Chapter Twenty-Two: To Die for the Young Master—It Is Worth It!

“Something’s wrong—there’s fighting outside!” The shout rang out amid shrieks, and Hu Mo’s expression shifted slightly. Du Zhong and Lin Meng, eager for excitement as always, rushed out at once; nothing delighted them more than a lively scene, especially if it meant escaping this “stifling den.”

“I think I heard Uncle Zhang’s voice, Young Master Huang, let’s go see!” Hu Mo frowned, then leapt out, brushing past a maidservant with astonishing speed.

Huang Sheng paused, muttering to himself, “What’s going on? How did Young Master Hu suddenly become so fast?”

In the grand hall of Drunken Fragrance, several guards lay on the floor, clutching their stomachs in agony. Hu Mo spared them only a glance, his eyes sharpening to a steely glare.

Uncle Zhang was the worst injured. His chin was soaked in crimson, and on the floor, fragments of viscera could be seen. Yet he stubbornly remained standing, glaring viciously at the group of stylish men fanning themselves before him. His arm stretched out, blocking the guards who wanted to rush forward and fight.

“Hmph! Boss Wang, has your Drunken Fragrance fallen so low? These servants now eat and drink in private rooms? Are you mocking us, implying we’re no better than these lowborn folk?” A young man in white, elegant and arrogant, spoke with a domineering air and fierce authority.

Beside him, a dozen black-clad thugs watched the fallen guards, licking their lips with clear relish for violence.

“Master Situ, please calm your anger, please, let’s talk this over, why let things get so tense?” A portly middle-aged man smiled obsequiously, but inwardly cursed his fate: “It’s over. Both these troublemakers are here—who knows how much today’s losses will be!”

Situ Jie, second son of the Situ family—one of the four great clans of the Empire of Heavenly Fire—was notorious for arrogance and disregard for others. If not for Hu Mo’s recent fame, his own reputation would have far surpassed Hu Mo’s. The Situ patriarch, Situ Ao Yun, was born in the same era as Hu Yi Hu, serving as Deputy Marshal of the Three Armies and Marquis of Thunder, his renown echoing across the continent of war.

His rank made it clear—wherever Situ Ao Yun stood, Hu Yi Hu overshadowed him, one primary, one subordinate, one duke, one marquis. Situ Ao Yun always felt stifled by this!

Thus, the two elders had been rivals for decades, neither yielding, much to the frustration of Emperor Zhu Yan.

Situ Jie had immediately recognized the guards as belonging to the Hu family, which delighted him.

Why? Simple: Situ Ao Yun had told them that humiliating the Hu family in public would earn a handsome reward. With fierce competition for the family headship, this was a golden opportunity for Situ Jie to please his father—he would not let it slip by.

“Calm down? Boss Wang, you’d better explain yourself. Who let these lowborn wretches into the private room?” Situ Jie demanded, feigning ignorance.

His overbearing arrogance disgusted many nearby; yet intimidated by his power, no one dared say a word.

“Oh? Whose dog has slipped its leash and come barking? Boss Wang, Drunken Fragrance is supposed to be a place for people—why let dogs in to bite and yelp at random? Are you mocking us?” Hu Mo descended with a cold smile, sending a chill through Boss Wang, who lamented inwardly, “It’s over. These two old ancestors really are about to clash!”

“Young Master Hu, what do you mean by that? Are you calling me a dog?” Situ Jie stared at Hu Mo with murderous intent, as if he could cut him to pieces.

“Oh? So it’s the second son of the Situ family. My apologies—your back looks so much like a dog’s, and your voice even more so, just like my pet Little Jie. If only you had a tail, I’d have thought my dog had gotten loose. Let me take back what I said; calling you a dog is an insult to dogs. That’s not right, is it?” Hu Mo laughed heartily, showing no regard for Situ Jie.

He had no reason to fear Situ Jie. In truth, his guards were no weaker than the black-clad thugs, but without Hu Mo’s presence, they dared not act recklessly—a rule they had to follow!

Situ Jie had calculated that Hu Mo would avoid confrontation, hence the order to beat the guards—one side would strike, the other would not resist, leading to this outcome.

But this time, Situ Jie miscalculated—Hu Mo not only confronted him, but openly humiliated him. How could his dignity endure such a blow?

