Chapter 95

Chapter 95

When City Lord Xu heard that Duan Haoyan had come again, his temples throbbed in pain.

In his entire life, he had never encountered someone as mentally unstable as this, and especially not from one of the Five Great Clans, the Duan Clan. He could not afford to offend them.

What could he do? Avoiding him was the best solution.

This time, City Lord Xu also planned on not meeting him. However, he did not expect that after running out of patience, Duan Haoyan would resort to violence.

Not only did he resort to violence, but he even engaged in a conflict with a Scarlet Heaven Sect disciple.

He was both astonished and furious. He knew how formidable the Duan Clan disciples were at controlling fire, especially Duan Haoyan, who was a prodigious young talent of the clan. It was rumored that he had fused with a wisp of exotic flame at the age of ten, imbuing his flames with the power of that exotic flame. In a clash with cultivators of the same rank, he would have the upper hand.

If anything were to happen to the Scarlet Heaven Sect disciple in Tazhe City, how could he face the Scarlet Heaven Sect?

Unfortunately, Yi Xuan, who had the ability to intervene, was not around. City Lord Xu had no choice but to step in.

Unable to sit still any longer, he hurried over to the scene.

Before arriving, City Lord Xu could predict the outcome – the two disciples from Scarlet Heaven Sect would undoubtedly suffer. He had already prepared for the worst-case scenario. Yet, to his astonishment, when he arrived at his gate, he saw the very disciple he thought might be at a disadvantage pinning Duan Haoyan down and mercilessly beating him until he howled in agony.

City Lord Xu was as stunned as the onlookers around him.

However, upon recovering from the shock, a secret thrill coursed through him. He even regretted arriving so promptly. As the ruler of Tai Ze City, he had to consider many factors and couldn't afford to let anything happen to a disciple of the Duan family here.

As Wen Qiao continued her assault, she asked, "Do you admit your mistake?"

Duan Haoyan's bones were tough; despite spitting out blood, he refused to admit fault. "You hateful woman..."

So, the beating continued!

Without hesitation, Wen Qiao kept pounding away.

Just like back in Cangwu Town, when she faced the mentally challenged Mu Shan, she didn't stop until an apology was extracted.

City Lord Xu secretly cheered: Serves him right! People with such twisted minds need a good beating to clear their heads!

Although inwardly elated, he still needed to maintain a proper demeanor.

City Lord Xu hurried forward, feigning concern as he pleaded, "Miss Min, Young Master Duan, stop fighting! Why resort to violence when you could resolve your disputes peacefully? What is the cause of this conflict?"

At this moment, Wen Qiao had already beaten Duan Haoyan to a pulp. His once handsome face was now unrecognizable, resembling a swollen pig's head; even his parents might not have been able to identify him. The force of her punches was evident.

Aside from his battered face, injuries adorned his body in various degrees, with broken bones and severe internal injuries.

Upon hearing City Lord Xu's words, Wen Qiao delivered one final punch that knocked the already weakened Duan Haoyan unconscious. She then, rather gracefully, released her grip on him.

Everyone: "...."

Wen Tuttu hopped back onto its sister's shoulder, resuming its position as a furry ball.

This time, no one dared to underestimate it as a mere delicate magical pet. They now understood that this rabbit was, in fact, a mutated magical beast with formidable strength.

City Lord Xu promptly examined Duan Haoyan and found, despite his severe injuries, that his life was not in danger. Thus, he wasn't overly worried.

He turned to the group of cultivators standing near the entrance and asked in a solemn, pretended ignorance, "So, esteemed ones, what exactly has transpired here?"

The crowd exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words.

Was she to say that Duan Haoyan, in his absurdity, forcefully demanded someone and struck out at an innocent person, prompting the young lady to step in and teach him a lesson out of indignation?

The Mingyang Duan Sect's disciples were notoriously domineering, rarely meeting equals within their rank. Yet, to everyone's surprise, one had stumbled and was now being overwhelmed by a seemingly frail young girl. It was... simply exhilarating!

The way the crowd looked at Wen Qiao instantly took on a different hue.

