025 – Hedonistic Young master
Yan Xiangma’s expression was somewhat stunned, his mouth hanging open and his eyes glazing over. There were ten thousand grass mud horses[1] galloping wildly within his heart.
This was not right at all. The development of the situation should not have continued like so. As a young master of a well known and wealth family, after he came to obviously threaten in a benign manner, this little fellow with dark black skin should have promised never to interact with the girl of Cui family again by saying yes to everything. He would also demonstrate the style of a noble young master by benevolently and tolerantly pat him on the shoulder. From then on, they would have no dealings with each other. Both the appearance and the name of this person would not appear in his own life again ——
What did he mean by breaking the stone with his finger?
He was unwilling? Was this a strike of retaliation against him?
“I am not a normal person you can stamp all over. If you really want to force me to do something I am unwilling to do, then you will definitely have to pay a price for your own actions.”
Yan Xiangma very naturally filled in such a speech for Li Muyang in his heart.
The skeleton of Yan Xiangma’s fan lightly tapped on the stone to check the hardness of the table. Looking at the large corner of the lapis lazuli table gouged out by him, he said out loud: “I thought I had already asked someone to investigate you thoroughly. It seems we still do not completely understand you.”
“You’ve already understood very clearly.” Said Li Muyang. “But we will change everyday, is that not right?”
“How were you able to do it?” Yan Xiangma asked while looking at Li Muyang.
“I wanted to do it, and just did it.”
“Such an answer cannot convince me.”
Li Muyang’s eyes narrowed as he began laughing: “I did not think to convince you. I only spoke out the truth; in truth even I do not have a clear answer.”
Yan Xiangma opened his fan with a ‘pak’ sound, saying: “My fan is called the ‘Beating Dragon Spine.’ It was crafted by great master Mo Langyong of the Mogan mountain from a divine meteor. I’ve practiced martial arts ever since I was small, and have a famous master. Right now I have already entered the middle stages of the High Mountain stage – therefore, I am able to use this ‘Beating Dragon Spine’ fan to easily cut apart this Lapis Lazuli table. What about you? You are only a person without the strength to truss a chicken, riddled with illnesses. Just how were you able to do it?”
“What’s the meaning of you pursuing this matter of how I was able to do it? The fact that I am able to do such a feat, should be the thing you are most concerned about, is that not right?”
Yan Xiangma considered Li Muyang for a while, then spoke: “Do you still have any watermelon?”
“Yes.” Li Muyang nodded his head.
“Then give me two pieces.” Yan Xiangma said. “The weather is too hot, I am thirsty again.”
Okay.” Li Muyang said with a smile.
After finishing the two ice cold pieces of watermelon, Yan Xiangma stood up satisfactory. Looking at Li Muyan: “I seriously and sincerely advise you, that you should consider my proposal. Don’t do an idiotic thing, is that alright?”
“Thank you for cousin’s sincerity. But I have already made my decision.” Li Muyan replied with a smile.
Yan Xiangma shook his head with a sigh, saying: “Don’t think you can protect yourself just because you know some shallow martial arts. There are some people that you cannot afford to provoke.”
“I have never thought to provoke anyone.” There was a bashful smiling expression on Li Muyang’s face: “I will also pray that no one comes to provoke me.”
“Not knowing how to appreciate kindness.” Yan Xiangma shook his head, waving his fan as he headed outside. “I tell you, I am a famous indulgent young master of Jiang Nan city. There is nothing I do not dare do.”
Li Muyan saw him off, then returned to the courtyard. He stared dumbly at the cracked and broken Lapis Lazuli table.
He pieced a piece of the table that had been cut apart by Yan Xiangma’s ‘Beating dragon spine’ fan and used his finger tips to rub against it for a while.
Then he picked up the stone that he had broken apart forcibly using his own strength, lightly caressing it with his fingers —–
“Aiya—–” Li Muyang let out a small exclamation. There was a small cut on his fingertip with fresh blood dripping out from the wound. But by the time a red drop of blood has dripped out, the wound had already healed.
“Cutting it with the fan is more neat.” LI Muyan said with a highly envious tone.
Yan Xiangma sat in the rear courtyard of a garden. In the octagonal pavilion of the rear courtyard, there was also a lapis lazuli table.
Yan Xiangma placed his ‘Beating dragon spine’ fan to one side, then placed his palm against one corner of the table.
“En—–” Yan Xiangma let out a low grunt, fiercely exerting force. But the hardness of the Lapis Lazuli table was incomparable. There were no signs of any abnormality whatsoever.
Yan Xiangma deeply breathed from his dantian, and a vast qi enveloped throughout his whole body.
The hand that he was gripping the table with flickered with red light, as if there was a flame that was currently fiercely burning.
Flame Fist!
This was the inherited technique of the Cui family. It was also the lifeline that had protected the Cui family for thousands of years without falling in West Wind kingdom.
Yan Xiangma’s shoulder lightly quivered, then he tore a large half from the surface of the Lapis Lazuli table.
This Lapis Lazuli stone seemed to be lit on fire by the flames on his fist, as if a stone could also burn.
