White-Robed Chief

“Where are you going?” Lu Tianji clutched at his Dantian before quickly reaching into his chest and drawing out a jade bottle. He poured out two pills from the bottle before promptly tossing them into his mouth.

His eyes were fixed on Chu Li as he did this. “Zhuge Tian, are you trying to run?”

Chu Li turned his head to look at him and suddenly laughed. “I am going to receive my punishment soon enough. After all, it’s an offense to accidentally injure someone while talking, so why would I run? Brother Lu, you think too terribly of me.”

“Zhuge Tian, I did not expect you to be so sinister, to use such an evil tactic!” Lu Tianji glared furiously at him. “We are partially from the same sect!”

Chu Li shook his head. “If you had any sense of camaraderie with me, then you wouldn’t have spread those rumors. After I accept my punishment, I will question Elder Hu face to face. How does he train his disciples for them to become this malicious!”

After saying this, he turned around and walked away with large strides.

Qiao San looked anxiously at Lu Tianji before helplessly chasing after Chu Li.

If it were anybody else, crippling a person would be no big deal. In fact, it would be no big deal even if he were killed. Chu Li saw everyone as ants, and after all, there was nothing wrong with killing a few ants.

However, this was Lu Tianji, the disciple of Hu Huarong whom Hu Huarong had pinned all his hopes on. The disciple who was to inherit the position of the next Hill Master was crippled just like that, instantly crushing Hu Huarong’s dreams.

Qiao San did not have to be a genius to imagine Hu Huarong’s reaction. He would go mad and intend to kill the young master.

Hu Huarong was no worse than the Hill Master. His martial arts stood at the pinnacle of cultivation in the Crouching Bull Mountain. Old age simply meant deep cultivation levels and broad experience. In this case, the young master might not be able to handle him.

Chu Li strode to the main hall, ignoring the Protectors outside the main hall, and walked straight in.

Zhuge Feng and the six elders were present in the main hall.

“Young master?” Murong Chun noticed Chu Li’s cold expression, which appeared slightly off.

Chu Li announced, “Nobody needs to talk about Lu Tianji anymore, I have already crippled him!”

“Crippled?” Zhuge Feng frowned from his seat, “What did you cripple?”

“His martial arts,” replied Chu Li.

“Hm?” Zhuge Feng instantly sat upright, his eyes suddenly widening with astonishment.

Both Murong Chun and Xia Liyan were equally surprised.

Zhuge Feng looked toward Qiao San.

Qiao San nodded as he laughed bitterly, “Lu Tianji came to the courtyard to meet the young master earlier. The young master was originally practicing his sword skills and did not want to see any visitors, but Lu Tianji insisted on meeting him, after which he said things that provoked the young master.”

Chu Li looked lazily at him.

Qiao San continued to explain, “After seeing the young master, he began to insult him, continuously provoking the young master. Finally, the young master drew his sword in an attempt to stab him, which coincidentally injured his Dantian!”

Chu Li waved his hand and interrupted Qiao San, “Why would Lu Tianji have approached me a day before the competition? Could it be to improve our relationship? He wanted to scout me out and see my abilities firsthand. If my martial arts were weak, he would easily win, but if my martial arts were stronger than his, then he would let Hu Huarong injure me first, allowing him to defeat me afterward.

“Nonsense!” Zhuge Feng snapped, “Do not measure the stature of great men with the yardstick of lesser people!”

Chu Li burst into laughter before looking at Murong Chun, Xia Liyan, and the others, “Do the elders actually believe that he is a pure and virtuous person? That he just wanted to talk with me?”

“Well…” replied Murong Chun, “these speculations have not yet been proven. If Elder Hu were to walk in right now, talking would do us no good either…Elder Hu would never let the matter go!”

Chu Li laughed. “He is the mastermind! Why would he drop the matter?”

“You…” Zhuge Feng pointed at him. “You act according to emotions, with no view of the bigger picture. If you had already seen through his thoughts, then make a fool of him and cripple him after the competition. Why cause such a fuss?”

