Reviewing the Fight

Lime produced heat when it came into contact with water.

Washing it out with oil could stop it from absorbing moisture from the eyeballs, prevent burns, and help remove the lime.

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Although he couldn't immediately restore all his vision,

it could still help He Xiuyong see a little more clearly.

Though He Xiuyong, who had spent his life among gangs, didn't understand the principles behind it,

he knew that doing this could help him regain a little of his sight.

Seeing Li Yun's fist closing in, He Xiuyong gritted his teeth and circulated his qi and blood. The veins on his arms bulged as he forced his fists up to meet it.

Bang!

Their fists collided, and each of them took a step back.

Although He Xiuyong's arms hurt, he felt a little more at ease.

His opponent was only at the Body Tempering Realm, and his qi and blood weren't as strong as He Xiuyong's.

"How dare you set your sights on the Mountain Gang?

Leave now, and I can pretend I never saw you. Otherwise, once the higher-ups investigate,

there won't be anywhere in all of Crow Mountain County for you to hide."

Li Yun didn't waste words on He Xiuyong. His assault continued. He stamped his foot against the ground, surged forward, and aimed a punch straight at He Xiuyong's face.

Fists and feet clashed, each blow landing with a dull thud.

Having reached minor mastery in Tiger Subduing Fist, Li Yun was no longer bound by rigid forms. His movements flowed smoothly, like an antelope's horn caught on a branch.

Every punch took He Xiuyong by surprise.

Though He Xiuyong's qi and blood ran relatively deep, Li Yun dodged most of his blows.

When one did land, Li Yun took it in stride.

After all, those "knights in shining armor" in the Inner Courtyard who played dirty had often done the same to him.

Li Yun pressed his relentless attack. He Xiuyong had already suffered a hidden loss and was no match for him.

Li Yun was determined to give him no chance to catch his breath.

After a few exchanges, He Xiuyong realized as much.

He made a rough calculation:

At this rate, I'll be beaten to death!

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Qian Qiuqiao by the edge of the bed, and an idea immediately came to him.

Knowing that a prolonged fight would end in defeat, a vicious glint suddenly flashed in He Xiuyong's eyes.

As Li Yun threw a punch, He Xiuyong seized the opening, twisted around, and lunged to the bedside. His large hand clamped around Qian Qiuqiao's wrist like an iron pincers.

Qian Qiuqiao cried out in alarm, not even having time to struggle.

Using the force of his turn, He Xiuyong hurled her toward Li Yun.

Li Yun had already committed to his punch. Seeing Qian Qiuqiao collide with him, he furrowed his brows, but his fist paused for only an instant before continuing.

Thud.

A heavy impact rang out.

Li Yun's punch struck Qian Qiuqiao squarely in the chest.

How could an ordinary person withstand a blow from Li Yun?

Her chest caved inward on the spot. Blood gushed from the corner of her mouth, and her body flew backward like a kite with its strings cut.

She flew straight toward He Xiuyong, who was trying to escape.

He Xiuyong hurriedly threw a punch to fend her off.

The moment his attention shifted and his guard opened wide,

Li Yun followed like a shadow, closing in as both fists rained down like a torrential storm.

Every punch slammed into He Xiuyong's vital points.

He Xiuyong screamed again and again, his qi and blood churning. He had no chance to fight back.

In just a moment, he crashed heavily to the ground.

He went still.

"Haah... haah..."

After throwing punches at such an intense pace, even Li Yun couldn't help panting.

This was the first time Li Yun had truly fought at close quarters.

The impact of muscle against muscle made his blood surge.

Li Yun even... found himself falling a little in love with the feeling.

He shook his head, pushing the strange thought aside.

After making sure He Xiuyong was dead with blows to the neck and heart, Li Yun began searching the bedroom.

He was already here.

He couldn't leave empty-handed.

"Sir! Sir!"

He had just found some silver in the bedside table when he heard an urgent shout.

