Just as Lin Ming stopped, a sharp voice echoed through the alley. "Heh, who would've thought? You're quite vigilant. Your name is Lin Ming, right?" A youth in silk robes slowly emerged from behind a one-story house, his arms crossed over his chest and a scornful, mocking smile on his face. Behind him were four or five other youths, all around seventeen or eighteen. Most of them were at the Body Cultivation First Layer; only one had reached the Body Cultivation Second Layer, and the silk-robed youth himself was also at the Body Cultivation Second Layer.
Seeing this display of force, Lin Xiaodong immediately panicked. He recognized the silk-robed youth—it was the same guy who had appeared with Vermilion Flame at the Seven Profound Martial Mansion registration a few days ago. Even a fool could tell this guy had brought people here today to cause trouble.
There were six of them in total: two at the Body Cultivation Second Layer and four at the Body Cultivation First Layer. He and Lin Ming, on the other hand, were only at the Body Cultivation First Layer. If a fight broke out, they would be utterly crushed. That silk-robed youth was surely the scion of a prominent Tianyun City family, powerful and influential. While killing someone was unlikely, crippling them was an everyday occurrence for people like him.
"What do you want?" Lin Xiaodong demanded, his voice tinged with anger.
"You should ask him." The silk-robed youth pointed at Lin Ming. "You're quite the big shot, aren't you? Beating my servant's face to a bloody pulp and breaking two of his ribs."
To these scions of great families, the life or death of a servant was of no concern. Their own honor, however, was paramount. The youth had become thoroughly enraged, especially after the servant had tearfully recounted how he had announced his master's name, only to be beaten senseless anyway.
"You've got some nerve. You said you were going to stomp me, Wang Yigao, under your foot, is that right? Well, today I'd like to see just how you plan on doing that!" the silk-robed youth snarled, his face contorted with rage.
Lin Ming didn't even know Wang Yigao's name, let alone say he would stomp him underfoot. 'The servant must have fabricated the story to incite Wang Yigao's anger,' he thought. But Lin Ming couldn't be bothered to explain; a fight was inevitable.
'The *Chaos Gang Fighting Scripture* is formidable, but I've only been cultivating it for a few days,' Lin Ming considered. 'Taking on this many people at once, especially with two experts at the Martial Arts Second Layer, will be a real stretch. Plus, Lin Xiaodong is here. If they take him hostage, I'll be in serious trouble.'
'Even if I managed to win this fight, it would only lead to endless trouble down the road. If things escalated and I injured Wang Yigao badly, his father would definitely get involved. The man is a Military Lord of Tianyun City. I can't expect someone of his status to reason with a commoner like me. At my current level, I can't afford to provoke such a powerful figure.'
'This is a huge problem.'
Lin Ming considered his options for a moment. Suddenly, an idea struck him—a way to resolve this. He said to Wang Yigao, "So, what is it you want?"
"What is it *I* want?" Wang Yigao froze for a second, then burst into laughter. "This moron is actually asking me what I want."
The cronies he had brought along also burst out laughing. In their eyes, Lin Ming was a complete idiot. To be in this situation and still ask what they wanted... he was truly one of a kind.
Wang Yigao laughed for a long time before finally stopping. "I honestly don't know whether to call you a dumb pig or... a dumb pig. But since you asked so nicely, I'll give you a chance, just so no one can say I don't show mercy. How about this? Kneel and lick the soles of my shoes clean. After that, sever a tendon in one of your hands and one of your legs. Do that, and we'll call this matter settled."
Hearing Wang Yigao's terms, Lin Xiaodong's anger flared. "Fuck! Brother Min, why are you wasting your breath on them? If it comes to it, we'll just fight! Our Lin Family of Qingsang City isn't some pushover. Let's see what they dare to do!"
'We're definitely going to lose today,' Lin Xiaodong thought. He could only play the family card and hope it gave them pause. 'A few cuts and bruises don't matter, but being crippled... For a Martial Artist, the consequences are devastating. Even with rare Medicinal Herbs, there's no guarantee of a full recovery.'
"The Lin Family of Qingsang City? Hmph. You think I'm intimidated by your Lin Family? Lin Ming, are you going to do it yourself, or do I have to do it for you?"
"Go on, try me! You think I'm scared of you?!" Lin Xiaodong took a step forward, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. In truth, he was panicking. He was the type to put up a brave front even when cornered—scared to death, but a man couldn't lose face!
Lin Ming pulled Lin Xiaodong back and said to Wang Yigao, "Are those your terms? Fine. If you can defeat me in a Martial Arts duel, I'll accept any punishment you see fit."
"Brother Min, you..." Lin Xiaodong grew anxious. He believed Lin Ming was destined for greatness, but right now, at only the Body Cultivation First Layer, there was no way he could defeat Wang Yigao, who was at the Body Cultivation Second Layer. He was terrified that if Lin Ming lost, they would actually sever his tendons.
Lin Ming said, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
"A Martial Arts duel? You think you're worthy of dueling me?" Wang Yigao had not expected Lin Ming to make such a proposal. In Tianyun Country, the Government Office generally did not interfere in conflicts between Martial Artists, as they were largely ungovernable. Thus, disputes were often resolved through Martial Arts duels. As long as both parties consented and agreed on the stakes, the conflict would be considered resolved after the fight. After all, for a Martial Artist, their word was their bond.
Wang Yigao's strength was a full layer higher than Lin Ming's, so he had no doubt he would win. He just felt that, given his power and status, dueling Lin Ming was beneath his dignity.
Lin Ming replied, "This isn't about worthiness. It's about whether you dare to fight."
"Are you implying I don't dare? That's the funniest joke I've heard all year. Fine. Since you have a death wish, I'll be happy to grant it!"
Lin Ming said, "Good. Let's go to the public square."
'The alley is too secluded; there are no witnesses,' Lin Ming thought. 'I'm afraid Wang Yigao might go back on his word. But in front of a crowd, no matter how shameless he is, he won't be able to back out of it—not unless he wants to be run out of Tianyun City.'
A duel between Martial Artists was always a spectacle, and the public square never lacked for curious onlookers. Soon, a crowd of dozens had gathered, some of whom were Martial Artists themselves. Seeing the two opponents, the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Isn't that Commander Wang's son?"
"It is. Looks like that punk is bullying someone again. I wonder which poor kid is so unlucky this time."
"Body Cultivation First Layer against Body Cultivation Second Layer? This fight is already over."
"That kid looks like a commoner. Reaching the Body Cultivation First Layer at his age is pretty good, actually. It's a shame... he's probably going to be crippled..."
...
Wang Yigao didn't have a good reputation in Tianyun City, so most of the crowd naturally sympathized with the underdog, casting pitying glances at Lin Ming.
As the crowd grew, Wang Yigao started to get annoyed. After all, it was nothing to be proud of for someone at the Body Cultivation Second Layer to bully another at the Body Cultivation First Layer. That, combined with the vast disparity in their social status, made him want to avoid being seen by too many people. It was a loss of face!
He said impatiently, "How much longer are you going to drag this out? Let's get this over with so you can sever your tendons. I'll make you understand the gap between us."
Seeing that a sizable crowd had gathered, Lin Ming turned to Wang Yigao and said, "We'll fight, of course. But you've said what happens if I lose... What about if I win?"
'Win? This idiot actually thinks he can win?'