Chapter 7, Contest

"That's right, I intend to steal your horse. What will you do about it?" the fierce man shouted in a threatening tone

"A runny nose does not necessarily mean catching a cold, and a stomachache does not necessarily mean diarrhea!" Han Xiaoyun said confidently.

Gao Bufan's six senses were exceptionally sharp. Just now, he suddenly felt as if someone was watching him from behind. However, when he quickly turned around to check, he found nothing, and that feeling of being watched also disappeared.

The Han clearly did not expect that Gao Bufan would be so straightforward, coming up and kicking with such force. That black kid is indeed ruthless and fierce!

"Come again!" Sun Anzu shouted fiercely as he lunged forward.

Gao Bufan furrowed his sword-like brows and said, "So you admit to stealing the horse?"

Sun Anzu turned around abruptly and said, "Alright, I will compete with you, but don't cry if you get hurt."

Gao Bufan did not dare to be negligent and focused entirely on the battle. The two engaged in back-and-forth exchanges for over ten rounds, yet neither could gain the upper hand. In terms of strength, the two were evenly matched; however, in terms of combat experience, Sun Anzu was clearly superior. Nevertheless, Gao Bufan's agile movements and faster speed, combined with his peculiar fighting style that blended elements of modern boxing and grappling, left Sun Anzu somewhat at a loss.

Gao Bufan expressed his gratitude, his gaze falling upon the thief. He noticed that this thief was even more robust than the bandit leader Zhang Jincheng, with a full beard that gave him a rather imposing appearance. Even though he was tightly bound, he still held his head high with a defiant look, as if he were prepared to face death without fear.

Gao Ren proudly declared: "My young master is a man of his word, never breaking his promises. He is affectionately known as the benevolent and generous Little Mengchang, a gentleman of honesty and integrity. What purpose would I have to deceive you, you scoundrel!"

"Enough with the nonsense, stop dragging your feet like a woman!" Gao Bufan sneered, raising his hands and assuming a universal boxing stance from the future.

Are you serious?" Sun Anzu glanced at Gao Bufan's "small stature," clearly not believing that such good fortune could exist

Sun Anzu felt a tightness around his neck and could not help but silently exclaim that it was not good. However, for some reason, Gao Bufan's legs seemed unable to secure him, and in the end, he broke free and was sent flying out due to inertia. After landing, he staggered but managed to stand firm, laughing heartily as he said: "Fortunately, I didn't fall flat on my back. Let's not continue; how about we call this round a draw, Brother Sun?"

Sun Anzu hurriedly clenched his left fist and swept it down to block, only to hear a muffled thud. He involuntarily staggered back several steps, his entire left arm numb with pain. He was taken aback, realizing that this black kid possessed such great strength, likely on par with his own!

The extraordinary young master is truly impressive! Gao Shou and Gao Ren excitedly applauded, and the villagers cheered in support.

Liu Dapeng frowned slightly, but still instructed the villagers to release the big man, warning: "Consider yourself fortunate to have encountered Young Master Gao; had it been someone else, you would not only have faced death but also suffered greatly."

Gao Bufan arrived at the ancestral hall and indeed saw someone bound under a tree, with several male villagers standing guard nearby. Gao Shou and Gao Ren, surprisingly, did not start cursing; they merely stood there, visibly displeased, waiting for Gao Bufan's arrival

Sun Anzu puffed out his chest and said in a gruff voice: "You outnumber me and bully me, so naturally I am not convinced."

Gao Bufan silently placed two wild water chestnuts into the little boy's hands and waved his hand, saying: "Uncle Liu, let him go. This matter, I shall not pursue any further."

After several more rounds, Sun Anzu clearly began to lose his composure. After all, the opponent was merely a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old, and having fought for so long without being able to defeat him, he felt a sense of shame.

Without a word, Sun Anzu turned around and signaled for the woman to leave

This young gentleman, Brother Sun did not intend to steal your mount, I implore you to spare him, please do not send him to the authorities

A ragged woman rushed forward, kneeling before Gao Bufan and repeatedly bowing her head. Two half-grown children, terrified, hid behind her. Due to malnutrition, their skin appeared sallow, and their eyes looked particularly large.

The villagers were greatly angered by his words and rolled up their sleeves, ready to teach him a lesson. Gao Bufan felt a stir in his heart and smiled lightly, saying: "What’s the matter, are you still unconvinced?"

Gao Bufan found it somewhat amusing yet exasperating: "It is only the end of July now, and there are still more than five months until the New Year. If you don't wear it now, it won't be suitable to wear then."

Sun Anzu had always been confident in his strength, but after a single move, he found himself at a disadvantage, leaving him utterly shocked. He simply could not comprehend how that slender figure of Gao Bufan could exert such immense power

Oh, Young Master Bufen, I am not boasting, I have never caught a cold, and I have never seen my father catch a cold either. It is just that my mother has a weak constitution and is always ill

The two children stopped crying, staring intently at the water chestnuts in Gao Bufan's hand but dared not reach for them. It was evident that they were truly starving, yet the woman held the two children even tighter, as if fearing that Gao Bufan would snatch them away.

Gao Bufan held Han Xiaoyun's hand as they walked towards the ancestral hall, while the latter nibbled on water chestnuts, bouncing along, barefoot on the uneven muddy ground, completely unconcerned.

What is a cold

Gao Bufan glanced at the big man tied to the tree and asked, "Is he your man?"

The woman was overjoyed and quickly bowed her head in gratitude

This scissor leg technique is indeed an extraordinary skill; once the opponent is locked by the neck, it is essentially over.