It was probably members of the Mountain Gang, coming to ask He Xiuyong to take charge.

After spending so long at the Martial Hall, Li Yun had learned a few things about the Mountain Gang.

The gang had ties to the four Lineages in the Inner City.

It wasn't wise to expose himself yet, so he hurriedly pocketed the silver.

Then he went to the back window and nimbly climbed out.

He glanced at the burning rear warehouse, then decided against it. There was no way he could sell those goods in the city.

If he wanted to take them, he'd have to do so in full view of everyone—unless...

He shook his head, then twisted around and made his way to the foot of the wall, climbing out of the courtyard.

A few leaps later, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only a scene of devastation and the lingering smell of blood.

An hour later, Wushan County came into view in the distance.

I'm still not cautious enough. Next time I need information from someone, I should find an open area and use my archery to keep them at a distance.

On the road, Li Yun kept reviewing the fight he'd just had.

He considered what he could have done better.

Thinking it over, he realized there were indeed a few ways he could have handled things more perfectly.

For example, what if he'd thrown poison powder instead of lime?

Wouldn't that have ended the fight in an instant?

And when he'd launched his sneak attack at the beginning, if he'd had a weapon,

could he have killed He Xiuyong in one blow?

Or perhaps...

Just as Li Yun was summing up the fight, firelight flickered in the distance.

Voices drifted over, one after another.

It was better to avoid trouble than invite it.

Li Yun didn't pay it much attention.

But the name he faintly heard made his brows gradually knit together.

"Wang Xiaofei..."

A picture of the skinny boy flashed through Li Yun's mind.

Every day, he brought boiled rice bran from home to eat with hard, dried fish. He'd squat in a corner of the Martial Hall, picking up each bite with his fingers and putting it in his mouth.

His legs trembled as he practiced his stance again and again,

gritting his teeth and persevering.

"Ah..."

Li Yun stood there for a moment, but in the end he sighed and quietly made his way toward the place where the firelight flickered.

That day marked exactly half a year since they had joined the Martial Hall.

Wang Xiaofei still hadn't opened the blood-qi channels beneath his skin or entered the Body Tempering Realm.

And he didn't have the money to pay his tuition.

Naturally, he couldn't keep staying at the Subduing Tiger Martial Hall.

Once he shed the Martial Hall's protection, Wang Xiaofei knew he was in trouble.

He had planned to leave during the night.

But he hadn't expected them to corner him anyway.

After receiving the news, the Mad Dog Gang immediately rushed over with their men.

"Well, if it isn't Wang Xiaofei, a disciple of the Subduing Tiger Martial Hall.

What are you doing out and about in the middle of the night?"

The speaker was Lai Qing, the leader of the Mad Dog Gang.

In this world, small gangs rose and fell one after another.

The Mad Dog Gang had managed to last this long

because Lai Qing had a set of principles of his own.

He targeted orphans, widows, and anyone weak enough to bully.

He was especially vigilant about poor young men who wanted to join a Martial Hall and make something of themselves.

Half a year ago, when Wang Xiaofei had snuck his way into the Martial Hall, Lai Qing had been ready to flee at a moment's notice.

As the days went by, Lai Qing gradually put his mind at ease.

He counted the days on his fingers.

When he saw Wang Xiaofei sneak back to Fish Bay without wearing his Martial Hall uniform,

Lai Qing knew the boy hadn't made it.

Still, to be safe, he decided to send his underlings to test him first.

Then he saw from a distance that Wang Xiaofei was actually holding his own against several of his men, who couldn't take him down even after a long while.

That meant he hadn't entered the Body Tempering Realm.

Only then did Lai Qing step forward himself.

Wang Xiaofei was braver than he used to be.

He stood protectively in front of his sister.

Fixing his eyes on Lai Qing, he put on a show of bravado.

"Hmph, Lai Qing, you've got some nerve, daring to lay a hand on someone from the Subduing Tiger Martial Hall."