by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
His opponent said smugly, "Cheap dog, kneel down and kowtow to your grandpa, and swear to stay away from Lu Xiaoqing. I will then consider sparing you."
The opponent was a young man in black. His name was Ye Lingyun, an outer disciple of Cloud Margin Pavilion. He was a year younger than Xia Liuhui, yet he was already a ninth-stage Astral Realm cultivator. It was obvious there was a large gap between the two's talents.
"Screw that. Just kill me if you can!" Xia Liuhui was a much more resolute person nowadays, and he refused to agree no matter what.
"Is that so? Let's see how long you can last!" Ye Lingyun sneered as he started beating Xia Liuhui up again.
Xia Liuhui tried his best to resist the beating, focusing only on defending to reduce the amount of injuries he would suffer. Unfortunately, he was unfamiliar with the concept that defense alone would always result in eventual defeat. Thus, he was once again stepped into the ground by his opponent. The disciples in the surroundings also started heckling.
"This Xia Liuhui sure is weak. He can't even fight back? Pfft, someone from a small town is indeed useless."
"That's right. Just with his puny strength he dares to offend Ye Lingyun? He is probably tired of living."
"I heard Ye Lingyun had taken a liking to a junior sister who had come with Xia Liuhui. However, Xia Liuhui refused to let anyone approach her. That was how all this started."
"Yeah, I heard the same rumor as well. That junior sister is called Lu Xiaoqing. She is quite the beautiful one. A lot of brothers are interested in her."
...
Xiang Shaoyun who had arrived by now witnessed everything unfold. What he saw and heard ignited a raging fury in his heart. He once only saw Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing as regular friends that he would forget after leaving. But when he saw Xia Liuhui being a subject of bullying like this, he couldn't help feeling furious.
His anger was further compounded when he heard the reason, which also deepened his affection toward Xia Liuhui, making him feel like this was a good friend worth protecting. In fact, this person was worthy of being his brother!
Brother, a heavy term not easily used. Touching his brother was akin to touching upon a taboo.
"Cheap dog, stay far away from Lu Xiaoqing in the future. She is a woman I have taken a liking to. She is not someone the likes of you can hope to touch. Disobey and I will beat you up each time I see you. You have to know that here in the outer pavilion, private battles are allowed. Here, might makes right. Understand?" said Ye Lingyun with his foot on Xia Liuhui's face.
"D-dream on!" Xia Liuhui spat with great difficulty.
"Looks like you haven't been taught enough yet. Well, maybe I need to make you eat some feces," said Ye Lingyun as he squatted down and lifted Xia Liuhui by the hair. Just as he was about to rub Xia Liuhui's face against the ground, he was interrupted.
"Remove your hands or die," rang a voice filled with murderous intent.
Chapter 214: Tired of Living?
The voice rumbled like a sudden thunderclap, leaving a buzzing in the ears of the people in the area. Ye Lingyun, who was stepping on Xia Liuhui, was startled when he felt the sensation of having two sharp blades framing his neck, forcing him to release Xia Liuhui by instinct.
As for Xia Liuhui, when he heard the voice, he trembled for a bit before he emotionally shouted, "I-it's boss!"
That's right. That voice belonged to none other than Xiang Shaoyun. Xia Liuhui strode through the crowd toward Xia Liuhui a step at a time, his heart filled with a sense of guilt. If he had shown himself earlier, Xia Liuhui wouldn't have been bullied so terribly. If he had given Xia Liuhui better battle techniques, Xia Liuhui wouldn't have been bullied so badly. It was all a result of his negligence.
"Impudent! Who are you to interfere with the affair of this young master?" Ye Lingyun shouted at Xiang Shaoyun who was striding over.
Xiang Shaoyun did not even spare Ye Lingyun a glance. He walked toward Xia Liuhui, crouched down, and said, "Can you still stand?"
"B-boss, it's really you?" Xia Liuhui asked with disbelief.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled. "Apart from me, who else will come save you?"
As he said that, he grabbed Xia Liuhui's shoulder and helped him back on his feet. The movement triggered Xia Liuhui's injuries, causing him to clench his teeth in pain. However, he did not so much as groan. He couldn't embarrass his boss any more than he had.
"This is a healing pill. And here, take these two stalks of spirit medicines as well. Heal up first," Xiang Shaoyun said as he nonchalantly gave Xia Liuhui some items.