Chu Li replied, “He provoked me without end, and this was the consequence of doing so.”

“You could have just brushed it all off!” Zhuge Feng growled, “You… you just can’t keep your composure!”

Chu Li replied, “He claimed that I am not the Hill Master’s biological son, and instead am the bastard child of my mother with another man!”

“Bam!” Zhuge Feng slammed his armrest.

“Crash!” The armchair broke into pieces, crumbling into a pile of wood.

Zhuge Feng stood up and laughed coldly. “He really said that?”

Chu Li said, “Would I make up something like that?”

“Such a vicious person, death is not sufficient punishment for his crimes!” Zhuge Feng said coldly, “You should have stabbed him to death!”

Chu Li looked at Murong Chun, Xia Liyan, and the others.

The six elders all seemed infuriated too.

This insult from Lu Tianji put him in a difficult position.

They had all respected Zhuge Tian’s mother and could not tolerate people saying such slander against her name. If they were at the scene, they would have no doubt taken action too.

Chu Li continued, “After hearing that, I would be a worthless son not to take action. I only let him live to preserve Elder Hu’s reputation.”

“He deserved it!” Sneered Zhuge Feng.

“The young master was right to cripple him! Some things can be tolerated, but some things cannot!” Scoffed Murong Chun, “That Lu Tianji was harboring such diabolical motives, it’s good that he was crippled. What do you say, Hill Master?”

Zhuge Feng replied coldly, “Looks like we have to consider getting Elder Hu back here.”

Everyone shook their heads.

If it were that easy, they would have brought him back long ago.

Chu Li spoke up, “I want to visit Elder Hu and apologize to him!”

“Why apologize!” Growled Zhuge Feng, “You’re not in the wrong.”

Chu Li shook his head. “I should apologize since I did cripple his disciple after all. Hill Master, elders, I shall take my leave now!”

He closed fist saluted after speaking and lazily left the main hall.

Murong Chun laughed. “The Young Master is very prudent in his actions, he has progressed greatly!”

“Hmph, nonsense!” Scoffed Zhuge Feng.

“I am just worried… the situation is bad for the young master,” said Murong Chun, “With Hu Huarong’s temper, how could he just let it go?”

“Since he is brave enough to go, he should be able to defend himself,” Zhuge Feng replied, “Even if he cannot defeat him, he can at the very least escape.”

Everyone nodded their heads.

——

Chu Li arrived in front of Hu Huarong’s courtyard and shouted, “Junior Zhuge Tian is here to meet Elder Hu!”

“Come in!” Hu Huarong calmly replied.

Chu Li waved his hand to tell Qiao San to stay outside before stepping into the courtyard. He saw Hu Huarong sitting by the stone table with Lu Tianji looking at him calmly, as if the incident earlier had never happened, not looking angry at all.

Hu Huarong’s gaze was filled with curiosity, and he asked warmly, “What brings the young master to my home?”

Chu Li closed fist saluted. “Your junior is here to receive punishment. I have crippled Brother Lu and caused Elder Hu’s efforts to go down the drain. I apologize!”

“No big deal, I have already healed Tianji’s injury. His cultivation did not suffer that much. It will recover in a few days,” replied Hu Huarong.

Chu Li raised his eyebrow. “I never knew Elder Hu had such a panacea, I don’t even think the Hill Master has something like that.”

“It was a gift from an old friend,” Hu Huarong frowned. He had noticed the menace in Chu Li’s tone.

Chu Li replied, “Then I congratulate Brother Lu for recovering his cultivation.”

Lu Tianji smiled lightly. “What the young master gave to me today, I will repay him in in the future!”

Chu Li laughed. “Alright, I’ll wait for you. Now I’m wondering, how many of this panacea does Elder Hu have?”

Hu Huarong said, “Oh, this medicine is rare and difficult to refine and produce. I only have one, and I have used it on Tianji.”

Chu Li seemed disappointed. “That’s a shame. If Brother Lu were to be crippled again, there would be no way to salvage him, and he would be forced cultivate from the beginning all over again.”