Chapter 1: The Emergence of the Martial God (4)

At this moment, Liu Hanyan quietly approached Zheng Qianli, known as the "Shadowless Whip," and whispered, "Senior Zheng, today’s events all stem from you. Once Wu Tianyuan arrives, he will surely investigate this matter thoroughly. Between the Eastern Fortress and Wu Tianyuan, whom do you think you can provoke?"

Upon realizing this, Wu Tianyuan's expression changed dramatically as he angrily exclaimed, "You have concocted a fine story! Where are there any Liu Hanyan or Zheng Qianli here?" Li Yueqian's face turned red, his forehead veins bulging, and he said, "I am wronged!" Wu Tianyuan shouted, "Do you dare to lie again!" In a fit of desperation, Li Yueqian shouted, "Elder brother! I am wronged! How can you not believe anything I say?" The last sentence, shouted from Li Yueqian's mouth, resonated like a thunderclap in the quiet space, leaving everyone present with a ringing in their ears. However, Wu Tianyuan continued to look coldly at Li Yueqian.

Wu Tianyuan said, "Then, where are Liu Hanyan and Zheng Qianli now?" Li Yueqian turned his face and looked in the direction where Zheng and Liu had originally been, but there was not a trace of either of them. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh no! Big brother, they both escaped!"

Hearing this, Zheng Qianli felt a chill and was alarmed, knowing that Liu Hanyan was right. That kid Wu Tianyuan was not like that foolish Li Yue from before. Once he arrived, he would definitely investigate the matter thoroughly. This investigation could lead back to him. This was no trivial matter, so he hurriedly asked, "May I ask, Young Master Liu, what should I do?" Liu Hanyan smiled slightly and replied, "Of the thirty-six strategies, fleeing is the best option"

Dongfang Tianying felt both anger and amusement, and said in a deep voice: "You want to harm me? Then let's see if you have the ability to do so." As soon as the words fell, the sword was raised, and with the move "Seven Stars Falling Together," seven points of cold light shot towards the seven major acupoints on Li Yue's chest and abdomen. This move, "Seven Stars Falling Together," is one of the most exquisite techniques in the "Seven Stars Seven Absolute Sword" of the "Dongfang Fortress." Since Dongfang Tianying began his journey in the martial world, this was the first time he had used this move.

"You don't have the guts to do that either!" Wu Tianyuan, seeing Li Yueqian on the verge of tears, felt a bit sorry for him, and his tone became less severe: "Did you not agree to not retaliate? Who taught you this? Or did you come up with it yourself?" Li Yueqian hurriedly replied: "It was that person with the surname Liu who spoke to you earlier who taught me. He even said he would help me testify." "Or did you come up with it yourself?" Li Yueqian hurriedly replied: "It was that person with the surname Liu who spoke to you earlier who taught me. He even said he would help me testify."

Li Yueqian had always been a troublemaker, yet he had never suffered the indignity of being wronged by others. He was so furious that his three corpses seemed to jump, and his five organs felt like they were on fire, but he did not know what to do. He looked around wildly, as if he were about to choose someone to devour, and his expression was terrifying. Those who met his gaze could not help but shiver, fearing that if their eyes strayed even slightly, this young man would erupt in violence, bringing about their own demise. When he spotted Liu Sihai (that old fox who had appeared without anyone noticing), Liu Sihai gestured to him and pointed outside the wall. Li Yueqian immediately understood, and without saying much, he swiftly moved and disappeared over the wall, leaving no trace. The onlookers, seeing him vanish from a distance of several zhang from the wall in an instant, were left in shock, as if he were a ghost.

