Lu Tzang glared at Shen Zhi and Shen Rui, his voice suddenly booming, "You two?! Come here!"
His tone was sharp, dripping with menace, and his confident, angry eyes locked onto theirs like a predator eyeing its next prey.
Shen Zhi and Shen Rui froze for a split second before taking instinctive steps backward.
Their fear was palpable, and even though they tried to hide it, their trembling legs betrayed them.
Lu Tzang took a slow, deliberate step forward, his aura exuding an almost tangible pressure.
His expression was a mix of fury and controlled confidence.
Each step was measured, deliberate, making the tension almost unbearable.
Seeing the two Shen brothers begin to cower, Lu Tzang suddenly remembered the system mission.
Wait... if they run and I chase them, I won't complete the mission properly. How can I slam them if I can't catch them?
He grimaced inwardly.
His cultivation level was only Phase Five of the Mortal Body Realm, while Shen Zhi and Shen Rui were at Phase Seven.
Their speed would far surpass his if they decided to flee.
He needed to make them stay—but how?
An idea sparked in his mind. Just as Shen Rui took a step to turn around and run, Lu Tzang let his knees buckle, and he purposely fell to the ground with a loud THUD.
"Oof!" he groaned, his voice trembling as if he had truly lost his strength. But in an instant, he pushed himself back to his feet, clutching his side and contorting his face into a convincing mask of pain and exhaustion.
He resumed shouting, his voice hoarse but still commanding. "Come on! Attack me!"
Shen Zhi paused mid-step, his sharp eyes narrowing as he analyzed Lu Tzang's body language.
Beside him, Shen Rui hesitated for a moment longer before tugging on Shen Zhi's sleeve.
"Let's go!" Shen Rui hissed. "This guy just dealt with Shen Jian like he was nothing! Why are we still here?"
Shen Zhi grabbed his brother's arm, his grip firm. "Wait! Don't go," he said, his voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of suspicion.
"Why?" Shen Rui asked, his eyes darting nervously between Lu Tzang and Shen Zhi.
Lu Tzang, still shouting to goad them, froze when he noticed Shen Zhi's calculating gaze. His shouting ceased abruptly, and his eyes widened in mock alarm.
A sly grin spread across Shen Zhi's face. "I see," he said, his voice cold and cutting. "Shen Rui, let's deal with him."
"What?!" Shen Rui exclaimed, looking at his brother as if he'd gone mad. "He took Shen Jian down like he was nothing! Why should we stay?"
Shen Zhi sneered, shaking his head. "Think about it. He just wanted to scare us. There's no way he can do that again. Look at him—he's clearly pretending to be fine. He's hoping we'll run away like cowards, but I can see right through him."
Shen Rui paused, glancing back at Lu Tzang. "You're sure? What if you're wrong?"
"Pathetic," Shen Zhi muttered, ignoring the question. "Do you think I'm easy to fool? This is nothing but a bluff!"
Lu Tzang forced himself to grimace, feigning the expression of someone whose deception had just been exposed.
He clenched his teeth, acting as though panic was setting in. Then, turning away from the brothers with exaggerated difficulty, he stumbled forward as if his body were on the verge of collapse.
He shouted over his shoulder in a desperate tone, "Fuck!"
Without waiting for a response, he broke into a faltering run, his movements deliberately sluggish and unsteady, like someone who had overexerted themselves and was barely holding on.
Shen Zhi smirked triumphantly. "See? I told you. He's weak! Let's finish him off now!"
Shen Rui, still hesitant but unwilling to contradict his brother, nodded.
The two brothers immediately gave chase, their confidence growing as they watched Lu Tzang's awkward and seemingly pitiful attempt to escape.
"You won't be able to escape!" Shen Zhi called out mockingly, his tone brimming with cruel glee.
Behind him, Shen Rui added with a laugh, "You're dead meat, you pathetic coward!"
Lu Tzang's lips twitched into the faintest smirk, but he kept his face turned away so they wouldn't see. His plan was working.
Perfect.
Let's see who's the real prey here.
Lu Tzang stumbled dramatically, his face etched with panic as he glanced over his shoulder at Shen Zhi and Shen Rui, who were closing the distance fast.
His breaths came in exaggerated gasps, and his legs wobbled as though they could give out at any moment.
"Stay away!" he shouted, his voice trembling, and his expression painted him as someone entirely out of options.
Shen Zhi and Shen Rui exchanged confident smirks as they sprinted closer.
"Look at him," Shen Zhi sneered. "Pathetic! He's already out of energy. This will be too easy."
"Too easy? It's almost disappointing," Shen Rui added with a chuckle, loosening his stance as if the fight were already won.
