Unwelcome Guests

Red bricks and green tiles, green trees and red flowers, a narrow courtyard, quiet and elegant.

As Xu Yi stepped into the courtyard, Qiu Wa was helping Uncle Mu out of the main hall.

One night's rest and two doses of tonic had greatly improved Uncle Mu's complexion; he could already walk with a stagger.

Seeing Xu Yi, the little girl shouted, "Bearded Uncle, where did you run off to this morning? We looked all over for you."

Xu Yi quickly took a few steps forward and ruffled the little girl's hair. "You slept so late last night, didn't you get enough sleep? Look at how pale your face is, your eyes are all dark. Here, I brought you some snacks. Go get some more sleep after you eat. Don't worry about Grandpa, you still have your Bearded Uncle."

As he spoke, he shook the exquisite paper box in his hand, which contained the snacks he had packed for the little girl from Linglong Pavilion.

The little one took the box and opened it. The dazzling array of colorful, delicate pastries inside made her eyes light up. A smile finally appeared on her face, and she hugged Xu Yi's leg. "Bearded Uncle is so nice." Then, she cradled the box and went back to her room.

"You just spoil him!"

Uncle Mu said in a hoarse voice, sighed, and then added, "I've troubled you."

Xu Yi waved his hand. "Uncle Mu, why say such things? Come, I'll help you to the courtyard to bask in the sun."

In the early morning, the weather had been quite overcast. Now, it had cleared up, with a azure sky and a bright sun.

In August, when the autumn chill had not yet arrived, and it was not yet cold, spreading a thick cushion on a lounge chair and reading in a spot where the sun wasn't too harsh was an unparalleled enjoyment.

Uncle Mu had a good physical foundation. Although his injuries were severe, Xu Yi spared no expense, using only the best tonics. After a day of rest, he was still far from fully recovered, but his complexion was greatly improved.

Xu Yi moved a low stool and, estimating Uncle Mu's interests, began to chat with him about stories of the Nielong River, both on and off the water.

Xu Yi was knowledgeable, and Uncle Mu was experienced. The old man and the young man chatted very congenially.

Before long, Qiu Wa came out of the main hall, carrying a plate of pastries and swaying her shoulders proudly. "Story time, story time! Grandpa, Bearded Uncle, you can have a competition telling stories. Whoever tells the best story gets to eat a pastry."

The little girl, accustomed to her wild ways, experienced sorrow and joy quickly. These past two days with Xu Yi, surrounded by delicious food, her little heart was filled with treats, leaving no room for sadness.

Xu Yi reached out his large hand, pulled her into his embrace, and ruffled her hair. Her neat bowl cut immediately made her hair stand on end, displeasing the little girl, who repeatedly butted her head against his chest.

After playing with the little girl for a while, Xu Yi, not wanting to dampen her spirits, patiently told her the story of the Princess and the Pea. The little one listened with wide eyes, blinking rapidly, and fell silent.

Just then, the sound of neat footsteps, like steel blades striking a case, echoed from outside the door. Xu Yi frowned slightly and smiled. "Uncle Mu, the performers are here. Do you want to listen inside or out here?"

"This old man's hearing isn't good, I'll listen here."

Although Uncle Mu was from the common folk, he possessed a certain heroic spirit.

Before his words had even fallen, dozens of black-clad armored warriors, marching in neat formation, surged in. After entering, they divided into two columns, soon surrounding the courtyard. Swords were drawn, bows were strung, armor glinted in the sun, and killing intent filled the air.

Xu Yi didn't even glance at these people. He patted Qiu Wa's little head and instructed, "Sit still, little one. Close your eyes if you're scared."

The little girl raised her eyebrows. "With Bearded Uncle here, I'm not scared!" As soon as her childish voice fell, the little one let out a soft moan and fainted.

A white tiger, about twenty feet long and eight feet tall, with fierce eyes, flew in from the roof and landed directly in front of the three of them. Its tiger head, as large as a millstone, was ferocious. Its three-foot-long whiskers almost touched the little girl. Its gaping maw could swallow a water bucket, and its foot-long fangs were chillingly sharp. The hot air exhaled from its mouth straightened their hair.

"You killed my son!"

Jiang Shaohuan, wearing a golden crown and silver armor, stood on the tiger's back, pointing a thirty-foot-long Halberd diagonally towards the sky. He roared, his voice like rolling thunder.

After his roar, Jiang Shaohuan slammed the halberd onto the white stone slabs in the courtyard with a dull thud. It was as if an earth dragon was constantly flipping beneath the ground. Centered on the halberd, the stone slabs within a three-zhang radius all shattered.

"Damn it, just a beast, dares to scare me."

Xu Yi didn't even look at him. He reached out his large hand and slapped the giant tiger's ferocious face heavily. With a dull thud, the giant tiger's face was knocked askew, and it let out a pained roar.

No matter how fierce the tiger was, it was now crouching beneath its rider. Where was its kingly aura? Xu Yi regarded it as a sick cat and casually plucked a few whiskers. The giant tiger, in pain, thrashed about. A surprising scene occurred: instead of pouncing to bite, the giant tiger leaped away by a zhang.

Xu Yi laughed heartily. "Are you the Jiang from Black Dragon Hall? As the saying goes, meeting is better than hearing about someone. I thought you, Hall Master Jiang, had some reputation and wouldn't be so shallow. I didn't expect a bandit to be just a bandit, unable to get on the stage. Since I dared to kill your little brat, how could I be scared by the old brat?"

It wasn't that Xu Yi was exceptionally brave, but rather that his insight was sharp.

The moment Jiang Shaohuan set up his formation, he knew the other party was scheming for that incredibly valuable Iron Essence.

The logic was simple: if Jiang Shaohuan didn't have a motive, why would he come here? Since an irreconcilable enmity had already been formed, wouldn't it be simpler to kill Xu Yi directly on the arena?

By creating such a shocking spectacle, he merely wanted to intimidate Xu Yi. If he gained the upper hand in momentum, he would naturally have the advantage in the subsequent verbal confrontation.

However, Xu Yi was cunning and refused to give Jiang Shaohuan an opportunity. He met force with force and attacked directly, sweeping away all the momentum Jiang Shaohuan had gathered.

With the private combat ban in Guang'an City, Xu Yi was fearless.

He knew that no matter how high Jiang Shaohuan's cultivation was or how angry he was, he would absolutely not dare to fight him here.

Moreover, based on Jiang Shaohuan's previous attack, he had only revealed the realm of Body Tempering Peak.

Since he was fearless, and Jiang Shaohuan had delivered himself to his doorstep, why wouldn't Xu Yi seize the opportunity?

Jiang Shaohuan was furious and driven mad. He swung his halberd, stirring the air with a whistling sound, as if an earth-shattering strike was about to fall.

Xu Yi sat calmly, holding Qiu Wa. He picked up a mung bean cake, no larger than a fingernail but with sixteen petals, and offered it to Uncle Mu. The old man shook his head. Xu Yi smiled and put it into his own mouth, chewing it slowly as if savoring it.

Xu Yi's nonchalant demeanor infuriated Jiang Shaohuan, almost causing him to fall off the tiger's back.

"What the hell do you want?"

Jiang Shaohuan roared up at the sky.

"Get all these black-skinned ghosts in the courtyard, and this annoying sick cat out of here first."

Xu Yi said slowly, picking up a colorful candy.