Upon seeing this scene, Wu Tianyuan could not help but feel a surge of frustration. He thought to himself, "This foolish boy can't even keep track of two people? Now that there are no witnesses, how can I argue with the Dongfang family?" He then pondered, "My foolish brother can barely recognize a few characters; he certainly won't understand the difference between 'striking first' and 'retaliating.' He must have been set up by someone. But now that Zheng and Liu have both slipped away, they have left my foolish brother here to take the blame. Without any witnesses, how can I confront the Dongfang family?" He continued to reflect, "My foolish brother can barely recognize a few characters; he certainly won't understand the difference between 'striking first' and 'retaliating.' He must have been set up by someone. But now that Zheng and Liu have both slipped away, they have left my foolish brother here to take the blame. At this moment, my foolish brother, being clumsy with words, will only cause trouble here. It seems the only option is to frame him first. He will surely be unable to bear the unjust blame and will leave in anger. Then I will be left alone, and this matter will be easier to handle. My foolish brother, I am sorry for you; you will have to endure some unjust treatment for now!

Zheng Qianli pondered for a moment and felt that there was no better way at this moment. He then said to Liu Hanyan, "Thank you, Young Master Liu, for your guidance." After speaking, he quietly slipped away. After Zheng Qianli left, Liu Hanyan gave a glance to the middle-aged man beside him and also left without hesitation. At this time, all the guests were focused on Li Yueqian and Dongfang Tianying, and not a single person noticed the departure of these three.

A retainer of Dongfang Tianying hurried to his side to assess his injuries. Another retainer angrily confronted Li Yueqian, saying, "How dare you injure the young master of our fortress!" Li Yueqian, however, coldly laughed and replied, "I already warned him not to act, but he refused to listen. Yet you all blame me for his injury. Heh heh! If you two are unconvinced, then come at me together!"

Wu Tianyuan then turned to Li Yueqian and said, "Have you become impressive now? Have you gained some skills? You even dare to ignore what I say?" Li Yueqian lowered his head, resembling a child who had done something wrong, and softly replied, "It’s not my fault; it was that person surnamed Zheng who caused me trouble." Wu Tianyuan coldly responded, "What did I say when I was leaving? What did you promise me? Have you forgotten everything?" Li Yueqian's voice became even softer, "I promised you not to cause trouble and not to leave this table."

The tall man became furious upon hearing this, yet he no longer dared to confront Li Yueqian again. Just moments ago, the two of them had clearly struck a palm each, landing solidly under Li Yueqian's ribs. However, they themselves were instead knocked back two or three steps by Li Yueqian, their palms still faintly numb from the impact. Not only did Li Yueqian appear unfazed, but he also managed to injure Dongfang Tianying under such circumstances. The opponent's martial arts were indeed far beyond their imagination; any further attempt to engage would only lead to humiliation. At this moment, he could not retreat, for doing so would severely damage the reputation of the "Dongfang Fortress," making it impossible for him to explain himself to the fortress master upon his return. He felt truly trapped between a rock and a hard place. He wanted to say a few words to maintain appearances, but he did not know what to say, leaving him frozen in place.

Li Yueqian's voice grew louder and his expression more agitated, which was quite different from before. Wu Tianyuan remembered that after making a mistake, Li Yueqian would always obediently lower his head and listen to his reprimands, never having been as assertive as he was today. Wu Tianyuan coldly said, "What’s wrong? Are you becoming more and more justified? Are you going to hit me too?" It was like a bucket of cold water poured over him, and Li Yueqian calmed down a bit, replying sullenly, "I wouldn’t dare! Besides, I can’t beat you anyway." Wu Tianyuan angrily retorted, "So if you could beat me, would you then take action against me?" Li Yueqian was taken aback, and Wu Tianyuan coldly continued, "What’s wrong? Are you becoming more and more justified? Are you going to hit me too?" It was like a bucket of cold water poured over him, and Li Yueqian calmed down a bit, replying sullenly, "I wouldn’t dare! Besides, I can’t beat you anyway." Wu Tianyuan angrily retorted, "So if you could beat me, would you then take action against me?" Li Yueqian was startled, his eyes reddening as he said, "Brother, you’ve misunderstood me. That’s not what I meant..." Before he could finish, a hint of a sob escaped from his throat.

