The landlord and landlady were completely dumbfounded!
As top-tier martial masters themselves, they naturally knew the name of the Fire Cloud. Even without having fought him personally, they were well aware that he was considered an invincible figure in the martial world.
Yet the young man standing before them claimed to have nearly beaten that legendary evil god to death?
Unbelievable!
And yet… after witnessing Fenric's overwhelming display of power just now, the claim didn't sound entirely impossible.
Fenric had toyed with them as if they were nothing more than practice dummies.
Even now, they were gravely injured, and Fenric still hadn't revealed his full strength.
A terrifying character like this… they had never seen such a person in their entire lives.
"Do you still intend to stop me?"
Fenric's voice was calm, but his eyes looked down on them from above, cold and sharp.
The landlord and landlady exchanged glances where they lay on the ground. Finally, the landlady gritted her teeth and said, "I still have one last technique. If you can withstand it, we won't interfere any further."
"A technique?"
Fenric's lips curved into a faint smile. "What, the Lion's Roar amplified with a loudspeaker?"
"You—how do you know?!"
The landlady's eyes widened in shock. That particular trick was something she had secretly developed in seclusion—no outsider had ever heard of it.
Fenric didn't bother to explain. "Even though I'm confident I could take your best shot, I'm not interested in wasting time on you. You're simply not worth it."
Then his gaze hardened.
"I'm taking those three with me. If you dare to interfere again, I'll kill you where you stand!"
Truthfully, Fenric was already merciful.
If not for the respect he held for the legendary Condor Heroes couple, he wouldn't have even bothered with words—he'd have ended this quickly.
He knew the original plot well enough to understand that the landlord and landlady, despite their rough exterior and questionable temperaments, were far from villains. They had been quietly protecting the people of Pig Sty Alley all along.
Such characters—chivalrous and loyal—even in a dungeon world, did not deserve to die.
Of course, if they were foolish enough to keep challenging his patience, he would not hesitate to end them.
"Second Master!" Fenric called out.
The underling quickly rushed over, bowing low. "Boss, what are your orders?"
"These three killed the Third Master. According to gang rules, what's the punishment?"
"Boss, the rule is to hack them to death with axes—and bury their families alive!" the man replied without hesitation.
Hearing this, Coolie, the old tailor, and the breakfast shop owner all turned pale.
Even the surrounding villagers were shocked by the brutality of the Axe Gang's rules.
Fenric himself couldn't help but find it cruel—yet no wonder no one dared to cross the Axe Gang in SH City.
A gang of lunatics like this? Who would provoke them?
"I'll give you two some face," Fenric said to the landlord and landlady. "These three will die quickly and cleanly, to avenge the Third Master. Beyond that, I won't pursue anything further."
His tone was cold but fair. He had already given them enough face.
If they didn't accept this… he would have no choice but to take harsher measures.
The couple exchanged looks, hesitation flickering in their eyes.
"Thanks for your willingness to spare the others," the old tailor said solemnly.
Coolie suddenly stood up, his one good eye fixed on Fenric. "I killed the Axe Gang member. I take full responsibility. Leave the others out of this!"
Swish!
Before he could say more, his head went flying.
Fenric had silently drawn a blade into the air using his mental power, slicing Coolie's neck cleanly.
The severed head rolled across the ground and landed at the Second Master's feet, making him jump.
"Second Master," Fenric ordered calmly, "bury the Third Master, and place this head before his grave."
"Y-yes, Boss!"
The Second Master swallowed his fear, picked up the bloody head, and stuffed it into a sack. His hands trembled—this Boss was simply too terrifying!
Fenric then turned to the old tailor and the breakfast shop owner.
Truthfully, he thought highly of these three masters.
But they had insisted on interfering, resulting in the Third Master's death.
As the leader of the Axe Gang, Fenric had to set an example. Otherwise, what would his men think of him?
"Go in peace," Fenric said softly, raising his hand.
Crack! Crack!
Two sharp fractures rang out.
The old tailor, heir of Iron Wire Fist, and the breakfast shop owner, wielder of the Bagua Staff, both collapsed lifelessly under Fenric's mental power.
From beginning to end, the landlord and landlady could only watch in silence.
"Ugh…"
Seeing the three masters die one after another, the landlord sighed heavily.
Even if they had stepped in, they wouldn't have been able to stop Fenric.
This young man was a monster—there was simply nothing they could do.
Fenric coughed lightly and turned to address the villagers.
"Listen well! From today onward, this area falls under the Axe Gang's protection. Each of you will pay a protection fee of one Jade Coin per month, per head.
"Pay it, and you won't have to pay the government's food tax anymore!"
The Second Master's lips twitched. He wanted to remind Fenric that one Jade Coin per month was too little, but when he met Fenric's cold gaze, he shut his mouth and didn't dare utter a sound.
As for the people, their initial reaction was sorrow—no one liked paying protection fees.
But when they heard that the food tax would be abolished, their despair quickly turned to joy.
One Jade Coin a month? That was nothing compared to the heavy taxes they'd been suffering under!
For years, most of their harvest had been swallowed by the government. Now, with Fenric's rule, they would actually be able to keep their crops.
If not for their fear of the Axe Gang's brutal reputation, they might have cheered on the spot.
"Landlord, landlady," Fenric added casually, "if you ever have time, come visit me. The Fire Cloud would be interested in sparring with you."
Leaving those words behind, Fenric ordered his men to carry away the unconscious Sing and Fatty Bone. Then he turned and walked out of Pig Sty Alley, stepping into his car.
It wasn't until Fenric's car had vanished that the Samsaras finally dared to whisper among themselves.
"Holy sh*t… Boss Shura is just too strong!"
"Yeah! He's completely invincible. We were like children in front of him!"
"They say his strength has already surpassed Rank A. I didn't believe it before… but now I do!"
"No wonder he sits firmly as the Axe Gang's leader. People like us can't even compare."
"By the way, who the hell is this Fire Cloud he mentioned? There's no info on him in any of the strategies!"
"Yeah, I'm curious too. The name alone sounds terrifying!"