Xia Toutou Nan followed He Yishou all the way to a square in the marketplace before they stopped.
It was lunchtime, and some laborers had come to the square to find a food stall or tavern for a quick meal. It was the busiest time of day.
Seeing He Yishou stop, Xia Toutan couldn't help but ask, "What are you bringing me here for?"
He Yishou didn't reply, but pointed to the space between four pillars, each over a hundred feet tall and about as thick as six or seven people. "Right here will do."
Then he slowly walked to the pillar, slowly took off half of his sleeve, revealing a withered left arm, and then tightly tied the half sleeve around his waist.
Xia Toutan frowned, "What exactly are you trying to do?"
He Yishou turned his head and smiled, "Let me reintroduce myself. This old man is the head of the Yangwei Dojo, He Yishou. Yesterday, Young Master Xia made me lose face in the street."
"After returning, the disciples in my dojo began to doubt my strength and authority. That's why I called you here today, to get back my reputation and restore my prestige."
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth.
Xia Toutan heard this and said, "So, you want revenge? Unfortunately, I'm injured today, so I can't oblige!"
He turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, He Yishou's scornful voice rang out, "Is this all the courage a young master from the Ziyuan Xia Clan has? Of course, if you don't dare to fight the old man, I won't force you.
You just need to shout three times on this square, 'I am a coward,' and I'll naturally let you leave, without any further trouble."
Xia Toutan's temper flared up at this. He turned back, furious, and said, "I, Xia Toutan, am a proud son of heaven, representing the Xia Clan's reputation. How could I be a coward?
I advise you to take back those words immediately, or you won't be able to bear the Xia Clan's retribution!"
He Yishou chuckled, "Heh heh. They say the young master of the Xia Clan is a well-rounded talent, but today, it seems like he's just a fame-seeker. Alright, since that's the case, this old man won't bother with a junior like you.
Run now, and run as far as you can. Let everyone know that the Xia Clan is a family of cowards, with not a shred of the noble demeanor they claim!"
How could he possibly let this slide?
Xia Toutan was instantly enraged. He immediately stepped forward, standing opposite He Yishou. "Old man, you're trying to provoke me? Well, I'll tell you, you've succeeded!
I could beat you with one move, and I can do it again! Come on!"
With that, ignoring his internal injuries, he channeled his spiritual energy, ready to beat He Yishou senseless once more.
Although he was injured, defeating his opponent with one move yesterday had filled him with confidence. He believed that with his strength, he could once again make the old man lose his bearings.
"Heh..."
Seeing the growing crowd, He Yishou's face was filled with excitement. He raised his hand, striking a pose, signaling Xia Toutan to attack.
"Here I come!"
Facing He Yishou's provocation, Xia Toutan immediately employed White Cloud Palm, aiming to strike first.
However, He Yishou moved swiftly, dodging Xia Toutan's palm strike in the blink of an eye, appearing directly in front of him.
"You..."
Before he could finish his sentence, He Yishou launched into a Lightning Five-Strike Whip, unleashing a barrage of "crack-crack" blows to Xia Toutan's head, leaving him dazed.
Before Xia Toutan could react, He Yishou firmly grasped one of his left-hand fingers, and his body began to spin like a cloud.
"Bang~"
A loud bang echoed as Xia Toutan's cheek made an intimate connection with a pillar.
Before he could even check if his face was disfigured, He Yishou, with his fingers still locked onto his, pushed him forcefully towards another side, and his body slammed into another pillar.
Just like that, Xia Toutan was like a hammer, blindly smashing around, completely defenseless.
Several times, Xia Toutan tried to break free from He Yishou using his cultivation, but no matter how he channeled his energy, the deformed finger stubbornly refused to separate from He Yishou's grip.
He Yishou's Coiling Silk Force and Soft Cloud Hands were like a magnet, firmly locking onto Xia Toutan's vital points, causing him immense pain.
After a few rounds, Xia Toutan's mind became muddled. Finally, with He Yishou's Twisting Hand Universe, he collapsed heavily to the ground, entering a semi-conscious state, quickly ending the fight.
Watching Xia Toutan, who was expressionless and covered in wounds, He Yishou silently put on his clothes and stood beside him, saying, "Alright, Young Master Xia, the grudges between you and my Yangwei Dojo are now settled. From now on, we won't interfere with each other."
After saying that, he smiled and left the plaza.
After a long while, Xia Toutan, leaning on a cane with bandages wrapped around his face, limped back to the teahouse where Lu Xuanji was.