The dim golden patterns on the Lapis Lazuli stone rapidly changed, and ultimately the stone near his palm was cremated into ashes. A wind blew over, causing the smoke to drift and disperse.
Ka-cha——
The leftover half of the stone table fell to the ground, shattering into pieces and power.
“The speed of Xiangma’s improvement is divine. The Flame fist has already entered into the middle stages of the High Mountain stage. In another half a year, it is most likely that it will be able to enter into the higher stages? At that time, you will be the number one in the martial realm of the younger generation in Jiang Nan city.” A man wearing a green robe stood at the entrance to the garden, looking at Yan Xiangma with a grin as he said these words.
“Master Ning.” Yan Xiangma respectfully paid his respects towards Ning Xinghan. There was not a shred of the rumoured arrogance of a wealthy young master present. “Master, you did not follow mother and cousin Xiaoxin to the Yongqing temple?”
“There’s uncle Yan accompanying them. What do I need to be worried about?” Ning Xinhai replied with a smile, being extremely respectful towards the uncle Yan that he referred to. “Young Miss Xiaoxin felt I have overworked myself protecting her for all these days, so she made me rest today at home.”
“That’s right.” Yan Xiangma smilingly said. “Because of the attack of Crow, it has indeed tired out Master Ning in these days. You need to be able to protect cousin in a flash, so you cannot rest easy at all. Cousin is considerate, to allow for Master to rest for a day.”
“Young miss Xiaoxin is wise and kind, and also considerate. It is our fortune to the people following beside her.” Ning Xinhai looked at the stones that were burnt black on the floor. “You were perfectly alright, why have you come to the rear courtyard to break stones?”
“Because he was able to do so.” Yan Xiangma said in a serious tone.
“What? Who was able to do so?”
“Li Muyang, the person that you all refer to as trash—–” Yan Xiangma looked at Ning Xianghai, then said: “Master you have already met him several times before. You must know what kind of person he is right?”
“I can’t see through him.” Ning Xianghai shook his head. “The last time Crow attacked, I was outside cafe. I wanted to rescue her, but I was not in time —–but the attack was blocked successfully by the seemingly normal Li Muyang. He used his own flesh and blood to stop the attack of Crow.”
“But he is still alive.” Yan Xiangma’s eyes flickered with a light. He said in a considering tone: “Crow is an assassin that is ranked in the top twenty of the kingdom. He used his human body to block Crow —–but he is still alive. Don’t you feel that is strange Master?”
“I also find that peculiar.” Ning Xinhai was in deep thought, saying: “At that time, it was an extremely tense situation. He managed to block Crow’s attacks time and time again —– I’ve heard miss Xiaoxin mention, that he used his palm to block Crow’s knife twice. EVerytime Crow wanted to stab miss, but the result was that he stabbed the knife into his hands.
“Crow has turned killing to an art. The killing technique that he favours using at close distances is the Cherry blossom — Master, can I ask you a question? If it were you, would you be able to block Crow’s Cherry blossom cut?”
Ning Xinhai thought for a while, then said: “I am able to block it. However —- I cannot be sure that I am able to block it every time. The Cherry Blossom cut is like rain, the speed of the blade is enough to cut wind and snow. The reason it is known as the Cherry Blossom cut, is because it is extremely magnificent and can rapidly change and fluctuate like lightning. I am not able to predict his movements accurately every time.”
“But, He was able to block.” Yan Xiangma said in a cold tone. He pointed at the Lapis Lazuli table on the floor.”Like he was able to use a single palm to slice apart this stone.”
“But Xiangma, aren’t you also able to do this?”
“It’s not the same.” Yan Xiangma shook his head: “I’ve used the ‘Kindling of the raging inferno’ passed down through the family, I used qi —-but he did not. He only stood there dumbly, then lightly drew his hand across—–at that time I sat opposite him. He did not have too great a change on his expression, then he managed to cut apart the Lapis Lazuli table. Master, do you not feel that is terrifying?”
“It’s extremely terrifying.” NIng Xingha frowned. “It seems like this Li Muyang is more complicated than I imagined. This classmate is a dangerous person. But you know the personality of the young lady. If she believes her actions are right, no one can force her to do anyhing —–But I have also hiddenly investigated. I am not able to sense the slightest flow of qi in the body of LI Muyang, it seems he is not a cultivationist.”
“That’s right. Originally, I thought he was a normal person that wanted to be the toad tha ate swan meat. Therefore I did not regard him as important. I even wanted to use a somewhat gentle method to solve this problem. But from the current situation right now, most likely the matter has already exceeded our understanding. If we allow this fellow who has intentionally hidden his strength and has other motivations sticking to Xiaoxin’s side like a fly, this is a very challenging issue for us. There are two months before Xiaoxin needs to return Tiandu and the circumstances over there is complicated. The Kingdom will most likely fall into a new round of confrontation and conflict——–
“Xiangma’s meaning is?” NIng Xinhai looked serenely at the handsome youth in front of him and ask.
“I’ve warned him. As the most famous hedonistic young master of Jiang Nan City, there is nothing I do not dare do. Do you think, he will understand?”
[1] This sounds in Chinese like [Fuck your mother], people in Chinese say grass mud horse instead to prevent censor when typing online