Chapter 139: Taking Care Of Xuan Yu
Xuan Yu’s gaudy silk robes shimmered under the lamplight, the embroidery garish against the gloom. His nose tilted skyward, his expression brimming with arrogance — but Liam did not miss the flicker of vindictive joy in his eyes.
Of course, Xuan Yu was happy. It has been almost a month since the day he was humiliated by a random nobody.
He went back to his family to get someone strong enough to help him exact revenge, but by the time he got back, the person had left the restaurant.
He naturally searched for the man and discovered he was staying at an inn. But there was a problem: that inn had a terrifying background.
The inn wasn’t like the restaurant where he can act as he liked. But he didn’t give up as he waited patiently for him to come out. He had waited for almost a month and was about to give up, but who knew that he would be in luck today?
And to make things even better, he was with his elder brother who decided to visit home. His brother who is an outer sect disciple of one of the minor sects
Xuan Yu’s sneer widened as he stepped forward, pointing a trembling finger. "Do you remember me, you worthless dog? Do you remember how you dared humiliate me in public? You thought you could shame me and walk away? Tonight, you’ll pay the price. Break your own legs, strip down, kneel in the dirt and beg for forgiveness. Do that, and perhaps I’ll let you live."
The elder brother, Xuan Tian’s, face was hard as stone. He frowned deeply at his brother’s words, but his frown was not disapproval of cruelty. No, it was anger. His brother had been shamed, and that shame reflected upon the family. In their world, reputation was everything. Allowing such an insult to go unanswered was weakness.
He stepped forward, his gaze locking onto Liam like the point of a spear. His aura surged outward, revealing his cultivation level which was at the 7th stage of the Qi Refining realm. Of course Liam couldn’t sense his cultivation level.
Pressure rolled over the street, forcing ordinary folk to stagger back, their knees trembling.
Liam stood where he was, utterly unbothered.
His face was calm, almost blank, but inwardly his patience thinned. So this is how it is. The cycle was bound to repeat anyway. Better to end it here than drag it out.
His eyes flicked once to Xuan Yu, then back to the elder brother. His voice was flat, sharp as flint. "Enough yapping. Come at me. Or I’ll come at you."
The blunt dismissal made Xuan Yu’s smile falter. Even Xuan Tian stiffened slightly, caught off guard. Then his face darkened.
"Arrogant fool," he hissed. He took another step forward, the ground beneath his foot cracking faintly from the force. His hand shot out, aiming to seize Liam by the shoulder and hurl him into the dirt.
But his hand never landed.
It froze, halted inches from Liam’s shoulder, as though pressed against an invisible wall. He pushed harder, muscles bulging, veins straining — yet his palm would not descend.
Liam’s expression did not change at all. He had that same bored, blank look on his face. He raised his hand slowly, placed it lightly on Xuan Tian’s shoulder — and pushed.
Thud!
The cultivator crashed to the ground as though a mountain had slammed him down, the earth cracking beneath his knees.
Liam looked down at him once, then lifted his gaze toward Xuan Yu.
The young master’s face had drained of color. His lips trembling and his knees quivering, as his eyes screamed disbelief. He couldn’t believe it. His brother was easily bested without even being able to do anything. He was just forced to the ground, to kneel, by a nobody.
No, he felt that this person wasn’t a nobody. His brother is the best genius of his family. He can’t be defeated by a nobody.
Xuan Yu, at this point, was willing to bite the bullet, swallow his pride and apologize to this senior, but he knew that it was too late.
Liam had no idea what Xuan Yu was thinking and he couldn’t care less, as he extended his hand lazily.
Xuan Yu yelped as his body rose into the air, legs kicking uselessly. He flew across the gap like a rag doll, caught in Liam’s grip by the throat.
With a casual motion, Liam slammed him face-first into the ground.
The impact rang out like a drumbeat. Blood spattered, teeth cracked, and the arrogant youth’s cries cut off in a muffled groan.
The small crowd that had gathered recoiled and a defeaning silence filled the surroundings.
Liam knelt slightly, his hand still gripping Xuan Yu’s neck, pressing his face into the dirt. His eyes shifted back to Xuan Tian, who now struggled to rise, his expression twisting between fury and horror.
Liam’s voice was low, but every word carried across the street with chilling clarity.
"This is your last chance. Hear me well. If you, or anyone from your Xuan family, dares confront me again... I will not be merciful. You will not walk away."
The weight of his words pressed heavier than Xuan Tian’s aura had. The crowd shivered.
Xuan Tian’s eyes darted to his brother’s broken form, then back to the calm, implacable figure before him. The blood drained from his face.
He nodded rapidly, his head bobbing like a reed in the storm. "Y-yes... understood..."
Without another word, Liam tightened his grip just enough to cut off Xuan Yu’s last whimper, and the boy went limp, unconscious. He released him, letting the body crumple to the dirt.
Then, with the same casual gesture, he extended a finger. Invisible force struck Xuan Tian square in the chest. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed beside his brother, also unconscious.
A loud silence rang out. The crowd stood frozen. Some had smiles on their face, while some were in shock and some were looking at Liam with interest, but no one stepped forward.
Liam dusted his hands lightly, as though brushing away the filth of the encounter. His face was calm, with a detached look, as he turned and walked away with steady steps. He did not so much as glance at the onlookers.
As he disappeared into the next street, some gazes followed him and whispers finally erupted. Speculation flared like wildfire, but Liam paid it no mind. He had no interest in feeding rumors.
But at the far corner of the street, half-hidden by shadows, a figure was watching Liam with a faint smile, her eyes gleaming with interest as they followed his departing form.
"Interesting," she murmured softly and with silent steps, she began to follow.