Chapter 163: Don't Hit Second Uncle

Xiao Er gave Jiang Cheng a cold glance.

Jiang Cheng obviously hadn't expected to meet them here, and his steps halted.

The two equally tall and burly men stared at each other, and sparks flew instantly.

Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around Xiao Er's neck: "Second Uncle, what's wrong?"

Xiao Er didn't answer, staring at Jiang Cheng's eyes and asked: "What is Jiang Xin to you?"

Jiang Cheng's pupils constricted: "You know my brother?"

Tuan Tuan suddenly realized: "So you're the bad guy's brother!"

Jiang Cheng's face darkened, his gaze like a knife stabbing toward Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan puffed out her chest, raised her chin: "What are you glaring at?"

Xiao Er set her down on the ground, pulled her behind him, using his broad frame to completely shield her, looking at Jiang Cheng coldly said: "You frightened my young lady."

Jiang Cheng snorted: "So what! Yellow-mouthed brat, still wet behind the ears!"

Xiao Er also snorted: "That so-called divine child of Da Xia who deceives the world and steals fame—isn't he just a yellow-mouthed brat still wet behind the ears?"

"I don't have time to waste words with you, Jiang Cheng."

"Since you're Jiang Xin's older brother, then today I will settle the account of him ambushing my young lady at the Sacred Medicine Valley!"

Jiang Cheng showed no fear: "Fine, how do you want to settle it?"

Xiao Er thought: "This Hundred Flavors Pavilion has a rear courtyard."

"Since we've coincidentally met here today, why not have a match right here?"

"Whoever gets knocked down and can't get up loses. How about it, dare you accept the challenge?"

"This is the Fierce Kingdom; you've come from afar, if you need witnesses, you can simply go back to the Yiguan and fetch a few people."

"I await you here."

Jiang Cheng shook his head: "It's just a spar, what need for witnesses? Where's the rear courtyard?"

Hearing that, Xiao Er also admired his straightforwardness, and pointed toward the back.

"Just wait, I'll settle my young lady."

Xiao Er went up to the second floor, found a private room facing the rear courtyard: "Waiter, this room."

"Coming right up!" The waiter hurried over and set out various seasonal tea and fruits.

"Take this!" Xiao Er tossed a piece of silver to the waiter, "Tell the shop owner to borrow the rear courtyard for a moment!"

The waiter caught the silver, the rear courtyard often being temporarily used by guests for enjoying the scenery and feasting: "Sure thing, sir! Feel free to use it!"

Xiao Er flew out the window and landed in the rear courtyard.

Tuan Tuan leaned on the window sill, peeking out her little head to look down, nervous and excited: "Second Uncle! Beat him!"

Xiao Er looked up and gave her a slight smile, and instantly he and Jiang Cheng were locked in combat.

People in the other private rooms heard the sound and also poked their heads out to look down.

"Who is that? Are they sparring?"

"I don't know! Why not spar at the training ground instead of in the restaurant's rear courtyard?"

"That burly dark-skinned man looks familiar! He seems to be from the Ning Prince's Mansion!"

"Hey, that person is wearing Da Xia's attire!"

Xiao Er's steps were heavy and powerful, his punches like spears, his kicks like whips, following the fierce, forceful path of military close combat, each move aiming straight for vital points.

Jiang Cheng, meanwhile, responded with agility, his body moving like a fish in water.

He didn't meet Xiao Er's moves head-on, but mostly used subtle force to deflect Xiao Er's overbearing power; occasionally seizing an opening, he struck like lightning, ruthlessly attacking Xiao Er's joints and weak spots.

Their figures crossed, and their fists and feet collided with a muffled "thud-thud" sound.

Xiao Er threw a straight punch to the center; Jiang Cheng sidestepped and countered with a knife-hand strike to Xiao Er's neck.

Xiao Er neither dodged nor blocked, raising his left arm to deflect and sweeping his right leg horizontally at the opponent's lower stance.

The two were evenly matched, worthy opponents, their fight indecisive for a time, neither able to best the other.

Seeing Xiao Er force Jiang Cheng back, Tuan Tuan immediately beamed with joy.

Seeing Jiang Cheng's sweeping kick force Xiao Er to retreat a step, she angrily pounded the window pane.

"Bad guy! Don't hit Second Uncle!"

Jiang Cheng coldly snorted: "He's asking for it himself!"

Tuan Tuan was so angry at his words her face turned red.

