Three Punches

"Haha, what big words!" Just then, a furious laugh brimming with vigor rang out from behind the crowd.

An imposing man in his sixties with silver hair standing like halberds strode over with a grim expression.

Every step he took landed with a muffled thunderclap, making the ground tremble slightly and leaving behind a deep footprint.

A flash of fear crossed Shi Yingdeng's eyes, and he instinctively moved closer to the richly dressed man.

The richly dressed man's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"So it is School Master Liang. At your age, you still have the refined interest to visit pleasure houses and listen to music?" the richly dressed man said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"For all these years, the rules of Li City have been established under the Xu Family's leadership, and the Xu Family has diligently upheld those rules. Our Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School has always deeply respected the Xu Family.

"Yet you, Xu Shisen, as a member of the Xu Family, come to a pleasure house not to listen to music, but to use your strength to humiliate my disciple and brazenly trample the rules laid down by the Xu Family. I would like to ask: where do you place the Xu Family's rules?" Liang Jingtang stopped and questioned coldly.

A powerful aura burst from his imposing body, bringing an overwhelming pressure upon everyone present.

What a move—using the other party's spear to attack the other party's shield. Truly, old ginger was still spicier! Seeing Liang Jingtang enter without flying into a rage and attacking at once, nor smiling obsequiously and backing down, but instead calmly questioning them, Xia Daoming inwardly applauded in admiration.

The richly dressed man, Xu Shisen, had an ever-changing expression upon hearing this. For a moment, he was rendered speechless, and a thread of unease and regret rose in his heart.

The Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School had grown too close to the Ding Family.

Three months ago, when he and the Shi Family had joined forces to cripple Gu Ren, they had acted under orders from above. It had been meant both to suppress the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School and prevent it from growing, and to kill a chicken before the monkeys as a warning.

But when killing someone, there was no need to drive them beyond the point of no return.

Otherwise, it would only produce the opposite result.

By all rights, Liang Jingtang should have swallowed that insult and admitted defeat. Then the matter would have passed.

This time, Shi Yingdeng and Xu Shisen had come to Jade Flower Pavilion for pleasure without receiving any instructions from above. They had merely passed by and acted on a sudden whim.

After drinking a little wine at Jade Flower Pavilion, they saw that Wanqing was pretty and talented, and lust rose in their hearts. They wanted her to sleep with them.

But Wanqing sold her talents, not her body, so Liu Xiaoqiang had no choice but to step forward.

It would have been better if Liu Xiaoqiang had not stepped forward. Once she did, Xu Shisen, that lecherous wastrel, saw that her charms still lingered. Compared to Wanqing, she possessed an even more alluring mature coquettishness, and on a whim, he demanded that she personally accompany him.

Naturally, Liu Xiaoqiang refused.

But both men were young, hot-blooded, arrogant, and conceited. Last time, they had seen Liang Jingtang bow his head and dare not utter a word, so they inevitably looked down on the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School. They believed sleeping with Liu Xiaoqiang was no great matter, and that the school would certainly not dare intervene.

Yet they had not expected not only Yuchi Xiao and the others to rush over, but Liang Jingtang as well—and he had even invoked the rules set by the Xu Family.

This left Xu Shisen riding a tiger with no way to dismount.

If he backed down, Xu Shisen, as a member of the Xu Family, could not afford to lose that face.

If he did not back down and the matter truly blew up, not only would he have no leg to stand on morally and damage the Xu Family's reputation, but Liang Jingtang was a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master. He possessed great strength and had taught martial arts in Li City for many years, giving him considerable influence. As a collateral member of the Xu Family, Xu Shisen feared he could not control the situation.

"What a joke. Who said coming to a pleasure house means listening to music? Since she comes out to sell, what right does she have to pretend to be elegant and chaste?" Seeing Xu Shisen at a loss for words, Shi Yingdeng had no choice but to speak up stiffly.

"So that means you can humiliate my disciple and her people? Let me tell you, even your father, Shi Fengyuan, would not dare be so arrogant and lawless before me!

