Yu Daohén watched Li Zhènduó, who was beaming with pride, and had already figured out how to respond.
Masterful exchanges prioritized speed, accuracy, and ferocity; verbal sparring was no different. One wrong move, and you’d be trapped.
Yu Daohén didn’t take the bait at all, admitting directly, “You’re right, my reputation was indeed bought.”
Li Zhènduó blinked, utterly bewildered.
What in the world was going on? Why wasn’t this brat playing by the rules?
If he had retorted or denied it, Li Zhènduó would have had a thousand ways to counter him. But by admitting it, he’d left Li Zhènduó speechless.
Li Zhènduó was momentarily lost for words. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he chuckled, “Lord Yu mocks Elder Huang for buying his reputation, yet you yourself bought yours with money. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Yu Daohén grinned; this was exactly what he’d been waiting for.
“Why should I be ashamed? I bought my reputation because I have the strength to back it up. Unlike some people.”
As Yu Daohén said this, he deliberately glanced at Huang Xujie beside Li Zhènduó, his meaning as clear as day.
Some people are like this: if you don’t have the strength, don’t pretend. Now look, you’ve made yourself look foolish.
As the saying goes, why stick a scallion up your nose and pretend to be a garlic?
“You… you… you… you!”
Huang Xujie, standing beside Li Zhènduó, finally couldn’t take it anymore. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Fortunately, a disciple nearby quickly caught him.
Seeing this, Yu Daohén was so delighted he wanted to jump two meters high. The old geezer had finally cracked.
Li Zhènduó, seeing Huang Xujie’s condition, knew that if Yu Daohén continued, Huang Xujie would surely be angered to death.
Li Zhènduó immediately stepped in to help Huang Xujie, saying, “Yu Daohén, don’t push your luck too far. If Elder Huang hadn’t been injured in that battle, you wouldn’t have been able to defeat him.”
Yu Daohén sneered. “Being powerful in the past is just that—in the past. ‘You were defeated in three moves and still have the nerve to flaunt yourself? If you lack strength, don’t go challenging others.’ If I were him, I’d find a crack in the ground and disappear into it. What a disgrace!”
Upon hearing this, Huang Xujie spat out another mouthful of blood and fainted.
Li Zhènduó suddenly roared, looking ready to fight, “Yu Daohén, you bastard…”
Yu Daohén grinned. It seemed this fellow couldn’t hold back anymore. Perhaps he should take them all out now? He’d already offended the Li family, so there was no need to show them any respect.
Just as Yu Daohén was about to make a move, his heart suddenly leaped.
Yu Daohén remained outwardly calm, but inwardly, he knew something was wrong.
He remembered Liu Feng mentioning that the power of the ghost horns had severe side effects after use, potentially leading to extreme exhaustion.
If a fight broke out now and the power of the ghost horns suddenly dissipated, he’d truly be caught off guard and finished.
Li Zhènduó slowly calmed himself, his anger subsiding.
He wasn’t stupid. Yu Daohén could fight Huang Xujie to a standstill with ease; he was no match for him. It was just that Yu Daohén’s mouth was too irritating.
“I heard from Elder Huang that you stole our family’s artifact,” Li Zhènduó said.
Yu Daohén smiled faintly, acting as if he were the one at a disadvantage. “That’s a strange thing to say. I picked that thing up with my own skill. Are you planning to snatch it back, Young Master Li?”
Li Zhènduó clenched his fists in anger.
How could anyone in this world be so shameless?
That red dress was originally their Li family’s artifact; taking it back was only natural.
But Li Zhènduó also knew that it was impossible to retrieve the red dress now. He might even lose his life.
A wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late. He admitted defeat today.
Li Zhènduó snorted, “Let’s go, bringing Elder Huang with us.”
The disciples of the Corpse Herding Sect nearby also understood that it was impossible to deal with Yu Daohén anymore, especially with the elder unconscious and his fate uncertain.
Seeing everyone turn to leave, Yu Daohén breathed a sigh of relief. If Li Zhènduó had realized he couldn’t hold on much longer, he would have certainly worn him down.
However, Yu Daohén also knew that in his current state, they were no match for him.
As the group left, Yu Daohén couldn’t resist adding, “Young Master Li, what’s the incantation for that red dress?”
Li Zhènduó, walking ahead, almost choked to death.
“Aaaahhh… Aaaahhh… Aaaahhh…”
This Yu Daohén was truly infuriating!
But he had to endure. He absolutely had to endure and not fall for Yu Daohén’s provocation.
And so, Li Zhènduó, filled with pent-up frustration, grievance, and anger, slowly retreated from Yu Daohén’s sight.
Only when he was sure Li Zhènduó and his group had completely left did Yu Daohén finally relax. His body slowly returned to normal, and the pair of ghost horns on his forehead vanished.
Just as Yu Daohén was about to turn and leave, his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.
An overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over him like a storm, without any warning.
Yu Daohén tried to push himself up with his hands but had no strength.
Gritting his teeth, Yu Daohén struggled to stay conscious, cursing, “Damn it, these ghost horns have worse aftereffects than the Nine Reincarnation Eyes. It feels like I’ve masturbated a hundred times.”