The two newly-adopted disciples of the Crimson Heaven Sect had only heard miraculous tales about Ning Yuzhou, while the other junior disciple remained unknown. Now it seemed that this one was also formidable, albeit in the art of combat. Despite appearing as a lovely and charming young girl, her capability to pummel someone was utterly frightening.

The dumplings were also astonishéd.

They sent a telepathic message to Tang Yelin: "Little Tang Dumpling, perhaps you should consider someone else. The little junior sister from the Scarlet Heaven Sect probably doesn't fancy weaklings like you."

With Duan Haoyan, in the middle stage of the Essence Vein Realm, being beaten so badly, it was unlikely that Tang Yelin, who was in the early stage, could put up any resistance, let alone defeat her opponent.

Although top-grade Spirit Pills were alluring, one needed the life to enjoy them.

The Tang Dumplings were reluctant to push their brother into a pit of fire.

Tang Yelin remained silent, his gaze fixed on Wen Qiao. He noticed the burns on her hand, which were likely caused by her barehandedly grabbing onto Duan Haoyan's flames earlier. It was no surprise that her hands had been scorched.

With no pressure, Sheng Yunshen recounted the incident to City Lord Xu, declaring, "He was the one who initiated the conflict. That's why Junior Sister Wen had to retaliate! Although disciples of Crimson Heaven Sect don't provoke trouble unnecessarily, we also don't back down from defending ourselves."

Wen Qiao nodded, her expression righteous and firm. "Practitioners cultivate both their bodies and morals. How can they attack the innocent? Beating him up was justified."

Upon hearing this, all the practitioners present were taken aback.

Everyone knew that practitioners should cultivate their morals, but few actually did.

Regardless of whether Wen Qiao's words were an excuse or genuinely her belief, at that moment, everyone's impression of her suddenly improved.

Tang Yelin's eyes sparkled with admiration as he exclaimed, "Miss Min is amazing."

Seeing this, the Tang Clan members realized that their previous intervention was unnecessary. Little Tang didn't seem intimidated by the fierce Crimson Heaven Sect junior sister; if anything, he seemed to like her even more.

Initially, it was her appearance that caught his attention, but now, he was captivated by her personality – a deeper attraction than just physical appeal.

After listening, City Lord Xu nodded in understanding and instructed his men to carry the unconscious Duan Haoyan into the mansion for treatment. Even though he wanted to throw the man out directly, given that the incident happened in public, he felt obligated to show some concern. City Lord Xu couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated.

None of the others found anything amiss.

Upon realizing there was no spectacle to witness, the practitioners present dispersed. As for how the outside world would perceive this incident, Wen Qiao cared not.

Wen Qiao and Sheng Yunshen accompanied City Lord Xu into the City Lord's Manor.

"Ming Miss, wait."

The Tang Clan members, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they didn't actually reside in the City Lord's Manor, had subconsciously followed in. Tang Yelin hurriedly caught up and called out to her.

Wen Qiao turned around and asked, "Is there something?"

Tang Yelin, being young and relatively inexperienced, couldn't control his blush. Hoping to hide it, he quickly said, "Ming Miss, your hand is injured."

Hearing this, both City Lord Xu and Sheng Yunshen grew tense, turning their attention to Wen Qiao's hand.

Under the concealment of her wide sleeves, nothing could be discerned.

Sheng Yunshen promptly took her hand, rolling up her sleeve. There, on her delicate, fair skin, were several burn marks, raw flesh exposed, in stark contrast to the surrounding unblemished skin, making them appear all the more horrifying. Due to the presence of an exotic flame, these wounds seemed unable to heal on their own, with a faint trace of blood seeping through.

Sheng Yunshen's eyes reddened. "I'm going to beat that guy up again."

He turned to head straight for the culprit.

Wen Qiao held him back, but not to stop him. Instead, she said, "Senior Brother Sheng, let's wait for now. We'll deal with him after he wakes up."

