Kicking Over with One Foot

"No wages?" Xiao Sheng looked at Jiang Li strangely and sneered, "Jiang Li, you're not really foolish enough to work for free, are you?"

He didn't believe there were no wages. After all, he knew about Jiang Li's family situation and that he would definitely try every means to earn money. Why would he work for someone for free?

"Divine Doctor Xu has been kind to me, so I'm working for him for free," Jiang Li said. "Also, this has nothing to do with you. Divine Doctor Xu already said to let you leave!"

He could allow Xiao Sheng to ignore his words, but he absolutely would not allow Xiao Sheng to ignore Divine Doctor Xu's words.

"Damn it, Jiang Li, what are you acting tough for with me? Do you want a beating?" Xiao Sheng was not afraid of Jiang Li at all and even threatened him instead.

When he worked at the teahouse, he had bullied Jiang Li quite a bit and knew that Jiang Li was someone who liked to swallow his pride. He didn't think Jiang Li would dare to do anything to him now.

"Xiao Sheng, don't think I'm afraid of you!" Jiang Li was angered by Xiao Sheng's words. Not wanting to be a coward in front of Xu Yan, he mustered his courage and said this.

He had already decided to go all out. At worst, he would be beaten up by Xiao Sheng, but he absolutely couldn't back down. A man shouldn't be afraid of getting beaten, but afraid of not daring to resist.

Seeing this scene, a smile appeared on Xu Yan's face. Even if Jiang Li was no match for Xiao Sheng, having the courage to resist and no longer being so submissive as before might change his future path.

Moreover, with him here, even if Jiang Li was injured, he could be healed quickly.

Xiao Sheng laughed in anger and provocatively said, "Come on, hit me!"

He wanted to see if a submissive guy could become brave just by working in a different place.

"I'll fight you!"

Jiang Li threw the broom aside and charged at Xiao Sheng with astonishing speed, so fast that Xiao Sheng didn't even react before he was in front of him.

Then, he kicked Xiao Sheng in the abdomen.

Bang!

Xiao Sheng's body, weighing over 180 pounds, was kicked to the ground by Jiang Li, his backside hitting the ground heavily, almost splitting it in half.

He touched his backside, which stung fiercely, and his abdomen, where Jiang Li had kicked him, also ached intensely.

He gritted his teeth and pointed at Jiang Li, saying, "Jiang Li, you got me this time. I'll remember you, kid."

After saying that, he got up, clutching his abdomen and backside, and waddled away.

Jiang Li stood in place, looking at his feet, unable to believe that he had just kicked the tall and large Xiao Sheng to the ground with one kick.

In the beginning, he had tried to resist, but he was completely no match for Xiao Sheng. He couldn't even budge Xiao Sheng and was severely beaten up instead. Since then, he had never dared to resist Xiao Sheng.

Now, how had he suddenly become so strong?

"Jiang Li, have you practiced martial arts?" Xu Yan asked.

Under normal circumstances, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy of medium build and somewhat thin wouldn't be able to kick a grown, tall man to the ground with one kick.

Unless this boy was a Cultivator or a Martial Artist, but Jiang Li didn't look like a Cultivator at all, so he could only be a Martial Artist.

Hearing Xu Yan's words, Jiang Li shook his head. "Divine Doctor Xu, I haven't practiced martial arts."

His family was poor. Since he was old enough to understand things, he had done all sorts of jobs and often didn't have enough to eat. Where would he have had the chance to practice martial arts?

"Could it be that you are one of those people with high talent for cultivation that the Cultivators talk about?" Xu Yan muttered.

He didn't understand much about Cultivators, but he had heard that some people were naturally suited for cultivation and had extraordinary physiques.

He felt that Jiang Li might be such a person and planned to ask Qin Yudie about it next time she came.

Jiang Li was also confused and decided not to think about these things. He picked up the broom and continued sweeping.

In his opinion, being able to defeat Xiao Sheng wasn't something to be overly happy about. Unless he became a Cultivator, even being good at fighting wouldn't be of much use.

"By the way, Jiang Li, why did you throw away the broom just now instead of using it to hit that person?" Xu Yan asked as Jiang Li picked up the broom to sweep.

Normally, people would use whatever they had in hand to fight during a fight. But Jiang Li, on the other hand, just threw the broom away and charged at Xiao Sheng with bare hands. Even he was a bit stunned at the time.

Jiang Li looked up and said, "I was afraid of damaging Divine Doctor Xu's broom. Besides, using Divine Doctor Xu's broom to hit that kind of scoundrel would be letting him off too easily. He doesn't deserve to be hit by Divine Doctor Xu's broom."

In his eyes, Xu Yan was sacred and towering, and even Xu Yan's broom was noble. Xiao Sheng, on the other hand, was too despicable, not worthy of Xu Yan's broom.

Xu Yan was speechless and rubbed his forehead. "Jiang Li, you're acting like a sycophant. Don't think too highly of me. I'm just a mortal like you."

He secretly thought to himself: And I'm a mortal who can't cultivate. Perhaps you can embark on the path of cultivation and become much more remarkable than me in the future.

Jiang Li didn't reply. He smiled foolishly at Xu Yan for a moment, then entered the shop's outer hall and began to clean.

Threads of Dao charm entered his body, continuously and subtly improving his physique.

The fact that he could kick Xiao Sheng to the ground was a result of his improved physique. This was also because he only spent a short time sweeping in the shop every day. If he stayed in the shop for a longer period, his physique would be even stronger.

After Jiang Li finished cleaning, he left. Xu Yan sat alone at a table in the shop's outer hall, looking at the green-haired turtle in the fish tank. He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps asking the green-haired turtle, "Green-haired turtle, do you think Jiang Li can cultivate?"

After saying that, he laughed at himself for asking a green-haired turtle.

He didn't notice that after he asked, the green-haired turtle opened its eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Senior Xu, I'm here."

Qin Yudie arrived familiarly. She came here every day recently and had become quite familiar with Xu Yan, so she was no longer as reserved as she was at the beginning.

For example, now, seeing that Xu Yan didn't respond to her, she quietly walked up to him and whispered, "Senior Xu, let's play chess."

Xu Yan naturally knew Qin Yudie had arrived and that she wanted to play chess with him again. However, Qin Yudie's chess skills were so poor that he didn't even want to reply to her.

But his daily habit of crushing weaker opponents had become just that, a habit. He directly picked up the chessboard from the outer hall and placed it on the table, saying, "Let's begin."

First game, won in nine turns.

Second game, won in nine turns.

Third game, won in nine turns.

Fourth game, won in nine turns.

Fifth game, won in ten turns.

"I did it! I managed to last ten turns!" Qin Yudie cheered ecstatically.

If someone unfamiliar with the situation saw this, they would definitely think she had won. In reality, she had still lost miserably.

Xu Yan was long used to Qin Yudie's behavior. The first time Qin Yudie had managed to last until the ninth turn before losing to him, she had been just as happy.

To the point that he felt embarrassed to admit he had been going easy on her the whole time. Of course, Qin Yudie's progress was undeniable. In the outside world, she would already be considered a top-tier master of the Way of Chess.