The moment Huang Shi had this thought pass through his head, his expression suddenly turned ugly as he quickly realized the implications this encounter would have on his future.
I need to end this charade as quickly as possible; his defeat needs to be absolute so that the likelihood of me being bothered like this again is reduced.
Obviously, he couldn't ensure that random idiots wouldn't provoke him out of nowhere, but at the very least, the ones that do pop up in front of him, he would make sure they learned the fear of God in them.
Tian Ju, seeing that Huang Shi remained silent, quickly grew even more arrogant as he spoke with a very condescending tone:
"You useless wastrel! How are you even related to young master Huang Long and young master Huang Yi? Are you sure you aren't a bastard?!"
Seeing that his words became even more ridiculous, Huang Shi's expression became even colder, as it seemed even the people staying to watch had started to suspect something else was going on as well.
This guy is intentionally saying nasty things to provoke me! Was he sent by someone to test me?
To see if I had changed after almost losing my life?
A few ideas quickly ran inside Huang Shi's head as he found potential candidates for whoever orchestrated this test.
The obvious suspects are Huang Long and that bitch Yan Fei; the reason for them testing me is quite obvious.
They are worried that people will find out that they attempted to assassinate me and are trying to intimidate me into submission.
Huang Shi had other candidates in his mind about this ordeal, but he thought that there was no use thinking about it for now as he had more pressing matters to deal with.
They want to test me? Then let's send a message they won't forget!
Tian Ju, seeing that even after all of his provocations he still didn't manage to force Huang Shi to attack him out of anger, felt humiliated that this useless waste was making his mission more difficult than it had to be.
This waste! If he just attacked me first, then according to sect rules, I have the right to defend myself.
And according to the promises of those on the higher-ups, as long as I ensure that this cripple is actually a cripple, even if they punish me, they'll pull some strings to make sure I'm let go and even rewarded for my efforts.
Tian Ju secretly clenched his fist as his eyes shone with fervor; clearly, he was already imagining what his life would be if he could get all of those resources that were promised to him after completing this mission.
The path to the Nascent Profound Realm is here!
Huang Shi, on the other hand, just stared at him quietly, his expression turning to ice as he suddenly started walking towards Tian Ju.
The onlookers, who were staying around as if they had a good show to watch, suddenly started to cheer as they whispered among themselves:
"Hey! How long do you think young master Huang Shi is going to last against Tian Ju? 10 seconds? 15 seconds?"
"Pfft, I doubt that scoundrel can last even 5 seconds against Tian Ju! Don't you know how powerful he is? He's already at the seventh level of the Elementary Profound Realm and has learned the Greencloud Sword Art of our Azure Dragon Sect, which means he can fight even against people at the 9th level of the Elementary Profound Realm. I doubt that guy will last 5 seconds!"
"You bastard, since you're so confident, do you want to bet?"
"What, you think I don't dare? Then let's bet!"
Sounds of laughter and ridicule sounded in the surroundings; it was as if they didn't even think that Huang Shi would have a chance at all, and just started to argue about how long he would last against the powerful Tian Ju.
Tian Ju, hearing the words from the people around him, grew even more arrogant as he placed his hands behind his back and beckoned Huang Shi to attack him, as if he was giving him a chance at survival.
"Hey, you waste! Why don't I give you a chance to survive? If you are able to make me bleed even once, I'll at least spare you the agony of getting beaten up before I make sure you're really crippled!"
Hearing the words coming from Tian Ju, the people around him laughed even more as they gloated at Huang Shi's misfortune.
Huang Shi, hearing this proposal, suddenly paused in his steps as he suddenly gave a strange smile, as he answered simply:
"Sure."
Seeing the look in Huang Shi's eyes, Tian Ju suddenly shivered as he quickly felt like something was off with him and that maybe he should take this fight more seriously.
However, when he saw how excited the people around him were and how they sounded like his victory was already assured, he quickly forgot about these unnecessary thoughts and once again put on his face of arrogance.
"Hurry up, we don't have all da—"
WHOOSH
The sound of rushing air suddenly erupted from Huang Shi's body as Tian Ju was suddenly unable to see where Huang Shi was, except for the sudden golden hue that came from his eyes; and unfortunately for him, this would be the last thing he would ever see in his life.
BOOM!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted in the area as Huang Shi placed a very simple punch straight at Tian Ju's chest, quickly crushing his ribs and causing his fist to almost protrude from Tian Ju's back.
It was obvious that Huang Shi was holding back, because if he wasn't, Tian Ju would now have a hole inside of his body.
Tian Ju, seeing that Huang Shi had now pulled his punch back, suddenly shivered as he quickly vomited blood and collapsed onto the floor, his expression one of extreme fury, confusion, and indignation.
"Yo—you! Wasn't it said that you didn't have any cultivation! That's clearly a lie—y—you're already at the 9th level of the Elementary Profound Realm!"