Around them, someone with a pair of sharp eyes immediately cried out in alarm, "That is a mid-grade spirit medicine, moonwater flower, and the other's a low-grade spirit medicine, rejoining grass!"
"That rejoining grass is only worth a few low-grade spirit crystals, so it's nothing special. As for the moonwater flower, it is quite a special item. It is one of the best mid-grade spirit medicines and is worth a few dozen low-grade spirit crystals. It is a very good medicine for internal injuries, and it's also very helpful to cultivators who cultivate the power of water," said a different person.
When the other disciples heard that, they started stirring. Yes, they were outer disciples of the prestigious Cloud Margin Pavilion. However, it still wasn't easy for them to get even one spirit medicine, especially mid-grade spirit medicines. They could only get one if they had a backer. Otherwise, they would have to reach the Transformation Realm before they could rely on themselves to get one.
In their eyes, this youngster here was incredibly generous and wealthy for him to so casually give something this valuable to his follower. At the same time, they wondered who this young man was, as they did not recall seeing him before.
"I don't care who you are. Get on your knees and kowtow right this moment. Also, hand over everything on you. Otherwise, you will suffer the same fate as that cheap dog," said Ye Lingyun with an expression of greed.
Ye Lingyun did not think very highly of Xiang Shaoyun. In his eyes, Xiang Shaoyun was the same as Xia Liuhui—someone from a small town. How strong could a person like that be?
Xia Liuhui pulled Xiang Shaoyun's arm and said, "B-boss, l-let's leave! Ignore him!"
Xia Liuhui had only been in the Cloud Margin Pavilion for a short period of time. Nevertheless, he still knew something about this place. Although this Ye Lingyun might not be a match for his boss, he was the cousin of an inner disciple. That cousin was a Transformation Realm expert.
Xia Liuhui was afraid that his boss would provoke big trouble. That was why he persuaded his boss to leave, but his action caused Ye Lingyun to further underestimate Xiang Shaoyun's strength.
"Leaving? Have you asked for my permission?" Ye Lingyun sneered before waving his hand, sending a few young men to surround the two.
These young men were Ye Lingyun's henchmen, and they were all slightly weaker than Ye Lingyun. Even so, getting surrounded by a group of people like this was enough to frighten many ordinary disciples.
"Ye Lingyun, don't push it!" Xia Liuhui shouted furiously.
"Haha, I am going to push it even more, just wait till you see what I'm going to do next. Everyone, step on this kid!" Ye Lingyun roared with laughter. At his command, his henchmen charged Xiang Shaoyun.
"Boss..." Xia Liuhui looked at Xiang Shaoyun helplessly.
Xiang Shaoyun waved his hand and said, "You don't have to say anything anymore. Just wait."
"Eat your grandpa's fist, kid!" shouted the first young man to arrive as he punched Xiang Shaoyun.
This young man was only 15 years old, yet he was already an eighth-stage Astral Realm cultivator. He was far more talented at cultivation than the so-called geniuses of the town academies. However, this strength was nothing before the current Xiang Shaoyun. Xiang Shaoyun kicked him without even bothering to spare him another glance.
Bang!
The kick landed on the young man's stomach, instantly sending him flying far away while coughing up blood. Everyone's eyes wide
ned in astonishment. None of them could believe what they were seeing. The other attackers all stopped in their tracks; the sight of what happened to the first attacker caused them to shiver.
Bang! Bang!
In the blink of an eye, these young men also suffered the same fate as the first young man: all of them were sent flying away and coughing up blood. If Xiang Shaoyun hadn't been holding back on purpose, he could have easily killed them all on the spot. He then ignored the young men who hadn't even realized what was going on and dashed toward Ye Lingyun.
"W-what are you trying to do? I-I'll have you know that my cousin is..." Ye Lingyun shivered and started speaking while retreating. But before he could finish his words, Xiang Shaoyun slapped him on the face.
Pa!
The slap sent the shocked Ye Lingyun flying, and he crashed heavily on the ground. Two teeth flew out of his mouth, making him look extremely sorry.
"You dare bully the little brother of this young master? Are you tired of living?" Xiang Shaoyun immediately reappeared before Ye Lingyun again before stomping his foot down.
Ka!
