Chapter 230: Ch-230: Bar Brawl
The bartender narrowed his eyes as soon as Wang Ming uttered those words, and his expression became deadly. He directly ignored the mocking looks others were giving Wang Ming and the laughter. His body immediately went into combat mode as he looked at Wang Ming with deadly seriousness, even though he had low cultivation.
The others in the alley might not have known it, but he, being an executive, certainly knew that the guardian beast had been killed an hour ago. They did not make this knowledge public so as not to frighten the people in the area, as it would affect their business if they decided to leave upon hearing this.
They knew that someone had entered the alley with less than good intentions toward them, and seeing Wang Ming, who was a face he had never seen before, he had some suspicion. But after Wang Ming uttered those words, he was sure that Wang Ming was either the one who killed the beast or was at the very least connected to the person who did.
"Catch him," he ordered in a chilling voice. Two hooded figures sitting beside Wang Ming immediately sprang to their feet. These two had been assigned by headquarters to capture the person responsible for killing the guardian beast if they showed up at the bar. The bartender hadn't really expected the culprit to appear in his establishment.
"Do you have a weapon? Hand it over immediately," the bartender demanded with a smirk. He was confident Wang Ming couldn't overpower the two hooded figures, both of whom were at the peak of the Core Formation Realm.
The bar was deathly silent as all the patrons looked at the current scene with wide eyes.
"Wait, is it true? The guardian beast is really dead?" someone said in an incredulous voice.
"Damn, that was a Golden Core Formation realm beast. How the hell did he kill it? I'm sensing he's only at the 1st Stage of the Core Formation Realm," muttered another person in disbelief.
"Didn't you hear me? Hand over your weapon," the bartender said as his hand reached toward Wang Ming's shoulder and grasped it with a lot of force.
"I don't like being touched, especially not by men," Wang Ming responded, grabbing the bartender's wrist. He tightened his grip until a cracking sound filled the air.
"Let go of my hand!" the man shouted, trying to pull away, but Wang Ming only increased the pressure, making the bartender howl in pain. One of the hooded figures immediately drew their weapon.
"I'll ask again—are you Cao Tao, the owner of this place?" Wang Ming asked, applying more pressure to his wrist.
"Yes, yes, I am! Now let me go!" the bartender, Cao Tao, replied, fearing his hand would be crushed if Wang Ming didn't release him immediately.
"Let him go," threatened the figure, though they didn't move closer. Wang Ming released the bartender's hand, and the man immediately collapsed to the floor, clutching his wrist.
After the bartender forced down the pain, he immediately rose to his feet and glared at Wang Ming as he drew his sword.
"Die!" the bartender shouted furiously, leaping at Wang Ming with his sword. Wang Ming swiftly brought out his Flowing Flower Sword and blocked the attack, causing the bartender's eyes to widen in shock.
"S-Sword Intent," the bartender stammered, recognizing the powerful aura from Wang Ming's sword. As a fellow sword cultivator, he knew how difficult it was to comprehend Sword Intent, especially in a place like the Black Bamboo Kingdom.
The bartender began to worry when he sensed the Sword Intent and realized he wasn't dealing with an ordinary person. He suspected Wang Ming was suppressing his cultivation, as someone capable of comprehending Sword Intent couldn't possibly be weak. A chill ran down his spine as he considered the possibility that Wang Ming was a Golden Core Realm expert.
'Damn, there's no going back now. Judging by his tone when he asked for me, I won't be able to escape easily. I need to flee while he's distracted,' Cao Tao thought. He knew his chances were slim and glanced at the two hooded figures who were on edge, planning to escape when they attacked.
Cao Tao immediately activated the bar's defensive array, and suddenly the entire bar seemed to come to life. Tables and chairs began to merge, and the wooden floor opened up as wooden golems formed, all locked onto Wang Ming.
"Idiots! What are you waiting for? Kill him!" Cao Tao shouted to the two figures, who quickly attacked with their weapons. But before Cao Tao could even blink, both figures were sent flying into the walls, crashing down with groans of pain.
"Damn, attack!" Cao Tao cursed as he saw the hooded figures, responsible for security, lose instantly. He had expected them to hold their ground for at least a few minutes. He commanded the golems to attack, but they were also quickly destroyed. Realizing the situation was turning dire, Cao Tao swiftly turned to flee towards the exit.
Swoosh
Suddenly, an intense aura erupted from Wang Ming, creating a suffocating feeling not only for Cao Tao but also for the other onlookers. Wang Ming had fully unleashed his true cultivation, which was at the 10th Stage of the Golden Core Realm.
"Fuck, G-Golden Core Realm? How is this possible?" one of the customers said in a trembling voice, as this was the first time he had encountered someone with such a high cultivation.
"H-Heavens, 10th Stage of the Golden Core Realm!" exclaimed another person.
Cao Tao turned completely pale, like a sheet, and with all his strength, he tried to run for the exit.
"Ahhhhh!" he howled in pain as Wang Ming threw his sword, chopping off one of his feet.
"R-Run!" someone screamed, seeing the dangerous situation.
"Ah, I can't let you leave at the moment," Wang Ming said as he used a low-power 'Immortal's Gaze,' rendering them unconscious.
"Now, let's talk, shall we?" Wang Ming said with a smile as he looked at the fallen Cao Tao, who trembled under Wang Ming's gaze.
'I'm screwed,' was the only thought running through Cao Tao's mind.