Seeing the two figures below flipping about, they again fell into a stalemate, hard to tell who would win.

Tuan Tuan grew anxious.

She scanned up and down inside the room nonstop—this!

She grabbed a pair of clean bamboo chopsticks in front of her and threw them onto the ground.

She huffed and muttered: "Let your legs be like chopsticks, stay straight for a while!"

A flicker of light—and the chopsticks vanished.

Just as Jiang Cheng was about to employ his movement technique to flank Xiao Er's side, his expression suddenly changed!

His legs instantly felt like two stiff wooden rods, beyond his control—not only could he not bend them, he could barely keep his balance!

"Plop!"

He fell like a felled log, toppling backward onto the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

He tried to prop himself up with his hands, but from the waist down it felt as if it didn't belong to him; that strange rigidity prevented him from using his legs to stand, leaving him only to flail helplessly.

Xiao Er's fist hung in midair; though he didn't understand why, by the agreement the outcome was decided, no further fight needed, and he immediately withdrew his stance and stepped back.

He bowed his fists to Jiang Cheng: "I concede."

He remembered Tuan Tuan's words about Gongsun Hong: "Go home and properly discipline your younger brother."

"Hahaha!" Tuan Tuan saw the vicious villain who had just been fierce and evil now lying on his back like a little turtle, and he burst out laughing with great delight.

The spectators in the other private rooms burst into applause and laughter, unable to stop.

"The martial arts of the Da Xia people are nothing compared to those of our Fierce Country!"

"That's right!"

Jiang Cheng collapsed to the ground, repeatedly circulating his Qi, but his leg remained stiff, his face filled with shock. "Could I have suddenly fallen seriously ill? Will my leg stay like this from now on?"

"I'm the captain of the Guard!"

Tuan Tuan looked at him, feeling somewhat pitiful: "Don't move around, you'll be fine soon!"

Jiang Cheng was even more startled, wondering if the Fierce Country's Immortal Envoy was actually a physician.

Xiao Er summoned the shop assistant: "Go to the Yiguan and call a few people to carry him back."

"Sure thing, sir!"

Xiao Er walked back to the private room, and Tuan Tuan lunged over to hug his leg: "Uncle Er, you're amazing! You vented my anger for me!"

Xiao Er's dark face flushed slightly as he lifted her onto a stool, and the two enjoyed their meal before returning to the Prince's Mansion.

That evening, Xiao Er concealed nothing and reported the day's events to Prince Ning.

"I, the lowly officer, acted rashly in assaulting the Da Xia envoy; please, Prince, punish me!"

Xiao Yuanhang smiled: "So we fought; they started it by attacking Tuan Tuan, so getting a beating was already lenient."

Xiao Er laughed openly: "Thank you, Prince!"

Yiguan.

Gongsun Hong frowned, looking at Jiang Cheng lying on the bed.

Jiang Cheng reported truthfully that his leg had suddenly become like this during the fight, and the Fierce Country's Immortal Envoy said it would soon heal.

"Your Highness, I, the lowly officer, beg forgiveness; I should not have competed with that Fierce Country person, bringing shame upon Da Xia."

Gongsun Hong remained silent, thinking, "This Immortal Envoy is indeed not ordinary."

They had originally planned to send Jiang Cheng with a few men to assassinate her directly, but now it seems impossible.

As for Jiang Cheng and Xiao Er's sparring match today, since it wasn't a public bout on the Training Ground, it's actually fine.

He shook his head and said softly, "Rest now; if it's not better tomorrow, I will submit a memorial to the Fierce Country's Emperor requesting the Imperial Physician to treat you."

Jiang Cheng nodded: "Thank you, Your Highness."

The next morning, Jiang Cheng's leg had indeed recovered, but he couldn't help feeling a hint of wariness toward Tuan Tuan, wondering whether this Immortal Envoy knew healing arts or practiced dark arts.

That night, a thin horizontal beam in the side hall of Longevity Accomplished Palace fell, and Xiao Jieyun issued an edict.

"Longevity Accomplished Palace is the Empress Dowager's retirement residence, but having long fallen into disrepair, I am deeply concerned. Effective immediately, the Empress Dowager will move to the Eternal Spring Garden, with all furnishings kept as before. Once Longevity Accomplished Palace is repaired, she will return."

With the edict issued, the main gate of Longevity Accomplished Palace slowly opened, and the Empress Dowager finally stepped out.