Meanwhile, the brothers Liu Jiannan and Liu Jianxi, who were watching the commotion from the side, also felt that the situation was quite tricky. They hurriedly called their family member Liu Ping to report to Liu Sihai and seek guidance on how to handle it. It was unclear how much time had passed when the crowd gathered at https://www.hetushu.com suddenly stirred. Wu Tianyuan walked in from the crowd. Upon seeing Wu Tianyuan's face, which seemed to be covered with a layer of icy coldness, Li Yueqian realized that his elder brother was extremely furious, and his heart immediately sank, feeling restless and anxious.

As everyone witnessed Li Yueqian injure the young master of "Dongfang Fortress" in the blink of an eye with just one move, they were left speechless in astonishment. However, more than half of those present did not clearly see how Li Yueqian had injured Dongfang Tianying or how he had made his move. Everyone felt it was too miraculous, and very few dared to believe their own eyes. In an instant, the once bustling courtyard fell into a profound silence, with only the sound of Dongfang Tianying gasping for breath on the ground echoing in everyone's ears. Everyone felt it was too miraculous, and very few dared to believe their own eyes. In an instant, the once bustling courtyard fell into a profound silence, with only the sound of Dongfang Tianying gasping for breath on the ground echoing in everyone's ears.

However, Chang Sui did not relent and said: "We have let you go today. If you escape now and never return to 'Eastern Fortress', where in this vast world can we find you?" Wu Tianyuan was enraged upon hearing this and thought: "I have already given you face, what more do you want? Do you really think I am afraid of your 'Eastern Fortress'?" In his fury, he laughed and said: "Although I, Wu, am a solitary person, I have never feared anyone! Since I dare to say it, I will naturally keep my word. You may return for now, but in five days, I will definitely come to pay my respects."

Upon hearing this, Li Yue thought to himself that what the person with the surname Liu said was indeed reasonable. Moreover, he had seen Wu Tianyuan and this Liu person conversing quite harmoniously. He glanced at Liu Hanyan again and felt that she did not seem like a bad person. He then said to Dong Fang Tianying: "Did you hear that? If you strike again, I will retaliate. If you get hurt, don't blame me."

In the Liu residence, upon seeing Li Yue leave in anger, Wu Tianyuan couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He then said to Dongfang Tianying, "My younger brother has been rude and accidentally injured the young lord of the Dongfang family. I am here to apologize on his behalf." Before Dongfang Tianying could respond, one of his attendants interjected, "Young Hero Wu, do you think you can just say a few words and then slip away?"

Yet, Wu Tianyuan said sternly: "Then how did you do it?" Li Yue replied: "I... I did not cause trouble. It was Zheng who harmed me! Moreover, I promised you not to cause trouble, but I never said I wouldn't retaliate! He struck first (he pointed to Dongfang Tianying lying on the ground), and I only defended myself. The two people next to him even ambushed me; if my martial arts were slightly weaker, I would have ended up lying on the ground."

Li Yueqian remained steadfast and said, "No matter how I say it, you won't listen; don't regret it later!" Just as he uttered the word "all," Dongfang Tianying's long sword was already at his chest. In a flash, he had entered the shadow of Dongfang Tianying's sword, pressing a palm against Dongfang Tianying's chest at the "Dan Zhong" acupoint. Dongfang Tianying saw that his opponent had not made any attempt to evade, yet all seven of his thrusts had missed their mark, which was a complete violation of martial arts principles. The palm that was pressing towards him seemed utterly ordinary, yet he found himself unable to dodge it. At that moment, he was filled with dread: the "Dan Zhong" acupoint is the sea of vital energy in the human body, a crucial point; if the opponent were to strike it solidly, his life would likely be in grave danger.