Sheng Yunshen was one who doted on his junior sister. Naturally, he would agree with whatever she said, and he believed that taking care of her injuries was more pressing at the moment. "Let's find Junior Brother Ning. With Junior Brother Ning around, there won't be any problems."

Mayor Xu hurriedly said, "Young Master Sheng, Miss Min, the strange fire from the Duan family is potent. It can be treated with a Fifth-Stage Great Restoration Pill. I'll send someone to get one for you right away."

Tang Yelin also asked his brothers, "Didn't we bring a bottle of Fifth-Stage Great Restoration Pills before we left? Do we still have them?"

"We just used them up recently."

Tang Yelin's face fell instantly. He was unable to help the lady he cared for when she was injured.

***

The two returned to the guest courtyard, where Ning Yuzhou was still studying spirit pills.

Sheng Yunshen burst through the door with urgency, exclaiming, "Junior Brother Ning, Little Junior Sister's hand is injured. You need to examine it quickly."

Ning Yuzhou paused in his actions, neglecting the still-burning alchemy furnace and the spiritual pills on the ground. He swiftly stood up and rushed to Wen Qiao's side, taking her hand for inspection.

Upon seeing the wound on her hand, Ning Yuzhou's gaze turned sharp. "There's an aura of strange fire on it."

Sheng Yunshen rapidly recounted what had just happened, fuming as he spoke, "I've heard that the disciples of the Mingyang Duan Clan are arrogant and irrational. I never imagined they'd be so unreasonable. I'll give him another beating later."

Ning Yuzhou led Wen Qiao into the room, feeding her a few spiritual pills first. Then, he retrieved dozens of spirit herbs and medicines from his storage bag, arranging them in a row before beginning to refine pills.

Wen Qiao and Sheng Yunshen sat aside, not daring to disturb him.

This was because Ning Yuzhou's grim expression was somewhat terrifying, akin to a typically mild-mannered person suddenly bursting with anger, leaving others at a loss. Moreover, while Ning Yuzhou appeared gentle on the surface, his temper wasn't actually pleasant. Most people were merely deceived by his appearance and the warmth he projected, mistaking him for a gentleman of integrity.

Half an hour later, Ning Yuzhou poured out a refined spiritual pill, instructing Wen Qiao to take it.

The pill emitted a chilling aura; upon contact, it felt as if the skin was frozen. It was a type of ice attribute pill.

Sheng Yunshen asked cautiously, "Junior Brother Ning, what kind of spiritual pill is this?"

"Ice Spirit Purifying Dust Pill," Ning Yuzhou said softly. "It can heal injuries caused by foreign flames."

"Shouldn't we be using the Fifth Transformation Great Restoration Pill?" Sheng Yunshen asked in surprise. He had heard of the Purifying Dust Pill before, but not the Ice Spirit variant. The addition of two words seemed to make all the difference.

"Both would work," Ning Yuzhou replied, his gaze fixed on Wen Qiao's injury as he observed its healing progress. "The Fifth Transformation Great Restoration Pill is a Grade Earth pill. Its medicinal properties are mild and effective against burns from foreign flames. However, it's not as potent as an ice-based spirit pill."

Moreover, with his current strength, he was unable to refine Grade Earth pills; he could only refine other spirit pills.

After taking the Ice Spirit Purifying Dust Pill, Wen Qiao's burn healed swiftly, leaving no lasting effects.

Seeing that her injury had genuinely recovered, Sheng Yunshen was overjoyed. "Little Junior Sister, let's go give that Duan Haoyan a good beating later."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of light passed through Ning Yuzhou's eyes.

Wen Qiao nonchalantly acknowledged his suggestion and put away the bottle of Ice Spirit Purifying Dust Pills that Ning Yuzhou had just refined.

A single furnace yielded ten pills, and after consuming one, she still had nine left.

Wen Tuzi clung to her, whimpering, hoping for a spirit pill. Whenever Brother Ning refined new spirit pills, it couldn't resist the temptation.

Not long after, City Lord Xu personally delivered a high-grade Fifth Cycle Great Restorative Pill.

