Celestial Human Diagram-Chapter 46 - 37: Interception

Chen Chuan was at least a hundred meters from the two men Moustache Chou had left behind. But the moment he accelerated, he was on them in what seemed like a few short breaths.

Startled, the two men deftly drew daggers from their waists.

"Ooh..." Fatty Guo’s eyes lit up, ready for a show. ’Fighting bare-handed versus fighting with weapons are two completely different things,’ he thought. ’No matter how skilled you are, you can still get hurt facing a blade if you aren’t wearing Protective Clothing.’

’Even if someone gets hurt or dies, that’s the client’s business, not mine. And besides, we’re just talking about one of the client’s flunkies. The Land Commission Office isn’t going to turn on me over something like this.’

Though Chen Chuan was empty-handed, his Second Self had merged with him, multiplying his speed and reflexes. To him, the two men seemed to be moving in slow motion.

As he ran, he made a slight adjustment to his footwork, veering to the side. This forced the two men to turn to follow him, unwittingly lining themselves up one behind the other. In that instant, he suddenly burst forward. He launched a thrust kick into the man on the left, then spun into a back kick that connected with the right-hand man’s head.

The two powerful kicks instantly neutralized them. Having dispatched them with ease, Chen Chuan continued his pursuit of Moustache Chou without breaking stride.

To any onlooker, it looked as if he had simply charged forward and, with a single spinning kick, sent both men flying sideways at almost the same instant. He shot past them before their bodies even hit the ground.

Fatty Guo was stunned. He rubbed his chin and muttered, "Hm? That looks a bit like the Xiujiang Boxing style. Is he Gu Mao’s disciple, or his junior brother?"

He immediately grew more excited. Turning around, he made a series of upward, lifting gestures. The drummer behind him understood at once. With a flurry of his hands, he struck up a fast-paced, rhythmic beat.

In just a moment, Chen Chuan was closing in on Moustache Chou. But Chou turned his head and said something to the bodyguard running beside him. The bodyguard stopped, drew a dagger from his waist, and gave it a deft flick, catching it securely in a reverse grip. A vicious look appeared in his eyes.

Chen Chuan saw him. ’That must be Zhai Wu, the man Wei Chang’an mentioned.’ But he didn’t slow down in the slightest. Seeing Chen Chuan’s unceasing advance, the brutish-looking Zhai Wu took two steps forward to intercept him.

Even with his Second Self, Chen Chuan had no desire to get stabbed. As they were about to close the distance, he gave a subtle flick of his right wrist, sending two small stones flying forward.

Zhai Wu’s reaction was incredibly fast. With a swift dodge and a parry, he evaded one stone and knocked the other aside with his dagger, striking a shower of sparks.

Chen Chuan was a little surprised. His stone-throwing technique might have been amateurish, but the speed and power behind it were undeniable. For this man to accurately parry one with a dagger was a true test of vision and speed. ’Clearly,’ Chen Chuan thought, ’his skill is extremely high.’

But once he entered a combat state, inspiration always seemed to strike. The moment he saw this, a new tactic formed in his mind. He accelerated again, simultaneously lowering his left hand in a feint, as if to throw another stone.

Zhai Wu had sharp eyes. He saw the movement and involuntarily assumed another stone was coming, which made him tense up. Even if his mind registered that it could be a feint from Chen Chuan, his body had already reacted, causing him to flinch.

The distance between them was closing rapidly. That single, minute, unnecessary movement was all it took for Chen Chuan to seize the initiative. With a low shout, he kicked off the ground, his body a blur as he shot forward. He batted aside the hand holding the dagger as he broke through Zhai Wu’s guard, smoothly unleashing a Shocking God Fist at his opponent’s face!

With his dagger hand trapped, Zhai Wu saw the ferocious attack coming and knew he couldn’t possibly dodge. His pupils contracted. In that instant, he planted his feet firmly, used his free hand to parry, and let out a sharp cry. His arm trembled as the muscles beneath his skin bunched, and a burst of Power erupted from within him.

He had meant to deflect Chen Chuan, but he hadn’t expected his opponent’s incredible control. Chen Chuan could unleash his attack but also check his momentum instantly. With a stomp, he planted himself, channeling all his forward motion into his fist. When the two forces met, even without a direct, head-on collision, a tremor ran through Zhai Wu’s body, forcing him to take a step back.

Chen Chuan, however, seemed completely unaffected. He pressed forward, his arm naturally retracting with his advance, and then... he threw another punch!

Still reeling from the last impact, Zhai Wu was unable to make any other move. He could only raise his arm again, Emitting Force to block the blow. Another tremor shook his body as he was forced back a second step.

Chen Chuan stayed on him, delivering a third, identical punch. A look of vicious desperation flashed across Zhai Wu’s face. He dug his heels deep into the mud and, with another sharp cry, met the blow head-on once more.

One advanced as the other retreated. For every punch Chen Chuan threw, Zhai Wu was forced back one step, his body wracked by a violent tremor. Within the space of a few breaths, they clashed five times, and Zhai Wu retreated five steps.

DONG... DONG... DONG... DONG... DONG... The drumming from the sidelines was perfectly timed, the drummer deliberately striking a louder beat to punctuate each clash.

