Chapter 38: Annihilation (Part 1)


    That day, Han Ming held back his anger and returned to the mercenary inn with Li Chengfeng.


    "Second Brother, what''s your plan?" Li Chengfeng asked eagerly, rubbing his hands in anticipation. He had heard Han Ming speak of Kelwin before, and today he learned that Kelwin was actually Bodie''s son. It seemed that fate had a way of bringing people together. Li Chengfeng knew Han Ming would take action soon and was already excited. He wasn''t one to shy away from trouble either. As the son of Wild City''s lord, he had no reason to fear the Busman family.


    Han Ming shook his head and said, "I''ll handle this myself." He appreciated Li Chengfeng''s concern, but the Busman family was not to be trifled with. However, given Li Chengfeng''s status, it wasn''t appropriate for him to get involved.


    Li Chengfeng was a bit annoyed by Han Ming''s response. "What kind of talk is that? We''re sworn brothers now. Your enemies are my enemies. Don''t overthink it. I am my own person, and my father is his own man. Besides, I don''t even consider the Busman family a threat."


    Han Ming smiled faintly. "Big Brother, don''t be upset. I''m not asking you to stay completely out of it. It''s just that your position is sensitive, and it''s not suitable for you to be directly involved in my revenge plan. However, the Busman family is in the weapons business and likely has strong ties with the military. When the time comes, they''ll probably seek help from the army. If you want to help me, just mediate and ensure the military remains neutral. That''s all I need. As for the action, I can handle that myself."


    Seeing that Li Chengfeng still wanted to argue, Han Ming quickly raised his hand to stop him. "Let''s settle it like this. I won''t push myself too hard. If I run into trouble I can''t handle, I''ll definitely ask for your help. Your father has already done a lot for me today. Without him, my friend Big Head might not have made it."


    Li Chengfeng understood that Han Ming was considering his position. Although Li Chengfeng himself didn''t care, he had to think about his father''s reputation. If he were to openly join Han Ming in confronting the Busman family, people might spread rumors that the city lord was bullying civilians. However, helping behind the scenes was still possible. Most importantly, Li Chengfeng had great confidence in Han Ming''s strength. He believed that as long as Bardel didn''t intervene personally, no one could stop Han Ming.


    "So, when do you plan to make your move?" Li Chengfeng asked, a bit disappointed. He was very interested in this kind of action and wanted to join Han Ming in making a big scene. But it seemed unlikely now, which left him feeling a bit down.


    "Tomorrow morning," Han Ming said, narrowing his eyes.


    Li Chengfeng was surprised. "What? Tomorrow morning? Wouldn''t it be better to act at night? Or are you planning to confront them openly?" His eyes began to sparkle with excitement. After spending some time with Han Ming, he had come to understand his personality. Han Ming never did things half-heartedly; when he acted, he made sure it was earth-shattering. Li Chengfeng greatly admired this about him.


    Han Ming smirked coldly. "Why not confront them openly? His son openly killed Wei''er, and Bodie openly used Big Head, nearly costing him his life. I''ll confront them just as openly."


    Li Chengfeng nodded excitedly and left after giving Han Ming some advice. He had things to do, the first of which was to find Bardel. Han Ming''s plan to confront the Busman family openly wasn''t just about causing trouble. He needed to ensure Bardel stayed neutral and didn''t interfere.


    That night, Li Chengfeng returned and handed Han Ming a map. It marked all the locations of the Busman family''s businesses, which Han Ming had asked him to find earlier.


    After seeing Li Chengfeng off, Han Ming sat cross-legged on his bed, absorbing energy from magic crystals for a while before going to bed early. He needed to be in top condition for the next day''s events.


    Early the next morning, a weapon shop owned by the Busman family had just opened when its first customer arrived. That customer was Han Ming, and he wasn''t there to buy weapons.


    "Is this the Busman family''s weapon shop?" Han Ming asked the shop manager with a smile.


    The middle-aged manager was directing workers to display weapons at the entrance while the staff cleaned and arranged the weapon racks. Seeing Han Ming arrive so early, he smiled and said, "Yes, it is. How can I help you?"


    Han Ming grinned darkly and nodded. "Nothing, just asking."


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The manager of the weapon shop gave Han Ming a curious glance but didn’t pay him much attention. Just as he was about to walk back into the shop, Han Ming kicked him hard, sending him flying. The manager’s body slammed into the counter, his back colliding violently with the corner before he crumpled to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. It was clear he wouldn’t survive.


    Several workers witnessed Han Ming’s attack and realized he was there to cause trouble. They quickly called for others to help subdue him. But these lowly lackeys were no match for Han Ming.


    With a few swift punches and kicks, Han Ming incapacitated the useless bunch. He didn’t kill them, only left them severely injured. These were just workers hired by the Busman family, and Han Ming saw no reason to take their lives. He deliberately spared one worker, leaning in with a sinister grin. “Go tell your boss that someone’s here to wreck the shop.”


