Angry Fist, Farewell to Little Brother

"Big brother!"

Li Xiaofan suddenly shouted excitedly. Luo Fang's hair stood on end. He circulated his inner Qi, tensed his shoulder, and jolted it back.

But then he realized the shoulder he was gripping was as solid as rock, and the inner Qi within it was exceptionally abundant. Their two currents of inner Qi battled in secret. But Luo Fang had both hands on Li Xiaofan, while Li Xian, hurrying up behind him, still had one hand free.

He clenched his fist and, in his anger, unleashed a move from Fist Settles the Eight Directions. The move was meant to be weighty and solid; the instant the fist shot out, all eight directions were subdued.

Luo Fang's scalp went numb. He whipped around, just as an iron fist came at his face and struck him squarely.

"Thud-"

The punch was filled with killing intent and held nothing back. Knowing he couldn't dodge, Luo Fang could only circulate his inner Qi to protect his cheeks.

But Li Xian had been poised to strike, while Luo Fang had raised his guard in haste. The difference between them was immense. In an instant, his nose was crushed and several teeth knocked loose.

His body was blasted away, plowing a several-zhang trench through the snow.

Li Xian was like a god of slaughter, his face brimming with Sha Qi. He helped his younger brother up and brushed the snow from him. "Little brother, are you all right?"

"Big brother, I've caused you trouble." Li Xiaofan lowered his head in shame.

"I can't blame you." Li Xian looked coldly at Luo Fang, his killing intent undisguised, like icy needles.

At One Accord Manor, Grade-D House Guards patrolled in lines, while Grade-C House Guards patrolled in blocks.

They also had a certain degree of authority to call upon Grade-D House Guards.

He had heard the commotion outside the manor, and a Grade-D House Guard had reported it to him. So he'd come to investigate at once, only to find Luo Fang forcing his younger brother to sign a contract of servitude.

Naturally, he'd been overcome with fury.

"Ptui!"

Luo Fang spat out a mouthful of blood and tried to seize the initiative. "Well, well, Li Xian! You dare attack me, a steward, for the sake of an outsider!"

"Do you know that this violates the manor rules? You abandoned your post. I'm going to report you to Commander Pang!"

Li Xian said coldly, "Sorry, I'm in charge of patrols in this area, not you. Now... I'm the one questioning you for abandoning your post and, as a steward, deliberately disrupting the manor's peace."

"You're nothing but a Grade-D House Guard, yet you've got quite the nerve!" Luo Fang stamped his foot in anger.

"Grade-D?" Li Xian pulled out a token bearing the character "丙." "Open your dog eyes and take a good look. What kind of token is this?"

Luo Fang focused his gaze. He knew this token all too well. It was a Grade-C House Guard token. He himself had once been a Grade-C House Guard, but as he grew older, he'd never managed to rise any further.

After his Blood Qi had waned, he no longer had the vigor he once did. With no other choice, he'd stepped down from guard duty and become a Menial Steward, a much more leisurely post.

"You actually became a Grade-C House Guard?!" Luo Fang's eyes widened in shock.

The fierce Sha Qi around him immediately ebbed.

"Uncle, don't listen to his nonsense! He's only been a House Guard for a little while. There's no way he could be a Grade-C House Guard!" Bi Hao said hysterically, unable to hide his jealousy.

"Shut up!" Luo Fang shouted at him.

"That's right. I'm now a Grade-C House Guard," Li Xian said coldly. "You're menial workers, yet you're not handling menial work. You've disrupted the manor's rules. Under the manor rules, I have the authority to punish you."

Before he'd finished speaking, Li Xian stepped forward and struck Bi Hao first, channeling a stream of inner Qi into the place where he'd already been injured.

Warriors weren't afraid of external injuries. What they feared was inner Qi entering the body and being impossible to dispel. It would make the injury flare up again and again, leaving behind a serious chronic ailment.

Li Xian flashed forward again, clamped both hands onto the shoulders of the other menial workers, and twisted hard. The sound of bones breaking rang out.

Every menial worker who'd taken part had the hand they'd used to touch Li Xiaofan broken.

"Steward Luo... help... help us!" The menial workers looked to Luo Fang for help, terrified.

But Luo Fang's expression shifted between light and dark. How could he speak up for them?

"Damn it, how did that kid become a Grade-C House Guard?"

"This is way too fast! I struggled for six years before I barely reached the threshold of Grade-C. He's only been at it for a little over a month—a little over a month!"

Luo Fang's body trembled uncontrollably, whether from the cold or from fear.

