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"Blast! That 'grenade' might have hit someone!" Lu Xian's voice was tight with panic. "I have no idea if they're alright... I hope I can still help them!"
Clutching little Nannan, Lu Xian dashed over to where the glowing sphere had landed, his heart pounding in his chest.
...
Yu Xiaogang was having a truly awful day.
He'd been on the verge of departing Nuoding City for a crucial matter before heading to Suotuo City to locate Tang San. But the moment he stepped outside Nuoding's gates, a bizarre, glowing orb, riddled with cracks, plummeted from the sky.
And wouldn't fate have it, the accursed thing struck him squarely on the head.
That impact was the final insult. The already fragile crystal ball he carried shattered instantly.
Sharp fragments peppered his scalp, transforming him into a grotesque human pincushion. Blood welled up and trickled down from countless tiny wounds.
"What in the blazes?!" Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth against the stinging pain, plucking out a shard to examine it. His vision swam with blood, making it impossible to identify. He frantically scanned his surroundings, searching for the callous individual who had hurled this projectile at him.
"I'm so incredibly sorry! So sorry!" Lu Xian called out, his voice laced with genuine remorse as he hurried over, still holding Nannan protectively.
"Are you blind as a bat?!" Yu Xiaogang roared, his eyes locking onto the approaching figure. Thankfully, the force of the impact hadn't been greater, and the shards had only superficially pierced his scalp. A few centimeters deeper, and he could have been killed instantly!
"My deepest apologies, sir. I truly didn't see anyone around." Lu Xian gently set Nannan down and stepped forward earnestly. "Please allow me to help you remove the shards. I have some medicine – both for internal and external use – that should alleviate the pain..."
"I need no such thing!"
Medicine? Yu Xiaogang had journeyed across the length and breadth of the Douluo Continent in his younger days and encountered a great many things, yet he had never heard of "internal and external medicine." It sounded like utter fabrication.
Besides, why on earth would he entrust himself to the remedies offered by a complete stranger – especially one responsible for his current predicament?
His sole desire at this moment was to extract these infernal shards and tend to his injuries.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, he channeled his soul power, releasing it in a sudden, forceful surge. The crystal fragments embedded in his scalp shot outwards with sharp precision.
However, his control wavered. He had overdone it.
Accompanying the shards was a geyser of blood that erupted nearly half a meter into the air.
The spectacle was utterly absurd. His head resembled a malfunctioning fountain, spewing crimson jets.
Lu Xian instinctively recoiled to avoid the spray. The sheer ridiculousness of the sight nearly broke his composure. He had to mentally revisit every sorrowful memory he possessed just to suppress the urge to burst into laughter.
"Pfft—Hahaha! Lu-gege, his head looks so funny!" Little Nannan, unburdened by such restraint, voiced her amusement without hesitation, her laughter ringing out.
"What are you two cackling at?!" Yu Xiaogang was incandescent with rage. He fumbled in his bag for some bandages, wrapping them haphazardly around his bloodied head while scolding them furiously.
Being injured in such a ludicrous manner was humiliating enough. But to have these two children laughing at his misfortune? Where were their manners, their basic decency?
Startled by his sudden outburst, Nannan instinctively hid behind Lu Xian's leg, clutching his trousers. But then, she recalled Lu Xian's earlier advice: If you ever encounter someone unpleasant, just recite the Forty-Eight Character Sutra at them.
So, in a small, timid voice, she began, "When the sun rises in the east, the scarlet mist shrouds the sky like silk and gauze…"
Seeing Yu Xiaogang's face darken to an even more alarming shade of purple, Lu Xian swiftly clapped a hand over the little girl's mouth.
"I am truly sorry, old sir. She's just a child; she doesn't mean any disrespect." Lu Xian's lips twitched uncontrollably. Witnessing Yu Xiaogang's head erupting like a broken sprinkler had already tested his self-control. Now, Nannan's perfectly timed recitation was pushing him to the brink. His mouth kept threatening to curve into a smile – he was barely managing to hold it back.
"She's just a child, but what about you? What in the world are you laughing at? Have you no respect whatsoever?!"
