Chapter 175: The Wealthy Young Master

This is a great opportunity to brush up on my Bajiquan. I haven't used Bajiquan in a real combat situation for a long time. After all, I've been relying on sabers for my attacks lately, so my Bajiquan has gradually fallen by the wayside.

Still, Bajiquan was the very first lethal martial art I ever learned, and its intrinsic power is formidable. Its core characteristics are speed and ferocity, completely devoid of any flashy or useless postures.

Since the opportunity has presented itself, I might as well review it thoroughly. Although I haven't practiced it in a long time, the moves are still deeply etched in my memory. Even though the opponents were all armed, they were practically nonexistent to me, completely useless. Though I wasn't even using my full strength, we fought back and forth evenly.

Although Chen Chen was at the same cultivation realm as his opponent, he had experienced life and death, and his innate combat reflexes were remarkably fast. Coupled with his silver spear, he drove the enemy back in successive defeats, leaving them with no room to counterattack.

Li Zijian hadn't reached the Lotus Spirit Realm yet, but he didn't fall behind at all when dealing with a peak first-tier Lotus Spirit Realm expert, and he was even able to execute effective counterattacks. Having survived the Ghost King game, we hadn't learned much else, but we certainly picked up plenty of survival methods and counter-kill techniques.

Because I still hadn't used my full strength, the battle remained deadlocked for a while. As I seized an opening, a single straight punch sent the person in front of me flying backward through the air.

"You guys are way too weak..."

I shrugged helplessly, mocking the wealthy young master. Naturally, someone of his status cared deeply about his pride, and being ridiculed only made him look even more displeased. He even shouted threats, "Just you wait! My older brother, Lin Yao, will be here any minute now. If you don't run now, it'll be too late!"

Come to think of it, this young master actually had some brains. He could tell we had been completely overpowering them the entire time, so while he tried to intimidate me with my own moniker, he was also looking for a way to slip away.

Not wanting to waste any more breath, I suddenly accelerated, dashing toward the young master like a flash of lightning, and grabbed his bandage-wrapped arm. With a gentle squeeze, the young master let out a screech like a slaughtered pig. Afterward, I pulled out my Tianyang Mountain identity token, thrust it toward him, and said, "Take a good look—I am Lin Yao!"

The characters on the token slowly emerged, and upon catching a glimpse of them, the young master's pupils dilated in terror.

However, I wasn't someone who slaughtered the innocent indiscriminately. Furthermore, during such extraordinary times, I especially wanted to avoid stirring up any major chaos. After knocking the young master unconscious, I signaled Chen Chen and Li Zijian to leave.

Both of them had already concluded their respective fights without taking any lives; knocking the opponents out was quite enough. After all, expecting us to become cold-blooded killers who slaughtered without blinking was truly out of the question.

We encountered no further difficulties along the way and successfully returned to the car.

Qin Ciyu didn't ask any unnecessary questions; she simply started the engine and drove back toward our city. I initially thought about buying some groceries to bring back home, but then I considered my current outfit—wouldn't roaming around the streets so brazenly look a bit too conspicuous? Deciding against it, I opted to head straight home first.

Qulong Town was a good half-day's journey from our home, so we probably wouldn't arrive until late afternoon or early evening. Anyway, I wasn't in a hurry, so I stretched out across the back seat and fell fast asleep.

...

By the time I woke up again, it was already nighttime, and the car was nearing Xuanfeng Mountain.

Since both Chen Chen and Li Zijian had fallen asleep, and Qin Ciyu hadn't woken them, she drove them directly back to Xuanfeng Mountain. I roused Chen Chen and Li Zijian, but because it was already so late, neither of them wanted to put Qin Ciyu to any more trouble, so they decided to stay over for the night before leaving.

After bidding farewell to Qin Ciyu, the three of us headed up the mountain together. The snow on the mountain was quite heavy, almost completely covering the trail. Fortunately, Second Uncle had returned ahead of schedule, so we were able to navigate upward by following his footprints.

Once he woke up from his nap, Li Zijian was full of energy, skipping and hopping along the mountain path as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

"Will you please quiet down? Why are you so happy?" I asked helplessly, but Li Zijian ignored me, humming a little tune while rolling snowballs in his hands.

Chen Chen was about to say a few words to Li Zijian when I stopped him with a gesture. "Let him be. Let him play for a bit."

Despite Li Zijian's usual boisterous demeanor and carefree facade, everyone has worries hidden inside. He simply didn't like burdening others with his personal troubles.

Soon enough, we reached the mountaintop. Squeezing through the bushes, I finally laid eyes on that long-familiar little cabin. Furthermore, I noticed that Second Uncle had set up a small clay stove right in the courtyard next to the stone bench. He was currently sitting beside it, occasionally tossing firewood into the flames.

"Second Uncle!" I waved, and Second Uncle spotted the three of us as well.

As we stepped into the courtyard, Second Uncle stood up to welcome us, walking over while saying, "How was it? You must be tired after spending a whole day in the car. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Just wait a moment."

Second Uncle was just like a doting father, terrified that I might go hungry. None of us stood on ceremony, especially since we hadn't eaten much all day. Thus, we gathered around the stove and waited for Second Uncle.

The stove appeared to have been freshly built, as some of the clay on top was still slightly damp. Next to it sat a small pile of firewood. The fire burned brightly, but the branches weren't very durable, requiring fresh fuel to be added every so often.

We all loved this kind of atmosphere and setting. Remaining silent, we simply sat there in comfortable idleness. A short while later, Nangong Xi walked out of the cabin. She had changed into a rather thin outfit that looked genuinely cold, prompting me to call out to her, "Come over here, come over here. Why are you wearing so little?"

Seeing that we had returned, Nangong Xi broke into a healing smile. She hurried over and promptly claimed a stool right beside me.

Reaching into my storage ring, I casually pulled out a white robe and draped it directly over Nangong Xi's shoulders, whispering softly, "It's freezing outside. Why don't you know how to take care of yourself?"

Nangong Xi was right at that growing age, blessed with exceptional looks and a graceful figure that would captivate any young man at first sight. However, the three of us were different. Nangong Xi was like a younger sister to me, so I naturally harbored no untoward thoughts. As for Li Zijian, despite his usual lack of seriousness, he was clearer in his mind than anyone else. Therefore, he had never harbored any romantic intentions toward her either, treating her purely as a little sister. As for Chen Chen, it went without saying; he was a completely dense, thick-skinned guy who remained oblivious to everything, feeling absolutely nothing out of the ordinary toward Nangong Xi.

Nangong Xi rested her head against my shoulder while I propped my chin in my hand, quietly gazing at the distant stars.

Ten minutes or so later, Second Uncle emerged carrying several small dishes, along with some homemade cured meat he had sliced himself. It looked appetizing at a single glance.

Second Uncle and the others had also arrived home that afternoon, spending the entire afternoon cleaning the rooms and not yet having had time to eat, so we all sat down to share the meal together.

Today had been exhausting, so we decided against heavy drinking. After sipping just a tiny bit of alcohol among ourselves, we each returned to our respective rooms to sleep.