At that moment, the two attendants behind Dongfang Tianying also noticed the crisis facing the young lord. Without a moment's hesitation, they both leaped into action, each striking out a palm towards Li Yueqian. There were three consecutive muffled sounds, yet Li Yueqian remained standing in place, unmoved. Dongfang Tianying's figure was sent flying backward. In mid-air, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, landing several zhang away. His two attendants also staggered back two or three steps each. It was only at this point that Li Yueqian finally uttered the word "regret".

Wu Tianyuan is certainly not Li Yueqian. His words were both heartfelt and reasonable, causing those present to nod in agreement. However, everyone feared the might of "Dongfang Fortress," and thus no one dared to come forward to testify for Wu Tianyuan. The attendant then said, "What status does our young fortress master hold? How can he be compared to your brother? Today, you must provide an explanation to 'Dongfang Fortress'!" Wu Tianyuan suppressed his anger and replied, "How about this: you all return to 'Dongfang Fortress' first, and in ten days, I will personally bring Zheng Qianli and Liu Hanyan to your fortress to clarify the truth!"

Everyone saw that Li Yueqian had seriously injured the young deputy lord of Dongfang Fortress with just a casual wave of his hand while laughing and chatting, which naturally indicated that he was a young man with exceptional martial arts skills. However, in front of Wu Tianyuan, he did not even dare to breathe loudly, which showed his extreme fear of Wu Tianyuan. Everyone secretly thought: "Could it be that Wu Tianyuan's martial arts are even higher than Li Yueqian's? How did these two brothers cultivate their skills?"

Wu Tianyuan first walked to Dongfang Tianying's side, took out a small vial from his bosom, poured out two small pills, and administered them to Dongfang Tianying. Immediately afterward, he raised his hand and swiftly tapped five acupoints on Dongfang Tianying's chest: "Zigong," "Yutang," "Danzhong," "Zhongting," and "Jiuwai." His movements were as swift as the wind, and his fingers fell like lightning. Before the attendant beside Dongfang Tianying could react, Wu Tianyuan had already completed these actions. Dongfang Tianying felt that the turbulent blood energy in his chest and abdomen, which had been like a raging sea, had calmed down significantly.

On one side, Liu Hanyan thought to himself: "If Wu Tianyuan arrives, this fight will definitely not happen." He was indeed curious to see how skilled Li Yueqian was, so he said to Li Yueqian: "Brother Li, your elder brother told you not to cause trouble, but he did not say you cannot defend yourself. If he strikes again, feel free to retaliate. When your elder brother returns, I will testify for you."

Wu Tianyuan, hearing his unkind words, immediately retorted: "Then what do you suggest I do? Should I go to 'Dongfang Fort' and take the blame for my younger brother?" The long attendant coldly replied: "Your younger brother's reckless actions have injured our young fort master; should this matter just be brushed aside? That would be too lenient!" Wu Tianyuan felt a surge of anger and said: "Although my younger brother has a rough temperament, he still listens to what I say. Even if he is at fault today, he cannot bear the entire blame alone. As for how Zheng Qianli and Liu Hanyan conspired against my younger brother, that is a separate issue. Ultimately, whether it was the young fort master of Dongfang who initiated the trouble or if my younger brother acted first in a show of force, I believe the martial arts friends present can see for themselves, and there is no need for me to elaborate further.

As Dongfang Tianying observed Li Yueqian standing calmly amidst the sword light, seemingly confident of victory, he thought to himself: "Could it be that I have truly encountered a master today? I must be cautious." He then declared: "Quickly draw your weapon! If I draw my sword again, I will not hold back." Meanwhile, Li Yueqian stood with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he had not heard a word of what was said. His demeanor suggested: "With your meager skills, do you think you are worthy of my drawing a weapon?"

Li Yueqian left Liu's residence without any hesitation and headed southwest. At this moment, two figures emerged from behind a large banyan tree outside Liu's residence; they were Liu Hanyan and the middle-aged man. Liu Hanyan smiled and said, "As I expected, Wu Tianyuan would definitely provoke Li Yueqian into action. Let's pursue him." After saying this, Liu Hanyan and the middle-aged man also rushed southwest.