C25 The Young Girl Zi Xuan

Feeling the formidable power behind Hao Jian's punches, Zhang Yu couldn't afford to take any chances, his demeanor turning grave.

Hao Jian was, after all, from the Hao family—one of Sunset City's four major forces. Even as an early-stage Great Martial Master, he was leagues beyond Liu Yunsheng, whom Zhang Yu had previously defeated.

Zhang Yu refrained from drawing his Thunder Shocking Sword, instead summoning his spiritual energy and meeting the attack with his own fist.

"Thud!"

The sound reverberated, the released energy kicking up dust from the ground in a fierce display.

"Crack!"

Simultaneously, the sound of the floor splintering could be heard as both men were forced back by the impact of their blows. Zhang Yu was pushed back ten feet, while Hao Jian was only set back by about six feet. The force they unleashed caused the sturdy floor to crack, unable to bear the strain.

The brawny man, witnessing his young master's strike return without effect, tensed up, thinking, "Have we hit a snag?"

His concern was understandable. His young master, despite being an early Great Martial Master and a direct descendant of the Hao family, possessed superior techniques and martial skills that could rival the peak Great Martial Masters. It stood to reason that he should have easily overpowered a kid who seemed to be at the Warrior Peak level.

"Maybe the young master just underestimated him and didn't go all out. He's bound to win eventually."

"Mr. Zhang, you're quite remarkable, to block my punch at the Warrior Peak level," Hao Jian commented with a mocking edge.

"Likewise," retorted Zhang Yu, unfazed. "It seems I should be the one admiring your audacity to strike at me, disregarding the city's laws!"

"Well then, no more holding back," Hao Jian declared, his fist suddenly glowing with a brilliant sheen as an overwhelming aura emanated from him, causing Zhang Yu to brace himself.

"Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain!"

In a bold move, Hao Jian unleashed a martial skill, and the phantom of a roaring tiger sprang from his fist, lunging at Zhang Yu.

With a solemn expression but no sign of panic, Zhang Yu took a deep breath, his spiritual energy swirling within. It burst forth in a torrent, his hands transforming into palms, the energy coalescing there to fend off the oncoming tiger.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Zhang Yu staggered back several meters before he managed to dissipate the intense fist force into the ground.

Despite being pushed back by his own strikes, Hao Jian noticed Zhang Yu was unscathed. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a growing shadow of menace. "To prevent the world from thinking the Hao family can be trifled with, and to uphold our honor, I must now give it my all." His body leaned forward slightly as his aura surged.

Zhang Yu, sensing the escalation, didn't hold back either. He rested his hand on the hilt of his Thunder Shocking Sword, ready to draw it in an instant.

"You shameless thing, have you no dignity? Why don't you just drop dead?!" An inappropriate shout cut through the tension.

A woman of stunning beauty, with skin like porcelain and eyes sparkling like stars, approached flanked by her entourage. Her slender waist and long, graceful legs captivated the onlookers. Yet, her first words shattered Zhang Yu's idealized image of her.

"Look at you, playing the bully again. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" It was hard to believe such coarse words could come from such a beautiful woman.

"Zi Xuan, do you really want to stick your nose into this?" Hao Jian, recognizing the newcomer, asked with a dark scowl.

"Absolutely, I'm getting involved. You wanted to fight, didn't you? Bring it on!" Zi Xuan taunted.

"You neglect your own servant, and when someone kindly intervenes, you react with ingratitude. Have you no sense of decency left?"

"This upstart has insulted the Hao family. What's wrong with teaching him a lesson?" Hao Jian retorted, his voice heavy with authority.

"You know the truth, yet you dare to twist facts in front of all these witnesses? I'm embarrassed for the Hao family to have someone like you representing them. Am I right, folks?" Zi Xuan stirred the crowd, reveling in the unfolding chaos.

"Yeah, that's right!"

"Absolutely."

As Zhang Yu courageously stepped in, followed by someone who clearly intimidated Hao Jian, the onlookers began to find their voice, with murmurs of agreement rippling through the crowd.

Hao Jian, accustomed to seeing people too timid to even breathe loudly around him, scowled so darkly it looked like rain might pour from his face. He shot a meaningful glance at his henchmen, clearly intending to forcefully take down Zhang Yu.

"The City Guard Team is here!" In the midst of the tension, someone blurted out the alert. The Hao family members, who were closing in on Zhang Yu, had no choice but to fall back to Hao Jian's side.

"What's the trouble here? Who's causing a disturbance?" A commanding figure clad in armor pushed through the crowd.

