Chapter 111: Two Principles

According to the original path, Long Xiaoyun would have a conflict with Li Xunhuan, have his martial arts crippled, and be unable to practice martial arts ever again.

But because the Golden Silk Armor was obtained by Yu Liancheng, Li Xunhuan did not fall victim to the "Cold Chicken Powder" poison, and thus did not encounter Long Xiaoyun on his way to seek medical help, nor did he ever cripple Long Xiaoyun's martial arts.

Now, this matter can only be done by Yu Liancheng.

However, compared to Li Xunhuan, his methods are far more ruthless. Li Xunhuan would only cripple his martial arts; if treated properly, he would be no different from an ordinary person.

But Yu Liancheng used his thick and overbearing True Qi to impact his dantian and the meridians throughout his body; unless a master were to constantly regulate and nourish him, I fear he would be able to do nothing more than lift chopsticks for the rest of his life, truly and utterly frail.

For a child with great ambition, this is even more unbearable than killing him.

"Child, what is wrong with you?" Long Xiaoyun hurriedly checked his pulse, immediately breaking into a cold sweat from anxiety.

"Father, my martial arts are all gone, I don't have a shred of strength in my whole body..." Long Xiaoyun clearly realized the situation was dire, his eyes turning red, and he looked at Yu Liancheng: "You... you are..."

Yu Liancheng glanced at him indifferently and smiled: "If you want to speak ill of me, it is best to only do so in your heart. Otherwise, if I hear it, I will inevitably have to deal with you ruthlessly as well."

A look of malice, hatred, and anger clearly flashed across Long Xiaoyun's face, but he soon let out a long sigh: "Well done, Hero Yu has done truly well. My son has been spoiled by his mother since he was young, and having learned a few martial arts, he has truly done many wrong things over these years. Even if Young Hero Yu had not crippled his martial arts, I would have had to take action sooner or later."

"Father, you, how could you..." Having had his martial arts crippled by Yu Liancheng, Long Xiaoyun could still maintain his composure, but upon hearing Long Xiaoyun's words, he finally could not help but widen his eyes, his whole body trembling, and then, unable to bear the blow any longer, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

He had truly fainted.

Qin Xiaoyi, standing to the side, looked at Long Xiaoyun and could not help but gasp.

He had underestimated this Longsiye before; one who can endure what others cannot must never be easily provoked.

And once a conflict arises with him, one must cut the weeds and dig up the roots, never leaving a single future trouble.

"Longsiye, I shall now teach you two principles." But Yu Liancheng seemed not to understand this principle at all, and instead wanted to teach Long Xiaoyun two principles.

Long Xiaoyun lowered his head and said: "I dare not accept the title Longsiye, please speak, Young Hero Yu, I am listening respectfully."

"First, one must never be too doting toward a child. Otherwise, one day when you encounter someone like me, not only will the child suffer, but you yourself may also be implicated. Second, no matter what, one must at least be worthy of one's own conscience, be clear about gratitude and grudges; the kindness that should be repaid must be repaid, and the grudges that should be avenged must not be missed in the slightest."

Long Xiaoyun nodded and said: "I will certainly keep this firmly in mind."

Yu Liancheng said: "Very good, these two things are the experience I have summarized in the first half of my life, and now I have told them all to you, how should you thank me?"

Long Xiaoyun could not help but be stunned and said: "I... I..."

Yu Liancheng said: "You don't need to do anything else, just gift Xingyun Manor to me. I happen to be in need of a place to stay; rest assured, I won't drive you out just yet, I still need you to deal with me."

The corners of Long Xiaoyun's mouth twitched.

He feared he had never met such an impolite person in his life, nor such an unreasonable request.

But he dared neither to refuse nor to agree, and after stammering for a long time, he could not utter a single word.

"Since you don't speak, I will take it as your tacit consent."

Fortunately, at this moment Yu Liancheng laughed: "Since I have become my own master, naturally I cannot be too polite; I will go find two pots of wine to drink and will not entertain you guests, please make yourselves at home."

Having said this, he strode away.

Long Xiaoyun and Qin Xiaoyi looked at each other, speechless.

But they both knew that if they did not get rid of Yu Liancheng, they would likely have no way to survive.

Outside the thick walls of Xingyun Manor, there is a small alley called Heng Tang; when the wind blows, dust flies here, and when it rains, the mud is ankle-deep. The high walls block the sunlight, and Heng Tang almost never sees the sun year-round.

But no matter how dark or dirty a place is, there are always people living there silently.

In Heng Tang, there is a Chicken Feather Shop; in the front, they sell some coarse food, and in the back, there are three or five simple guest rooms. The shopkeeper is a crippled dwarf whom everyone calls Sun Tuozi, and as time passed, no one knew his real name.

This day, it was still snowing, and the weather was very cold.

Sun Tuozi got up, put on a cotton-padded jacket for the winter, and began to grind tofu.

He walked very steadily step by step, as if the hump on his back were a mountain.

At this moment, a sound of footsteps arose. Sun Tuozi looked up and saw an old man and a young girl walking toward his shop.

The old one was a white-haired old man in blue clothes, holding a dry tobacco pipe in his hand.

The other was presumably his granddaughter, wearing two bright, black braids, with a pair of watery, large eyes that were even darker and brighter than her braids.

Sun Tuozi recognized these two; they were originally regular customers of this small shop.

The blue-clothed old man was a storyteller, and the granddaughter was responsible for echoing his words and collecting money. Every winter, they would come to Baoding City and stay in his small shop for two days.

After greeting the old man and the young girl, Sun Tuozi continued to grind the tofu.

After he finished grinding the tofu, he began to wipe the table. He did not wipe it quickly, and it gave people a very strange feeling, as if he had a deep grudge against the table and wished he could wipe it into pieces.

At this moment, Sun Tuozi heard footsteps again. He looked up and saw a young man in black had come to Heng Tang.

The young man was dressed in luxurious silk, was handsome in appearance, and wore a faint smile.

Sun Tuozi continued to grind the tofu, because he knew that a person like this would never be his customer.

But he soon knew he was wrong, because the young man had already stepped into his Chicken Feather Shop.

Perhaps he was here to look for that little girl with the braids.

Sun Tuozi guessed in his heart; that little girl was indeed born very delicate and lovely, especially that pair of eyes, large and bright; when her pupils turned, it seemed as if she could hook away a man's soul.

But Sun Tuozi knew he had thought wrong again. Because the young man did not even glance at the little girl, nor did he look at the storyteller, but was looking at him, this ugly, crippled hunchback, looking at his pair of rough, large hands.

Sun Tuozi could not help but say: "This guest, are you looking to eat or to stay at the inn?"

The young man in black smiled: "I am looking for someone."

Sun Tuozi smiled: "The guest wouldn't be looking for me, this hunchback, would he?"

The young man in black nodded: "Yes, I am looking for you."

Sun Tuozi could not help but say: "Young master, have you found the wrong person?"

"No, I am looking for you, and I have two things to find you for."

"What two things?"

The young man in black looked at Sun Tuozi's hands again, a divine light flashing in his eyes: "The first thing is, I want to witness your Great Eagle Claw Technique."