Chapter 22: Duel
Whoosh!
Lin Fan shot the arrow armed in his bow at Housekeeper Lee.
Thud!
Housekeeper Lee didn't even dodge and let the arrow land in his left arm.
"Grr..." Housekeeper Lee growled loudly at Lin Fan.
He used his right hand and yanked the arrow from his left arm.
The arrow, with its inverted triangle shape, tore out a chunk of meat from the arm.
Housekeeper Lee didn't even flinch, as if he couldn't feel any pain.
He took the arrow and threw it at Lin Fan.
Whoosh!
The arrow came at Lin Fan with incredible speed.
What inhuman strength.
Lin Fan, with his level 3 physique, could clearly see the arrow coming; from a tiny dot, it slowly became the familiar tip of the arrow.
Clank.
Lin Fan swiped away the arrow with his axe.
By this time, Housekeeper Lee was now two steps away from Lin Fan.
Housekeeper Lee punched at Lin Fan's face.
To Lin Fan's surprise, Housekeeper Lee's fist had a black aura or dark force around it.
Unsure of what the dark force could do, Lin Fan delivered a front kick with his Magnificent Leap, but it only made Housekeeper Lee take a few steps back.
Housekeeper Lee steadied himself and came at Lin Fan with a side punch to Lin Fan's waist.
Lin Fan blocked with his arm.
Thud!
Even with Lin Fan's level three physique, Lin Fan stepped to the side to absorb the force of the impact.
Lin Fan felt the dark force penetrating through his skin and flesh, all the way into his bones.
It sent chills wherever the dark force burrowed in his arm.
Housekeeper Lee had used some form of technique.
But where had he learned to do so, and how, in such a short period of time?
Lin Fan didn't have the luxury to think further.
In the next moment, Housekeeper Lee punched at his face again.
Lin Fan drew his axe and hacked it at Housekeeper Lee's fist.
The axe didn't do any damage and its handle broke.
The top part of the axe flew away into the distance.
Lin Fan quickly used the Iron Claw ability and with his fingers grabbed Housekeeper Lee's fist.
The Iron Claw ability protected his hand from the penetrating dark force.
Both of them got into a standoff with Lin Fan's hand clutching onto Housekeeper Lee's fist.
Housekeeper Lee tried to push Lin Fan, but Lin Fan was too strong for him.
He growled and tried again.
Lin Fan pushed back.
Housekeeper Lee moved backward, even though his feet didn't.
Lin Fan's sheer force made Housekeeper Lee shift, leaving two trails from his feet in the dust path.
To break this quagmire, Lin Fan squeezed his hand, trying to use his Iron Claw to get through the dark force.
His fingers tussled with the dark force.
At first, the dark force was able to withstand the Iron Claw ability.
But slowly, the dark force turned thinner.
Lin Fan's fingers then managed to break through.
His fingers went through the flesh and bones of the fists.
Blood mixed with pus dripped onto the ground.
"Grr..." Housekeeper Lee growled and pulled his arms back.
It caused his hands to tear off at his wrist.
Housekeeper Lee, now free from Lin Fan's grip, lunged at Lin Fan trying to bite him.
Immediately, Lin Fan threw the mangled fist from his hand, reaching for his belt.
Click.
Lin Fan pressed the contraption at the belt buckle, which disengaged, and Lin Fan pulled out the belt sword.
The belt sword straightened, and Lin Fan swiped it at Housekeeper Lee's neck.
Blood seeped out and a straight red line appeared at Housekeeper Lee's throat.
Housekeeper Lee stopped motionless.
His head slowly slid down and dropped to the ground.
Blood spurted out of the exposed neck, and the body also collapsed after a few moments.
[Ding! Congratulations on terminating malevolent intent.]
[Vengeance points + 50.]
[Current Vengeance Points: 50]
Lin Fan slowly slumped down onto the ground.
This was one of the hardest battles he had since getting the system.
Something must have happened for Housekeeper Lee to become so powerful in such a short time.
Had Housekeeper Lee become a cultivator?
Are cultivators as powerful as Housekeeper Lee, Lin Fan thought.
The only thing he was sure of was that those behind Housekeeper Lee were now desperate.
He had better report to the village head about what happened.
But before that, time to salvage and reuse.
He came up next to Housekeeper Lee's body.
The body had such a stench that Lin Fan nearly puked.
Pus, blood, and saliva.
All the myriad smells mixing together formed a nasty, putrid smell.
Lin Fan used his fingers to cover his nostrils and rummaged through the body.
He found a few strings of copper coins, a few pieces of silver bits, and the familiar wooden slab with the lotus carving.
Other than that, nothing else.
No clues as to how he got so powerful.
Tolerating the stench, Lin Fan carried the body over to the woods.
He made sure the beasts dragged Housekeeper Lee's body away before making his way back to the village.
Back in the village, Lin Fan headed straight over to the village head's house.
When he entered, Ho Fu was having dinner and Ho Ming was in a lotus position, meditating.
Or at least, pretending to be.
Ho Ming opened one of his eyes and peeped at Lin Fan when he saw Lin Fan enter.
He quickly stood up and greeted Lin Fan.
"Lin Fan, are you here for dinner?" Ho Ming walked to the side of Lin Fan, patted him on his back and said.
"Who said you could stop?" Ho Fu stood up and tried to use his pipe to whack Ho Ming.
Ho Ming looked at Lin Fan with a pleading expression.
Seeing Ho Ming's plight, Lin Fan blocked the village head's pipe and said, "Village head, I have something important to report."
Ho Fu stopped and asked, "What's it about?"
At the same time, Ho Ming silently walked away, clasped his hands together as a gesture of appreciation to Lin Fan.
He then tiptoed away and scurried into his bedroom.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ho Fu noticed Ho Ming trying to get away.
He turned and yelled at him, 'Hmph! Useless fool. All this training is for your own good.
Lin Fan didn't let Ho Fu drone on; he quickly said, "Housekeeper Lee attacked me on my way back."
"Are you hurt? Where's Housekeeper Lee now?" Ho Fu asked and took a puff from his pipe.
"He fled away. But during our fight, he dropped this," Lin Fan handed the wooden slab over to the village head.
"Hmm. This is bad. Let the Constable investigate tomorrow when they come."