"Hmph! Today, I will properly teach you a lesson in Shi Fengyuan's place, so that you may stop being so arrogant and learn that heaven is high and earth is thick!" As soon as Shi Yingdeng spoke, killing intent filled Liang Jingtang's eyes. He stepped forward, raising a serpent fist and striking toward Shi Yingdeng's chest.

Shi Yingdeng had not expected Liang Jingtang to dare attack him in front of Xu Shisen. Startled out of his wits, he hurriedly dodged behind Xu Shisen.

"Liang Jingtang, what are you doing? Are you trying to make enemies of my Xu Family?" At this point, Xu Shisen could not care about much else. He stepped in front of Shi Yingdeng and shouted furiously, raising a tiger palm to chop at Liang Jingtang's incoming serpent fist.

Bang! Bang!

Fist and palm collided.

Liang Jingtang's upper body merely swayed slightly, but Xu Shisen staggered back several steps, a flash of shock appearing in his eyes.

Over the years, he had consumed many fine tonics, pills, and meats. His blood, vitality, and strength were robust, and he had already reached the peak of a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master, only half a step from the Sixth-Rank Realm.

Meanwhile, Liang Jingtang was already in his sixties, and his blood, vitality, and strength were declining.

Xu Shisen had thought that in a head-on clash, even if he lost, he would at most be half a notch inferior.

Yet Liang Jingtang's Hidden Dragon Hidden Strength was exceptionally domineering and vast. Though old, he was still as firm and fierce as ever. After only a few exchanges, Xu Shisen was completely outmatched. His palm went numb, and the other man's Hidden Strength surged into his body, throwing his blood and strength into turmoil and making his meridians ache.

"Xu Shisen, I have said before that I have always respected the Xu Family. Today, for the Xu Family's sake, I will not pursue this matter with you. But the Shi Family does not have such great face. You may leave, but Shi Yingdeng must remain and give me an explanation," Liang Jingtang said in a deep voice, his bearing imposing.

"Shi Yingdeng and I have been friends since childhood. If you insist on keeping Shi Yingdeng here, then you are making an enemy of me—an enemy of the Xu Family!" Xu Shisen said with an ugly expression.

Seeing that Xu Shisen refused to yield, Liang Jingtang's expression shifted uncertainly.

Although Xu Shisen was only a collateral member of the Xu Family, he was young and already had hopes of becoming a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master. Among the Xu Family's many descendants, he still carried some weight.

The situation in Li City was delicate now.

If he truly fought Xu Shisen to the bitter end, the Xu Family might very well do as they had done to Wu Family Fortress and kill him outright to establish their authority.

"Master, forget it. It is not worth it for this little grievance of mine," Liu Xiaoqiang stepped forward and softly advised.

The people passing through pleasure houses were the most complicated, and such places were also the best informed.

As the owner of Jade Flower Pavilion, Liu Xiaoqiang knew something of Li City's current delicate situation.

"Shi Yingdeng may leave with you, but he must take three punches from me!" Liang Jingtang took a deep breath and said with an iron-gray face.

First, Gu Ren, whom he regarded as his own son, had been crippled. Today, another disciple had nearly been violated.

Had the Xu Family not been too powerful, and had he not had so many ties and concerns preventing him from acting alone, Liang Jingtang would have long since unleashed killing moves upon the two men before him.

But even so, as the master of the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School and a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master, Liang Jingtang could never swallow this insult and let two juniors swagger away.

Xu Shisen turned his head with a grim face and looked at Shi Yingdeng.

"Haha, it is only three punches from an old bastard. This young master will take them!" Shi Yingdeng suddenly threw back his head and laughed wildly, stepping forward.

Liang Jingtang said nothing. He merely calmly waved to the people behind him.

Everyone silently retreated.

Liu Xiaoqiang's eyes reddened even more.

"Come at me with all you have!" Liang Jingtang said in a deep voice. His surging blood and strength roared within him like ten thousand horses galloping, radiating an oppressive aura.

