Head Broken, Blood Flowing

Su Yi vaguely felt the other man looked somewhat familiar, yet he could not remember where he had seen him before.

"You think I look injured?"

Suppressing the doubt in his heart, Su Yi smiled and asked in return.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man in Confucian robes seemed finally to relax, and said again and again, "As long as you're all right, as long as you're all right."

But when he turned to look at the others present, that refined, easygoing face was already filled with icy authority. He said:

"Huang Yunchong, you've got quite some nerve!"

His voice was like a peal of thunder, shaking the heart.

Huang Yunchong's expression had changed drastically the moment the man in Confucian robes appeared. Now, being berated like this, his whole body went stiff, and he could no longer remain seated.

He shot to his feet and said in startled suspicion, "Brother Fu, why have you come?"

"Ci... City Lord?"

Huang Qianjun was also startled. He hurriedly got up, his face blank with confusion. Since when had Su Yi gotten connected with the City Lord!?

The Green-robed Man also seemed to panic. At once, he put away the dagger in his hand, lowered his head, cupped his fists, and said, "Greetings, Lord Fu!"

At the same time, Nie Beihu also hurriedly cupped his fists in salute. "This humble subordinate greets Your Excellency!"

In an instant, all eyes gathered on that man in Confucian robes.

Fu Shan!

The lord of Guangling City, a grand martial master of the Qi Gathering Realm, power in his grasp, his might like the heavens!

"So it was him."

Su Yi also finally understood, though a trace of puzzlement still lingered in his heart. He seemed to have no friendship with the other party whatsoever.

Could it be...

Suddenly, Su Yi thought of a possibility.

He did not speak, merely watched coldly from the sidelines.

"If I hadn't come, how could I have seen just how imposing you, Huang Yunchong, can be?"

Fu Shan's eyes were icy, like a sovereign's wrath, his might overawing all.

Blue veins throbbed on Huang Yunchong's forehead as he forced himself to calm down. He could refuse to give Nie Beihu face, but he had no choice but to be wary of Fu Shan, the lord of a city.

"Brother Fu, I investigated this Su Yi's background. In the past, at his most impressive, he was merely the Outer Disciple Sword Leader of Green River Sword Mansion."

"And as for him now, he is nothing more than an unvalued son-in-law of the Wen Family, insignificant..."

Huang Yunchong chose his words carefully. "I truly do not understand why, with Brother Fu's status, you would stand up for him."

This was precisely the doubt of Huang Qianjun, the Green-robed Man, and Nie Beihu as well.

"Insignificant?"

Thick mockery rose in Fu Shan's eyes, and he said expressionlessly, "For the sake of our past acquaintance, I may as well tell you. Before I came to this Gathering Immortals Pavilion, Lingyao Princess said that if Young Master Su lost so much as a single hair, I, Fu Shan, would have to take off my own head to atone!"

Those words were just like a sudden crack of thunder!

Everyone's expression changed, and their bodies went rigid.

"You say he is... he is a friend of Lingyao Princess?"

Huang Yunchong looked at Su Yi with a face full of disbelief.

Lingyao Princess!

She was true imperial kin. Although she was born of the Lanling Xiao Clan, she was a princess personally ennobled by the current Great Zhou Emperor!

That level of status was terrifyingly lofty!

Only, when had Su Yi, a lowly son-in-law of the Wen Family, become friends with Lingyao Princess?

Nie Beihu and the Green-robed Man also looked as if they had seen a living ghost, stunned where they stood.

With their status, they naturally understood the true meaning in Fu Shan's words. In Lingyao Princess's heart, City Lord Fu Shan's head was worth far less than Su Yi's life!

"Huang Yunchong, oh, Huang Yunchong. Because of what you're doing right now, you nearly made me, Fu, lose my head!"

Fu Shan said coldly.

"I..."

Huang Yunchong could no longer stay calm, cold sweat pouring out.

