Chapter 584: Chapter 583: Undertaking Someone’s Trust, Being Loyal to Someone’s Business
Leaving the cave, Shi Xiaole first changed his appearance, then headed straight for Nine Heavens Mountain. Along the way, he unexpectedly overheard a lot of chatter, all about himself.
Some said, a Blood Sun omen was born within his body, and he was bound to become a demon wreaking havoc on the world, and must be eliminated as soon as possible. The first to deny this was Ji Morou of Pudu Peak, claiming it was a false accusation by the witch and asked everyone not to be deceived.
Others spread that Shi Xiaole and Ji Morou had an amorous relationship, speaking in detail how the two of them had seen each other honestly and openly, which caused quite a stir in the Martial World.
Ji Morou denied this again.
Nevertheless, such denial was unable to extinguish the anger of the Martial World’s people, especially the young heroes.
Because indeed, on that day, Shi Xiaole left with Ji Morou and Ren Mengzhen. There were many masters on the scene who could testify to it, and it would be clear upon investigation.
Compared to the Blood Sun omen, the young heroes seemed more concerned about the chastity of their goddess.
At first, perhaps not many people believed it. But when rumors spread, even lies became truth. Along with the rampant different versions that were explicitly described, it incensed Pudu Peak to the point of issuing an order to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Under such circumstances, many well-known young heroes from Tian State moved with the news, having reportedly arrived in Xuanwu State months ago to demand an explanation from Shi Xiaole.
Because of this, these people once came to Nine Heavens Mountain, but were persuaded to cease their actions by Ji Morou.
However, there were still a few stubborn individuals who refused to give up. They ignored the words of Ji Morou and built a straw hut right at the door of Wuling Villa. They declared that they would stay there until Shi Xiaole appeared, forcing him out of hiding.
These few people didn’t disrupt the normal order of Wuling Villa, but they created considerable inconvenience, not to mention a significant psychological humiliation.
Regarding this, Ji Morou responded in silence. Many speculated that she was trying to avoid suspicion, so as not to give cause for criticism. If you have nothing to do with Shi Xiaole, why would you defend him?
The entire Wuling Villa, however, was collectively outraged!
It was said that the owner of Wuling Villa, ’Great Lethal Star’ Xin Zhuliu, took it upon himself to drive away those few stubborn individuals. Surprisingly, after a dozen or so moves, he was defeated by one of them, shocking the entire Xuanwu State Martial World.
"Surely, this is the witch’s trickery. However, she obviously has reservations and fears provoking me, so she dared not manipulate the Blood Sun omen, merely avoiding the topic."
Shi Xiaole had a clear idea in his heart.
The witch’s solicitation was within his expectation. It was the Fairy Ji who caught him off guard by not launching a worldwide hunt for him, but continuously displaying goodwill to him instead.
All the better, now he no longer had to worry about Wuling Villa.
Walking down the street, Shi Xiaole was frequently distracted by passing women with graceful figures. This miserable condition had only started recently; it seemed he was becoming increasingly unable to resist temptation.
"I must find a way to get rid of the Blood Sun omen!"
...
Nine Heavens Mountain, Wuling Villa.
The atmosphere in the villa was somewhat tense, with disciples and experts alike looking frustrated.
A few months ago, three young heroes from Tian State brazenly built straw huts right at the villa’s main entrance, making it inconvenient for people to come and go.
That was just a minor issue, but the esteemed Wuling Villa was disrespected in such a way right on its doorstep and could do nothing about it. This was downright disgraceful.
Many people in the Martial World had already started gossiping, making jokes about the incident. There were even some saying that Shi Xiaole must feel inferior to the young heroes from Tian State, which is why he hasn’t shown up and let Xin Zhuliu take the fall.
All in all, the prestige that Shi Xiaole and Wuling Villa had painstakingly built is on the brink of collapse.
"Villa’s master, wherever you are, please show up and get rid of those three despicable rascals!"
Many disciples were openly expressing their rage, venting their indignation.
But many others kept silent.
Although those three behaved rudely, their talent was truly terrifying. They were quite famous in Tian State. Even if Shi Xiaole returned, would he manage to drive them away?
In the backyard of the villa.
Two disciples were practicing their martial arts.