The surrounding diners applauded, cheering loudly. Especially Huang Sheng and his companions, who quickly gathered around Hu Mo, their own guards entering from outside. Instantly, the “Four Fallen Men of Heavenly Fire” outnumbered Situ Jie’s party by far. The crowd sided with Hu Mo, drawn to him for the first time, finding him surprisingly interesting.

Situ Jie wanted to shout and even grab Hu Mo by the collar, relying on his status to beat him. Yet his body suddenly stiffened, his mouth frozen, which only roused greater excitement among the crowd.

Many diners raised their glasses to Hu Mo from afar, and numerous girls sent him flirtatious glances, making him feel light as air—there was indeed a peculiar pleasure in showing off!

“What’s wrong, Second Young Master Situ? Why the bitter face? It’s strange—my people were beaten by you, and before I’ve had time to be upset, you look more miserable than I do. How am I supposed to react as their master? Never mind, I’ll follow your lead and feel sad too. Guards, cripple the legs of those black-clad thugs—Drunken Fragrance forbids dogs!” Hu Mo barked.

The Hu family guards surged forward.

“You help, too—beat them hard!” the other three “Fallen Men” ordered. Their guards, fired up, shrieked and joined the fray.

Just then, a strange laugh echoed, and several chopsticks shot toward the guards at lightning speed.

Several cries of pain rang out—many guards’ palms were pierced. One chopstick, after passing through more than a dozen hands, still hurtled straight for Hu Mo.

“Master, look out!” Uncle Zhang, wounded on the floor, sprang up and blocked Hu Mo’s front.

The chopstick entered through his right chest, passing through, leaving only the end protruding. Uncle Zhang spat blood, his strength fading, and slowly collapsed.

Hu Mo’s face changed abruptly, catching Uncle Zhang as he fell, his expression darkening the instant he touched him.

“What ruthless force—the organs are destroyed, meridians shattered, even the heart’s channel is broken. Could this really be done by a single chopstick?” Hu Mo wondered, quickly pressing Uncle Zhang’s body to staunch the bleeding.

“Uncle Zhang, is there anything you want to say? If I, Hu Mo, can do it, I will not refuse!” His lips were bitten through, drops of blood falling onto Uncle Zhang’s face.

A flush appeared on Uncle Zhang’s cheeks—a sign of his last vitality. His hand gripped Hu Mo’s arm tightly, nails digging deep, but Hu Mo did not flinch, his eyes locked onto him.

Uncle Zhang’s lips moved, as if worried about something. Hu Mo understood and bent closer.

Uncle Zhang spoke softly, ignoring all others, as if Drunken Fragrance contained only the two of them.

“Master… master, I, Zhang Long, believed myself a judge of character, but I was wrong about you. Half an hour ago, I thought you were just a wastrel, living idly and doing evil, and I felt ashamed to protect you. But today, I see you are not what you appear. You are a dragon, destined to soar. To die for you is worth it!” Zhang Long coughed heavily, gasping for breath.

Hu Mo pressed his hand to Zhang Long’s heart, pouring his strength into him.

“Master, you…”

“Uncle Zhang, you say I’m a dragon, so I must strive to become one,” Hu Mo whispered. Though his voice was soft, his commanding presence inspired Zhang Long’s complete devotion.

“Please… Master, take care of my wife and child. In my next life, I’ll protect you again…” His voice faded, until even Hu Mo struggled to hear.

Zhang Long’s hand slipped from Hu Mo’s shoulder, his eyes closed, his lips curved in a faint smile of contentment.

All the Hu family guards rushed forward, kneeling and crying Zhang Long’s name, their eyes red. Though many were gravely injured, they still crawled toward him.

The three companions beside Huang Sheng also grew solemn. For the first time, they felt admiration for a guard—such courage, risking life to save his master!

“Young Master Hu, are you all right?” Huang Sheng knelt, gently touching Hu Mo’s hand.

At that moment, a drop of blood fell onto his hand, blossoming like a red flower—blood streamed from Hu Mo’s mouth.

Huang Sheng was about to cry out, but Hu Mo covered his mouth and wiped away the blood. He smiled faintly and said, “Have your men withdraw. These, I will handle myself.”