Chapter 27: The Butcher’s Insight into the Human Heart

Chapter 27: The Butcher Dissects Men

"Friend! I advise you not to meddle in other people's business. We are from the Azure Sun Sect," the taller of the two men said, glancing at Wu Hong with a hint of apprehension.

Though the pair had managed to follow the woman into the depths of the alley, they were entirely unaware of Wu Hong trailing behind them—a fact that left them surprised and uneasy. Uncertain of Wu Hong's abilities, they could only reveal their sect, hoping their formidable background would be enough to scare off this uninvited interloper.

"Hmph—What do I care if you’re from the Azure Sun or Purple Sun? Anyone who crosses my path, Wu Hong's path, is doomed," Wu Hong replied, utterly unconcerned. Though his two opponents were masters of the Blood Refining realm, Wu Hong, even when he was only at the Flesh Refining stage, had been able to face such adversaries. Now, having reached the Tendon Refining realm, he had no reason to fear them. The alleyway was narrow, and he’d already blocked their escape, so he boldly revealed his name.

"Wu Hong! Are you that useless, runaway eldest son from the Prince of Martial Might’s household? Ha ha ha—" The two men burst into raucous laughter upon learning the iron-faced figure before them was Wu Hong.

"Brother, let me handle this fool who doesn't know his own limits!" the tall brute said. With the rumors about Wu Hong's congenital blockage of meridians—so severe that even the Prince of Martial Might himself could do nothing—neither man believed Wu Hong was capable of giving them trouble.

Moreover, Wu Hong’s reputation was now infamous, his name blackened more thoroughly than even some notorious bandits.

Finishing his words, the tall man drew a pair of hooks from his belt. With a powerful leap that shattered the flagstones beneath him, he moved with the agility of a forest ape, appearing before Wu Hong in an instant. The twin blue-glinting hooks in his hands swept toward Wu Hong’s shoulders at meteoric speed.

So, they truly are vicious men. The hooks’ unnatural metallic sheen betrayed their poisonous coating.

Wu Hong sidestepped nimbly, and the hooks slashed down where he had just stood. The tall man’s eyes flashed with astonishment, and, his move spent, he flipped backward, retreating five or six meters.

Once more, the tall brute slashed upward at a tricky angle with his hooks. Wu Hong quickly drew his dagger from his belt to parry.

A great clang rang out. The tall man felt a massive force surge through his weapons, splitting the skin between his thumb and forefinger. With no time to think, he tried to redirect the force, but the hooks flew from his grasp.

"What? Yan Chun, are you serious? Is it really this much trouble to deal with him?" called the companion behind the tall man. His view blocked and the skirmish brief, he assumed Yan Chun had simply been careless.

Yan Nan, his face flushed and hands trembling, squeezed out, "Yan Bei, this fellow is no easy opponent! Come help me!"

The two were brothers: Yan Nan and Yan Bei. Though disciples of the Azure Sun Sect, they were infamous for preying on women, engaging in all manner of foul deeds under the protection of their powerful sect. They would resort to any means—poison, framing, threats—to achieve their aims.

Now, being so disregarded by Wu Hong, and by a man supposedly the wastrel scion of the Prince of Martial Might, stoked their rage. That evening, word had reached them that an exceptional beauty had arrived at the Yunluo City brothel. Having seen her and become enamored, they had trailed her, expecting an easy conquest in the depths of the alley—only for Wu Hong to intervene.

They had thought Wu Hong an easy target, only to find themselves striking stone instead of soft clay. These surprises left them unable to think clearly about how Wu Hong had acquired such skill.

Yan Nan and Yan Bei, one before and one behind, charged toward Wu Hong. Yan Nan leapt, blade raised, and chopped at Wu Hong’s head with full force.

Suddenly, Yan Bei appeared directly in front of Wu Hong. The brothers' coordination was seamless; in such a narrow alley, even a master of the Bone Refining realm would have been hard-pressed to withstand their assault.

Their weapons drew within a dozen centimeters of Wu Hong—and then, something uncanny happened. Wu Hong’s shoulder began to creak and groan; then, astonishingly, one side of his body folded backward along the line of his spine—ninety degrees—while the other half remained facing forward.

