Ye Yun's words, which showed how little regard he had for Gu Dahai, finally set Gu Dahai off. With a metallic ring, he drew the broadsword from the table and said in a chilling voice, "Kid, you're pretty arrogant! Don't think having a little money makes you so great. Other people might be afraid of you, but I, Boss Gu, am not. I'll give you two choices. First, hand over your money nice and easy, and I'll let you off. Second, I do it myself. But I'm a rough sort, and I tend to get carried away. I might accidentally hurt you, and that wouldn't be good."
"Arrogant?" Ye Yun waggled his index finger, his expression calm. "First, I've been quietly eating my meal this whole time. I haven't done anything arrogant. Second, my money may not be fragrant, but it certainly isn't stinky. Last of all, do I even know you? Why should I hand my money over to you? You're not the proprietor."
Ye Yun's face remained utterly calm, and his words carried not the slightest hint of emotion. He sounded as though he were explaining a simple fact to a stranger. Gu Dahai wasn't the only one who couldn't take it; even Zhang Zifeng, sitting nearby, was getting worked up. Everything Ye Yun said was true, but for some reason, Zhang Zifeng had the urge to hit someone.
"Die!"
Gu Dahai roared and raised his broadsword high, bringing it down on Ye Yun like a flash of lightning. If the blow landed, Ye Yun would be crippled at best. Apart from a few, everyone else in the inn turned away, unable to watch, while Zhang Zifeng squeezed his eyes shut in anguish. Yet, to their surprise, after a long while, the expected scream never came. The inn remained so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Overcome by curiosity, Zhang Zifeng slowly opened his eyes. But he couldn't believe what he was seeing, so he rubbed them hard, then shut them again. After about three seconds, he suddenly opened them once more. To his disbelief, the scene before him hadn't changed at all. The young man was still casually pinching Boss Gu's broadsword between two fingers. He even saw the young man wink at him.
"A god! Th-this is real! How is this possible?" Zhang Zifeng whispered in disbelief. His words echoed the thoughts of everyone else in the inn.
"Tsk. With skills like that, you dare imitate a local tyrant? Or—" Ye Yun was cut off mid-sentence when two blades came slashing at him from behind. This infuriated him. He twisted his fingers slightly around the broadsword trapped in his grip, wresting it away from Gu Dahai, then swiftly swung it behind him. With a clang, the two gleaming steel blades were knocked flying.
Ye Yun didn't stop after blocking the two blades. His left hand swept across the table, and two wooden chopsticks pinned the feet of the men who had just attacked him to the floor. By the time he had done all this, everyone else was still reeling from the shock. They only saw a blur, and then the steel blades were gone from all three men's hands.
The moment his broadsword was caught, Gu Dahai knew he was done for. When Ye Yun effortlessly dealt with his two brothers, he gave up all hope. He must have run into a true expert. He'd faced situations like this before, and as long as he obeyed, admitted fault, and promised not to do it again, he could usually get off safely. So he dropped to his knees without hesitation and cried, "Hero, spare me! I only resorted to this because I had no other way to make a living. I've never really hurt anyone. At most, I've just scared people into giving me some money. I know I was wrong, and I swear I'll never do it again. If I break this oath, may heaven strike me down!"
Ye Yun hadn't expected the man to cave so quickly. He hadn't even said a word, and Gu Dahai was already on his knees surrendering. This was Heyang City, after all. Even in a fantasy world, there was still a country, and where there was a country, there were laws. Murder in broad daylight was a serious crime anywhere. Besides, Ye Yun had never intended to kill the three of them. Still, although they might be spared death, they couldn't escape punishment. If he didn't teach them a lesson, how could these arrogant men possibly learn to behave?
Seeing Ye Yun lost in thought, Gu Dahai knew his words had worked. These young masters cared most about saving face. The patrolling constables didn't usually bother with much; even if they saw people fighting, they tended to ignore it unless things got too serious. But if blood was drawn, they would pursue the matter relentlessly. These young masters feared that most of all, since it would make them lose face. So Gu Dahai was sure this man wouldn't dare kill him. If he just bowed his head a little lower, he might not even have to suffer a beating. Young masters like these usually thought it beneath them to fight people like him. And since this man had no attendants with him, he'd lose nothing if he could just get out of this. As for his two injured brothers, he could pay them some compensation later.
Thinking this, Gu Dahai lowered his head even further, his body trembling as he put on a terrified look. He looked so pitiful that anyone who didn't know better would think he was the victim and Ye Yun was the villain.
The others in the inn all shook their heads. They'd seen this sort of thing several times before, but Gu Dahai never changed; he always went right back to his old ways. Zhang Zifeng wanted to warn Ye Yun, but he was afraid of retaliation afterward. He opened his mouth, then finally lowered his head in defeat.
Someone else might really have let Gu Dahai get away with it, but who was Ye Yun? He'd been steeped in novels and movies in his old world. Did Gu Dahai really think he wouldn't see through such a cheap trick? What a joke.
Ye Yun couldn't be bothered to play games with him. He casually tossed the broadsword in his hand aside, stood up, and walked over to Gu Dahai with a smile. To everyone's astonishment, he kicked Gu Dahai to the ground, then began stomping on him as he shouted, "That's for acting like a bully! That's for extorting people! That's for pretending to be pitiful and begging for sympathy! That's for swearing an oath to fool me! That's for ruining my meal..."
Ye Yun kicked Gu Dahai for a good minute or two before finally stopping, satisfied. The frustration he'd built up over the years had all melted away. Gu Dahai was now a swollen, bruised mess, and the two brothers who had been clutching their feet and groaning fell silent as soon as Ye Yun started beating him. They crouched quietly on the floor, not even daring to tend to their injured feet, afraid of drawing Ye Yun's attention.
Ye Yun straightened his clothes, let out a long breath, and smiled with satisfaction. "That felt much better. And don't pretend you're dead. I know exactly how hard I hit you. You'll have some bruises, but I didn't break a single bone. Get up and come with me. I still have something to ask you."
At his words, Gu Dahai, who had been lying motionless on the ground and pretending to be dead, covered his face and got up reluctantly. The others in the inn looked at his swollen, bruised face, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Their faces all turned red from holding it in.
Ye Yun glanced calmly around the inn, called over the waiter, and pointed at Zhang Zifeng. "Put this scholar's food and wine on my tab. Then serve another table just like the one I ordered. Put that on my tab too."
After he finished speaking, Ye Yun nodded at Zhang Zifeng and headed out.
Before you continue