Chapter Thirty-Two: You Are Nothing But Cowards

The atmosphere in the Hu Mansion's courtyard instantly thickened with anger, as if the wrath of over a hundred men had ignited a hundred bonfires. The rage within those gathered soared, swelling sharply.

Old Fu stared wide-eyed, barely able to believe his ears. He had no idea what had happened to Hu Mo—why he would so brazenly humiliate these valiant, battle-tested soldiers. From Hu Mo's tone, it was clear he was not joking.

Hu Mo smiled faintly, seemingly oblivious to the soldiers' furious expressions, leisurely whistling as the warriors glared and bristled.

“What, still not mad enough? If you have something to say, just speak up. It seems none of you have uttered a word so far. Don’t bottle it up—it’s bad for your health,” Hu Mo said with a lewd grin, glancing toward the rockery. There, Cang Ling sat quietly alone, her serene demeanor catching Hu Mo’s eye. Still as a maiden, swift as a startled hare—the phrase fit Cang Ling perfectly.

“Young master, don’t go too far!” a burly soldier, towering over the rest, stepped forward, standing ahead of all the others.

“Oh? I’m going too far? How interesting. State your name first.”

Hu Mo could sense that this man was the strongest among them.

“Black Iron.”

“Black Iron? The name suits your physique, but you’re as thick as a block of wood—utterly foolish!” Hu Mo replied bluntly, causing the soldiers’ faces to change yet again.

“Young master, watch your words! You are our lord, we truly cannot do anything to you. But I can beat you severely, and if it comes to it, I’ll kill myself afterward. A warrior can be killed but not humiliated—I will not suffer this disgrace!” Black Iron roared. Even a clay figurine has some temper, let alone these veterans of countless battles.

“Young master, you—”

“Fu Bo, leave everything to me. I have my own plan,” Hu Mo interrupted, smiling.

Narrowing his eyes, Hu Mo paid no heed to Fu Bo’s bewildered gaze, leisurely shaking his head. “You want to beat me? That’s only natural. But I can tell you with absolute certainty—you won’t even touch a single hair on my head. If you don’t believe it, feel free to try!”

Hu Mo's words poured oil on the flames. Black Iron, a brute who had held back for so long, finally erupted.

With a thunderous shout, he shot toward Hu Mo like a cannonball. Hu Mo couldn’t help but be surprised—a berserker who could maintain such composure for so long was indeed rare.

“Black Iron, what are you doing? You’re a level seven berserker... Huh? How is this possible?” Fu Bo's mouth hung open, stunned by the scene before him.

Hu Mo stood calmly, letting Black Iron’s fist blast toward his chest. Yet, when the blow seemed to land, Hu Mo’s body vanished in a strange way, like smoke scattered by the wind—a mere afterimage.

“I told you, you won’t even touch a hair on me,” Hu Mo said, leisurely picking a pink flower and inhaling its fragrance with enjoyment.

“What incredible speed—how can this be...” Fu Bo murmured. He knew Hu Mo was extraordinary, but with only four stages of battle energy, how could he move so fast?

Black Iron’s fury doubled; for a berserker, rage was the best way to enhance his fighting power. His eyes were blood-red, entering his optimal battle state.

The other Fire God Army soldiers were dumbfounded. Initially, they were eager to give Hu Mo a beating. Even if Black Iron battered Hu Mo, they could plead for him and save his life. But now, things were different—Black Iron was truly enraged, his berserker power surging uncontrollably. If he struck too hard, the consequences would be disastrous.

Fu Bo’s expression changed dramatically, about to intervene, but he caught Hu Mo’s confident smile. Hu Mo’s gaze seemed to say: do not interfere!

Within seconds of hesitation, Hu Mo’s figure flashed dozens of times, perfectly displaying the power of his Cloud-Walking Wind technique.

A level seven berserker in a rage was fast, but in the chase with Hu Mo, he gained no advantage. Black Iron was dizzy from pursuit, while Hu Mo strolled as if in a garden, each step leaving countless afterimages. These vanished under Black Iron’s fists, intensifying his rage even further.

Fu Bo relaxed his clenched fists. Witnessing this, his heart eased; the outcome was clear. In martial arts, speed is invincible—if Black Iron couldn't even touch Hu Mo's clothes, how could he harm him?

This continued for over an hour before Black Iron finally collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, the red fading from his eyes.

The Fire God Army soldiers remained slack-jawed, some with jaws cramped from disbelief.