The stomp pushed Ye Lingyun's body into the ground. He coughed blood repeatedly, feeling as if he was going to soon die. The crowd that had been watching on around them were all greatly frightened. They quickly ran away, with someone even shouting, "Murder! Murder!"
Private battles were allowed at the outer pavilion, as they would stimulate competition and allow the disciples to grow stronger. But killing a fellow disciple was taboo. As the crowd shouted, the outer pavilion enforcers arrived.
"Boss, he's still alive, right?" asked Xia Liuhui as he looked at Ye Lingyun nervously.
"If you want him dead, I can kill him right now," said Xiang Shaoyun indifferently.
"No, not at all. Boss, this is enough. Please don't kill him, or we will be in great trouble," Xia Liuhui quickly said.
Chapter 215: Gathering of Brothers
The enforcers stared at Xiang Shaoyun and Xia Liuhui the moment they arrived and asked, "Are you the ones creating trouble and committing murder here?"
As for the leader of the enforcement squad, he was none other than the overseer Long Hui had introduced to Xiang Shaoyun earlier. The overseer had not expected that Xiang Shaoyun would be involved in a murder so soon after he arrived. Inwardly, he cursed, This distant relative of Elder Long Hui's is too insensible!
"Sir overseer, he is still alive," Xiang Shaoyun said as he picked the unconscious Ye Lingyun up.
The overseer heaved a breath of relief. He then said, "As long as nobody died, all is well. Not even I can help you if someone was killed."
The overseer had someone drag Ye Lingyun away and left without even bothering to ask what happened. It stupefied the people there. Although the overseer had not said much to Xiang Shaoyun, the little he did say was enough to display the absolute bias the overseer had toward Xiang Shaoyun.
"He is definitely a senior brother from the inner pavilion. Otherwise, how would the lord overseer let him off so easily?"
"But I don't recall seeing him before this at all. Then again, he really is crazy strong."
"I wonder what this senior brother's name is. He is just so cool and handsome. How good would it be if he sets his eyes on me?"
"Stop dreaming. Work hard to become an inner disciple first, and you will stand a chance."
...
The people there automatically assumed that Xiang Shaoyun was an inner disciple. Even Xia Liuhui drew the same conclusion.
"Boss, I did not expect that you would have joined Cloud Margin Pavilion much earlier than me. Back then at the Golden River Valley, I thought something bad happened to you," said Xia Liuhui emotionally.
The people Xia Liuhui respected most in the Martial Hall Palace was Xiang Shaoyun, and that remained true even now.
"Let's stop talking for now. We will chat after we deal with your wounds," said Xiang Shaoyun. He then left with Xia Liuhui. After looking for a place they could sit down comfortably, he started treating Xia Liuhui.
The combination of consuming medication and externally applying medication would always be the best method of treatment for any wound. The worst of Xia Liuhui's injuries were all external injuries, and he did not suffer many internal injuries. After consuming the rejoining grass Xiang Shaoyun gave him, he was much better.
As for the moonwater flower, he couldn't bear to use it. He returned it and said, "Boss, this moonwater flower is too valuable. I can't take it from you."
"Sure, go feed it to a dog or something then. Your boss is too rich to care about something like this," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Xia Liuhui immediately kept it away and said, "Feeding me is better than feeding a dog."
"Hah, you are still as cheap as ever," Xiang Shaoyun teased.
"Boss, you can't insult me like that! I'll fight you with my life!" Xia Liuhui said and feigned anger.
Xiang Shaoyun glowered at Xia Liuhui and said, "Ohh, so you are all grown up now and are going to step on your boss too?"
Xia Liuhui laughed dryly and said, "Boss, you will forever be my boss. How would I dare?" He continued, "Boss, why are you in the Cloud Margin Pavilion as well? Do you know how much my sister-in-law has missed you during the past year?"
His words caused Xiang Shaoyun to recall that graceful silhouette. A sense of guilt welled up in him as he said, "Tell me about how you two got here first."
"How we came here is somewhat related to you, boss. Elder Zi is the one who brought us here," said Xia Liuhui as he started explaining how they got here.
After the Golden River Valley incident, Xiang Shaoyun had gone missing, and it caused a large uproar within the Martial Hall Palace. Elder Zhen Peng seemed to have turned mad as he directly charged into the Gateflag Academy demanding an answer. He caused a scene and nearly dismantled their signboard from their gate.
