“Leaving? You are not leaving today!” Qing Xiangming blocked Ye Chu’s path, eyes cold with intent. New grudges and old hatreds would be settled together right now.
“I never intended to leave,” Ye Chu said. “But I also do not want to fight you.”
“What? Scared now?” Qing Xiangming sneered at Ye Chu. “Too late! Today you will not leave Qingyang Marquis Mansion unless you leave both legs behind!”
“Not scared, exactly. Just that fighting you for no reason, with no stake, who would bother? How about this: if you insist on fighting, put your three-hundred-year lingzhi as the wager.” Ye Chu smiled casually at Qing Xiangming. “What do you say?”
“Forget a three-hundred-year lingzhi. Even a thousand-year one, what of it? Do you have the ability to take it?” Qing Xiangming laughed scornfully, paying no heed to Ye Chu’s words. A mere Yao City scum could be swatted away with one hand.
Qing Xiangming swung his fist, sweeping towards Ye Chu.
“Careful!” Liang Shan spun in panic, thinking Ye Chu was mad. Why had he not brought Pang Shao along? With Pang Shao here, forget one three-hundred-year lingzhi, even a thousand-year one, Qingyang Marquis Mansion would scour the land to find it for him!
“Ye Chu! Today I rid Yao City of a menace on its behalf!” Qing Xiangming’s fist was about to land on Ye Chu, his voice booming, full of excitement.
Ye Chu casually grabbed a nearby stool and hurled it at Qing Xiangming. Qing Xiangming punched the stool, shattering it into splinters that flew everywhere. The crowd instinctively retreated, clearing a circle.
The impact paused Qing Xiangming’s movement for a moment. Ye Chu stepped back a few paces, raised one finger, and wagged it. “One move is enough!”
The crowd had not yet grasped the meaning when Ye Chu, who had been standing lazily, moved like a cunning rabbit, incredibly fast. Eyes blurred, and Ye Chu was already in front of Qing Xiangming. His fist, plain and unadorned, collided with Qing Xiangming’s.
Thud…
A dull impact rang out. Then everyone witnessed a soul-shaking scene. The entire hall stared wide-eyed, holding their breath, disbelief etched on their faces. They stood frozen in dead silence while the thud echoed endlessly in the hall and in their minds.
Everyone felt their brains turn to mush, thoughts lost, standing dumbly as their eyes nearly popped out.
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er, along with the other women, suddenly opened their delicate mouths wide, then hurriedly covered them to stifle their gasps.
“He… he…”
Liang Shan pointed at Qing Xiangming on the ground, stammering incoherently.
How was it possible? One move! Just one move! He had knocked out Qing Xiangming, a Yao City genius nearly in the top ten! Liang Shan felt his brain was not enough. He stared fervently at Ye Chu. Was this the notorious, good-for-nothing scum of Yao City? It was simply too unbelievable!
“Three years ago I could bully you into silence. Three years later, the same.” Ye Chu looked down at Qing Xiangming and spoke calmly. “A bet is a bet. Hand over the three-hundred-year lingzhi!”
Ye Chu thought some people just begged for a beating. He had originally intended a fair trade. But the man had to cause trouble, only regretting it after suffering.
Qing Xiangming propped himself up, struggled to his feet, coughed a few times, and noticed blood flecks. Recalling the force from their clash, terror filled him. That was unquestionably the power of a superior True Qi realm!
“Impossible! You are just Yao City’s scum waste! You cannot possibly defeat me!” Qing Xiangming went slightly mad, refusing to accept the fact. It was too absurd!
Not just Qing Xiangming. Even Su Rong covered her lips, blinking hard to confirm it was not an illusion. Her heart could not calm. She had repeatedly warned Ye Chu to leave Yao City, but now her warnings seemed laughable. With strength to defeat Qing Xiangming, he truly had nothing to fear!
“Three years… can really transform a person to this extent?” She looked at Ye Chu with complicated emotions. This youth no longer seemed the one who had secretly loved her yet trembled in her presence.
Though he remained roguish and shameless, he was no longer a useless waste! Who would dare call someone who defeated Qing Xiangming a waste? It would be slapping their own face!
Ye Chao’s expression was complex, huge waves surging in his heart. This was the clan disciple expelled from the Ye family. He had thought Ye Chu doomed this time, yet the result was this!
He knew well what True Qi realm sixth layer meant. It was a level most people never reached in their lifetime. In the kingdom, such strength rivalled an army lieutenant general! One more step entered superior True Qi realm! In all Yao City, it was top-tier! Yet under Ye Chu’s hand, he had not lasted one move!
Ye Chao estimated his own strength. Defeating Qing Xiangming in one move would not be this easy for him! So what did that mean? Ye Chu was already stronger than him?!
“Impossible!” Ye Chao refused to accept it!
While Ye Chu indulged in debauchery in Yao City, he had trained relentlessly through heat and cold for over ten years! If Ye Chu caught up with just three years of cultivation, it was too demoralising!
Ye Chao had always despised Ye Chu’s behaviour, thinking he shamed the Ye family as a waste. But at this moment… countless thoughts flooded Ye Chao’s mind!
“What? Still not bringing the three-hundred-year lingzhi?” Ye Chu smiled. “A self-proclaimed gentleman would not go back on his word, surely!”
“You cannot have defeated me!” Qing Xiangming roared in fury, swinging his arms again, sweeping viciously at Ye Chu. He refused to believe Ye Chu was this strong.
“Refusing to accept until the Yellow River drowns you,” Ye Chu shook his head. “Fine! Yesterday that fat corpse said in front of me that you can only beat someone fat, not thin. I did not believe it. Today I will test it on you!”
As Qing Xiangming’s fist neared Ye Chu, Ye Chu backhanded a slap. No suspense. The palm struck Qing Xiangming’s face. A red handprint appeared instantly, swelling rapidly.
Qing Xiangming had never suffered such treatment. Rage burned in him. One thought dominated: kill Ye Chu. He lunged like a madman, force exploding to its limit, strength surging several times over.
Ye Chu’s expression unchanged, he slapped again!
Slap…
The crisp sound reached every ear. The crowd’s expressions grew complicated. This had been their admired genius, their centre, the object of utmost respect, their life goal.
Yet now their central figure was ruthlessly trampled by someone they had called scum waste! It was unacceptable, completely overturning their beliefs!
Slap… Another slap. Ye Chu looked at the increasingly swollen face and muttered, “Strange! Really cannot beat thin, only fat?”
Slap… “I do not believe it! I think it can be beaten fat!”
“No reason! According to physics, one slap compresses. Compression should shrink it. Why does it grow bigger? Let me try again…”
Slaps rang continuously. Ye Chu occasionally tossed out a mocking remark. Liang Shan thought Ye Chu utterly shameless. Deliberately disgusting people? He had never heard of beating someone thin!
Slap… Ye Chu slapped once more. Seeing Qing Xiangming’s face swollen beyond recognition, he shook his head. “Never mind! Even I, who know astronomy and geography, can be wrong sometimes! Turns out you really cannot beat thin! But no matter. At least I verified the feasibility of slapping to stuff a fat face!”
Ye Chu considered himself an outstanding scholar, still remembering to leave reference material for posterity!
“Such audacity! Daring to cause trouble in my Qingyang Marquis Mansion!” Just as Ye Chu stopped, a furious roar suddenly erupted. Everyone looked over. Qingyang Marquis stormed in, blazing with anger!
Qingyang Marquis’s arrival filled the crowd with joy! But Liang Shan’s expression changed drastically. This was a figure of his father’s generation. Qingyang Marquis’s fiery temper was infamous. Among the marquises, no one wished to provoke him!