    The terrified worker scrambled away, stumbling and crawling in his haste.


    Meanwhile, passersby had been drawn to the commotion outside the weapon shop. They gathered around, pointing and whispering among themselves.


    Han Ming, unfazed, closed his eyes and ignored the scene entirely.


    Soon, the fleeing worker returned with a group of burly men, pushing through the crowd. The worker pointed at Han Ming and muttered something to a middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man nodded and strode over to Han Ming, shouting, “You’ve got some nerve! Do you even know whose territory this is? How dare you cause trouble here!”


    Han Ming slowly opened his eyes and nodded. “Is that old fool Bodie not coming?”


    The middle-aged man was furious. “Who do you think you are? You want to see the patriarch? Fine! Men, seize him!” With a wave of his hand, the group of burly men advanced, cracking their knuckles.


    Han Ming smiled faintly. In a flash, he disappeared from their sight. Before they could react, a series of thuds echoed as each man’s legs were broken, leaving them writhing on the ground in agony.


    The middle-aged man, enraged, decided to take matters into his own hands. He tore off his shirt, revealing a muscular physique, but his display ended there. Han Ming reappeared in front of him, bending slightly to dodge a straight punch. With one hand under the man’s legs and the other on his shoulder, Han Ming exerted force. A sickening crack echoed as the man’s spine snapped. He twitched a few times on the ground before going still.


    The crowd gasped in shock. No one had expected Han Ming to be so ruthless. Some of the more timid onlookers turned and fled, fearing they might be next.


    Han Ming stood at the entrance of the weapon shop, stretching lazily. “Starting today, all Busman family weapon shops are closed. If you need weapons, look elsewhere.” With that, he set the shop ablaze in front of the stunned crowd and walked away without a backward glance.


    That same day, beginning with the first weapon shop, Han Ming swept through every Busman family weapon shop in the area, leaving nothing but ashes in his wake. By the end of the day, nearly a third of the Busman family’s weapon shops had been reduced to cinders.


    Bodie Busman stood in the family’s council hall, roaring in fury. He was beside himself with rage. A third of their businesses in Wild City had been destroyed in a single day. Since the Busman family had established themselves in the city, they had never suffered such a blow. To make matters worse, all the skilled fighters in their territory had been brutally killed by Han Ming. Bodie had sought help from the military, but after waiting for hours, he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Bardel. It was clear Bardel wanted no part in this. He then turned to the city lord, Li Zhan, but was met with the same result—no audience.


    The family elders clamored for Han Ming to be severely punished. But at the end of the day, they were merchants, not warriors. Though they dealt in weapons and had some hired hands, their fighters were no match for Han Ming.


    Bodie, however, felt a pang of bitterness. He suspected Han Ming’s retaliation was tied to the black-scaled beast his family had swindled. If only he had agreed to sell the crippled beast to Han Ming, perhaps none of this would have happened. But it was too late for regrets. He couldn’t back down now; it would be seen as weakness.


    Taking a deep breath, Bodie declared, “Go to the mercenary guild. Put a bounty of ten thousand gold coins on Han Ming’s head!”


    <hr>


    “Excuse me, are you Kade Busman?” Han Ming stood at the entrance of Wild City’s martial arts academy, smiling as he addressed a young man around his age.


    The young man, who was leaving the academy with a group of friends, frowned at Han Ming’s abrupt question. “Where did this brat come from? Get lost!”


    Han Ming’s smile didn’t waver. “Are you Kade Busman? Nephew of Bodie Busman?”


    The young man lifted his chin arrogantly, glancing at Han Ming with disdain. “If you know who I am, then get out of my way. Don’t block my path.”


    Han Ming chuckled. “Good, that confirms it.” With that, he strode toward Kade Busman.


    Kade, realizing Han Ming was here to cause trouble, was puzzled. He was sure he’d never met Han Ming before, so why was this skinny guy targeting him? Still, he wasn’t worried. As a fourth-tier warrior, he was no pushover among his peers. His friends, standing nearby with arms crossed, smirked, thinking Han Ming was about to get what he deserved for daring to challenge Kade.


    Han Ming strode over to Kadibusman, completely ignoring the combat aura Kadibusman was emitting. He grabbed Kadibusman''s incoming fist, planted his foot on Kadibusman''s hip, and with a forceful tug, tore off one of Kadibusman''s arms. Unfazed by Kadibusman''s agonized screams and the horrified reactions of those nearby, Han Ming stomped Kadibusman to the ground and proceeded to rip off his other arm.


    "Sorry, but blame your last name—Busman. Try to be a better person in your next life," Han Ming said coldly. With a decisive stomp, he crushed Kadibusman''s chest, the force causing bones to pierce through flesh and fragments of internal organs to spill out. Without so much as a glance at the lifeless body on the ground, Han Ming turned and walked straight into the martial arts academy.


    Students leaving the academy witnessed the gruesome scene and erupted in screams. A few of the more composed ones quickly shouted, "Get the teachers! Hurry!"