One Step Behind

After Dong Zhongshu and Gongsun Hong were captured once in the water, they were both afraid of water and dared not cross the lake. They only felt a little safe when they were on the mountains or on a large boat.

On the surface of Gaoyou Lake, Dong Zhongshu and his companions summoned a boat and boarded it.

But in just a short while, a torrential downpour began to fall on the sunny day at Gaoyou Lake.

Without a single cloud in the sky, the rain began to fall wildly, a downpour that even the word "torrential" wouldn't do it justice.

"He's here!"

Even with drainage holes, the large ships in Jiangdu were slowly sinking amidst the curtain of water created by the torrential rain.

Dong Zhongshu stood by the gunwale, his face solemn as he looked at the rain, while Gongsun Hong urged the boatmen to row quickly to shore or leave.

Could Zhongshu overcome him?

"Having many skills but lacking mastery leaves you clueless and unsure where to begin!"

When Gongsun Hong asked a question in a low voice, Dong Zhongshu could only shake his head and repeat what they had discussed earlier.

If it were a normal face-to-face battle, everything would be fine. But if the Dragon King revealed his dragon form and stirred up giant waves, capsizing the ship they were standing on, then all the fighting would return to what it was before.

"You are a person of some standing, so I presume you wouldn't resort to a sneak attack. If you have the ability, then fight us fair and square!"

Looking at the increasingly turbulent waves beneath the large ship, Dong Zhongshu could only provoke them with words of provocation.

"You ruined my son's temple, you owe me an explanation!"

A splash of water erupted from the lake's surface as Ao Li strode out, riding the waves.

He smoothed his long, flowing hair, then pointed at Dong Zhongshu and Gongsun Hong.

"Your water palace has an array in operation; it will fill in the hole we dug within three days at the latest!" Gongsun Hong shouted. "You've imprisoned us for over ten days. We only dug a hole to survive; we didn't damage your place. This matter should be considered even!"

"Three days... then what you're saying about evening things out seems to make some sense!"

Ao Li stroked his chin.

If the Water Palace can repair the water prison in three days, then he really hasn't lost anything.

Ao Li considered himself to be a reasonable person.

Normally, he could have stopped there, but when he thought of his unruly son, he felt he should ask these two great scholars to teach him a lesson for a while.

He had spoken with Dong Zhongshu and others over the past few days and realized that both men were learned men, and among the most prominent cultural figures in the Great Han Kingdom.

Only someone of this caliber could serve as Ao Qing's teacher.

Having met a renowned teacher, how could he possibly let the opportunity pass him by?

This made Ao Li ponder for a few seconds.

Just when Dong Zhongshu and the others thought that Ao Li would stop there, they saw him raise his hand.

"Since you demand a fair and square fight, then I will grant your request," Ao Li shouted after thinking for a moment.

"Something's not right, Brother Zhongshu," Gongsun Hong complained. "Did we just say something wrong?"

"It wasn't that we said something wrong," Dong Zhongshu shook his head and said, "Whether we said it or not, he will find a reason to capture us and take us back."

"That's absolutely outrageous!"

Gongsun Hong was filled with righteous indignation, but his eyes kept glancing at the banks of Gaoyou Lake, thinking about how to escape from here in the fastest and most effective way.

He and Dong Zhongshu were the most skilled cultivators on this ship; the others were not even worth mentioning.

Looking at the several burly sergeants shouting and drawing their bows, Gongsun Hong couldn't help but calculate how long these men could hold out and what kind of opportunity for conflict they could create for him.

But Gongsun Hong's thoughts didn't last long. As a sergeant drew his bow and released an arrow, the torrential rain instantly turned into hail.

These hailstones ranged in size from as small as longan fruits to as large as chicken eggs, and when they fell, they looked like a rain of stones.

Being smashed and running away with your head in your hands wasn't the worst thing; the worst thing was that the deck of this large ship was smashed through, and lake water gurgled out of the hole.

Once they fall into the water again, they will have no advantage in terms of terrain against Ao Li and will once again become cattle and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"Wind!"

