The punch Bai Yunfei threw hadn't utilized the Cascade Wave Art. Even so, Loong Tao, only a Late-stage Soul Warrior, was far from unscathed. He staggered backward five or six steps, grunting with effort, barely managing to keep his feet under him.
"Soul Soldier!" Loong Tao gasped, clutching his stomach, his face a mask of sheer horror as he stared at Bai Yunfei.
"Scared now? Too late!" Bai Yunfei snorted contemptuously. His figure blurred as he surged forward once more.
Despite his shock, Loong Tao had no choice but to fight. Muscles bulged beneath his robes, making his already burly frame seem even larger. He threw a desperate, thunderous punch aimed squarely at Bai Yunfei's approaching form.
Just before impact, Bai Yunfei's body tilted sharply to the side. Loong Tao's full-force blow whistled through empty air, striking only an afterimage. Bai Yunfei flickered again, reappearing instantly on Loong Tao's left flank. A meaningful, almost mocking smile touched Bai Yunfei's lips as his right hand snapped out with lightning speed.
SLAP!
The sharp crack echoed in the sudden stillness. Then, under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, Bai Yunfei began to move like a phantom. His Rippling Steps technique wove intricate patterns of afterimages around the raging Loong Tao. No matter how Loong Tao roared, how wildly he swung his fists, he couldn't lay a finger on Bai Yunfei. Bai Yunfei, however, delivered slap after resounding slap to Loong Tao's face, punctuating each blow with a taunt that grew more gleeful with every strike.
"That's for playing the mighty Young Master!" SLAP! "That's for not shaving that ridiculous beard!" SLAP! "That's for bullying others with your family's name!" SLAP! "And that's for being a useless minor character!" SLAP!*
Before long, Loong Tao's face was swollen beyond recognition, resembling nothing so much as a bearded pig's head…
Seemingly satisfied, Bai Yunfei wound up for one final, brutal swing. The impact sent Loong Tao spinning through the air like a top before he crashed to the ground two meters away.
SPLAT!
A mouthful of blood sprayed onto the cobblestones, mingled with two unmistakable teeth. Loong Tao looked up at Bai Yunfei, his eyes filled with terror and a profound, burning humiliation. A Late-stage Soul Warrior, publicly toyed with and slapped around – it was an unimaginable disgrace!
"One last time!" Bai Yunfei declared, dusting off his hands. "Your scene is over! Go collect your boxed meal!"
Bai Yunfei turned slowly, his gaze settling on the other figure frozen nearby – Loong Tao (the Second Young Master, often mistaken for 'Loong Dao'). A cold anger flared within Bai Yunfei, recalling this man's attempt to accost Liu Meng the day before. He let out a low, dangerous snort and began walking deliberately towards him.
The sound snapped Loong Tao (the Second) out of his terrified stupor. Seeing Bai Yunfei advance, his face drained of all color. Panic seized him; he scrambled backward frantically, legs tangling, landing hard on his backside. He continued to crab-walk away, hands and feet scrabbling against the ground, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Y-you! W-what are you doing?! S-stay back! D-don't come near me! M-my brother is...!" He faltered, remembering the sight of his brother's swollen face mere moments ago. He desperately changed tack: "M-my father is Loong Gang! The Loong family has many powerful experts! Y-you can't hurt me!"
A flicker of utter disdain passed through Bai Yunfei's eyes. He stopped walking… seemingly heeding the plea. Just as Loong Tao (the Second) dared to exhale a shaky breath of relief, Bai Yunfei's right arm snapped forward.
Shink! Shink! Shink!
Three flashes of cold steel sliced through the air.
Loong Tao (the Second) heard three soft thuds. Confused, he looked down. His face instantly turned corpse-white, sweat drenching his brow. Two gleaming daggers were embedded in the ground, mere millimeters from the fleshy web between his thumb and index finger on each hand, pinning his palms indirectly! But it was the third dagger that truly stopped his heart. It had sliced clean through the fabric of his trousers and was buried deep in the cobblestones directly between his splayed legs. He could have sworn he felt the chilling kiss of the blade's metal against his skin.
Seeing Loong Tao (the Second) paralyzed with terror, seemingly on the verge of wetting himself, Bai Yunfei suddenly felt a wave of profound disgust. It wasn't satisfying; it was pathetic. He waved a dismissive hand, like shooing away a persistent fly.
"Get lost. All of you."
...…
Bai Yunfei watched the group scramble away, half-carrying the groaning Loong brothers, vanishing around a distant corner. He shook his head slowly, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "Tch. Utterly clichéd." (Ahem... voicing the readers' sentiment here…)
"Yunfei, are you alright?" Liu Meng approached as Bai Yunfei bent to retrieve his daggers from the street.
"Hmm? Oh, perfectly fine," Bai Yunfei replied, flashing her a confident grin. "They couldn't even touch me."
