The Great Tang's King of Provisions

Chapter 25: A Rain of Blood Pours Down on the Casino

The henchmen wailed, but Hong Dangtou, contrary to his usual self, glared at Li Xuanba with a savage grin and roared with laughter: “Hahahaha! What’s there to fear! I’ve been waiting for him to make his move! Magistrate Cui, this man destroyed the entrance to my casino and injured my men—can he be arrested as a bandit and brought to justice?” Magistrate Cui? Upon hearing the new title Hong Dangtou had used, Li Xuanba narrowed his eyes. Sitting atop the “Chasing Wind Ten Thousand Li Cloud,” he looked impassively at a middle-aged man with the appearance of a scholar who had quietly stepped forward. This was because the thugs standing beside Hong Dangtou, following his lead, all addressed the man as Magistrate Cui. This Magistrate Cui had a fair complexion and a one-chi-long goatee on his chin. Above his high nose, he—no, this time, I’m going to take your head off! To avenge the beating they suffered.” “Hahahaha!” No sooner had Li Xuanba finished speaking than Hong Dangtou burst into loud laughter, tilting his head back. He curled his lips in disdain and glared at Li Xuanba mockingly. “How funny. Just because you say I struck someone in secret, does that mean I did? Just because you say I beat someone up, does that mean I did? Do you have any evidence? Without evidence, you’re making false accusations.” “Evidence? This young master never needs evidence when killing people—my fists are the evidence! My golden hammer is the evidence!” “Clang!” “Boom!” No sooner had the words left his mouth than Li Xuanba struck the drum-shaped golden hammer against the ring. Chui Feng Wanli Yun sprang into action at the sound, and with a sweeping swing of his four hooves, he carried Li Xuanba as they charged toward Hong Dang like a bolt of lightning. As they charged, the eyes of the horse “Chasing Wind Ten Thousand Li Cloud” sparkled with excitement; being able to slay an enemy alongside its master once again was truly the greatest joy of its life. “Magistrate Cui, save me…” Seeing Li Xuanba charging headlong toward him with brutal, unyielding force, Hong Dang was instantly terrified out of his wits. As he retreated frantically, he cried out to Cui Libo for help—but before he could utter more than four words, Li Xuanba’s hammer had already struck him down. “Boom! Splash!” With a single blow from Li Xuanba’s hammer, Hong Dangtou’s body instantly exploded, spraying a shower of blood that stained the entire Hongyun Casino crimson. To Li Xuanba’s enemies, his “Drumming the Pot and Shattering Gold” Hammer was like Sun Wukong’s Golden Ruyi Staff—no one struck by it would ever walk away unscathed. “Boom! Crack!” Having slain Hong Dangtou, Li Xuanba didn’t even spare a glance at the petrified Cui Libo. As he swung his twin hammers, thunderous, thunder-like roars rent the air. Driven by the “Chasing Wind Ten Thousand Li Cloud,” he began to mow down the thugs inside the Hongyun Casino. “No! Help! I…” “Don’t kill me! I…” Suddenly confronted with Li Xuanba’s ferocious and ruthless side, the thugs inside the Hongyun Casino dared not make a sound. They ran around in all directions, wailing and crying for their lives, only to be chased down one by one by Li Xuanba, who pounded them into a shower of blood with blow after blow. “Thud! A shower of blood rained down, and wood shavings scattered across the floor. As Li Xuanba’s twin hammers danced through the air, the entire Hongyun Casino was transformed into a living hell. Li Xuanba paid no heed to his handiwork. His face remained expressionless, his eyes flashing with icy glints as he swung his Drum-Beating Golden Hammers, whirling them into two rapidly spinning whirlwinds that crashed down upon the fleeing thugs—not even sparing Mr. Chang, the man he’d been gambling against. “Boom! Only after dozens of thunderous booms did Li Xuanba and the Wind-Chasing Ten-Thousand-Mile Cloud finally come to a halt. “Tick-tock! By now, both the man and his horse were speckled with dark red blood. Though they had ceased their movements, droplets of blood continued to trickle down from their bodies onto the ground, making them look like bloodthirsty demons. When the rumbling ceased, Cui Libo, the magistrate of Lantian County, finally snapped back to his senses. Seeing Li Xuanba and Zhui Feng Wanliyun covered in blood, and meeting Li Xuanba’s impassive gaze fixed upon him, he suddenly shuddered. He stumbled back three steps and shouted in terror, “Kill! Kill! Kill him for me!” “Yes, sir!” No sooner had Cui Libo finished speaking than dozens of guards in black armor burst into the Hongyun Casino. After responding to Cui Libo’s command, they swung their long swords and, with expressionless faces, began hacking at Li Xuanba. “Rip! Sounds like silk being torn filled the air. Just as the long swords were about to strike Li Xuanba, he suddenly moved. “Boom! Amid a flurry of golden hammers dancing through the air, the dozens of Xuanjia Guards were instantly flung backward. Before their bodies even hit the ground, they exploded with a thunderous roar, turning into dozens of clouds of blood mist. As they drifted down, they dyed the entire Hongyun Casino blood-red, transforming it into a veritable hell on earth! “Thud! Having slaughtered those dozens of Xuanjia Guards, Li Xuanba fixed his tiger-like eyes coldly on Cui Libo, the man who had just ordered his execution. From the look on his face, it seemed he intended to strike Cui Libo down with a single blow of his hammer! “Fire the arrows! Fire them now! Shoot him dead!” Seeing that Li Xuanba dared to kill him, an imperial official, Cui Libo could no longer care about maintaining the dignity of a county magistrate. His legs gave way, and he scrambled out of the Hongyun Casino, pointing at the archers closing in from outside and ordering them to shoot Li Xuanba dead. “Whoosh!” “Thud!” The moment Cui Libo gave the order, the archers outside the Hongyun Casino drew their bows in perfect unison. The sound of taut bowstrings rang out in unison, and arrows gleaming with sharpness were nocked on their bows.