You Want a Fight? Then Let's Fight

"She—the genius is coming this way. Could it be that she's been captivated by my dashing, imposing appearance and wants to..." One of the people around Ling Tian's heart began pounding wildly as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

"Brother Ling Tian, I thought you weren't coming." When she reached Ling Tian, Hua Min'er tugged at his sleeve and spoke with boundless shyness.

"Ah, my heart is breaking. I..." At the sight of Hua Min'er's actions and the sound of her words, faintly, all around Ling Tian, a great chorus of breaking hearts could be heard.

"Hehe, silly girl, didn't I come after all?" Ling Tian reached out, wiped the sweat from Hua Min'er's forehead, and smiled.

"Hmph, you had Min'er worried for so long." Hua Min'er feigned a little annoyance and pouted.

"Since I promised you, I'd definitely come. What's wrong? Do you lack confidence in me, or in yourself? Hehe." Ling Tian chuckled, his voice full of teasing.

"Brother Ling Tian, I..." Hua Min'er lowered her head slightly, unsure what to say.

"All right, all right, I'm here now. Congratulations, you're a supreme genius, hehe."

Ling Tian smiled and congratulated Hua Min'er on her talent and her "Innate Wood Spirit Physique." His father, Lingyun, had told him about this physique before. It was the sort of constitution that even Lingyun, with his cultivation and talent, couldn't help but envy.

"Then you can't bully Min'er in the future. Once I've finished cultivating, I'll beat you up!" Hua Min'er waved her little fists, pretending to strike him in an attempt to scare Ling Tian.

"Haha, I'm so scared." Ling Tian pretended to be frightened, making Hua Min'er laugh until her whole body shook.

"You two are taking this too far. Flirting and bickering in broad daylight, in full view of everyone—shameless!" Just then, Yun Ying came up beside them and teased them.

"Senior Sister Yun Ying!" Hua Min'er and Ling Tian cried out in unison, their pretty faces blooming red with embarrassment.

They'd been so focused on each other that they'd completely forgotten about all the people around them. They were standing in the square at Qingyun Peak, with hundreds of people watching.

At the thought, Hua Min'er glared at Ling Tian in mild reproach. Ling Tian laughed, took her delicate hand, and paid no heed to the onlookers.

"L-let go of Hua Min'er! Let me..."

A disciple whose face had flushed bright red stared at Ling Tian holding Hua Min'er's hand. He was so worked up that he probably didn't even know what he was saying.

"Ugh, you idiot, what are you saying? You there, let go of Hua Min'er!" Another person first scolded the disciple, then glared at Ling Tian.

"Exactly! Let her go!" A crowd chimed in, their anger surging.

"Isn't that useless Ling Tian? How did he end up with Hua Min'er? She even lets him hold her hand. I must be blind!" someone cried, recognizing Ling Tian.

"It really is that useless Ling Tian." The others, too, recognized this "good-for-nothing."

For a moment, everyone buzzed with gossip. They said nothing but that Ling Tian was useless, that the genius had fallen, and how regrettable it all was.

"Be quiet! You're not allowed to talk about Brother Ling Tian like that!" Hua Min'er's pretty face turned cold as she glared at everyone.

They dared call Ling Tian useless, but they didn't dare offend Hua Min'er, a true genius. At once, they fell silent, not daring to speak ill of Ling Tian again.

When everyone had stopped talking, she turned back and looked at Ling Tian with concern, afraid he might be upset.

"Brother Ling Tian, don't be angry. They—they're just talking nonsense." Hua Min'er watched Ling Tian, carefully choosing her words as she tried to comfort him.

"Hehe, Min'er, I'm not angry. I don't deign to get upset over petty people like them." Ling Tian looked calm and composed, not the least bit angry.

"Mm, Brother Ling Tian, as long as you're not angry, that's good." Seeing that Ling Tian wasn't angry, the chill on Hua Min'er's face vanished in an instant.

"How dare he call us petty? Looks like he's itching for a beating," someone in the crowd said with a face as red as pig liver, snorting.

"Right, he really deserves a beating," the others agreed.

"If you've got guts, stop hiding behind Hua Min'er. What kind of man relies on a woman? Come out here, and I'll beat you half to death!" someone shouted viciously.

"He's probably too scared to," some people sneered, trying to provoke Ling Tian.

"Oh? Looks like someone really wants to get their bones loosened today." Ling Tian gently freed his hand from Hua Min'er's tight grip, then swept his gaze over the crowd and said indifferently, "Anyone who disagrees can step forward."

"Brother Ling Tian, you..." Hua Min'er looked at Ling Tian anxiously.

But Ling Tian gave her a reassuring look. Trusting him, she held back, though a trace of worry remained on her face.

"That's a real man! Ling Tian, I'm rooting for you!" Seeing that there was a show to watch, Yun Ying was thrilled, eager to see the world in chaos.

"Senior Sister Yun Ying, you..." Hua Min'er glared at Yun Ying in annoyance.

Yun Ying stuck out her tongue and hurriedly fell silent.

"Min'er, do you think I'm useless?" Ling Tian turned to her and asked earnestly.

"No. Never." Hua Min'er answered without a moment's hesitation. Her words were brief, but beyond doubt.

"Haha, good! Come on, if you want a fight, then let's fight!"

Reassured by Hua Min'er's answer, Ling Tian swept his gaze over the crowd. For a moment, he seemed like a god-king returned to the world, looking down on all creation and not putting any of them in his eyes.

"This brat's too arrogant. I'll teach you a lesson!" A disciple stepped out of the crowd and sneered at Ling Tian.

"You think you're fit to teach me a lesson? Hah, what shameless boasting. The wind's strong—be careful it doesn't snap your tongue!" Ling Tian sneered, giving as good as he got.

"You... Fine. Very well." The man laughed in fury, said no more, and took up a fighting stance.

Seeing that the two were about to fight after just a few words, everyone hurriedly retreated, clearing a large space for them. Fortunately, the square at Qingyun Peak was spacious and was usually where the disciples practiced their martial arts, so it was well suited for a fight.

Inside the Great Hall at Qingyun Peak, several peak masters had noticed what was happening.

"It should be all right if they fight, shouldn't it? I wonder if Senior Lingyun will take offense," Xiong Xiong asked uncertainly, looking worried.

"He probably won't. They're children fighting. Is he really going to step in for Ling Tian?" Huang Se said with undisguised glee, as if he could already see Ling Tian getting beaten.

He'd never gotten along with Lingyun. After learning what Lingyun was capable of, he'd curbed his arrogance somewhat. But since he'd always looked down on Lingyun, the thought of seeing Lingyun's adopted son beaten naturally pleased him.

"I wonder whether Min'er being with him is a blessing or a calamity. Sigh, Senior Lingyun is no one to trifle with." Ye Feidie sighed, her face full of worry as she watched Hua Min'er.

She worried Hua Min'er would become utterly devoted to this "good-for-nothing" Ling Tian. Yet, under pressure from Lingyun, she couldn't use force against Ling Tian. For a moment, she didn't know what to do.

The peak masters of Qingyun Sect all had their own thoughts, but none of them tried to stop Ling Tian and the other man from fighting. They simply watched the show.