Slaps (Two-in-One)

The night in the wilderness was pitch black without moonlight. After the dust settled, the figures of a man and a woman came into view of the convoy.

The man was dressed in blood-stained clothes, and his narrow eyes showed a hint of weariness.

The woman wore Veil Hat, obscuring her face, but her alluring curves, faintly visible, sparked the imagination. However, the Ink Sword she held in her hand prevented any romantic thoughts from arising.

The moment Li Zhonghua saw the two of them, his brows furrowed slightly.

Almost instantly, he realized that the two uninvited guests were led by the Blood-robed Man.

Although the other party's words were unfriendly, they did not immediately make a move, which must be because they were an acquaintance of Xin Yao.

But given Xin Yao's personality, she doesn't seem like the type to make enemies.

Moreover, this person's aura was somewhat strange.

Despite being only a seventh-rank cultivator, the speed he displayed just now was comparable to that of Grandmaster; such methods are somewhat bizarre.

Thinking about it, Li Zhonghua's gaze fell on the woman beside the man.

Was she carrying him as they flew?

Thoughts flashed through his mind in a split second, but Li Zhonghua quickly regained his composure and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the other party.

"Brother, is there some misunderstanding between you and Xin Yao?"

"."

Xu Yuan glanced at Li Zhonghua. "Xin Yao? Ha. You two seem to be very close? But I don't remember asking you any questions."

Having said that, Xu Yuan stared at the black dragon-carriage behind him, then strode towards the convoy, continuing in a cold voice:

"Xu Xinyao, stop playing dead and come out!"

Seeing this, Ran Qingmo stayed close to him, about a meter away.

Compared to Li Zhonghua's wariness, Zhou Ziqing's beautiful eyes were filled with more doubt.

The familiar face before her looked exactly like the spoiled scoundrel she had met in the Imperial Capital, but the completely different aura made her unsure.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Ziqing suddenly whispered:

"Are you Xu Changtian?"

"."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone in his Fourth Sister recognized him. He glanced at the person and, looking at that handsome and beautiful face, some past memories subconsciously surfaced in his mind.

In short, the two had crossed paths once when they were in the Imperial Capital.

At that time, a group of spoiled brats went to the Phoenix Perch Pavilion for food and drink, and happened to run into a group of sect disciples led by Zhou Ziqing.

When Zhou Ziqing and his group first arrived in the Imperial Capital, they were unaware of the formidable power of this group of extremely wealthy and dissolute young men.

Because someone in the sect glanced at you in the crowd, they overheard someone muttering something like "good-for-nothing."

Then,

The two sides started fighting.

The outcome was not good for Zhou Ziqing and her group.

The reason why this group of spoiled brats acted so recklessly was not only because of their family backgrounds, but also largely because the guards they brought with them were very strong.

The spoiled brats couldn't win, and their guards naturally wouldn't just stand by and watch them get beaten.

After several rounds, Zhou Ziqing and his group of sect disciples were forced to kneel on the ground.

As a lustful fiend who dared to have his way with five women, the original owner of this body naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. Faced with a beauty like Zhou Ziqing, he couldn't engage in a real fight due to the difference in their cultivation levels, but taking advantage of her was certainly an option.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan was somewhat speechless, then smiled and said:

"So it's Zhou Ziqing. You've already reached the third rank. I never expected you to be hanging out with my Fourth Sister."

"."

After hearing this, Zhou Ziqing immediately confirmed that the person in front of him was the dandy villain. After the pupils in his beautiful eyes tightened for a while, his fair cheeks gradually began to turn red, and the rapier in his hand began to glow faintly:

"It really is you! You bastard!"

Although she was somewhat out of control, Zhou Ziqing suppressed her shame and indignation and did not act rashly.

Because she saw the woman behind the other person, wearing a black Veil Hat, slowly draw the Ink Sword from her hand.

As the opponent withdrew their sword, the temperature of the surrounding air began to drop sharply.

This woman is very strong.

Moreover, the other party is Xin Yao's Third Brother, and his actions will put Xin Yao in a difficult position.

For a moment, only the soft footsteps of the two remained on the official road.

In the silence,

A pleasant, soft female voice came from inside the convoy:

"Third Brother, it's been a long time."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan stopped and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

Xu Xinyao, dressed in a light blue dress and wearing a mink coat, slowly stepped down from the Coiled Dragon carriage. She smiled slightly as she looked at the Blood-robed Man not far away.

"Third Brother, what are you doing here?"

Upon seeing the familiar Fourth Sister from his memories, Xu Yuan's eyes curved into a smile, and he said:

"I had only been in Huanglong Market for a short time when I heard that the Fourth Miss of the Prime Minister's Estate had come by, so I came to see you."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan beckoned to her:

"Come here, I have something to tell you."