Feeling Liang Jingtang's powerful presence, Shi Yingdeng's expression became incomparably grave. He first shifted his feet slowly, then suddenly stomped both feet against the ground. His blood and strength erupted throughout his body, and like a starving wolf pouncing on prey, he charged at Liang Jingtang with a fist.

Kill!

Liang Jingtang roared. The muscles on his arms twisted together like coiling pythons as his massive iron fist shot forth with a howl.

Bang!

Their fists collided.

Shi Yingdeng's expression changed drastically. He hastily withdrew his fist and slid backward.

"Again!"

Liang Jingtang roared once more, taking a great stride forward and throwing another punch. A chilling fist wind rose with it, scraping over faces so sharply that skin stung.

Seeing the iron fist strike toward his chest, Shi Yingdeng could only raise his fist and block it head-on.

Bang!

Sweat beaded on Shi Yingdeng's forehead. He slid back into the corridor and only managed to steady himself when the corridor stopped him.

His hands hung at his sides, his fists red and swollen, trembling slightly.

"Again!"

Liang Jingtang strode forward once more. At this moment, his aura climbed to its peak. His beard and hair flared in rage, making him look extraordinarily formidable.

Shi Yingdeng's heart trembled. Only then did he understand that no reputation beneath a great name was empty.

Liang Jingtang's fearsome reputation from his prime, when he had single-handedly wiped out a gang, had not come from nowhere.

Shi Yingdeng did not dare receive the third punch, but with his back against the corridor, there was nowhere left to retreat.

Helpless, Shi Yingdeng crossed his arms before him to block.

Bang!

The tremendous impact against Shi Yingdeng's arms sent him slamming backward into the corridor, breaking even the wooden railing.

A domineering force surged into his body, crashing and rampaging in every direction.

Shi Yingdeng's face went pale, then flushed red, while cold sweat covered his forehead.

Only after a long while did he suppress the foreign force that had entered his body.

His arms hung limp, his legs weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

I am still old after all. Liang Jingtang looked at Shi Yingdeng, who was forcing himself to remain standing, and sighed inwardly.

The Dragon Serpent Art's first four levels emphasized agility, insidiousness, and ruthlessness. But beginning with the fifth level, the Hidden Dragon stage, it gradually became fierce and domineering, its Hidden Strength more powerful and vast than that of ordinary Great Martial Masters of the same rank.

Had this been during his prime, after three such head-on punches, even if he could not have directly crippled Shi Yingdeng, he would at least have injured his meridians and made further advancement in cultivation difficult.

Now, Liang Jingtang was ultimately past sixty, his blood and strength declining. Although the three punches had injured Shi Yingdeng's meridians, as long as Shi Yingdeng took suitable healing pills and recuperated for a time, he should still recover.

"School Master Liang is truly imposing! And the rest of you are not bad either!" Xu Shisen's gaze slowly swept across the crowd. Then he waved a hand. "Let us go!"

Liang Jingtang watched as the two men departed with four household guards, his face dark and unsightly.

"Master, I am sorry. It was all this disciple's fault. I dragged you into this..." Liu Xiaoqiang said, her face full of self-reproach.

"What have you done wrong? It is your master who is incapable, watching you suffer humiliation yet powerless to do anything!" Liang Jingtang waved a hand and sighed. His body, which had seemed so mighty and tall moments ago, had somehow hunched over again.

"It is this disciple who is incapable, making Master, at your age, still have to stand up for us..." Upon hearing this, Yuchi Xiao and the others hurriedly dropped to one knee.

Seeing this, Xia Daoming also knelt on one knee, his emotions surging.

He came from another civilized world, where the education he had received since childhood was entirely different. He viewed the bond between master and disciples, and among fellow disciples, more rationally. He did not uphold, as many people in this world did, the outdated belief that a teacher for one day was a father for life, and fellow disciples were like brothers.

But after what had happened today, his views and feelings toward his school and fellow disciples had changed without his noticing. It was difficult for him to continue viewing them through reason alone.

Liang Jingtang was a good master.

Yuchi Xiao and the others were good senior brothers and sisters!

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