Punishing the Petty
By the banks of the Hongye River stood the Hongye Tower, a three-story building hidden amidst a fiery maple forest.
At this moment, as the lanterns were just lit, their glow reflected upon the trees, illuminating the crimson leaves, sparkling like a dream, enchanting and hazy.
In an elegantly arranged private room on the top floor, three individuals sat by the window overlooking the river.
Several exquisite dishes adorned the table, accompanied by three cups of deep red wine, exuding an air of sophistication reminiscent of literary scholars.
Outside the window, a few stars twinkled in the cold night sky, while the lights of fishing boats dotted the river.
The wind brushed past, causing gentle ripples in the water as if it were unraveling countless poetic and picturesque scenes...
“In stillness, there is movement; in tranquility, there is vitality. The past is shattered, giving birth to new artistic conceptions. Such is life, such is the path of martial arts,” murmured Lu Suifeng, deeply moved by the scenery.
“I seem to understand something...”
Yun Wuying gazed at the wine in her cup, its color resembling a precious gem.
“The breath of the wind, the pulsation of water, the whispers of flowers and grass in the forest...”
“Ah, it’s on the verge of revelation!”
Yun Wuying lightly sipped her wine, “I can feel the rhythm of the wind, the trajectory of water’s movement, so chaotic yet so harmonious...”
“Excellent!”
Lu Suifeng praised with satisfaction.
“Both of you have approached nature closely. The next step is to comprehend and merge with nature. The Tao encompasses three thousand paths, yet the path of nature is the highest realm. Come, let’s toast to the elevation of your state of mind!”
The three raised their cups. They exchanged smiles and drank in unison.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from the adjacent private room, as if a fight had broken out.
It was followed by shouts and cries for help.
This establishment belonged to the Lu Family, as Lu Suifeng had noticed their family emblem upon entering.
When it came to family affairs, one should not turn a blind eye to any incidents that occur.
“Let’s go and see what’s happening!” Lu Suifeng said.
The intense struggle abruptly ceased, replaced by agonizing groans.
Pushing open the door, they found the room in disarray. There were three people lying on the ground, and they were all bruised and swollen and moaning painfully.
“Hmph! You outsiders dare to compete with me for this room? You truly know nothing of life and death!” One of them arrogantly shouted.
Accompanying him were four burly men exuding a murderous aura, seemingly ready to charge at the injured individuals.
“Stop!”
Lu Suifeng’s voice was calm but thunderous, causing everyone to tremble and halt their movements.
“I'm doing my own business, and you need not meddle, lest you invite trouble...”
The arrogant man’s voice trailed off as he recognized Wang Tianhe, the young man who had previously attempted to kill Lu Suifeng.
Wang Tianhe shuddered and glanced behind Lu Suifeng, only to see Yun Wuying and her brother accompanying him. He was relieved.
“Are you looking for Lu Hai? He is not my personal bodyguard, so he wouldn’t be with me at all times.”
Lu Suifeng glanced at the injured person on the ground, who seemed to have been severely beaten, with blood continuously flowing from his mouth.
“What’s going on here? How dare you blatantly cause trouble on my Lu Family’s territory? Don’t think that having Lord Bai’s support will make you invincible, as the first to fall is the bird that flies too high.”
Lu Suifeng’s stern reprimand was met with a cold response from Wang Tianhe.
“Hahaha! Such baseless threats! I, Wang Tianhe, am not easily intimidated! Last time, I let you escape by a stroke of luck. Today, I want to see who can save you, you worthless piece of trash!”
“Fool!”
Lu Suifeng sneered.
“Once we settle matters here, we will settle our accounts together. While we’re at it, let’s see to this situation.”
As he spoke, he approached the injured individuals on the ground, with Yun Wuying and her brother assisting in helping them up.
Two of the guards had minor injuries, while the other, a slightly chubby teenager of around fifteen or sixteen, had two broken ribs, his face pale from the excruciating pain, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Lu Suifeng fed him a pill, aligning his fractured ribs.
Then he stood up and stared coldly at the four burly men.
“It was you who attacked them, right? Jump out of this window! Perhaps you’ll leave behind a complete corpse!”
Outside the window flowed a turbulent river, with a drop of at least seventy to eighty meters.
If one were to truly jump, the chances of survival would be close to zero.
The Wang Family, under the protection of the City Lord’s Mansion, constantly provoked the Lu Family, causing trouble everywhere.
If some thunderous measures were not taken to deter them, the situation would only escalate.
“You insolent bastard!”
Suddenly, one of the burly men charged furiously at Lu Suifeng, as if receiving a signal from Wang Tianhe.
His entire body exuded a chilling murderous intent, intending to kill Lu Suifeng on the spot.
However, as soon as he lunged forward, he felt a tight grip on the back of his collar, and his body suddenly became weightless, spinning in mid-air before hurtling towards the window.
Ah! ...
A piercing scream echoed through the night sky outside the window, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.
No one could clearly see what had happened in that instant.
They only saw a flicker of a figure before the burly man was thrown out forcefully.
“No need to be suspicious! I threw him out!”
Yun Wuya clapped his hands and walked out with a stern expression.
“Do you three want to jump out on your own, or do you need my assistance?”
Hiss!
Wang Tianhe involuntarily took a step back, trying to distance himself as much as possible from the window.
His heart was filled with astonishment.