The Gateflag Academy lost all their prestige from their inability to deal with Elder Zhen Peng. From then on, they no longer dared to mess with the Martial Hall Palace. It was also rumored that Elder Zhen Peng had even personally entered the Golden River Valley. Unfortunately, he couldn't find Xiang Shaoyun's whereabouts at all.
One ought to admit that Elder Zhen Peng was truly loyal to Xiang Shaoyun. He knew that Xiang Shaoyun's best friends in the Martial Hall Palace were Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing. Thus, he personally guided them in their cultivation, helping them grow faster.
With the guidance of a King like Elder Zhen Peng and the assistance of resources from the Martial Hall Palace, the two were able to grow at a lightning speed. Perhaps inwardly they did not want to fall too far behind Xiang Shaoyun. Thus, they had been working insanely hard in cultivation as well.
Three months ago, Zi Changhe's master, Liu Xinji, who was once the vice palace master of Martial Hall Palace, had returned to the palace. Liu Xinji was an expert who had become a King a few years before Elder Zhen Peng.
After becoming a King, he left the Martial Hall Palace for a position in the Cloud Margin Pavilion, which was one of the reasons why the Martial Hall Palace had no King Realm expert before Elder Zhen Peng had become a King.
Liu Xinji had returned to bring his disciple Zi Changhe to cultivate at the Cloud Margin Pavilion. Although Zi Changhe could no longer become a Cloud Margin Pavilion disciple, it still wasn't a problem for him to stay there thanks to Liu Xinji's status as a King.
That was when Zi Changhe begged Liu Xinji to bring Xia Liuhui, Lu Xiaoqing, and Wang Zhenchuan to the Cloud Margin Pavilion. It was his way of repaying Xiang Shaoyun.
Initially, Liu Xinji refused. But Zi Changhe insisted that he would not go if the three did not come with them. That coupled with Elder Zhen Peng's persuasion made Liu Xinji agree. It wasn't that Liu Xinji respected Elder Zhen Peng very much. Rather, Elder Zhen Peng had gifted Liu Xinji almost all his wealth to make him agree. After all, most people prioritized personal benefit above all else.
That was how Xia Liuhui, Lu Xiaoqing, and Wang Zhenchuan had come to be outer disciples
of the Cloud Margin Pavilion. In fact, they were only able to become outer disciples through Liu Xinji's backdoor authorization. Otherwise, they would have never been accepted.
As for Xia Liuhui and the others, they naturally continued working hard on cultivating when they arrived at the Cloud Margin Pavilion. But Lu Xiaoqing was a fatally attractive female and had attracted Ye Lingyun's attention. He kept trying to approach her, and because of that, a conflict erupted between him and Xia Liuhui.
Today, Xia Liuhui was alone when he was caught by Ye Lingyun, and that was how everything that had happened today started. When Xiang Shaoyun heard the simple explanation, he smiled. "Looks like my decision to come is correct. Otherwise, I would never have known that you were all here."
"What do you mean, boss? Aren't you an inner disciple?" Xia Liuhui asked in astonishment.
"Hehe, I am not even an outer disciple, so how can I be an inner disciple?" Xiang Shaoyun laughed. He continued, "I will tell you the whole story later. Can you contact Lu Xiaoqing and Wang Zhenchuan first? Also, don't forget my senior Zi Changhe. It is time for us to have a good gathering!"
"Sister-in-law is in a secluded cultivation. As for Senior Brother Wang Zhenchuan, he is a fanatic cultivator, so I don't know where he is hiding and cultivating alone right now. As for Elder Zi, he is currently in the inner pavilion. He has to be the one to come look for us, not the other way around," Xia Liuhui said.
Xiang Shaoyun was about to reply when he noticed someone rushing toward them.
Chapter 216: I Don't Want to Ruin Her Life
"It's Senior Brother Wang!" Xia Liuhui said when he got a clear look at who the newcomer was.
Xiang Shaoyun saw who the newcomer was as well. The newcomer was none other than Wang Zhenchuan whom he had once helped become Zi Changhe's disciple.
"Junior Brother Xia, are you fine?" Wang Zhenchuan asked when he arrived. All his attention was on Xia Liuhui, so he did not even notice Xiang Shaoyun. In any case, Xiang Shaoyun had changed a lot over the past year, and his temperament was entirely different now. Thus, it was understandable that Wang Zhenchuan couldn't recognize Xiang Shaoyun right away.