"Yunfei..." Liu Meng's voice held a note of concern as she glanced towards where the Loong family group had disappeared. "Perhaps you shouldn't have humiliated them quite so thoroughly... The Loong family holds considerable sway in this city. I worry..."
"Ah... you're right, Meng'er," Bai Yunfei admitted, scratching his head sheepishly. The reality of his actions sank in. "I got a bit carried away. Thinking of them as just 'minor characters'... I couldn't resist stomping them down." He tried to rationalize. "But it should be fine, right? This is just a minor conflict between juniors. And now he knows my strength... surely he won't dare cause trouble again..."
"Sigh... I hope you're right," Liu Meng murmured softly, her worry not entirely dispelled. "Well, enough about them. Yunfei, let's find a restaurant for dinner..."
...
The moon hung bright and clear in a star-speckled sky. Night had fallen. Bai Yunfei walked alone down a quiet alleyway, heading back towards his inn.
"Tch... Why did I agree?" He muttered to himself, kicking a loose pebble. "I was set on leaving tomorrow..." His thoughts churned. "Another day... visiting the Temple of Emerald Splendor south of the city tomorrow... Why did I agree without even thinking?" (The appearance of a temple? Let's just roll with it...)
Even as he internally lamented his decision to stay another day in Cui Liu City, a quiet anticipation thrummed within him for tomorrow's excursion. His mind felt tangled, confused by his own conflicting feelings. He didn't understand what was happening to him...
"Just one more day," he told himself firmly, trying to quell the unease. "One day won't hurt." He quickened his pace, eager to reach the inn.
Suddenly, he froze. His senses screamed warning. His head snapped towards a dark side alley branching off to his right. His voice dropped, low and dangerous, cutting through the quiet night.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Heh. Quite alert, young man." A light chuckle echoed from the shadows, followed by the unhurried emergence of a figure. The voice belonged to an older man. He wasn't tall, carried no visible weapons, and though he stepped out, he remained partially veiled by the deep gloom, his features indistinct.
"Who are you?" Bai Yunfei demanded, his right hand instinctively slipping behind his back, fingers brushing the hilt of a dagger hidden there. His mind raced. Loong family retaliation? Or... someone from the Frigid Ice Sect?
The shadowy figure seemed to appraise Bai Yunfei silently for a moment, the chuckle still lingering in his tone. "You don't know me. I'm not entirely sure of your identity either. So... let's exchange a few moves! That should clear things up!"
Without the slightest warning, the man launched his attack!
"Fast!" The thought flashed through Bai Yunfei's mind, even as his face remained impassive. Instinct took over. His feet slid apart in the Rippling Steps, propelling him backward rapidly. Simultaneously, his right hand whipped forward – two daggers streaking through the moonlight towards the charging figure.
The attacker seemed to anticipate this move. With a subtle shift of his body, he flowed past the flying blades without breaking stride. In an instant, he closed the distance, appearing right before Bai Yunfei.
Finally, in the pale moonlight, Bai Yunfei got a clear look at his assailant. The man's hair was a mix of black and white. His face wasn't overtly aged, though faint wrinkles became visible when he smiled slightly – which he was doing now. His eyes, however, were narrowed slits, fixed intently on Bai Yunfei. His right hand, moving with terrifying speed, shot out like a striking viper, claws aimed straight for Bai Yunfei's throat!
Just as the lethal fingers were about to find their mark, Bai Yunfei executed a seemingly impossible maneuver. His upper body snapped backward violently, then twisted sideways at an unnatural angle, his form tracing a bizarre arc through the air. He reappeared a meter to the attacker's left.
Before Bai Yunfei could fully regain his balance or counter, a tremendous force slammed into his left flank. The old man had seamlessly transformed his claw into a palm strike. It looked deceptively gentle, almost floating, but the impact was devastating.
The blow sent Bai Yunfei stumbling sideways two full steps. He saw the old man's left hand already sweeping towards him for a second strike. A cold snort escaped Bai Yunfei. His feet performed the intricate Rippling Steps once more, creating two brief afterimages confined to a tiny space. Instead of dodging away, he used the momentum. He pivoted sharply towards the attacker, his right fist exploding forward like a piston, aimed directly at the man's heart!
A flicker of surprise crossed the old man's face. He instantly aborted his own attack. His right hand snapped back with blinding speed. Both hands crossed protectively over his chest – bracing to take Bai Yunfei's punch head-on!
Bai Yunfei's eyes glinted. Muscles coiled in his right arm. Halfway through the punch, his speed suddenly doubled.
Cascade Wave Art: Ninth Fold Fist Force!
THUMP!
A deep, resonant impact echoed down the alley. A spark of astonishment flashed in the old man's narrowed eyes. He was driven backward, step after heavy step. With each retreating footfall, the solid stone paving beneath him shattered with a sharp CRACK! – crushed by the immense force he was channeling away.
He skidded back nearly ten meters before finally arresting his momentum. He stood still for a beat, absorbing the last tremor of the Ninth Fold. Then, he casually shook his wrists. Astonishingly, he appeared completely unharmed!