Suddenly, Qi Yuanzheng turned his head and asked, "Senior Brother, where is our master? If he has heard the news, why is he not returning?"
Chou Hentian was punching at the iron stake. It wasn’t until Qi Yuanzheng turned his head back in disappointment that he finally responded coldly, "Don’t you trust our master?"
"Of course not, our master is invincible! I can’t stand those three men outside the door. If we were the same age, I would take them on myself."
Chou Hentian’s cold eyes flashed, and he continued to throw punches, full of hatred.
A short distance away in the loft, three odd people sat in silence.
Being disrespected as the three protectors of the villa, they were naturally enraged. But their strength was inferior, so they could only swallow the insult and bear it silently.
"The strength of those three is at least more than double ours. I hope that after Villa Master Xin cultivates the Vajra Unbreakable Body, he can speak up for us."
The Silver Sword Gentleman was the first to speak.
Xin Zhuliu, brought back Shi Xiaole’s token, naturally became the Villa Master, in that time he had contributed a lot to the villa, all of which the three odd men observed.
In order to regain the reputation of the villa as much as possible, they had passed on the Vajra Unbreakable Body to Xin Zhuliu after discussion, hoping that he could drive away the three men outside the door after improving his martial arts.
"But how easy is it to succeed in cultivation? In my view, it will take at least a few years. Should we endure such humiliation for these years?"
The Golden Saber Elder gritted his teeth, pounded the table.
Just then, a figure suddenly flew out from within the villa, the powerful aura startling many.
"It’s Villa Master Xin. He’s come out."
"He seems ready to challenge those three. Let’s go and have a look."
Within the villa, some were surprised, some concerned, some worried as they rushed outside, not even the three odd men were exceptions.
At the main entrance of Wuling Villa.
Three people emerged from the modest straw huts.
One of them, a young man with a ponytail, lifted his head and scoffed with disdain, "Looking for a beating again?"
His name was Su Zhaoyang, the same young hero from Tian State who had defeated Xin Zhuliu in a few moves.
The other two smiled faintly when they heard this.
Due to their reputation and status, they shouldn’t be bullying such country bumpkins. But someone secretly spread the word that anyone who associated with Fairy Ji must be severely taught a lesson.
So, it’s all Shi Xiaole’s fault. He only has himself to blame; he cannot fault anyone else.
As the figure landed, Xin Zhuliu didn’t say a word. Instead, he struck with a grand palm that obscured the sky and sun, halting even the wind flowing nearby.
"Childish tricks."
Su Zhaoyang didn’t retreat, instead, striking out with an equally powerful palm.
Thud!
The two formidable palm strikes simultaneously exploded, and the shockwaves visibly affected the protective Array System of the Villa.
"He didn’t retreat?"
Seeing Xin Zhuliu advance-offensively instead of retreating, Su Zhaoyang was slightly taken aback. The faint numbness transmitted from his palm told him that Xin Zhuliu’s strength had considerably increased since their last encounter.
"No wonder you dared to come again, Yuanling Palm!"
Determined to teach his opponent a lesson, Su Zhaoyang abruptly gathered his full strength. His ashen palm shadows, seemingly composed of the blazing sun, burned many bystanders’ skin.
Fortunately, everyone was within the protective Array System. Otherwise, the residual energy from merely this strike would have resulted in heavy casualties at Wuling Villa.
Hiss hiss hiss.
Under the impact of that palm, the Vigorous Air protecting Xin Zhuliu’s body developed several ruptures, allowing the scorching aura to penetrate and seeming to burn him to ashes.
"Su Zhaoyang’s Yuanling Palm, capable of melting multitudinous tons of high-grade steel. This guy is done for."
"Provoking Su Zhaoyang; this is the price you pay for underestimating your opponent."
Two young men by Su Zhaoyang’s side sneered coldly.
However, the scene they anticipated didn’t occur. Amidst the shadowy light, Xin Zhuliu leapt out. His outer appearance seemed to be wrapped in an unbarable golden light which promptly faded, blocking the corrosive pale palm.
"Seascape Horizon!"
With one palm pushing and the other pulling, two opposite forces circled Xin Zhuliu and rapidly rushed towards Su Zhaoyang.
Bam!
