***In one of the seven great arms of the Imperial court_ Near the distal coasts of the Coastal Clan's territory_In a relatively average province named the Golden Anjing's province..
***In a local tarven.. ***Dawn..
Unlike the bustling and rowdy environment of drunks that one would normally expect to greet in a local tavern, the current tavern is almost currently completely silent and still. There are no stumbling movements or alcohol driven arguments between the customers neither are there any other form of stupidity on display.
Looking outside at the still cloudy morning sky that blocks most of the sunlight of the still rising sun_then perhaps a distant spectator who doesn't know better would think the current sober environment is because dawn is still at hand.
Maybe the drunkards were taking it easy on the alcohol and their livers?..
Though noting the stiff tenseness of the current mood then one would re-guess that maybe it due to something different.
*Knock*Knock*Knock*.
Three slow casual knocks resounds from the top of the bar table with the sounds chilling the silence of the space. These casual knocking comes from the left fist of a robed and rather tall man who can be seen to be lazily leaning against the bar table as he awaits his request for wine.
To the other costumers currently present in the bar, the three casual knocks of the man's fists sounded more like the knocks of sudden death to them. Tension gripped them as they subconscious swallow while silently trying their best to shrink their postures to occupy even less space than they already do.
These petrified costumers were all drunk on alcohol minutes ago but now under the influence of the passive aura of the awaiting 'customer', they are now drunk enough on fear to not want to be caught in this situation.. but what could they do?.
Despite the cultivator's back facing them, these people do not even dare to swallow too loudly talk more try to exit.
*Knock*Knock*Knock*..
Another series on knocks resounds slowly on top of the bar table but this time, there's is an obvious impatience in the sounds. The costumers present in the bar are already shaking in their seats from the sounds as they internally pray yet fail to find a means of erasing themselves from this situation.
*Sharp Inhale*.. - By the Cultivator -.
Everybody held their breaths at the cultivator's loud and sharp Inhale and then, the Cultivator suddenly turns around to face the other scattered customers who instantly became petrified by his sudden action.
Most of them managed to avoid the cultivator's gaze but a few people were just too petrified to turn their gazes away from the cultivator's face.
With a polite look, it is almost like the cultivator cannot notice their discomfort or rather cannot bother with caring about their feelings as he asks with a masculine yet casual voice..
"Does it always take this long to get a few barrels of wine?..", The Cultivator asks to one of the drunks with his tone sounding almost polite. From his tone of speaking, it is just as if the cultivator is marely trying to pull up a casual polite conversation to kill time
The man being asked the question suddenly feels his throat very dry and it's not the drinks. Heaven know just how much curses the people stuck in this tense situation had rained on the bartender who seems determined to extend the terrible experience.
For the last three minutes, the bartender have hurried through the back of the bar to fetch the goods and judging by the current situation, the bartender still is not back with delivery.
'What is possibly stoping that Di*kless Augustine M*ggot from delivering the goods?'. The man being asked the question rages in his thoughts with his throat bubbling and his heart racing as he tries to form words of a reply.
He can blame his bad luck later but for now he needs to preserve his life.
"Ern. Young master, pardon my.. but I haven't bought a wine barrel *Swallow*.. before.", The costumer says with obvious caution in his tone while the cultivator nods twice in casual acknowledgement but then..
*BARGE!*, A small commotion comes from the tavern's door which gets swung open with a messy looking man stumbling inside with a drunken blushed face.
"Hey brothers?!..", The drunken man yells as he stumbles in.
A lot of swallowing's occurs through the tavern with heads turning to view the unfortunate fellow who had just stumbled in while carry an aura of very heavy alcohol with him. The man being questioned is grateful that the attention is off him but looking towards the door, his eyes couldn't help but twicth.
"Wh.. why is it all so too quite?!..", The drunken newcomer yells an odd question as he stumbles on the same spot to look left then right. The man is obvious too drunk to recognize the aura of passive intensity within the tavern nor the dangerous situation he had just delivered himself into.
Causally looking on with his back against the bar table, the tall cultivator does not look amused nor intrigued as he watches the live spectacle in front of him.
Just then, the back door of the bar flies opens and stepping outside with a small cart filled with three barrels is the missing bartender and the Cultivator's ordered goods.
"Y-young master, I'm truly.. truly sorry for..", The bartender apologizes as he pushes the cart through in a hurry though he soon stops talking as he notices that the cultivator's sight isn't placed on him but rather on..
"Whatever!. This great father.. *Burp*, this great father have won quite the gamble at the Fiery Gold Den!.", The drunken man stumbles his limbs around as he announces in all directions in the tavern while expecting a dose of drunken cheers and curses.
"Still no reaction?..", The drunken man says almost to himself but then he shakes his head rapidly. The drunk stumbles two shaky steps forward and he starts yell once more.