After dealing with all the irrelevant people, Li Xian slowly walked toward Luo Fang. "Steward Luo, last time you asked me to spar with you, I refused. This time... I'm the one asking you to spar. Do you dare accept?"

"I... I..."

Luo Fang hadn't even replied, but he was already showing fear.

He'd enjoyed a life of comfort for a long time. Though he hadn't neglected his martial arts, he couldn't withstand the loss of his Blood Qi. With his years of experience, he might not necessarily lose.

But fists feared the young...

Once they started fighting, whatever the outcome, he'd have nothing to gain.

He suddenly came to his senses. The last time they'd met, he'd been sure to win. Only a few days had passed, yet their positions had changed so drastically.

"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes!"

Li Xian kicked at the snow. With a whoosh, snowflakes scattered everywhere. Luo Fang's heart jolted as the snow blinded his vision.

"Thud!"

A heavy blow landed on the back of his head, nearly knocking him off his feet. He shouted angrily, "You're going too far! Kid, you really think I'm afraid of you?" He turned and swept out a punch.

But it hit empty air. Then he heard a fist whistle from his right and quickly raised his hand to block. Instead, pain shot through his crotch as a rising kick struck him between the legs.

"Ow!" Luo Fang howled.

"In a martial artist's fight... you should make proper use of the terrain to increase your own advantage!"

Though Li Xian was furious, he hadn't let it cloud his judgment. He was confident, but never arrogant.

Every few punches, he swept his leg through the snow, sending it up to block both their lines of sight. Though Li Xian's vision was also impeded, he had the advantage when using Four Directions Fist.

His movements were also harder to predict.

"Enough!"

After more than ten exchanges, a sudden shout rang out, scattering the snowflakes hanging in the air.

It was Pang Long.

Pang Long was still more than four zhang away, yet with a single, full-throated shout, he'd swept the snowflakes away like a gust of wind.

Li Xian was secretly amazed, thinking, "Commander Pang's skill is profound. The sheer abundance of his inner Qi is hard to imagine!"

"Commander... Commander Pang." Luo Fang's face was bruised and swollen. He bent forward, clutching his lower body, his eyes watering with pain.

He felt a surge of relief. The kid's blows were too ruthless. If Pang Long hadn't come, he really might have beaten him to death.

"I've already learned what happened. Neither of you needs to explain. Let it end here." As soon as Pang Long arrived, he gave his verdict.

Then he looked deeply at Li Xian. "I'll grant you one day's leave. Go spend some time with your younger brother."

Li Xian shot Luo Fang a cold glance. Since things had come to this, he could only let it go for now. "All right. I'll do as you say, Commander Pang."

"Big brother, the Winter Examination is coming up. I have to follow the group to Huangtian County."

Li Xiaofan was naturally delighted to see his big brother. His eyes were full of admiration. His big brother seemed to have become quite formidable.

Bad people couldn't bully the two brothers anymore.

"Do your best." Li Xian smiled easily, gently stroking his younger brother's head as he spoke warmly. "It doesn't matter if you don't pass. Things are a little better for me now, and I can look after you."

"By the way."

Li Xian took a pouch from his robes. "There are more than three hundred coins in here. Keep them safe. If you need them, use them. Don't try to save them."

"As the saying goes, clothes make the man, just as a saddle makes the horse. When you go to the exam, throw out your old clothes and show off the garments inside, so people won't laugh at you."

Li Xian let out a heavy sigh. "Once we brothers make something of ourselves, we'll buy a proper house in the county, with a few mu of land. Wouldn't that be nice? Our mother died young. Wasn't this what she hoped for?"

"Big brother..." When it was time to part, Li Xiaofan was reluctant to leave, his eyes growing damp. But he didn't want his big brother to worry, so he put on a proud air and said:

"Big brother, what if I pass every exam along the way and become the top scholar? I'll buy you a big house in Grand Capital."

"Hahaha." Li Xian laughed. "It's a promise. Having a top-scholar younger brother would be quite a glorious thing."

The two brothers chatted a little longer. When Li Xiaofan saw that it was getting late, he hurried back.

In the wind and snow, his small figure grew farther and farther away.

Sometimes Li Xiaofan's eyes were blinded by the snow, and he couldn't tell which way to go, so he turned back to look. As long as he could see Li Xian, he knew which way to go and walked faster.

Li Xian watched his back as he left. He was worried and reluctant to part with him. Once his younger brother took this step, there'd be less he could do to look after him.