Su Zhaoyang resolutely raised his hands to block, but due to his rushed defense, this strike forced him backward a few steps, causing his face to pale instantly.
"In the early stages of the Vajra Unbreakable Body."
The three hermit-like warriors glanced at each other, astounded beyond belief.
From the time Xin Zhuliu obtained the scripture till present, it had only been three months. He had achieved considerable proficiency in a top-tier martial art within such a short period. This level of talent probably only lagged slightly behind Shi Xiaole, didn’t it?
"Master Shi truly has an eye for talent."
The Silver Sword Gentleman had to admit his admiration.
However, the Jade Axe Lady shook her head and said with a grave expression, "It’s not over."
"I was merely messing around, but you’ve decided to take it seriously. Fine. It seems I have to teach you a tough lesson before you understand your status."
Publically pushed back, Su Zhaoyang was utterly humiliated. Seeing several talented individuals from Tian State flocking to the site, he seethed with rage, vowing to squash Xin Zhuliu’s grit.
Su Zhaoyang marched forth towards Xin Zhuliu, his stride resembling a dragon’s swagger. With each step, his aura grew stronger.
"Rotating Sky Splitting Palm!"
Xin Zhuliu, of course, wouldn’t merely defend passively. With six powerful palm strikes in a row, he released a whirl of force towards his opponent.
"Heavenly Walk Thirteen Forms!"
A figure flashed. Su Zhaoyang appeared behind Xin Zhuliu and forcefully grabbed his shoulders. Xin Zhuliu counterattacked with a punch but just as his fist’s force was released, Su Zhaoyang, seemingly unaffected, appeared in front of him, striking with even greater intensity.
The Heavenly Walk Thirteen Forms, seemingly requiring a build-up of power, were merely Su Zhaoyang’s distractive tactic. Once an opponent attempted to disrupt them mid-flow, they unwittingly fell into the trap he’d set with his energy pulse.
Xin Zhuliu realized this the moment he struck; however, it was already too late. He had no option but to continually attack, and the more he attacked, the more passive he became.
"Lie down!"
With the thirteenth form, Su Zhaoyang heavily hit the back of Xin Zhuliu. His palm strike, capable of pulverizing the Vajra, caused Xin Zhuliu to stumble backwards. Seeing this, he quickly retreated into the Wuling Villa’s protective array.
"Think you can hide, huh? Hehe, I’ll tear down your signboard!"
Frustrated, Su Zhaoyang snarled and leapt into the air, striking out his palm towards the plaque with the words ’Wuling Villa’.
"No!"
"Stop!"
Everyone shouted. The plaque was a symbol of their identity. If it was destroyed, their reputation and future in the Martial World would be ruined.
"You damn bastard!"
Xin Zhuliu was the fastest; he blocked Su Zhaoyang, and this time, having prepared against the opponent’s art, both men fought evenly.
However, the Heavenly Walk Thirteen Forms were mysterious and high-grade top-tier martial arts. Su Zhaoyang had been practicing for many years and had fully comprehended their essence. Gradually, his speed increased until he became an elusive phantom.
Boom boom boom...
Taking advantage of his speed, Su Zhaoyang struck Xin Zhuliu with one palm after another, sneering, "You can take quite some beating, but how much longer can you hold out?"
He was intent on incapacitating Xin Zhuliu, showing no mercy. Even when his hands started tingling from the exertion, he didn’t stop.
The Vajra Unbreakable Body was only at the elementary stage after all. Xin Zhuliu’s mouth started to drip blood, and he stumbled, but he didn’t retreat one step.
Trust given by others, he would repay it with loyalty.
He, Xin Zhuliu, might not be a good person, but he honored his commitments. Having agreed to act as the head of Wuling Villa, he couldn’t allow their prestige to be tarnished on his watch. Even if it would mean the destruction of his own body, he vowed to protect their reputation.
"You villain, you’ve overstepped your bounds. Let’s fight him to death!"
The inhabitants of Wuling Villa were enraged. Led by the three hermit-like warriors, they dashed out from the villa, determined to risk it all.
By this time, a figure in blue garments entered Nine Heavens Mountain’s territory. Sensing the commotion from afar, his face instantly turned icy cold. He opened his mouth and released a drawn-out howl, shaking the surroundings.