But just as they were within arm's reach, Lu Tzang's panicked expression vanished. His lips curled into a sinister grin, and his eyes glinted with malice. "Gotcha," he muttered under his breath.
In a single, smooth motion, Lu Tzang pivoted on his heel, dropping low as Shen Rui lunged toward him.
Before Shen Rui could even react, Lu Tzang gripped his arm and shoulder, using the momentum of his turn to hurl the man into the air like a ragdoll.
Shen Rui's eyes widened in sheer disbelief as his body somersaulted several times before slamming into the ground with a deafening BANG.
The impact was so powerful that cracks spiderwebbed across the ground beneath him.
Dust erupted into the air, and Shen Rui groaned, disoriented but still conscious.
"W-What the hell was that?!" Shen Zhi stammered, his previous confidence crumbling.
But Lu Tzang wasn't done.
In one smooth, almost dance-like motion, he spun toward Shen Zhi, who instinctively raised his arms in defense. "Oh no, you don't!" Shen Zhi shouted, throwing a punch with all his strength.
Lu Tzang sidestepped effortlessly, catching Shen Zhi's arm mid-strike.
With a wicked laugh, he twisted his body, hoisting Shen Zhi off the ground and flipping him over his shoulder.
Shen Zhi's world turned upside down as he soared through the air before crashing onto Shen Rui with an earth-shattering WHAM.
The ground cracked even further beneath the brothers, and a cloud of dust and debris rose around them.
Lu Tzang didn't stop there.
He leaped into the air with an acrobatic flip, landing between the two stunned Shen brothers. "Let's spice it up!" he declared with a grin, his voice dripping with confidence.
Grabbing Shen Rui by the leg, he swung the man like a weapon, slamming him into Shen Zhi repeatedly in a display of raw, exaggerated desire for violence.
Each strike sent shockwaves through the ground, and the two brothers were helpless to stop him.
Shen Rui's face twisted in horror and disbelief, but before he could lose consciousness, he managed to swing his dagger, grazing Lu Tzang's arm.
The cut was shallow, but a strange color tinged the wound. Shen Rui smirked faintly before his body finally gave out. "Got you…" he muttered weakly before succumbing to unconsciousness.
Lu Tzang didn't even notice the cut.
With a final, decisive move, he hurled Shen Rui into Shen Zhi's already limp body.
The combined force sent both men crashing into the ground, creating a crater beneath them.
Lu Tzang stood over their unconscious forms, his chest heaving slightly as he dusted off his hands with an exaggerated motion. "Pfft. Too easy," he muttered, wiping his palms together as if discarding their uselessness.
Suddenly, the familiar Ding! of the system resonated in his ears.
A translucent screen appeared before him, filled with bold, ridiculous text:
Three obstructive individuals are blocking the host's path to future success and spoiling the glorious fate of unknown sugar baby investments!
Such interference must not be tolerated under any circumstances, for it endangers the host's rise to prominence and the spoiling of sweet, prosperous destinies!
Chosen path: 3. Put Them to Sleep: Render the three unconscious four times through non-lethal methods.
Reward: 80 Mortal Essence Points, Original Novel Chapters, Random Mortal Weapon.
Status: Completed.
Lu Tzang read the message without much surprise, though a faint smirk played at his lips. The screen updated again:
Ding!
Mission rewards received.
Current Mortal Essence Points: 96.
As the rewards settled in, Lu Tzang felt a strange sensation wash over him. His body became light, his mind clear.
It was as if the world itself had aligned perfectly, and he was the center of it all. Knowledge flooded his consciousness, and he entered a state of epiphany.
He stood perfectly still, his surroundings fading into the background.
His breathing slowed, and he felt a deep connection with the essence of the world.
Memories from his past life and insights from this new one intertwined, creating a profound clarity he had never experienced before.
In this state, he realized the absurdity of his situation.
A system, mysterious missions, and bizarre martial arts—it was all so ludicrously over the top. Yet, it was his reality now, and he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the irony of his transformation from a weak side character into someone who could topple his enemies with ease.
When he finally came to, Lu Tzang opened his eyes, his entire being feeling rejuvenated.
His skin looked brighter, his movements smoother, and his confidence unshakable. He was fresh and ready for whatever was in front of him.
But just as he began to revel in his newfound power, the ground beneath him began to tremble violently.
He staggered slightly, looking around in alarm.
A sharp crack echoed through the air, and the earth split open directly in front of him.
From the fissure emerged a single, unexpected object—a gleaming crowbar, its metallic surface glowing faintly with an otherworldly light.
Lu Tzang blinked, speechless. "What… in the?"
And with that, the scene ended, leaving him staring at the mysterious crowbar as the tremors subsided.