Is it an illusion? Confirming that there was no one behind him, Gao Bufan shook his head in confusion and continued walking towards the ancestral hall

Gao Bufan pointed to the snot hanging from Han Xiaoyun's lips and said, "It could be used as noodles, and you still claim you haven't caught a cold?"

Gao Bufan no longer paid attention to the burly man with fiery eyes, squatting down with a friendly demeanor and asking, "Your name is E Niang, right? Where are you from?"

A cold is simply ... ... catching a chill

Little brat, instead of learning anything else, you insist on following Gao Lao Er to learn how to talk back. Go back and put on your shoes, or I will kick your butt until it's broken

"Elder Sister does not demand anything from him; I, Sun Anzu, will take on the responsibility alone. If my head falls, it will only leave a scar the size of a bowl. What is there to be afraid of!" said the burly man in a rough voice.

The woman replied tremulously: "Both Brother Sun and I are from Beizhou, Zhangnan County. Our village was destroyed by the flood, and we had no choice but to flee here."

Gao Bufan shook his slightly numb right leg, feeling secretly astonished. Although it seemed that he had the upper hand just now, the reality was that he had taken advantage of his lower limbs over the upper limbs. Therefore, in terms of sheer strength, this Sun Anzu was not inferior to him.

Gao Ren exclaimed in astonishment, "What, you still don't believe it?"

Sun Anzu, upon hearing this, was greatly enraged. He stepped forward and delivered a punch with a swift motion, instantly generating a gust of wind. Gao Bufan skillfully sidestepped, and with a powerful push of his left leg, he leaped forward, delivering a lightning-fast knee strike to the opponent's abdomen.

Sun Anzu said: "I possess great strength, and once I make a move, I cannot guarantee restraint. Your young master is still a good person, and I do not wish to harm him"

Damn, the thief is so arrogant, do you think you haven't been beaten enough? I must teach you a lesson about how to behave!

Gao Bufan raised his sword-like eyebrows and said: "Are you afraid of losing and dare not compete?"

Gao Bufan drove Han Xiaoyun away, suddenly turned around, and his sharp gaze fell on the old locust tree behind him. After lingering for a moment, his vigilant expression gradually transformed into confusion

Gao Bufan raised his hand and gave Han Xiaoyun a slap on the back of the head, causing the boy to lurch forward a step, with mucus flying out of his nose

Gao Bufan delivered a kick to the big man's abdomen, causing the latter to feel as if his internal organs had shifted. He let out a painful scream, nearly vomiting bile.

It is now early autumn, and the weather has begun to cool down. Gao Bufan asked, "Xiaoyun, didn't I give you a pair of cloth shoes? Why aren't you wearing them?"

Gao Bufan could not help but feel a shiver run through him. In his previous life, he was a professional soldier who had participated in numerous rescue and disaster relief operations. The most unforgettable experience was the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12. The harrowing scenes following that catastrophe are still vivid in his memory, having witnessed the tragic human dramas of separation and death. He and his comrades were all in tears.

The woman was so frightened that her face turned pale, and the two children hid in her arms, crying loudly. However, Gao Bufan took out two wild water chestnuts from his pocket and, with a smile, handed them over, saying: "Don't cry, don't cry, I am a good person."

Sun Anzu, however, did not appreciate the sentiment and muttered, "If it weren't for the fact that I don't want to harm anyone, you wouldn't stand a chance of catching me, and who knows whose luck it would be."

"Shut his mouth!" Gao Bufan said coldly, while Gao Shou and Gao Ren immediately took off their riding boots and stuffed them into the big man's mouth

The woman shook her head and said, "My husband and in-laws have all drowned. Less than half of the people in the village survived. Brother Sun is my neighbor, and only he survived in his family. If it weren't for Brother Sun taking care of us along the way, my three children and I wouldn't have made it here." After finishing her words, tears streamed down her face, and the two young children, seeing this, also began to wipe their tears.

"Bastard, dare to touch Eniang and her child, I will not spare you." The man roared while struggling.

Gao Bufan was taken aback and quickly walked to the tree. The village head, Liu Dapeng, immediately stepped forward and said: "Xiao Fan, this outsider tried to steal your horses. Fortunately, we discovered him in time. This thief has quite a bit of strength; if it weren't for our numbers, he would have managed to break free and escape."

"How can you not? You are currently growing, and your shoes will soon no longer fit. Moreover, as autumn approaches, the weather will turn cooler, and not wearing shoes can easily lead to catching a cold. Hurry back and put them on."

At last, Sun Anzu seized a flaw in Gao Bufan, grabbing his left ankle with his right hand. Overjoyed, he shouted loudly and exerted force, attempting to throw Gao Bufan away and make him look foolish. However, before he could let go, Gao Bufan, agile as a monkey, spun around to his back and swiftly hooked his right foot to twist his neck.

Gao Bufan nodded and said: "Alright, as long as you can defeat me, I will give you my horse for free, and additionally, I will offer you ten taels of silver. However, if you lose, you will serve me as a servant for one year"

Han Xiaoyun immediately covered her little bottom and ran away in a flash

Han Xiaoyun said with a smile: "I'll save it to wear during the New Year"

The little boy with a runny nose is named Han Xiaoyun. His father, Han Mancang, is a skilled hunter in the village, known for his honest and straightforward nature, the kind of person who wouldn't even produce a muffled fart with three sticks. However, this man seems to have accumulated some extraordinary fortune over several lifetimes, as he married a wife as beautiful as a flower and as precious as jade. This beautiful wife bore him a pair of children, but unfortunately, their daughter was abducted when she was three years old and has been missing ever since. Otherwise, this family with both a son and a daughter would surely be very happy.

Han Xiaoyun sniffed and said in a hushed voice: "No way?"