This transformation occurred in an instant, leaving the brothers stunned. Wu Hong’s body, now twisted in such an unnatural way, was something no ordinary human could achieve.

From the front, Wu Hong appeared to be standing on only half a body, his neck and head twisted along with him. From the left, it was as if he were a different man entirely, his head and torso facing forward.

The brothers had heard tales of western contortionist arts, but nothing so monstrous as this.

Their weapons missed, and panic seized them as they tried to retreat—but it was too late. Wu Hong’s fingers flashed, piercing the air with a double sonic boom, striking both men at the center of their chests. Instantly, their bodies went numb and their weapons clattered to the ground.

The fight ended in a heartbeat.

The tall, slender woman pressed against the wall watched, a glint of intelligence in her eyes, but continued to tremble uncontrollably.

Wu Hong drew his dagger once more and strode toward the paralyzed brothers.

"What are you doing? What are you going to do?" they stammered, terror overtaking them.

"Heh, sorry gentlemen, but it’s been a long time since I practiced my slaughtering technique. Lacking cattle, you’ll have to do as a substitute," Wu Hong replied.

He was never one to pity villains. His dagger danced at high speed, the blade slapping their bodies again and again—hundreds, perhaps thousands of times in an instant.

Every acupoint on their bodies was struck repeatedly, rendering them mute and frozen in place.

Slap, slap—Wu Hong’s hands never paused, striking their fronts, then their backs, then their heads.

Before long, the brothers’ faces flushed scarlet and their blood boiled within them, yet Wu Hong’s blows left them feeling an incredible comfort, as if they had just spent the night in the arms of a beautiful woman. If they could have spoken, they would have cried out in pleasure.

Yet their emotions were a tangled mess. Wu Hong’s bizarre actions could only spell disaster, and fear should have consumed them—but the physical comfort he induced dulled their terror.

"Alright, that should do," Wu Hong said with a sigh. With two kicks, he sent their bodies flying through the air like wooden stakes.

His dagger flashed repeatedly through the air as they soared. Neither made a sound.

Just as their bodies were about to hit the ground, Wu Hong caught them gently, then tapped each man’s neck twice with his finger. "Confess your sins now, and you may find release."

"You bastard, Wu Hong! Do you think the Azure Sun Sect will forgive you for this?" Yan Bei shouted. In his muddled state, he mistook Wu Hong’s strange actions for an attempt to curry favor, especially since the slapping had left him feeling so comfortable.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, his expression twisted in horror—a chunk of flesh fell from his leg.

Then another.

And another.

Bit by bit, the flesh of Yan Bei’s leg peeled away, leaving only bare, white bone. His eyes bulged in disbelief, terror freezing his face.

"Ah—ah—ah—" In the blink of an eye, all the flesh on Yan Bei’s legs was gone, leaving nothing but bone.

"I warned you to behave," Wu Hong said coldly, unmoved by the gruesome sight.

"Wu Hong, you bastard! If you have any honor, give me a quick death!" Yan Bei howled hoarsely.

Wu Hong only shook his head. Yan Bei’s screams echoed through the alley as, one by one, the flesh from his arms, chest, and neck fell away. At last, his internal organs spilled onto the ground, and his dark red heart thudded a few times before falling silent.

With a clatter, Yan Bei’s furious, wide-eyed head rolled to a stop at the feet of the woman still trembling in the corner.

Yan Nan had watched the entire ordeal in utter stillness, petrified with fear. When Wu Hong turned his smile on him, he stammered, "I was wrong!"

With a soft sound, a massive gash opened in Yan Nan’s carotid artery, spraying blood across the wall. Half the wall turned crimson before he lost consciousness and his body collapsed into a heap of flesh, with not a drop of blood left among the remains.

Wu Hong had used this gruesome display to test both his strength and control, and because he had mistaken the woman cowering in the corner for an ordinary person. In the sunless depths of the alley, an ordinary person would see nothing, though they might be haunted by the screams.

But Wu Hong had felt an itch to test his skills and had not thought too much before acting.

What he did not know was that the tall woman had witnessed everything from beginning to end—her eyes first bright with interest, then with shock, and finally her cherry lips parted in astonishment, unable to close for a long time.