Whoosh—
A crimson, flaming fist came roaring toward Gu Cheng's face, carrying astonishing force.
Faced with this unstoppable blow,
Gu Cheng didn't dodge or even flinch. He slowly raised his right hand and casually held it in front of himself, as if the earth-shattering attack were nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Has this kid gone mad? He isn't even trying to dodge!
At the sight, Tang Lingxu's pupils contracted sharply. His anger surged, but he still instinctively held back some of his strength.
Boom—
A thunderous crash split the air.
Tang Lingxu's flaming fist slammed squarely into Gu Cheng's right hand!
Yet the expected gruesome scene of shattered bones and torn flesh never came.
The Tang family's eldest son's expression changed dramatically. He felt as if he'd struck an invisible barrier, one that couldn't be broken.
The next instant, true qi surged and roared like a blue dragon, sending visible ripples through the air.
And the furious force of Tang Lingxu's punch came rebounding from Gu Cheng's right palm, accompanied by flames even hotter and more savage than before!
Total Counterattack!
"Ugh..."
Tang Lingxu felt as if a giant hammer had smashed into his internal organs. His throat went sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
Like a kite with its strings cut, he was sent flying backward, crashing hard into the nearby courtyard wall!
Boom—
With another deafening crash, the ten-foot-high wall collapsed beneath him.
Stones flew, and dust billowed.
The eldest young master of the Tang family lay in the rubble, utterly disheveled. His head spun, and he nearly passed out.
The scorching flames that came with the backlash had burned his fine robes to tatters, leaving them like a beggar's rags.
His right arm had been twisted into a grotesque angle. Pain surged through him like a tide, drawing a muffled groan from his lips as fear crept into his heart.
If he hadn't held back at the last moment, his arm would have suffered far worse than a fracture.
Such a terrifying, bizarre ability to reflect damage was unheard of!
"Young master!"
The commotion had alerted the guards in the outer courtyard.
When they arrived, the sight before them left them aghast. They thought Tang Family Fortress had come under attack again, and instinctively drew their weapons and pointed them at Gu Cheng.
"All of you, stand down!"
Tang Lingxu endured the pain and hoarsely ordered the guards to retreat.
He struggled up from the ruins, his eyes fixed on Gu Cheng. They were full of stunned disbelief, as if he were looking at some incomprehensible monster.
"An Innate Grandmaster... An Innate Grandmaster this young!"
A tempest raged in the eldest young master's heart.
He'd thought Tang Lingyu was a once-in-a-century genius. He never imagined that here in Tianshui Prefecture, there was someone even more monstrous than his own second younger sister!
No wonder... No wonder Lingyu fell for him...
Tang Lingxu gave a wry smile, took a deep breath, and endured the pain as he bowed deeply to Gu Cheng. His voice was full of respect.
"Brother Gu, a bet's a bet. I apologize for my rudeness earlier. From now on, I won't interfere in your relationship with Lingyu again."
In this world of the strong preying on the weak, a bigger fist was the ultimate argument!
Though Tang Lingxu had been gravely injured in a single blow, he felt no resentment toward Gu Cheng. Instead, a measure of admiration had taken root in his heart.
The eager look on his face—the look of a man welcoming his genius brother-in-law—left Gu Cheng at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"Brother Tang, you jest. Your sister and I are only colleagues in the Demon Suppression Bureau. What happened today was just a misunderstanding."
Gu Cheng explained gently. The eldest young master of the Tang family was a little hot-tempered, but he could admit when he was wrong and let matters go. He seemed like a decent person.
It was just that his single-track mind was truly hard to deal with.
"It's fine. Colleagues is a good start. You can take your time getting closer, hahaha..."
Tang Lingxu burst into laughter, only to tug at his injury. He grimaced in pain and couldn't help sucking in a breath.
Seeing that her elder brother was all right and that the conflict between him and Gu Cheng had been resolved, Tang Lingyu finally felt the weight lift from her heart.
Compared with the demonic cultivator she'd encountered earlier, her elder brother had only broken an arm. That was already a very minor injury.
"So... so amazing!"
Tang Lingshan's eyes were wide as she stared at the black-clad young man standing with his hands behind his back, her gaze sparkling.
In her mind, her eldest brother ranked third among the experts in Tang Family Fortress, surpassed only by their father and second sister.
How had he failed to last even a single move against that seemingly harmless big brother?
At the thought, Tang Lingshan couldn't help tugging at her second sister's sleeve. She lowered her voice and asked,
"Second sister, where in the world did you find such an amazing brother-in-law?"
"You little rascal, you're still spouting nonsense!"
Tang Lingyu's face darkened. If this little troublemaker hadn't stirred things up earlier, matters would never have come to this.
She shot her younger sister an exasperated look, pulled her over, and smacked her little bottom hard, making the girl yelp.
Watching the scene unfold,
Gu Cheng chuckled and shook his head.
The guards nearby exchanged glances. They were all struggling not to laugh, but didn't dare make a sound.
Night fell, and stars dotted the sky.
Inside Tang Family Fortress, in a reception room reserved for distinguished guests,
the swaying candlelight lent an even more elegant air to the room's antique furnishings.
Gu Cheng and the Tang siblings sat around the table, which was laden with a sumptuous feast that filled the room with tempting aromas. It was both a welcome-home banquet for the second young lady and Tang Lingxu's apology to Gu Cheng for his earlier rudeness.
Tang Lingxu had changed into a clean, fresh white robe, and Gu Cheng had already used the Yin Yang Absolute Immortal Hand to heal the fracture in his right arm completely.
But his pale face showed that the treatment had clearly caused him considerable pain.
"Brother Gu Cheng, I, Tang Lingxu, was rash earlier. I'll drink three cups as punishment and apologize!"
Tang Lingxu raised his cup and drained it in one go. His voice was thick with remorse and embarrassment.
After talking things over with his younger sister, Tang Lingyu, he now understood the whole story.
Gu Cheng had come to help treat their father's injuries, but he'd mistaken him for a pretty boy with designs on his second younger sister. The thought filled him with shame.
Gu Cheng calmly raised his cup in acknowledgment and took a small sip, accepting the eldest young master's apology.
After all, concern could cloud one's judgment. Tang Family Fortress had a martial arts prodigy like Tang Lingyu, a young woman blessed with both beauty and talent, and she'd surely drawn the secret covetous attention of many factions.
Their father, the head of the family, had also just been attacked by villains. His Sea of Qi had been damaged, leaving him with less than a tenth of his strength, and the situation was grim.
With the family weathering such a storm,
it was only natural that Tang Lingxu, as the eldest son, would be on edge and overreact a little.
"Elder brother, now that you've experienced Gu Cheng's healing abilities firsthand, you should believe he can heal Father's internal injuries, right?"
Tang Lingyu's gaze shifted to her older brother, urgency in her voice.
"How is Father doing now? When can we begin treating him?"
"Well..."
Tang Lingxu fell silent for a moment, as if weighing his words. At length, he slowly began,
"Father isn't here right now. Three days ago, he secretly left Tang Family Fortress to seek out the Willow God."
Before you continue