Even though he was the patriarch of the Huang Family and could summon wind and call rain in Guangling City, he still had to fear Fu Shan by three parts.

As for Lingyao Princess, she was an aristocratic figure whom his entire Huang Family absolutely could not afford to offend!

"Father, who is this Lingyao Princess? Can she... can she really be more formidable than my uncle-in-law?"

Huang Qianjun spoke haltingly. He had also realized the situation was not right, but because he was too young, he did not understand the stakes involved.

Smack!

The moment his words fell, Huang Qianjun was slapped across the face. With a thud, he fell sitting to the ground, his cheek red, swollen, and bleeding, completely dumbfounded.

Because the one who had hit him was, astonishingly, his father!

"Shut up!"

Huang Yunchong's face was livid, fury burning in his eyes.

That terrifying expression sent a chill through Huang Qianjun from head to toe, and his whole body trembled like chaff in a sieve.

"If your aunt's husband learns of this, I fear he'll immediately divorce your aunt, drive her out of the household, and draw a clear line between himself and your Huang Family from then on!"

Fu Shan sneered.

Huang Qianjun's aunt, Huang Yunchong's younger sister, was a favored concubine of Cloud River County's Prefect, "Qin Wenyuan."

Qin Wenyuan was a great figure who stood high above the city lords of Cloud River County's nineteen cities!

Because the Huang Family had this connection to Qin Wenyuan, in the past, Fu Shan would not have dared offend the Huang Family lightly.

But now, things were different!

Huang Qianjun finally realized the severity of the matter. He froze there, dazed and dispirited. He wanted to stand up, but it was as if he had lost all strength; no matter what, he could not rise.

And at this moment, how could Huang Yunchong still have the mind to care about his son?

He took a deep breath, then suddenly bent at the waist and bowed deeply to Su Yi, his voice bitter as he said:

"This Huang was blind as a bat, unaware that Young Master Su was actually a friend of Lingyao Princess. I was muddleheaded. I beg Young Master Su to forgive my offense!"

The private room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Everyone fell quiet, their emotions churning.

Huang Yunchong, patriarch of the Huang Family, a great figure whose power in Guangling City towered to the heavens—just earlier, even when facing Nie Beihu, the City Lord's Mansion Guard Commander, he had dared to show no mercy.

Even when facing City Lord Fu Shan, he had merely been wary.

But now, because of "Lingyao Princess," he bowed his head to Su Yi!

"Father..."

Huang Qianjun froze, an indescribable helplessness welling up inside him.

In his heart, his father was like a mountain, holding up the sky and covering the earth.

But when he saw his father lower his head and apologize to a Son-in-law like Su Yi, it was as if... that great mountain in his heart had collapsed!

The Green-robed Man's body grew even tenser, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain.

When Nie Beihu saw all this, he mocked himself inwardly. Just look at this situation—why would Su Yi need someone of his sort to help?

Su Yi, however, raised his brows slightly.

The head of the Huang Family, who had still been overbearing and arrogant earlier, was now lowering his head and apologizing in fear and trepidation. How could Su Yi fail to understand? Huang Yunchong was not lowering his head to him, but to that "Lingyao Princess."

"Young Master Su, how do you think this matter should be resolved?"

Fu Shan asked softly. When facing Su Yi, this lord of Guangling City had maintained a deferential and respectful bearing the entire time, not daring to show the slightest neglect.

Su Yi looked at Huang Qianjun and said, "Do you still remember what I said here yesterday?"

Huang Qianjun was first startled, then his face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled as he said, "I..."

Before he could continue, Su Yi had already gone on, "I said I'd give you the chance to take revenge, but as long as you chose to do so, you'd have to bear the consequences."

Of course Huang Qianjun remembered those words; he simply had not cared at all yesterday.

But now, hearing them, every word was like an ice-cold blade that pierced to the bone, stabbing viciously into his heart.

His terror reached its peak, and he could not help turning his gaze toward his father, Huang Yunchong.