"Old sir, I've undergone extensive professional training. I generally refrain from laughter."
"Your mouth is stretched wider than a melon! And you dare claim you're not laughing?!"
"I suffer from a rather peculiar dental ailment. My teeth tend to overheat and require periodic ventilation."
Yu Xiaogang nearly suffered an apoplectic fit. Overheated teeth?! What utter nonsense!
This insolent brat was clearly mocking him relentlessly!
"Enough! You two impudent children owe me a sincere apology! I, Yu Xiaogang, am not a man devoid of temper. If you refuse, do not blame me for imparting a much-needed lesson on behalf of your negligent elders!"
This boy was undoubtedly a Soul Master, which explained his arrogance. But Yu Xiaogang was far from intimidated. Not everyone possessed the prodigious talent of his disciple, Tang San.
After all, how formidable could some insignificant whelp from a backwater like Nuoding City truly be?
Wait a moment… Yu Xiaogang?
Lu Xian suddenly froze, his expression shifting to one of utter shock. "Did you just say your name is Yu Xiaogang?"
"Indeed."
"The Yu Xiaogang of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? The very same who penned The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls?"
"Oh? You've actually heard of me!"
A flicker of pride warmed Yu Xiaogang's chest. He hadn't anticipated this young boy recognizing his seminal work. Perhaps he was even an admirer?
"So you're Yu Xiaogang… Yu Xiao-gang?" Lu Xian's lips curled into a distinctly malevolent grin.
Any lingering guilt he might have harbored about accidentally injuring an innocent bystander vanished without a trace. Everyone knew – Yu Xiaogang barely qualified as a person.
And just now, he had dared to raise his voice at Nannan?
It was time for retribution.
"That is correct. However, most individuals address me as 'Master.' You may do so as well."
Since the boy appeared to hold his scholarly contributions in some regard, Yu Xiaogang decided to adopt a magnanimous stance. "You are fortunate that it was I whom you struck. Another might not be so forgiving. Simply offer your apologies, and I shall put this unfortunate incident behind us…"
Before he could complete his sentence—
Lu Xian suddenly contorted his body into a bizarre, theatrical pose and bellowed, "Shaolin Temple's Eighteen Bronze Men Formation!"
Then, with astonishing speed, he delivered a swift kick that sent Yu Xiaogang sprawling to the ground, conjured a sturdy wooden bench from his storage ring, and brought it crashing down upon the unsuspecting scholar's head!
A new, chaotic chapter had begun!
"Shaolin Temple's ultimate secret technique—Chaotic Raging Wind Bench Style!"
Thwack! Bang! Crack!
"Wait! I am Yu Xiaogang!"
"Precisely! That's the very reason I'm administering this beating! Rest assured – I haven't mistaken you for someone else!"
Before long, Yu Xiaogang's face was a swollen, discolored mess, his eyes barely visible through the rapidly forming bruises. He twitched on the ground, feebly attempting to raise a trembling finger. "Y-You… possess… no… respect… for… logic… My… Blue Lightning… Tyrant Dragon… Clan… will… not… tolerate…"
"Oh? You wish to engage in a logical argument? Excellent! Let us reason – with Saw and Reason!"
In a flash of light, Lu Xian's Martial Soul materialized into a peculiar weapon – a long-handled saw with a comically oversized character" (Lǐ - Reason) emblazoned across its broad blade.
Yu Xiaogang's battered face contorted in a fresh wave of agony and disbelief. "Y-You… deem… this… to be… a logical… argument?!"
"But of course! Behold my Saw and Reason!"
With that pronouncement, the massive "Reason" came crashing down with brutal force – aimed squarely at Yu Xiaogang's groin.
A bloodcurdling scream of unimaginable agony echoed through the tranquil surroundings.
Saw? The jagged teeth are clearly visible! Reason? Isn't the character for "Reason" prominently displayed? Strength? That was undeniably a solid impact! Argument? We have certainly been engaged in a prolonged discussion, haven't we?
By his own meticulous standards, Lu Xian considered himself a paragon of reason.
"....."