"."

Xu Xinyao hesitated for a moment, then took a step towards Xu Yuan.

As she passed Zhou Ziqing, she said softly:

"Ziqing, I'm sorry."

Although the conversation was brief, considering Ziqing's earlier comments about her Third Brother Third Brother's attitude, she roughly understood that Ziqing had previously had a conflict with him, or even been bullied by him.

Zhou Ziqing gasped for breath, bit her lip, and shook her head:

"This matter has nothing to do with you, Xin Yao."

Xu Xinyao paused for a moment, then walked up to Xu Yuan and stood in front of him. Looking up at her Third Brother, whose demeanor had completely changed, she said softly:

"Third Brother, what happened between you and Imperial Capital back then Ziqing?"

Before the words were finished,

Xu Yuan suddenly raised his hand and struck Xu Xinyao's gentle face.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Xinrou emitted a strange array-like fluctuation.

A powerful array barrier automatically appeared around her.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

But the next moment,

"Snap--"

The slap landed squarely.

The crisp sound of a slap was exceptionally clear on the silent official road.

Xu Xinyao's slender body was slapped so hard that she staggered back two steps before finally regaining her footing.

She didn't say anything immediately after being slapped for no reason.

Xu Yuan looked at his sworn sister and slowly withdrew his hand.

"Why stop the defensive formation?"

Xu Xinyao looked at Xu Yuan, her beautiful eyes filled with no resentment, her voice soft:

"The formation is reacting negatively; Third Brother, your cultivation is weak, you'll get injured."

Even after being beaten, he was still thinking about others. Xu Yuan grinned.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I hit you?"

Xu Xinyao gently shook her head, looked at Xu Yuan with a smile, her eyes tender:

"Third Brother, you're different from before. If you're hitting me now, you must have your reasons."

"But after you hit me, Third Brother, could you apologize to Ziqing for the previous conflict?"

"."

Xu Yuan looked at this gentle face, which was exactly the same as he remembered, raised his hand to rub his temples, and chuckled softly twice.

"Since you have your reasons, then stand firm. I'll apologize to Zhou Ziqing after I'm done beating you."

Xu Xinyao lowered her beautiful eyes slightly and slowly walked to stand in front of Xu Yuan again.

"Snap--"

The sound of a slap rang out again.

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of Xu Xinrou's rosy lips, but she still silently stood in front of Xu Yuan.

The official road was pitch black without the moon, with only the faint Inscription Lamp on the carriages illuminating the surroundings.

Xu Yuan stared at the other person, and as he raised his hand to slap him again, he found that his wrist had been grabbed.

It's Li Zhonghua.

Without the blessing of a saint's soul power, Xu Yuan couldn't react in time to the opponent's speed.

The Big Ice Block beside her reacted quickly, as her sword was already at Li Zhonghua's neck.

The chill emanating from the sword blade gradually began to frost over Li Zhonghua's clothes, as if the slightest misstep would result in his decapitation.

Li Zhonghua glanced at the sword at his neck and said to Xu Yuan:

"Brother Xu, as Xin Yao's brother, aren't you going a bit too far by doing this?"

"."

Slightly turning his head, Xu Yuan stared at this prodigy from some unknown sect, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.

During the eye contact,

Xu Xinyao, standing to the side, said softly:

"Zhonghua, I'm fine, let go of my Third Brother."

"."

Li Zhonghua remained silent for a moment, but did not move.

He only believed what he saw with his own eyes, but the unbridled and dissolute behavior of the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Estate was already quite evident.

Xu Yuan said with a bit of a laugh:

"When I hit Xu Xinyao, it was a brother disciplining his sister. Do you want to interfere in the family affairs of my Prime Minister's Estate?"

As he spoke, Xu Yuan noticed the anger in the other man's eyes and seemed to understand something. He smiled and said, "What, you want to be my brother-in-law? If so, I suggest you take a look at yourself in the mirror first. Our Prime Minister's Estate doesn't accept fools."

Hearing these humiliating words, Li Zhonghua remained calm and composed, and said softly:

"This is just dissuasion."

"Dissuade me? What if I don't listen to your advice?" Xu Yuan said with a smile.

As Xu Yuan finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through his arm.

Despite feeling the pain, Xu Yuan merely stared with interest at the man beside him, for at that moment Ran Qingmo's sword also drew a bloody mark on Li Zhonghua's neck.

After a moment's pause, Xu Yuan asked with a light laugh:

"Are you planning to trade your head for one of my arms?"

Li Zhonghua remained silent.

