely sunk into his shoulder, only the hilt remaining outside.
Although the intense pain stimulated Ning Fan's nerves, he smiled with satisfaction.
His broken sword had also pierced Chen Wu's arm!
Just now, he hadn't chosen to dodge, but rather to gamble his life against Chen Wu's!
More precisely, he was betting.
Betting that Chen Wu wouldn't exchange his life for Ning Fan's.
Sure enough, when Chen Wu realized Ning Fan's intention, he tried to avoid the broken sword, causing his own strike to change trajectory.
This stab was originally aimed at Ning Fan's heart.
"You little bastard! You..." Chen Wu's arm throbbed with pain, his killing intent growing stronger!
He couldn't tolerate being made so pathetic by this little wild dog.
But just as he was about to pull out the dagger, he noticed Ning Fan smiling.
It was a smile that came from deep within.
Ning Fan looked at him, his eyes growing brighter.
"Thank you."
Chen Wu thought the kid had gone mad.
But Ning Fan's smile only deepened. "Thank you for finally letting me feel my Soul Servant."
Qiao Fei and Hui Zi also looked over.
In an instant, both their expressions changed dramatically.
"What... what is that..." Even Qiao Fei, the eternally ice-cold woman, couldn't help but exclaim.
Ning Fan bared his white teeth.
"Soul Servant: Serene Blade."