Compensation

The backlash from his desperate breakthrough and forced eruption of bloodline power finally surged through him in full. Waves of dizziness battered his mind, his vision swayed slightly, and the sweet, metallic taste rose in his throat again. He gritted his teeth and forcibly swallowed it back down.

His body swayed slightly, and he instinctively stepped half a pace back before steadying himself.

He appeared upright and composed, firmly in control of the battle, but inside, he was already drained. His blood churned without end, and every muscle and bone ached with the weakness of overexertion.

"Are you all right?"

With the fight over, Xiao Xun'er hurried over, looking at Xiao Yuan with a trace of worry.

She reached out to support him, as though he might collapse at any moment, only for Xiao Yuan to slap her hand away.

He gently wiped the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and stubbornly declared, his expression proud,

"I'm fine. Just a few scratches."

Splurt!

The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Yuan finally failed to suppress the injuries raging inside him and abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood. Scarlet droplets splashed onto the cracked bluestone beneath his feet.

Xiao Xun'er's delicate brows immediately drew together as her gaze settled on him.

His clothes had been torn in several places by the elemental shock waves. His right arm was covered in red burns and mottled white marks left by lightning, and bruises and scrapes covered his body, leaving scarcely a single uninjured spot.

Xiao Xun'er's slender finger brushed the Storage Ring she wore. With a faint flash, a lustrous white porcelain vial appeared in her palm, a delicate medicinal fragrance drifting from its mouth.

"Stop trying to tough it out. Hurry and take a Rejuvenation Pill to recover." As she spoke, she offered the vial to Xiao Yuan.

"Thank you."

Xiao Yuan dispensed with further pleasantries and immediately took the vial from Xiao Xun'er, tipped out a pale green pill, and tossed it into his mouth.

The Rejuvenation Pill was a first-tier medicinal pill. It had a significant healing effect on nonfatal injuries at the Dou Zhe stage and could also accelerate the recovery of Dou Qi.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. A gentle, cooling medicinal power instantly slipped down his throat into his belly, then slowly spread through his meridians to every limb and bone.

His meridians had felt as though they were tearing after the explosion of the three energies. As the medicinal power suffused them, the waves of piercing, heart-rending pain slowly began to subside.

But the Rejuvenation Pill was only a first-tier medicinal pill, after all. It could heal ordinary injuries, but it could not instantly erase the profound exhaustion left by forcibly unleashing his Dou Qi.

Dizziness still circled through his mind, and the aching weariness deep in his bones had not entirely faded.

Xiao Yuan let out a long, stale breath. His right arm, hanging at his side, still had little strength.

Not far away, Jia Lie Ao stood supported by two attendants, utterly bedraggled. He stared in their direction, his eyes filled with venom, but with his meridians damaged and his Dou Qi nearly dispersed, he had no strength to step forward and attack again.

Whispers rose and fell among the watching citizens of Wutan City, every gaze focused on Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Xun'er stood beside him. Only when his expression eased slightly did she speak softly.

"The pill can only treat the symptoms. You won this time by forcibly driving your Dou Qi. Once you get back, you must rest properly, and under no circumstances should you use your Dou Qi carelessly again."

Xiao Yuan nodded slightly. Cold sweat slid from his temples down his cheeks as he forced himself to lift his eyes toward Jia Lie Ao, a dozen or so meters away. The chill of their clash still lingered in his gaze.

"I understand."

The medicinal power protected his damaged meridians, but his dantian remained utterly empty. Even the slightest attempt to stir his Dou Qi sent a dull, wrenching pain through his entire body.

Just then, the two attendants supporting Jia Lie Ao exchanged a few quiet words. One glared viciously in their direction, but cowed by the fighting power Xiao Yuan had just displayed, he did not dare approach.

Jia Lie Ao panted heavily, bloody froth continually seeping from the corner of his mouth. His words, forced through gritted teeth, carried across the distance.

"Xiao Yuan... the Jia Lie Family will remember today's humiliation!"

"Let's go!"

Jia Lie Ao barked the order, and his two lackeys immediately stepped forward, each taking one of his arms, intending to carry him back.

"Wait! Did I say you could leave?"

Xiao Yuan's slightly hoarse voice rang out, each word distinct.

At his words, the entire Market District instantly grew quieter. Everyone stared at the young man in astonishment. They could all see that Xiao Yuan was seriously injured and could barely stand, yet he still meant to stop Jia Lie Ao.

Jia Lie Ao stiffened. Supported between the two men, he slowly turned around, blood and dirt mingling on his face, his gaze dark and vicious.

"You brat from the Xiao Clan, what else do you want? The fight's already decided. Are you really going to hunt me down to the last breath?"

The two attendants' expressions changed drastically. They moved in front of Jia Lie Ao, their hands already tightening around their weapons, but their hearts were filled with terror. The explosion of intertwined lightning and fire remained vivid in their minds; they had no confidence whatsoever that they could withstand Xiao Yuan.

The bluestone beneath Xiao Yuan's feet cracked slightly under his tread. Forcing down the waves of dizziness assaulting his mind, he raised his left arm a little and fixed his eyes on Jia Lie Ao.

"This is the Xiao Family Market, and you... you attacked first to provoke trouble and nearly killed me.

"You injured a core disciple of the Xiao Clan, and now you think you can leave unscathed just by declaring you'll remember this grudge? Nothing in this world comes that cheap."

Jia Lie Ao's chest heaved violently. Another mouthful of blood rose in his throat, and he forcibly swallowed it down.

He understood his current predicament. His meridians were damaged and his Dou Qi had dispersed. Staying here was no different from slowly waiting to die.

"Then what do you want?" Jia Lie Ao asked through gritted teeth.

"You caused today's incident." Xiao Yuan's voice was low and hoarse, weighed down by the exhaustion of battle.

"You harassed Sister Xun'er, then wrecked the Market District and damaged all these shops."

Xiao Yuan swept his gaze over the ravaged street. The wooden frames of numerous stalls lay overturned, and shattered vessels and scattered merchandise littered the ground, all destroyed by the shock waves from the clash of Dou Techniques.

"The Xiao Clan can't be expected to shoulder all these losses."

At those words, Jia Lie Ao's expression abruptly darkened. "Are you saying the Jia Lie Family has to pay for all this damage?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"Who else?"

Xiao Yuan's gaze was sharp, his voice firm with righteous conviction.

"You caused the trouble, and you were the one who attacked. Naturally, you should compensate for the stalls that were destroyed."

The watching citizens immediately voiced their agreement. Many stall owners nodded repeatedly, turning their gazes toward Jia Lie Ao as he hung between his attendants.

Their perfectly good day of business in the Market District had been thrown into chaos by this fight. Many had lost their livelihoods to the surging Dou Qi, and resentment had already been simmering in their hearts.

Under everyone's stares, Jia Lie Ao's face burned with pain and fury. He had thought that after his defeat, he would suffer some humiliation at worst before being allowed to leave. Never had he imagined that Xiao Yuan would demand compensation for every loss in the Market District.

"Fine, fine, fine... I'll pay...!"

Jia Lie Ao's teeth ground audibly, the humiliating flames of anger churning in his chest. With a trembling hand, he removed a Storage Ring from his left index finger and tossed it onto the ground.

"The money in this Storage Ring is enough to compensate your Market District!"