Hu Mo walked leisurely to Cang Ling’s side, leaned against the rockery, and tossed her a flirtatious wink—only to be met with a disdainful look from Cang Ling. Through her gaze, Hu Mo understood perfectly: “Children playing games—is there any need for such joy?”

Hu Mo rolled his eyes at her, his earlier delight instantly fading. This woman never spared anyone with her words, a master at pouring cold water.

Clearing his throat, Hu Mo lazily spoke: “So, do you admit you’re cowards now? I simply wanted to tell you—you have nothing to be proud of!”

“Wait!” Black Iron gasped, his face flushed red. He was always a straightforward man, and after witnessing Hu Mo's strength, he felt not so much surprise as a crushing humiliation. To be toyed with by someone not even considered a warrior—how could he endure it? In his mind, it was better to die than suffer such disgrace.

“What, still unconvinced?” Hu Mo looked at Black Iron with interest. For some reason, he suddenly found this big brute rather endearing.

“Of course! Unless you defeat me, otherwise—”

“Otherwise what? You still think I can’t beat you?” Hu Mo suddenly appeared beside Black Iron, grinning, and smashed his fists down like thunder onto Black Iron’s shoulders.

Hu Mo was much shorter than Black Iron, and with Black Iron still kneeling, Hu Mo’s twin strikes forced him to his knees. Black Iron practiced the Mighty Bull technique, focusing on strength and defense, yet Hu Mo’s blows made him kneel instantly—showing Hu Mo’s sudden power far surpassed his own.

Hu Mo himself was surprised; by combat power, he was inferior to Black Iron. But the synergy of his Cloud-Walking Wind attack and the Fire God transformation’s amplification produced an unexpected result—a level seven berserker was struck down by him.

The other soldiers stared at Hu Mo as if he were a monster, unable to believe that the frail-looking man before them was once known as Flame City’s top wastrel and the greatest good-for-nothing—Hu Mo.

“Young master, are you alright?” Fu Bo finally reacted, rushing to Hu Mo’s side.

Hu Mo smiled faintly. “Take this fellow away. His shoulders and legs are badly injured—he won’t recover for at least a month.”

Hu Mo’s gaze swept over the others, carrying a powerful, penetrating force even in its casualness. The soldiers of the Fire God Army would never again view Hu Mo as they once had—now, each was wary, fearing he might do the same to them.

Several servants hurried over, deftly preparing to carry Black Iron away. At that moment, Black Iron, nearly unconscious, suddenly raised his hand and murmured, “Don’t… don’t touch me, I’m fine…”

He struggled to open his eyes, and when his gaze met Hu Mo’s, the former rage was gone.

“What, you still want to fight? Your shoulder blades and shin bones are shattered—you can’t even stand. Go and heal,” Hu Mo said with a hint of guilt. Truth be told, he hadn’t meant to injure Black Iron so badly, but it was his first time wielding such power, and he had failed to control it.

“No, I admit—I’m not your match,” Black Iron said, barely conscious.

“But I want you to know, young master—we are not cowards, not—” Black Iron shouted, exerting himself so much he nearly fainted.

The other Fire God Army soldiers jumped up as if injected with adrenaline, shouting and yelling, and Hu Mo's expression darkened.

“Very good, very interesting. Ha! You think shouting proves your courage or greatness? You think the measure of a coward is who can yell loudest?”

All fell silent, sensing a murderous aura spreading through the courtyard.

“Each of you crawled from piles of corpses—that much is undeniable. You killed many enemies, protected the territory and honor of the Flame Empire—I will never overlook that. But is this what you possess now? No! These are merely the records of your past achievements! Have you forgotten why you’re here?”

“If you have forgotten, let me remind you. I had my grandfather hold rigorous competitions within the Fire God Army, and you were eliminated. Are you better than those who defeated you?”

“When you first joined the Fire God Army, none of you lagged far behind. Yet in the final contest, you were knocked down—do you not feel shame? Do you still dare claim you are not cowards?”

“You have always called me a wastrel behind my back, but now, I have defeated your strongest among you—so tell me, what grounds do you have to boast before me?”

“A coward is one who stops moving forward, living off past glory. Think for yourselves—are you not? I’ve read every one of your files; the oldest among you is barely forty. So, do you intend to waste your lives like this? Do you think dying heroically in battle with your current weak bodies is the highest honor? Foolish! You are a group of utterly contemptible, nauseating wretches—right now, you are nothing!”

Hu Mo raised a finger and slowly waved it. The entire Hu Mansion seemed to fall silent.