This pill had been sourced from a pill shop within the city by his people. Fortunately, the pill shop still had stock, allowing for its prompt retrieval.

Upon learning that Wen Qiao's injuries had already healed before the pill arrived, City Lord Xu was startled. Upon discovering that Ning Yuzhou was the one who treated her, he gained a new appreciation for Ning's alchemy skills and was naturally even happier.

However, City Lord Xu still kept the high-grade Fifth Cycle Great Restorative Pill.

Later, news spread that Duan Haoyan had awoken.

Sheng Yunshen exclaimed, "Come on, come on, let's go give him a good beating!"

Wen Qiao leaped up, heading to the front courtyard alongside him. Even Wen Tuttu seemed full of vigor.

Ning Yuzhou couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. However, something crossed his mind, causing his eyes to darken slightly as he muttered, "The Mingyang Duan family, huh…."

**

As Duan Haoyan regained consciousness, memories of what had happened before his blackout fueled his rage. His volatile temper could no longer be contained.

Little did he expect that before he could even figure out how to repay the person who had beaten him into this state, they would come knocking on his door and, without a word, assault him again until he blacked out once more.

This time, Duan Haoyan remained unconscious for half a day.

When he finally regained consciousness, he found himself once more in that unfamiliar room. Recalling the second time he was knocked out, his rage flared up anew.

Just then, the door opened once more, and he was beaten up yet again.

Before he slipped into unconsciousness once more, all Duan Haoyan wanted to do was curse.

Seeing Wen Qiao and her senior brother Sheng Yunshen exit the guest room, the Tangtang bunch hurriedly hid themselves.

What a well-behaved and adorable young lady! Clearly, she was an overly aggressive brute with monstrous combat abilities – their soft and tender Tangtang simply couldn't handle her!

They had better forget about it and persuade little Tangtang to give up immediately.

After another round of punishment, Wen Qiao felt refreshed.

She sat beside Ning Yuzhou, holding Wen Tuzi, both quietly enjoying their spirit pills. Her gentle and adorable demeanor bore no resemblance to the terrifying figure she had been while beating up Duan Haoyan.

Even Sheng Yunshen, who had personally accompanied her to beat someone up, felt a bit uneasy and quickly found an excuse to leave, deciding to play with his junior sister again when he had recovered.

Ning Yuzhou looked at her with a gentle smile and asked, "Was it fun?"

Wen Qiao nodded. "Duan Haoyan is quite resilient, and he doesn't break easily."

Duan Haoyan was in the middle stage of the Origin Vein Realm, and as a member of the Duan family, he had trained his body with exotic flames, making him robust and highly durable. Wen Qiao found it quite satisfying to hit him.

Of course, for someone like Duan Haoyan, whose mind was muddled, Wen Qiao decided that she should beat him up a few more times until he regained clarity.

Ning Yuzhou chuckled and changed the subject, asking her about her thoughts on what had happened today.

After some thought, Wen Qiao said, "City Lord Xu is clearly fed up with Duan Haoyan. He was delighted that I taught him a lesson but had to go against his true feelings to stop me. Then, seeing him injured, he even took him back to the mansion for treatment... City Lord Xu must be exhausted with such pretense."

"He is the ruler of a city and has many responsibilities to consider. He can't act on impulse," Ning Yuzhou explained, patting her head. "A gentleman knows what to do and what not to do, and the same applies to cultivators."

Wen Qiao acknowledged with a nod. "I understand. The greater your strength, the greater the responsibilities you must bear. He's the City Lord of Taize City, so even if he dislikes it, he has to endure. We were no different before."

Hearing this, Ning Yuzhou let out a soft laugh, inwardly vowing that one day, he would allow her to do whatever she liked without constraint.

***

From then on, every time Duan Haoyan regained consciousness, he would be beaten into unconsciousness, to the point of questioning his existence.

After one such awakening, upon seeing Wen Qiao enter through the door, he promptly knelt down, prostrating himself with all four limbs on the ground. "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have lost my temper. Please forgive me!"

The group of onlookers hiding behind the door: "............"

Sheng Yunshen: "............"