Huang Yunchong was still maintaining his bow with his head lowered. At this moment, he could not help panicking too, and he gritted his teeth. "Young Master Su, I am willing to bear the consequences of this matter alone!"

Su Yi shook his head, then looked at Fu Shan again and said, "I can tell that Lord Fu said so much just now because you also wanted Huang Yunchong and his son to understand the stakes, to avoid them making any more excessive moves and provoking an even greater disaster."

Fu Shan's expression stiffened. Earlier, he had deliberately brought out "Lingyao Princess," and he had indeed harbored this thought.

After all, Huang Yunchong was the head of the Huang Family. If matters were pushed to the absolute brink, then he, as the city lord, would also suffer some shock and repercussions.

But Fu Shan had not expected Su Yi to see through that little bit of scheming at a single glance!

Steadying himself, Fu Shan's expression turned solemn, and he cupped his fists gravely. "Young Master Su's discerning eyes are like torches; sure enough, that little bit of thought of mine could not be hidden from you. However, I assure you, Young Master Su, this matter is yours to handle however you wish. This Fu will have absolutely no objections!"

Seeing that even the city lord was making such a solemn vow, Huang Yunchong, Huang Qianjun, and the Green-robed Man all had another change of expression, their hearts sinking to the bottom of the valley.

Su Yi said calmly, "I have never liked borrowing another's power to oppress people. What's more, Lord Fu's arrival this time can be considered to have done me a favor, so I naturally won't make things difficult for you."

Fu Shan immediately let out a secret sigh of relief.

But then Su Yi's gaze had already turned to the Green-robed Man not far away, and he smiled. "Don't you like playing with daggers? Take out your dagger and chop off your own hand."

From the moment he entered the private room, this Green-robed Man had been playing with his knife the entire time. His words were full of mocking strangeness, and his manner was frivolous. If Nie Beihu had not suddenly arrived earlier, he would even have intended to attack Su Yi.

Naturally, Su Yi would not overlook this man.

A chill ran through everyone's hearts.

The Green-robed Man's name was Huang Yin, the Guard Leader of the Huang Family, an existence at Blood Moving Realm Great Perfection. In Guangling City, he could already be considered a top-tier martial artist.

If one of his hands were crippled, it would severely affect his Martial Dao cultivation!

"I... Could I compensate and atone in some other way?"

Huang Yin's expression changed drastically, and he grew incomparably tense.

Su Yi did not speak. He simply looked at him with a smile.

Fu Shan's gaze was icy as he looked at Huang Yunchong.

An invisible pressure made Huang Yunchong's chest tighten. In the end, he said with an ugly expression, "Huang Yin, do it!"

Huang Yin's face was deathly pale, his eyes blank. In the end, he shakily took out the dagger he had hidden, aimed it at his own right hand, and slashed down hard.

Pfft!

A bloody right hand fell to the ground, blood spilling like a waterfall.

Huang Yin's cheeks were already twitching from the pain, his head covered in sweat.

Only then did Su Yi nod. His gaze shifted to Huang Yunchong. "Just now, you told me to kowtow with every step and crawl on my knees from here to outside Gathering Immortals Pavilion. Tell me, how should this matter be settled?"

Huang Yunchong's pupils contracted sharply.

As for Huang Qianjun, his face had long since turned the color of earth from fright.

Fu Shan and Nie Beihu exchanged a glance, and a trace of pity could not help but rise in both their expressions. This was what they called lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own foot.

If Huang Yunchong really kowtowed all the way from here to outside Gathering Immortals Pavilion today... then his reputation would be utterly ruined, and he could forget about ever lifting his head before others again in this life!

"Father, I'll kowtow! I'll kowtow!!"

All of a sudden, Huang Qianjun let out a pained, sobbing cry and sprawled on the ground, smashing his head against the floor.

Thud!

The wooden floor jolted violently, the sound of the kowtow dull as a drum.

Huang Qianjun's forehead split open, blood flowing!