C19 Tribulation

After leaving the Tang estate, Lu Chen set out alone, heading directly for the Lu family residence.

Located in the eastern part of River City, Lu Chen made quick work of the journey, arriving at the Lu family estate in mere moments. He slipped into the outer courtyard's dungeon, evading detection by anyone. As a legitimate heir of the Lu family, he was well-acquainted with the place where prisoners were kept.

The dungeon was guarded by two muscular men who were casually chatting away. Suddenly, one guard's head lolled to the side, his voice cutting off mid-sentence. The other guard sensed something amiss and turned to look just as a blur swept past his vision. He let out a pained groan, clutching his chest as he collapsed to the ground, staring down in horror at the spreading crimson stain.

Lu Chen emerged beside the fallen guard, a bloodied dagger in hand, his face an impassive mask betraying no emotion.

A single drop of blood fell from the dagger's edge with a "plink!" With a forceful kick, Lu Chen burst through the dungeon door, sending splinters scattering, and stepped inside.

The dungeon was a damp and dark place, with a faint, foul odor lingering in the air. Lu Chen walked through, his brow furrowing in distaste.

The dungeon was small, and it didn't take long for Lu Chen to locate Uncle Mo, bloodied and battered, in one of the cells.

Upon seeing Uncle Mo, the fury within Lu Chen surged uncontrollably, like an erupting volcano. He smashed through the wooden bars with a thunderous punch and in a flash, was at Uncle Mo's side.

"Uncle Mo, are you alright?" he asked gently, helping Uncle Mo to his feet.

Uncle Mo was severely injured, his consciousness fading in and out, but at the sound of Lu Chen's voice, his dry eyelids twitched and he opened his clouded eyes.

"Young Master, why have you come? Hurry... leave..."

Lu Chen shook his head, his eyes tinged with red, "Uncle Mo, I've come to take you home. We're going home!"

No sooner had the word "home" left his lips than the sound of urgent footsteps approached the dungeon entrance.

Lu Chen turned to see a young man with a missing arm leading a group of people as they hurried toward him.

"Uncle Mo, we're heading home now!"

With those words, he pulled a cloth strip from his storage ring and securely bound Uncle Mo to his back.

As the one-armed young man and his group approached, their expressions twisted in rage upon clearly seeing Lu Chen's face.

"You little bastard, it's really you!"

Murderous intent washed over Lu Chen's face. In a swift motion, he stepped forward and launched a punch at the young man.

Just then, an old man burst forth from behind the one-armed youth, stepping in front to meet Lu Chen's fist.

"Boom!"

Their fists collided, and a scream echoed. In an instant, a figure was flung away like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the dungeon wall. The impact brought the wall down, bricks and stones tumbling to bury the figure.

The companions who had arrived with the young man exchanged glances before hastily retreating.

The color drained from the one-armed youth's face, leaving him ashen, as large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

The elder was a formidable non-human hired by his father for a hefty sum, tasked with ensuring his safety.

While others might not have known the elder's strength, the young man was acutely aware of his prowess at Layer Nine of the Body Tempering Realm, a force to be reckoned with even within the Lu family. And yet, he had been felled by a single punch from Lu Chen!

"You little wretch, how did you become so..."

His words were cut short as an ice-cold hand clamped around his throat.

"Lu Tiancheng, I warned you the day you used Uncle Mo to threaten me—I swore I'd kill you!"

Lu Chen's expression was icy as he slowly hoisted the other man up, his fingers tightening.

Lu Tiancheng's eyes brimmed with the terror of impending death. As the young patriarch of the Lu family, he didn't want to die; he had a lifetime of wealth and time at his disposal to enjoy.

Desperately flailing his legs, he choked out a plea, "No, you can't kill me. Whatever you want, I can provide it..."

"Really?" Lu Chen paused mid-motion, a hint of mischief playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Absolutely. I can give you anything you desire, including the title of the Lu family's young patriarch." Lu Tiancheng sounded like a man drowning, desperately clutching at a lifeline.

While he spoke, his heart was filled with venomous rage. 'You're nothing but trash. I swear I'm not human if I don't kill you. The moment I'm free, I'll rally the entire clan to take you down. Then, I'll make you wish for death as I strip the flesh from your bones.'

It seemed as if his dark wishes were about to come true.

A smile slowly spread across Lu Tiancheng's thin lips.

"Listen well, I want your life!"

"Crack!"

The sharp sound of bone snapping echoed. The smile on Lu Tiancheng's face instantly seized up, and then his head lolled to the side. He was dead.

The room fell into a hushed, deathly silence. Everyone stared, wide-eyed and stunned, unable to process the scene before them.

"Thud!"

The noise of a heavy body hitting the floor jolted everyone back to reality. Lu Tiancheng's lifeless body had been nonchalantly tossed by Lu Chen, slamming into a wall before crumpling to the ground.

"Though you are all part of the Lu family, you bear no ill will towards me. I have no desire to kill the innocent. Step aside."

Relieved by his words, the crowd parted, but two figures remained, trembling as they stood in Lu Chen's way.

They were Lu Tiancheng's personal guards, tasked with ensuring his safety. If they backed down like the others, they would surely face punishment from the family head, Lu Hong.

"Do you intend to stop me?" Lu Chen inquired.

"Lu Chen, we are bound by duty," one of them declared, mustering his courage to step forward.

He had reached Layer Seven in his martial cultivation and believed that together, they could delay Lu Chen long enough for the family elders to arrive and deal with him. What he didn't realize was the true extent of the power wielded by the man who had just been killed by Lu Chen.

"If that's the case, then you can join him in death."

With those chilling words, Lu Chen stepped forward, his movement so swift he left a blur in his wake, appearing instantly before the two guards.

In an instant, without any discernible movement from Lu Chen, two sharp reports rang out and twin clouds of blood mist burst forth. The two guards screamed as they were hurled through the air, landing with convulsions that quickly ceased as life left their bodies.

Lu Chen, having dispatched the two men with the nonchalance of someone performing a mundane task, dusted off his hands. With Uncle Mo slung over his shoulder, he strode toward the dungeon entrance under the watchful, horrified eyes of the onlookers.

"Phew!"

It wasn't until Lu Chen's figure vanished into the dungeon entrance that everyone finally exhaled in relief. Their bodies, drained of strength, collapsed onto the ground as they gasped for air.

"That was terrifying. Can that really be the same Lu Chen we knew as a good-for-nothing? How did he become so formidable?" A middle-aged man in gray, his clothing soaked with sweat, looked as though he had just been dragged out of a lake.

"It's him... I recognize his... face," a young man stuttered, his teeth chattering from fear. He had once bullied Lu Chen, and the memory sent shivers down his spine once more.

​