Toppling with a Kick

"No payment?" Xiao Sheng looked at Jiang Li strangely, sneering, "Jiang Li, are you really so foolish as to work for someone without pay?"

He couldn't believe there was no payment involved. He knew about Jiang Li's family situation; Jiang Li would definitely find ways to earn money. Why would he work for someone else for free?

"Master Xu has done me a great favor, so I work for him for free," Jiang Li replied. "Besides, this has nothing to do with you. Master Xu has already told you to leave!"

He could tolerate Xiao Sheng ignoring his words, but he wouldn't allow Xiao Sheng to ignore Master Xu's instructions.

"What the hell, Jiang Li, are you trying to provoke me?" Xiao Sheng wasn't afraid of Jiang Li at all. In fact, he turned the tables and threatened Jiang Li.

When they worked at the teahouse, he often bullied Jiang Li, who was known to endure silently. Xiao Sheng didn't think Jiang Li would dare to do anything against him.

"Xiao Sheng, don't think I'm afraid of you!" Angered by Xiao Sheng's words, Jiang Li, unwilling to appear weak in front of Xu Yan, mustered the courage to speak up.

He had decided to face it, even if he got beaten by Xiao Sheng. However, he couldn't afford to be timid. A man must stand up and resist; it was better to face a beating than to submit.

Seeing this scene, Xu Yan couldn't help but smile. Even if Jiang Li couldn't defeat Xiao Sheng, having the courage to resist was a significant change from before. Perhaps the future path might take a different turn.

Moreover, with him present, even if Jiang Li got injured, he could quickly heal him.

Infuriated, Xiao Sheng sneered and provocatively said, "Come on, come hit me!"

"I'll fight you!" Jiang Li threw the broom aside and charged towards Xiao Sheng at an astonishing speed. By the time Xiao Sheng reacted, Jiang Li was already in front of him.

Then, Jiang Li kicked him in the abdomen.

Bang!

Xiao Sheng, weighing over a hundred and eighty pounds, was knocked down by Jiang Li. His buttocks landed heavily on the ground, almost splitting in half.

Rubbing his sore buttocks, and with pain in his abdomen from Jiang Li's kick, Xiao Sheng gritted his teeth and pointed at Jiang Li, "Jiang Li, you win. But don’t think I’ll let it go."

After saying that, he got up, holding his abdomen and buttocks, and walked away with a twist.

Jiang Li, standing in place, looked at his own foot in disbelief. He couldn't believe he had just kicked down the large-sized Xiao Sheng.

At the beginning, he had tried to resist, but he was no match for Xiao Sheng and ended up being severely beaten. After that, he didn't dare to resist Xiao Sheng again.

How did he suddenly become so strong?

"Jiang Li, have you practiced martial arts?" Xu Yan asked.

Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth of medium build to kick down an adult man. Unless the youth was a cultivator or martial artist. Jiang Li didn't look like a cultivator, so the only possibility was a martial artist.

Hearing Xu Yan's question, Jiang Li shook his head and said, "Master Xu, I haven't practiced martial arts."

Growing up in poverty, he had to do various jobs from a young age, often not having enough food. There was no opportunity for him to learn martial arts.

"Could it be that you are one of those individuals with high talent for cultivation, as spoken of by the cultivators?" Xu Yan murmured, not entirely understanding the matters of cultivators but having heard that some people were naturally more suitable for cultivation, possessing a physique different from ordinary people.

He thought Jiang Li might be one of those people, planning to ask Qin Yudie about it the next time she visited.

Jiang Li was also puzzled and decided not to dwell on such matters. He picked up the broom and continued cleaning.

In his view, defeating someone like Xiao Sheng didn’t deserve celebration. Unless he became a cultivator, merely being good at fighting wouldn't be of much use.

"By the way, Jiang Li, why did you throw away the broom instead of using it to fight that guy?" Xu Yan asked, observing Jiang Li as he resumed cleaning.

Typically, people use whatever they have at hand during a fight. Jiang Li, on the other hand, threw the broom aside and charged at Xiao Sheng with bare hands, leaving Xu Yan somewhat puzzled.

Jiang Li looked up and said, "I was afraid of damaging Master Xu's broom. Besides, using Master Xu's broom to beat up that scoundrel would be too cheap for him. He doesn't deserve to be beaten with it."

In his eyes, Xu Yan was sacred and noble. Even Xu Yan's broom was considered precious. Xiao Sheng, on the other hand, was far from worthy, not even comparable to Xu Yan's broom.

Xu Yan felt somewhat speechless and rubbed his forehead, saying, "Jiang Li, you sound like a loyal dog. Don't put me on a pedestal; I'm just an ordinary human like you."

In his mind, he added, "And, I'm a powerless ordinary human. Maybe you'll embark on the path of cultivation in the future and surpass me."

Jiang Li didn't respond. He grinned foolishly at Xu Yan for a moment and then entered the outer hall of the shop to resume cleaning.

The subtle threads of Tao essence entered his body, quietly transforming and improving his physique.

Being able to kick down Xiao Sheng was the result of improved physical condition. If he spent more time cleaning the shop each day, his physique would become even stronger.

After Jiang Li finished cleaning and left, Xu Yan sat alone at a table outside the shop, looking at the water tank with the green-haired turtle. He seemed to be talking to himself or perhaps consulting the turtle, "Green-haired turtle, do you think Jiang Li can cultivate?"

After saying that, he chuckled at himself. He realized how silly it was to ask a turtle for advice.

Unnoticed by him, after his inquiry, the green-haired turtle opened its eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

...

"Senior Xu, I'm here." Qin Yudie arrived with ease. She had been coming here every day recently, and she and Xu Yan had become quite familiar with each other, so there was no need for formality.

For instance, at this moment, she walked quietly to Xu Yan, who seemed to be lost in thought, and whispered, "Senior Xu, let's play chess."

Xu Yan, aware of Qin Yudie's arrival, knew she probably wanted to play chess again. However, Qin Yudie's chess skills were so poor that he didn't even want to respond to her suggestion.

However, daily games had become a habit for him. He directly brought the chessboard from the outer hall to the table and said, "Let's begin."

The first game, victory in nine moves.

The second game, victory in nine moves.

The third game, victory in nine moves.

The fourth game, victory in nine moves.

The fifth game, victory in ten moves.

"I did it! I successfully held on until the tenth move!" Qin Yudie cheered and danced with joy.

If someone unfamiliar with the situation witnessed this, they would think she had won. In reality, she still suffered a miserable defeat.

Xu Yan had long been accustomed to Qin Yudie's reaction. The first time she persisted until the ninth move and lost to him, she had celebrated in the same way.

He was hesitant to admit he had been deliberately going easy on her all along. Of course, Qin Yudie's progress was undeniably remarkable; in the outside world, she was already considered a top-tier expert in chess playing.