Killing two of the gangsters boosted Jun Wu's confidence. This was not a blind confidence but confidence that came from his strength.
Although he did not know how strong a Skin Tempering Realm martial artist was compared to other martial artists.
He knew this: ordinary people could not be compared to them.
The Fierce Tiger Gang had only a few over a hundred men, yet they ruled the five villages around the Hearthgroove Forest with terror.
They were the uncrowned kings of the area.
Against them, his family was mercilessly slaughtered, and he could only scream helplessly.
But now, everything has changed. He was no longer the weak, helpless boy of before. He was strong enough to face his enemies.
Lying under thick shrubs, Jun Wu held his breath, gripping his hammer tightly.
He waited—patiently.
Now, he was the hunter waiting for his prey.
The forest was strangely quiet.
The gentle breeze seemed to disappear, and the chirping of insects had faded into the background.
Under the tense atmosphere, Jun Wu's gaze locked on the rugged man in the distance while he recited a passage from Confucianism class:
Patience, the quiet strength within, guides us through storms, shaping virtues in time's gentle flow, nurturing harmony and understanding.
Reciting this passage, he became strangely calm—so calm, as if he was not waiting to kill a fellow human.
Unaware of the danger he was in, the rugged man looked at his surroundings with vigilance.
He gripped his wide saber tightly. All the hair on his body stood straight, and his heart pounded heavily against his chest like a war drum.
'Why am I getting nervous for a mere scholar kid?'
'It must be because I haven't had the time to relax and enjoy some beautiful girls,' he thought and shook his head, trying to regain his calm.
'No matter where he hides, I don't believe he can escape from us… Humph! I can't wait to catch him.'
While he was lost in his fantasy, the air around changed—charged with blood-surging tension.
Immediately, his instincts, honed from many battles, flared up.
Without hesitation, he swung his wide saber in the direction of the threat.
Jun Wu's heavy hammer collided with the saber. The rugged-looking gangster trembled and stumbled backward.
His hand and saber were trembling visibly. His face was etched with shock and disbelief.
Contrary to his expression, Jun Wu remained deadpan as he followed up with another heavy swing.
In the first attack, he had only used the Heavy Swing skill to knock his enemy back, but now…
He was going for a kill using the Ironbreaker Smash skill.
Watching the hammer tear through the wind toward him, the rugged gangster recovered from his shock and raised his saber once again.
Bang!
The wide saber flew out of his palm. His skin tore apart, his white bone visible, and the tremor from the hammer sent him skidding back.
Ahhhhh!
He screamed. Fear appeared on his face.
How could this be?
He could not believe his eyes.
For Jun Wu, this was already a foregone conclusion. He raised his hammer and struck.
"P-Please…" he pleaded, but the hammer did not stop.
Bang!
The heavy hammer slammed into his chest, ribs exploding outward in jagged shards.
He flew backwards, crashing to the ground as flesh was torn apart, spilling crimson rivers.
Organs splattered like pulp, a grotesque mess of shattered bone and bleeding sinew.
Jun Wu walked over to him and stared at him for a moment, then prepared to depart when he sensed danger coming from behind.
Just as he prepared to jump to the side, the attacker's weapon cut deep into his back.
Ahhh!
A miserable scream escaped from his lips as he moved to the side.
He turned and looked at his attacker.
Standing a couple of feet from him was a wild young man in worn-out leather armor.
He grinned evilly, looking at the stream of blood coming from Jun Wu's back.
"We've all underestimated you, but this ends here." He grinned and rushed forward, swinging his saber diagonally.
Furious, Jun Wu did not try to evade the attack but met it head-on.
He swung his hammer using the Ironbreaker Smash.
Watching the incoming hammer strike, the wild young gangster had a sardonic smile on his face.
Instead of meeting the hammer head-on, he tried to lean back and change his attacking angle.
So, he planned.
Unfortunately, Jun Wu's hammer strike was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
He thought he could evade the hammer, but he was wrong.
Before he could perform his trick, the heavy hammer was already before his eyes.
'What!'
His heart skipped a beat as he scrambled to defend himself.
Bang!
The heavy hammer slammed into his chest, shattering it to pieces as he was sent flying.
His saber flung to the gods know where.
Lying on the ground, blood gushed out from his mouth, nose, and eyes.
His chest turned into a puddle of blood mixed with flesh.
He was deader than dead.
Although he did not underestimate Jun Wu, his confidence trick led to instant death.
Jun Wu did not bat an eye at him and took out a healing powder sachet from his bag and applied it to his injury.
With that, he went to look for the last gangster. This time, he was more direct.
Five minutes later, he found the last gangster who was trying to escape.
With a single hammer strike, he killed him, shattering his skull to pieces.