At this moment, exactly a quarter of an hour had passed.
"You…"
Seeing Xia Toutan in this state, Lu Xuanji didn't know how to begin, just looking at him with suspicion.
Xia Toutan grimaced, enduring the pain all over his body, and sat down with difficulty: "Miss Lu, I'm fine, just a little injury, it's nothing."
In front of the person he loved, he couldn't show any sign of pain, no matter what.
"Young Master Xia, so you're here!"
Just as Xia Toutan was about to continue explaining to Lu Xuanji how to help him get rid of Lu Chen's harassment, Feng Xiunian, who was just "passing by" on the street, saw them. He immediately shouted and entered the teahouse.
"Miss Lu, I have a private matter I'd like to discuss with Young Master Xia. May I take up a little of your time?"
Lu Xuanji nodded, "Please, do as you wish."
Upon hearing this, a light flashed in Feng Xiunian's single eye as he looked at Xia Toutan and said, "Young Master Xia, please."
Xia Toutan noticed Feng Xiunian's sinister gaze and couldn't help but tremble, "You... what business do you have with this young master?"
Feng Xiunian patted his injured shoulder and laughed heartily, "Young Master Xia, don't be nervous. I just want to catch up with you. Please, grace me with your presence. I'll wait for you outside the door, hahaha!"
After speaking, he strode to the outside of the teahouse to wait.
Xia Toutan quickly said to Lu Xuanji, "Miss Lu, I..."
"Since Young Master Xia has something to do, then go ahead and take care of it!"
Lu Xuanji's single, soft sentence completely swallowed the words Xia Toutan was about to say, forcing him to stand up and walk out of the teahouse with his cane.
Feng Xiunian and Xia Toutan walked in silence, eventually arriving back at the square where Feng Xiunian had been beaten up more than half an hour earlier.
The next moment, Feng Xiunian twisted his neck, producing a series of crisp cracking sounds.
"What do you want to do?" A hint of fear flashed in Xia Toutan's eyes.
Feng Xiunian turned around and smiled. "Young Master Xia, you were so impressive yesterday, thoroughly humiliating me in Qingyang City. If I don't get some payback, how can I show my face around here? Let's have a real man's fight!"
With a roar, his upper garments exploded, revealing his strong physique, especially the dark tattoo on his chest, which was clearly visible and caused gasps of surprise.
This shout drew the attention of countless onlookers once more.
However, when everyone saw Xia Toutan, who had just been beaten to a pulp, they all wore strange expressions.
I'm going to be killed!
This was the thought echoing in Xia Toutan's mind.
At this moment, his injuries were compounded, and the Restorative Pills to treat his internal and external wounds were still at the restaurant. Facing such a muscular brute, he was afraid he would die on the spot.
However, the Xia Clan's arrogance wouldn't allow him to back down. Seeing more and more people gathering around, he quickly thought of a plan and immediately said, "You were once my defeated opponent. I completely understand your desire to seek revenge and wipe away the humiliation of the past.
But as you can see, I am severely injured right now. I'm afraid I can't fight you. I suppose you wouldn't make things difficult for an injured person, right?
How about we postpone our fair fight to another day?"
This was clearly meant to tell you that even if you won against me in this state, it wouldn't be a proper victory. With so many people watching, would you really have the nerve to attack me?
However, he forgot what Feng Xiunian was all about.
Before Shen Zhao came, he was a debt collector who used force. Would he care about face?
Just as the surrounding crowd thought Xia Toutan had a point, Feng Xiunian said with a smile.
"Heh, Young Master Xia, you're really too naive."
"What do you mean?"
"What is the jianghu? It's a place filled with grudges and love-hate relationships. Where is there so much fairness and justice?
If today you met an enemy, or someone who wanted to assassinate you,
"Do you think they'll let you off just because you're injured, and then give you a fair and just environment for a duel?"
"…"
"That's the way it is, isn't it? So, Young Master Xia should get used to facing any unfavorable factors. Only then can you elevate your state of mind.
Otherwise, you shouldn't be in this world. It's better to hide behind your parents and be a good child. Why even bother cultivating? What do you think?"
"Uh, what you said makes a bit of sense."
Hearing Feng Xiunian's words, Xia Toutan felt it seemed very reasonable, and nodded involuntarily.
Feng Xiunian immediately wore a look of triumph: "Alright, since Young Master Xia understands this, let's fight!"