After Jake left the teahouse, Bob, the elderly man, didn't leave immediately. He remained seated at his table, gazing in the direction Jake had departed, lost in thought. The smile and kind demeanor he had when facing Jake were now absent from his expression.
Bob tapped his fingers on the table a few times. Soon, a man in a black suit appeared behind him, moving so swiftly that he seemed almost ghost-like.
"Go check his background and get me detailed information on him," Bob said without looking at the person who had approached, his gaze still fixed on the direction Jake had left, as if speaking to himself.
"Understood." The man in the black suit responded and then disappeared.
"Jake, an interesting young lad. Who exactly are you?" Bob muttered to himself in a low voice.
Previously, Bob had invited Jake for tea not only because Jake had helped him, but also because of Jake's skills. Although Jake blocking the stall owner's punch seemed ordinary, Bob had sensed there was more to it. This piqued his interest, leading him to invite Jake for tea.
During their conversation, Bob had noticed that Jake seemed unfamiliar with antique appraisal. This left him puzzled—how could someone with limited knowledge of antiques discern that the porcelain plate was a fake? It didn't quite make sense. The only explanation was that Jake and the stall owner were in cahoots! They were collaborating in a coordinated act. Perhaps their purpose was to get close to him.
Bob wasn't being overly presumptuous; given his status, there were many people who tried to get close to him and win his favor. Jake might be one of them, so it wasn't surprising.
Furthermore, during their chat, Bob noticed that Jake's qi and blood were abundant, something not achievable by an ordinary person. It required extensive cultivation to attain such a state. In other words, Jake was no ordinary individual.
However, when Jake introduced himself, he claimed to be an ordinary person. This raised Bob's suspicions further about Jake's identity and his motives for presenting himself that way. After Jake left, Bob decided to have him investigated.
Jake had no idea that his well-intentioned help had given rise to suspicions about his identity and motives. If he had known, he might not have spoken up in the first place. However, for Jake, this matter wasn't over.
Shortly after Jake left the teahouse, a group of people appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Among them was the stall owner from earlier and the middle-aged man who had pretended to be interested in purchasing.
"Kid, we've been waiting for you for quite some time. You've finally shown up," the stall owner said with a sinister smile.
"Waiting for me? Is there something you need?" Jake glanced at the group of people, his face still calm. The look of fear and begging for mercy that the stall owner had anticipated didn't appear on his face.
"Something?!" The stall owner growled, "You ruined my deal, and you're asking me what's the matter? If I don't break your legs today, you won't understand the consequences of angering me, the Horse King!"
The stall owner was genuinely furious at Jake. He had almost sealed the deal and was about to make a sale. But due to Jake's meddling, he had lost that opportunity. How could he not be angry? Encountering someone who was both wealthy and gullible was rare. He had been looking forward to this sale, and now Jake had ruined it. The stall owner wished he could beat Jake to death right then and there.
However, he realized he wasn't a match for Jake and had restrained himself. He had gathered a few helpers to block Jake's path. If he didn't teach Jake a lesson today, he felt he might have trouble sleeping for a long time.
"Breaking legs again? Can't you come up with something more original?" Jake quipped.
"What do you mean?" The stall owner was momentarily taken aback by Jake's response.
"Nothing special, if you're going to hit me, get it over with. I have things to do," Jake said.
Indeed, Jake had many tasks to attend to, like practicing archery and procurement, among others.
"Kid, you're too arrogant!" Jake's nonchalant attitude further aggravated the annoyance of the stall owner. He turned to the people beside him and commanded, "Everyone, get him! Take him down!"
Having witnessed Jake's power earlier, the stall owner had called seven or eight people. Most of them were street vendors from the same area who often collaborated in their schemes. Actions like Jake's, which disrupted their activities, were despised by all of them, which is why they had come to teach him a lesson.
As Jake watched the group charging towards him, he shook his head slightly. While there were more people, they posed less of a threat compared to Wade's group, and they were even weaker than Hanson and his gang.
The first person to reach him was the middle-aged man who had acted alongside the stall owner. Jake wasn't polite. He raised his leg and delivered a kick straight to the man's chest. The man, who had initially approached with confidence, was sent flying before he could even get close to Jake.
The sudden impact of Jake's powerful kick startled the other attackers. However, they had already reached Jake and had no choice but to proceed. They didn't believe that, with their numbers, they couldn't handle a single person like Jake.
However, reality proved otherwise, especially in the face of Jake. He didn't retreat; instead, he surged forward, breaking through their formation. A left punch here, a right kick there—each strike sent someone tumbling. Once on the ground, they were temporarily incapacitated, unable to quickly get back up.
The stall owner, who hadn't joined the fight yet, watched in astonishment. What was happening? Was Jake some kind of superhuman? How could he be this formidable? Still dazed, the stall owner found Jake standing before him.
"What... What are you going to do?" The stall owner stuttered, feeling taken aback.
Jake grabbed the man's collar with one hand and effortlessly lifted the bulky stall owner, who weighed over 160 pounds.
Casting a glance at the package the man had placed behind him, presumably containing items from his stall, Jake continued in a calm tone, "Don't worry, even though you wanted to break my legs, I won't be so brutal as to break yours."
The stall owner breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Jake's words. He was relieved not to be facing retaliation.
"I'll just make you eat dirt," Jake added. This reassured the stall owner even more. Falling face-first was something he could handle.
With that, Jake tossed the man aside. In mid-air, the stall owner had a smile on his face, marveling at Jake's strength. However, his triumph was short-lived, as he realized his trajectory would lead him directly to the spot where he had left his package!
When the stall owner landed, he ended up crashing directly onto his own package, creating a cacophony of crashing sounds.