As Chen Chuan moved to throw a sixth punch, Zhai Wu’s face was still a mask of ferocity, but a trickle of blood suddenly escaped the corner of his mouth. Then, as if his strength had completely deserted him, he dropped to his knees and pitched face-first into the mud.

Seeing the man who blocked his path was no longer a threat, Chen Chuan ignored him and sprinted past, heading for Moustache Chou. Behind him, the drumming swelled to match his pace, growing more and more intense.

Moustache Chou had already opened his car door and scrambled inside. Seeing Chen Chuan approaching, he yanked the door shut and fumbled to get the key into the ignition. He was so nervous that he missed twice in a row.

Chen Chuan saw this clearly. ’It’ll be a problem if he gets away.’ He took a deep breath, broke into an all-out sprint, and launched himself into the air as he neared the car.

The drummer’s eyes flew wide at the sight. A tremor of excitement ran through him. He threw his hands high into the air and, with all his might, brought them crashing down!

BOOM!

As the deafening beat of the drum sounded, Chen Chuan’s kick—carrying the full force of his charge—slammed into the car door.

CRUNCH! The sedan skidded more than half a meter sideways. The car door was completely caved in. The force of the blow launched Moustache Chou from the driver’s seat into the passenger’s seat, plastering him against the side window.

The Blood Mark Gang members’ eyes twitched as they watched, but many of them shrieked with excitement. The kick was a pure, cathartic display of power and violence, a visually stunning impact that sent their adrenaline soaring. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Chen Chuan retracted his leg, walked around the hood of the car to the passenger side, and yanked the door open. Moustache Chou tumbled out. The drummer, perfectly in sync, added a quick flurry of beats, punctuated by a final, resounding DONG as Chou hit the ground.

Just then, a loud bang echoed across the clearing as the grated door of the old phone booth flew off its hinges. Wei Chang’an stepped out, rubbing his forehead and glaring murderously.

Fatty Guo grinned. "So you’re out."

Wei Chang’an glared at him. "If Moustache Chou had gotten away today, Fatty Guo, you would have been in a world of trouble."

"Oh, is that so?" Fatty Guo seemed completely unfazed.

Wei Chang’an ignored him and strode over to Moustache Chou, planting a foot on his shoulder. "What’s wrong? Still feel like running? Go on, run. I’d love to see where you think you can run to."

Moustache Chou wheezed, "If... if Scarface were here, you wouldn’t have caught me this easily."

Wei Chang’an couldn’t be bothered to argue. He grabbed the man by the collar, hauled him to his feet, and said to Chen Chuan, "Junior, help me stuff him in the trunk. Put your stuff in the back seat."

"Alright," Chen Chuan said.

The two of them went back to the car. Wei Chang’an opened the trunk, and Chen Chuan put his suitcase in the back seat before cuffing Moustache Chou’s hands behind his back with a pair of pre-prepared handcuffs and stuffing him inside.

Wei Chang’an closed the trunk and locked it. "Who’s this Scarface that Moustache Chou mentioned?" Chen Chuan asked.

Wei Chang’an said, "Moustache Chou’s former bodyguard. Legend has it Chou saved his life with some medicine, so he’s been loyal to him ever since. The man is highly skilled—a great fighter and a combat veteran. He knows how to use guns and other weapons, and he might even have an Implant. A guy like that is tough to deal with. But Scarface committed a crime a while back and now there’s a warrant out for him. His current whereabouts are unknown."

He walked to the front of the car and pulled open the door. "That’s none of our business. Our job is just to hand Moustache Chou over to the Patrol Bureau. Whether they interrogate him for clues about Fang Dawei’s crew or use him to set a trap is their problem."

They got into the car one after the other. Once the doors were shut, Wei Chang’an cursed, "I’m never coming back to this shithole." The engine roared to life, and after a few more jolts through the muddy expanse, the car drove away.

After the two left, Fatty Guo looked a little disappointed. It was so boring out here, and the fun he’d finally found was already over. He said to one of his men, "Go check on Zhai Wu. If he isn’t dead, pull him up. Damn stubborn fool. I told him to follow Moustache Chou for appearances, not to actually fight to the death. Did he forget who signs his paychecks?"

The subordinate went over to check. "Boss, it looks like Zhai Wu is on his last breath."

"Seriously?"

Fatty Guo’s eyes widened. "He just blocked a few punches, and he’s supposed to be a damn pro fighter? What a fraud. Doctor Liu, go take a look at him."

The man in a white lab coat standing beside him walked over, performed a quick examination, and said with certainty, "Organ failure due to overexertion. It’s a common injury when you clash Power head-on, overdraw your own reserves, and suffer the backlash. If we don’t give him some strong medicine, he’ll be crippled for life."

"That serious?" Fatty Guo said, annoyed. "Lame Shan was counting on him to earn prize money in the fighting rings. If he dies, Shan will definitely try to shake me down for it. By the way, how come that other kid looks perfectly fine?"

Doctor Liu said, "Either that young man’s level of Power is far above Zhai Wu’s, or he possesses some kind of innate talent. Think about that kick to the car. The kid is completely unharmed. His strength is immense, and the resilience of his bones and muscles is beyond human. He must have crippled Zhai Wu by simply overwhelming him with his superior physical constitution."

Fatty Guo grumbled, "I thought he was a little lamb, but he turned out to be a damn tiger. Fuck it, I’ll eat the loss on this one. Go on, give Zhai Wu the medicine."

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