Xu Yuan glanced at Xu Xinyao sideways:

"Xin Yao, your suitor is quite devoted; he can't bear to see you suffer even the slightest grievance."

"But you should still try to persuade him."

"Otherwise, he probably thinks I really wouldn't dare to kill someone."

"."

Past experience made Xu Xinyao realize that her Third Brother was no longer joking, and she was about to speak when Xu Yuan interrupted her:

"Forget it, no need to persuade me anymore, I've run out of patience."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan stared at the man beside him and said in a low voice:

"You know what, you made a mistake; you shouldn't have kept holding onto me."

After saying that,

After a strange fluctuation, a few cherry blossom petals, shimmering with light, quietly drifted down before Li Zhonghua's eyes.

Upon seeing this, Li Zhonghua's pupils suddenly contracted.

Is this fluctuation... a manifestation of the Dao?

Why is it that Xu Changtian, a mere seventh-rank cultivator, can comprehend the Dao essence and even use it?!

In a daze,

A tiny, bloody dot had quietly landed on his chest.

"Bang!"

Silently, the small blood-red dot exploded, and Li Zhonghua's body was instantly sent flying backward, finally stopping his rolling figure by crashing into a boulder, kicking up a cloud of dirt and rocks.

Xu Yuan rubbed his slightly numb wrist, gently shook his head, and said to Xu Xinyao, whose eyes were filled with worry:

"Don't worry, this person is still your friend, no matter what. I'll be careful."

"Please show some restraint, Brother Xu. I truly trouble you to spare me."

A slightly amused murmur came from within the smoke.

Xu Yuan turned his head and looked back calmly.

Li Zhonghua emerged from the attack, yet despite the severe blow, he bore no obvious injuries.

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow upon seeing this, but quickly understood.

It seems he must have used his Dao essence to defend himself for a brief moment, but it's unclear what exactly that Dao essence was.

Regardless, this person did possess some genuine skill, managing to emerge unscathed from such an attack.

As Li Zhonghua walked over, he said to himself:

"I used to think the rumors about Brother Xu were just rumors, but now it seems that although Brother Xu is not as useless as the rumors say, his temperament is indeed as unrestrained as the rumors suggest."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan covered his face and chuckled softly. After laughing enough, his eyes narrowed.

"Li Zhonghua, you don't think you're being cool right now, do you? Getting beaten for doing something wrong is the norm in our family. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for an outsider to be making such comments?"

Li Zhonghua said:

"An elder brother should cherish and protect his younger sister, not beat or scold her."

Xu Yuan shook his head:

"Since you insist on this, let me ask you a question."

"Ask away."

Xu Yuan's eyelids drooped:

"If Xu Changge beating and scolding Xu Xinyao right now, would you dare to step forward?"

"."

Li Zhonghua opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out.

"What, can't you say it?"

Xu Yuan stared at Li Zhonghua with disdain. "Because you know that Xu Changge despises sects to the extreme, and you also know that if you dare to interfere in our family affairs in front of him, there's a high chance he'll chop you down with a single sword stroke."

After a pause, Xu Yuan sighed:

"If you want to be a hero and save the damsel in distress, you really shouldn't be relying on me. You're such a self-righteous person, you're hopelessly stupid. You think your actions are for Xu Xinyao's good?"

"But do you know what? You're putting her on the hot seat right now."

"."

Li Zhonghua remained silent because he had already seen the conflicted look on Xin Yao's face.

Xu Yuan glanced at Zhou Ziqing, whose eyes were filled with anger, and continued:

"You should learn from Zhou Ziqing. Even though I had a grudge against her in the past, she has always refrained from killing me with a single sword strike, most likely because she didn't want to put Xu Xinyao in a difficult position. And look at you, you idiot."

"Why did you suddenly jump out and tell me to stop? Whom do you want Xu Xinyao to take sides for?"

"Help you? Whether she's siding with family or with reason, it's none of your business, you idiot. And yet you insist on acting like you're doing this for your own good. Given her personality, it's unlikely she'll just kick you out."

After saying that, Xu Yuan stared at Li Zhonghua:

"I don't recommend that Xin Yao continue to associate with an idiot like you."

"..." Li Zhonghua clenched his fists.

Having said that,

Xu Yuan sighed, ignoring Li Zhonghua, and looked at the red marks on his sworn sister's face, saying indifferently:

"I won't continue. Let's go. I'll tell you why I beat you up on the way."

Xu Xinyao stood still.

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, then frowned and said:

"What, you don't want to leave?"

Xu Xinyao glanced at the direction of the convoy behind her and said in a low voice:

"Third Brother, could you please give Xin Yao some time?"

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