"Uncle Gong, Hao Jian has the audacity to stir up trouble right in the city. You have to arrest him!" Zi Xuan, recognizing the newcomer, immediately switched to a whiny tone.

After a brief inquiry with a bystander, the man known as Uncle Gong gestured towards Hao Jian and challenged, "Young Master Hao, are you really going to flout the rules and start a brawl?"

Captain Gong, you jest. I merely noticed Mr. Zhang's impressive martial skills and wished to exchange a few pointers. But since it's against the rules, I'll respectfully take my leave." With that, Hao Jian turned on his heel, leading his men away without a second thought.

Hao Jian's swift departure was a strategic retreat, knowing full well that the newcomer was allied with Zi Xuan. Persisting in a fight would only lead to his humiliation.

With Hao Jian and his entourage gone, the once charged atmosphere began to ease.

"Uncle Gong, how could you let him off so easily? I'm not talking to you anymore!" Zi Xuan pouted, her displeasure written all over her face.

"Xuan'er, don't make a fuss. You know as well as I do that Hao Jian is the heir to the Hao family. Arresting him would be futile and only serve to antagonize the Haos. Sometimes, we have to turn a blind eye." Uncle Gong reasoned.

"I've got to continue my rounds in other districts. Duty calls, so I must be off. Have fun!" And with that, the City Guard Team was gone as quickly as they had arrived.

As Captain Gong and his team departed, Zi Xuan shifted her attention to Zhang Yu.

"Wow, you've got some nerve, taking on that lowlife from the Hao family. How do you plan to thank me for saving your skin?" Zi Xuan's curiosity about this young man at the Warrior Peak was evident.

Zhang Yu felt a bit resigned as he listened to Zi Xuan's question. He knew that even without her intervention, defeat wasn't certain, but if the Hao family's experts had come after him, he would have had no escape. Gratitude was certainly in order.

"Thank you, Miss Zi Xuan, for your righteous aid. Here's a small token of my appreciation; I hope you won't be offended," he said, producing a stunning stone sculpture from his Storage Ring and offering it to her.

It was a toy he'd bought recently to indulge his inner child, and he hadn't expected to part with it so soon.

Zi Xuan nonchalantly accepted the sculpture from Zhang Yu, giving it a quick glance before tucking it away. She wasn't really after anything in particular; it was simply a young girl's playful nature.

"Hey, don't you have any manners? You know my name, but you haven't even told me yours!" Zi Xuan pointed at Zhang Yu, her tone showing a hint of irritation.

"My apologies for the oversight. My name is Zhang Yu, a solitary practitioner. If you have no further questions, Miss Zi Xuan, I shall take my leave."

Zi Xuan was not pleased to see Zhang Yu, in the presence of such a captivating woman, not only refrain from engaging in conversation but also look for an excuse to leave.

"Hold on, I wasn't finished talking!" Zi Xuan quickly stepped forward, grabbing the hem of Zhang Yu's garment.

"It's been ages since I've seen someone stand up to that Hao Jian. You have no idea how obnoxious he is, always bothering my sister Zi Wei and aspiring to be my brother-in-law. He should take a good look at himself!"

"I'm well aware of his true colors. He may appear amiable, but he's nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing, always putting on a humble act in front of my sister. It's nauseating. If I could beat him, I would have done so long ago."

"Since you're clearly not intimidated by him, how about becoming my bodyguard? Every time we encounter him, we'll give him a taste of his own medicine. Let's see how he keeps up his charade then!" It was only then that Zi Xuan revealed her true intention for wanting Zhang Yu to stay.

Upon hearing that Zi Xuan actually wanted him to join her in a fight, Zhang Yu broke out in a cold sweat. It was surprising to see that this delicate beauty was as fierce as her lion zodiac sign suggested. With a resigned touch to his nose, he steeled himself and said, "I appreciate the honor, Miss Zi Xuan, but I'm far too accustomed to my freedom to be tied down. Moreover, I'm certainly no match for Hao Jian, so I must respectfully decline."

"I have other matters to attend to, so I must be going."

"Hold on," Zi Xuan interjected, "the Ding family's annual super auction is just a few days away. You're not getting off with just a worthless stone for saving your life. You'll need to purchase something that truly satisfies me. Take this token; someone will use it to guide you to me when the time comes." Before Zhang Yu could even respond, she tossed him the token and swiftly departed with her entourage.

Watching her retreating figure, Zhang Yu had no choice but to tuck the purple token into his Storage Ring.