"Ok!,.. OK!. I know what would get your spirits high. The next two.. no no.. three rounds is.. on me!. (*Pats his chest drunkenly twice*). Yes!, It's on me!". The drunken man says before throwing his hands up but he soon frowns as he obviously does not get the drunk reactions and cheers he is expecting.
"You all don't believe me!. Where is that bartender?!..", The drunk man asks before searching visually as he finally lays his sights on the bartender who is currently soaked in sweat and internally raining heavy curses all the way to the tenth future generation of the nuisance who is on a determined suicide mission.
Under the calm gaze of the cultivator and the twitching gaze of the others, the drunken man stumbles towards the bartender before pausing in his steps as he sees the small cart and the three barrels within. The man's face blushes even deeper and reaching towards it, the drunk speaks with dizzy excitement..
"Oh!. I knew you would believe me, you have even prepared the wine for..
†SHÎÑG†. _ A cold flash of light sparks out.
The silent Cultivator suddenly moves or rather remained casually still.
All that that wothness around had seen is a small orange flash that petrified their minds followed by two dull thuds against the ground. These witnesses could not help but stay still even to their breaths.
Time froze at that instant and a second later,.. a very sober and horrifically pained scream rings out.
"AAAAaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!..".
Shivers traveled through people's spines as they finally look towards the result of the flash that were now lying on the floor.
Two hands were on the ground!.
Both of the drunken man's hands have been sharply cut off though without sword nor blood!.
It seems almost like the man's hands had just smoothly separated though the molten orange redness of what remains of the man's arms tell every mind that something more horrible than they could process had taken place literally in a flash.
The people in the tavern couldn't process how to react. Fear fill their souls and chills rocked their minds. They are not fast enough to follow through with the direction of where the flash has come from but they are all sure about its source. °The calmly watching Cultivator who is still leaning his back against the bar-table with a relaxed expression.
*THUD*, A body hit the floor as someone faints through the dull sounds almost gave countless more heart-attacks.
Looking toward the cut arms, the cut mark of the drunken nuisance looks like the of his wrists being sawed off by an extremely heated blade with heated pieces of the man's flesh still falling off with ash.
The now handless man is obviously in extreme pain shock but so were all others who were facing mental shocks.
*THUD¡*, The shock of processing all that happened just in front of him takes the bartender's mind by storm and despite being a Rank one Cultivator, his eyes rolls as he faints while falling to his side.
After the now handless man's scream and the bartender fainting, silence reigned for a second while being filled only with the breaths of the still shocked handless drunk.
"I'm sorry.", The polite tone of the cultivator rings once more but everyone could swear that they could only heard the tone of a demon.
Obviously not caring much about the situation, the Cultivator finally pushes himself off the bar table as he casually takes two normal steps to get to the handless man.
"Truly sorry but my older brother really doesn't like people touching his stuffs without permission..", The Cultivator casually says and he is now standing before the handless drunk who is still panting heavily while staring at his hands.
The drunk have obviously not fully mentally comprehended what have led to his situation though the Cultivator obviously does not mind explaining as he keep talking..
"And I?..", The Cultivator says with politeness still in his tone but the 'polite' were replaced by 'ruthless' in his next actions.
With his hand moving at a normal speed, the cultivator slaps the surface of his right palm against the handless man's lips while pressing his fingers into the man jaws.
The cultivator seemed to be doing these actions lightly but judging by the fact that the man's jaw structure is pressing inwards with the cultivator's 'lightly' pressing fingers then one can only imagine the true unleashed physical strength of the cultivator.
A pained and desperate grunt escapes the handless mans throat and brutally deformed jaws and the man starts trying hard to hit the cultivator's hands off.
The struggling man seemed truly desperate to get out of the cultivator's grasp though without hands,.. the most the painfully sober drunk could do is pathetically slap against the cultivator's slave fabric though although looking calm, the Cultivator obviously does not like that.
Two more flash of orange light strikes through and the man's upper limbs were chopped off all the way to his shoulders.
"Ummgggghhhhffff..", the Drunk tries to scream in pain but the firm cultivator's hand over his mouth turned that into a long muffled groan.
The witnesses within the tavern were shaken to their cores and another person faints from shock but the Cultivator pays no mind as he continues speaking with an even voice and a casual facial expression.
"I don't like you.", The Cultivator declares with a small tilt of his head as if he's commenting on a product that he was going to buy.
After this cold words, two chilling flashes of orange ruthlessly cuts the drunk man's legs down into two pieces each and so.. the Cultivator is now holding up the man's almost lifeless body up with nothing but his deformed jaw.
One final flash of orange light then the man's torso and chest falls free to the ground. Calmly letting go of the man's jaw, the cultivator allows the man's head to join the body parts piles.
*Um-um*_(Clears throat)_. "Does anybody know the price of these barrels?..
Thanks for reading once more I appreciate votes of power stones as well as comments and reviews.
I also appreciate being dder to your library.