In the blink of an eye, a young boy had effortlessly thrown him out like a falling leaf.
He couldn’t even see how the other person made a move.
It was truly unbelievable!
The other three men, also at the peak of the Earth Rank Realm, faced the threat of a young boy but hesitated to make a move.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to act, but they were firmly locked in place by an overwhelming and suffocating aura.
It made them feel breathless, as if even breathing became extremely difficult.
Their entire bodies were enveloped in a dense atmosphere of imminent danger, any slight movement would be instantly suppressed.
Wang Tianhe realized the dire situation and was about to dash the door when, in an instant, a figure blocked his path.
Looking up, he saw it was just a young girl in her blooming years.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and struck with all his might.
Boom!
His palm, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, felt as if it had struck a soft and gentle air mass, without any force behind it.
To his astonishment, a delicate jade palm lightly imprinted on his chest, causing his whole body to tremble.
He was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall of the private room.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, sliding down the wall weakly.
“Our young master hasn’t settled the score yet, and you dare to run away!”
Yun Wuying grabbed his body and threw him out.
Bang!
Wang Tianhe fell to the ground like a pile of mud, pale-faced, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
Lu Suifeng squatted down, leaning close to him, and sneered, “Now that I’m so close to you, I can easily take your worthless life with just a reach of my hand. What are you hesitating for?”
Struggling to support himself, Wang Tianhe recoiled, no longer harboring any malicious intent towards the person who seemed harmless before but now appeared more terrifying than a devil.
He didn’t dare to entertain any thoughts of revenge.
“Second... Second Young Master! I was forced by City Lord’s Mansion, I swear I won’t trouble the Lu Family again from now on!”
Wang Tianhe trembled as he spoke, coughing up another mouthful of thick blood.
“I know! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let you live until now. Today is just a reminder for you to remember your place.”
Lu Suifeng stood up and surveyed the extent of the damage in the private room.
“Go to the counter and pay ten thousand gold coins as compensation! Then, take your people and leave!”
With a single word, the chilling killing intent instantly receded like a tide.
The three men felt a sense of relief, helping Wang Tianhe up from the ground, and hurriedly fled the private room.
“Thank you for your righteous assistance, Master!”
The chubby teenager, after being treated by Lu Suifeng, regained some color in his face.
However, he still felt a lingering pain when he spoke.
“No need to thank me! This is the Lu Family’s property, and if you encounter trouble here, it’s only right for me to compensate you,” Lu Suifeng apologized.
“From your accent, I can tell you’re not from around here, right?”
“We come from Baiyun City, specifically here to purchase goods. We didn’t expect...”
The chubby teenager sighed.
“With these injuries, it’ll be difficult to return anytime soon.”
“That’s true! It will take at least a month or two for your injuries to fully heal. Why not come with me and recuperate? I have excellent pills that can expedite your recovery.”
Lu Suifeng suggested, having a favorable impression of the chubby teenager.
He decided to keep him around.
“Well...” The chubby teenager hesitated for a moment, feeling an inexplicable sense of trust towards Lu Suifeng.
Eventually, he nodded in agreement.
He instructed his two guards, “You go ahead and deliver the goods to Tianfeng Town. Inform Manager Qin that I’ll be here healing my injuries...”
The two guards, who were not seriously hurt, quickly bid their farewells and left.
The chubby teenager’s name was Ouyang Wuji; he was fifteen years old, and was the second young master of the Mingyue Chamber of Commerce in Baiyun City.
During his recovery in the secluded courtyard, he and Lu Suifeng developed a close bond, becoming like brothers.
Ouyang Wuji was a straightforward and open-minded young man, and he quickly integrated into this new family.
Upon hearing that Lu Suifeng and his group were also heading to Baiyun City, Ouyang Wuji was overjoyed.
He continuously introduced them to the local customs, geographical environment, and the distribution of various powers within the city.
“Master, how did you manage to secure so many enrollment spots?”
Ouyang Wuji asked in confusion.
“As far as I know, there are only two or three spots available in the entire Hongye City.”
“Our young master possesses extraordinary abilities! There is nothing he cannot achieve if he sets his mind to it,” Yun Wuying proudly declared.
“That’s true! Look at you guys, a bunch of freaks. I felt as weak as an ant in front of you. If it weren’t for the careful guidance from our boss during this period, I wouldn’t dare to appear in front of you,” Ouyang Wuji said with a hint of nostalgia.
“Isn’t your sister at the Heavenly Martial Academy? Why didn’t she secure a spot for you?”
Lu Suifeng asked, as Ouyang Wuji’s cultivation, though not impressive, should have met the requirements of the academy.
“Master, you truly are extraordinary! You've guessed right. As you said, my sister did manage to secure a spot for me,” Ouyang Wuji puffed out his chest, a proud expression on his face.
“That’s quite a coincidence! No wonder we get along so well. It seems we can’t be separated.”
Yun Wuying tilted his head, looking at the chubby teenager.
It hadn’t been long since he arrived, yet he seemed to have more popularity than himself, Dragon, Phoenix, Tiger groups, and the others.
“That’s great news! Now that your injuries have healed and your cultivation has reached the Heavenly Realm, it’s time for you to leave,” Lu Suifeng said thoughtfully.
He knew very little about the outside world, except for what he had read in books.
Traveling to Baiyun City with the merchant caravan of the Mingyue Chamber of Commerce would reduce unnecessary troubles along the way.