As Ao Li made his move, Dong Zhongshu also shouted loudly, and his Law Treasure fan stirred up endless waves.

With the aid of his Law Treasure and propulsion Technique Method, his wind-based attack was like a whirlwind, not only propelling the large ship away from the hail zone but also whipping up hailstones that crashed back down.

"That's interesting!"

Seeing the hailstones sweeping towards him, Ao Li never expected that the Technique Method he had cast could be pulled back.

This is a rare occurrence during their battles among the aquatic tribes.

While his water-based technique might not be countered, it certainly made it impossible for him to use it to defeat Dong Zhongshu and his group.

Ao Li casually tossed the feathered arrow he had caught into the water. He muttered a few words, and a swordfish wrapped with the feathered arrow leaped forward in the waves.

There's a first rule, then a second, then a third, and then a fourth...

Ao Li's magical Law Power continued unabated, and the swordfish, known as the swordsman of the sea, also darted out continuously.

Swordfish are not the most ferocious of fish, but they are definitely dangerous.

With long, sword-like bones on its head, and swordfish adept at swimming at high speeds, even leaping to pierce, the damage they cause is self-evident; they could even be on par with a normal human in a fight.

For a swordfish, a distance of 100 meters is only a matter of three to five seconds to traverse.

Ao Li cast his spells quickly and rapidly, and the transitions between Technique Method showed almost no unnatural stagnation.

As the rain and hail ceased, hundreds of swordfish, formed from condensed waves, leaped out of Gaoyou Lake. Their azure bodies clearly proved that these swordfish were not merely simple splashes of water, but truly deadly creatures.

"Cut!"

The storm stirred up by Dong Zhongshu abruptly stopped, Law Treasure fan unleashed dozens of wind blades that attacked the swordfish.

However, he was several beats slower than Ao Li, and the number of wind blades he swung was far fewer than the number of swordfish that mimicked his form.

As the sounds of the swordfish being destroyed and the ship's hull being pierced and broken echoed, Dong Zhongshu couldn't help but sigh.

He challenged Ao Li to a duel, and Ao Li fought him seriously, without attempting to kill anyone else. Even when soldiers shot at him from a distance, he simply dodged without retaliating.

The two fighters kept their duel within the bounds of mere sparring.

But after only three rounds of the contest, Dong Zhongshu had already fallen behind by a beat.

One step behind leads to another, and before Ao Li's fourth wave of Technique Method could be heard, Dong Zhongshu knew he had already lost completely.

"This matter arose from my greed, and I hope you will show mercy," Dong Zhongshu said, waving his fan to retract his wind blade Technique Method. "If you require any compensation, please feel free to ask. If you wish to detain me for another ten days until the water prison is repaired, that's fine too!"

"Your actions are more upright, unlike the one who sneaked away!"

Ao Li smiled and replied, then pointed into the distance.

When Dong Zhongshu looked back, he saw that Gongsun Hong had already left the boat and was walking on the water to reach the shore.

"Monster, if you have the guts, come fight me on land! What kind of skill is it to rely on your swimming prowess!"

Gongsun Hongcai barely reached the shore when he turned around and couldn't help but jump up and shout.

As soon as Ao Li swept away the water lilies and floated on the surface, Gongsun Hong ran swiftly.

"If you have the guts, come with me! I'll be waiting for you in Guangling City, Jiangdu. The King of Jiangdu will definitely make you suffer!"

He didn't fight with Ao Li, but after shouting repeatedly, he wandered aimlessly into the mountains and forests.

This made Ao Li shake his head, and he subsequently lost the idea of pursuing Gongsun Hong.

Compared to Dong Zhongshu's serious debates on law, this great Confucian scholar named Gongsun Hong had a completely different nature.

The former is a righteous and honorable confrontation, while the latter is adept at luring the enemy to flee and save their own lives.

As a father, Ao Li clearly did not want his son to become a dragon god who constantly hides and tries to save his life.

If instruction is required, he prefers to choose a great Confucian scholar like Dong Zhongshu to teach him, lest Ao Qing be led astray.