Halfway up a mountain, there was a scenic spot shaded by lush green trees, where the fresh air soothed the heart and lifted the spirits.
Zhao Yuan stood beneath a large tree, holding a feather fan, and said with elegant poise:
"Fair maidens, not only is the scenery lovely here, but we're also quite far from the square at the sect gates. Hardly anyone will disturb us here.
"We can admire the scenery while discussing life and our aspirations!"
His words exuded confidence and elegance, and he seemed thoroughly pleased with his suggestion.
Wang Yong, however, suddenly sneered and answered on Qing Yun's behalf:
"Is that so? Then we really ought to have a good talk about life and aspirations!"
Zhao Yuan's heart tightened at those words. He sensed something amiss in Wang Yong's tone.
Just then, Meng Yi, Wang Yang, and the others began rubbing their fists and flexing their hands. Meanwhile, Qing Yun, Qing Ying, and the others produced bricks from who knew where and lightly hefted them, as though testing their weight.
The sight left Xu Bai badly shaken, and he asked nervously:
"W-what are you trying to do?"
Wang Yong made no attempt to hide his savage grin as he replied:
"Discuss life with you, of course. What else would we do?"
Before he had even finished speaking, he slammed a fist into Xu Bai, knocking him straight to the ground.
Then he kicked Zhao Yuan until he doubled over like a shrimp. Swinging with both fists, Wang Yong unleashed a furious storm of blows on Xu Bai and Zhao Yuan.
Seeing this, Qing Yun, Qing Ying, and the others joined in, venting their anger to their hearts' content.
For a time, screams and sounds of fighting rang out halfway up the mountain, in stark