Hearing this, Lin Ruhu sneered and said, “Kid, that joke isn’t funny.”
“Is that so?” Young Master Gao Yang replied. “You’ll soon understand this isn’t a joke.”
“Enough nonsense,” Little Gui snorted, swinging his long staff straight toward him.
“What, angry now?” Young Master Gao Yang chuckled.
His wine cup flew through the air, glowing brightly.
The cup shone like a blazing sun, blocking the long staff below it.
But the power behind that strike was enormous. The blazing sun shattered, and Young Master Gao Yang’s figure flickered to the side.
“You’ve got some skill, no wonder you dare be so arrogant,” Young Master Gao Yang said coldly. “Do you even know who you’re dealing with? You don’t understand Young Master Gao Yang’s identity.”
The people who had accompanied Gao Yang started shouting from the side.
“You’d better apologize, or you’ll bring disaster on yourselves.”
“A mere inner court elder of the True Martial Sacred Ground isn’t enough to make me afraid,” Xu Zimo replied.
“Arrogant brat. Let me tell you the truth, my uncle is right here in Flourishing Sun City,” Young Master Gao Yang said coldly.
Xu Zimo ignored him and looked at Little Gui.
Little Gui understood his meaning. His long staff whirled fiercely, stirring up the wind.
The staff smashed through the air, ripples spreading as it came crashing down.
With a loud boom, Gao Yang rose to block, a blazing sun above his head, but he was still sent flying by the blow.
“Let’s hope your body is as tough as your mouth,” Little Gui said with a smile.
He stepped toward Gao Yang, and the surrounding people’s eyes grew sharp.
Someone shouted, “Quick, protect Young Master Gao Yang, go call for Elder Gao!”
The group immediately split, some rushing out of the tavern while others blocked Little Gui’s path.
“Gentlemen, this might be a misunderstanding,” they said with forced smiles, unwilling to fight.
But Little Gui didn’t bother with words. His long staff split into countless shadows, buzzing as it swept through the air.
With a thunderous crack, the strike came down.
These people were nothing but spoiled sons with no real strength. In just one blow, they were scattered apart.
Little Gui towered over Gao Yang, smiling. “I’ll break your limbs and let you beg. Seems you’ve already decided your own fate.”
With four cracking sounds and Gao Yang’s screams, he lay on the ground like mud.
His eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Little Gui.
“Believe me, you will die.”
“Still so stubborn?” Little Gui sneered and kicked him again.
Just then, from outside the Bright Moon Tower, a group of people flew in.
They wore golden armor, about a dozen of them, looking fierce and imposing.
The leader appeared to be a general.
He entered the tavern, frowning as he scanned the crowd, then fixed his gaze on Old Man Wei and Wei Ying.
Clad in heavy armor, the general stepped forward, the metal clanking as he moved.
“Elder Wei, Princess, please come with me,” the general said with a smile.
At this, the crowd froze, all eyes turning to their table.
“Princess?” Xu Zimo and Lin Ruhu glanced at each other.
“This so-called princess must be a princess of the Violet Sun Empire.”
“We’ve hidden ourselves so far away, yet you still found us,” Old Man Wei said bitterly. “Not even leaving us a way to live.”
“Please, Elder Wei, Princess, come with us,” the general repeated.
“I’m not going back,” Wei Ying turned her head aside, snorting.
“If the princess is unwilling, then we’ll have to take you back by force,” the general said calmly. “I hope the princess won’t make this harder for us.”
“All of you are nothing but that woman’s dogs,” Wei Ying snorted.
As they argued, another group entered.
At the lead were two middle-aged men of similar age.
When Young Master Gao Yang saw them, his eyes widened, and with all the strength he had left, he shouted, “Father, save me!”
The man on the left, Gao Rujin, saw his son’s condition and his face changed drastically. He rushed forward.
“Yang’er, how did this happen?” Gao Rujin demanded.
“It was them, those little bastards,” Gao Yang said with hatred.
Gao Rujin stood, spiritual energy rising faintly from his body, glaring fiercely at Xu Zimo’s group.
“You’ve gone too far.”
Meanwhile, the general bowed to the other middle-aged man, smiling. “Greetings, Elder Gao.”
This Elder Gao was easily identifiable. He wore the gray robe unique to the True Martial Sacred Ground’s inner court elders.
Though not very old, his hair was already turning white.
“So, it’s the Violet Sun Empire’s State-Securing General,” Elder Gao said with a smile and nod.
“Has something happened here that you require our help?” the general asked.
“No need, just a small conflict,” Elder Gao shook his head with a smile.
Beside him, Gao Rujin still glared at Xu Zimo’s group.
“Second brother, this matter cannot be judged so simply,” Elder Gao stepped forward with a smile.
“Yang’er got into a conflict with others. We should first learn the details, right and wrong, and then decide. We can’t just accuse people without knowing the truth.”
“But Yang’er has already been beaten like this,” Gao Rujin said angrily, then sensed his older brother’s unusual tone.
“No matter what, the truth must be clear first,” Elder Gao insisted.
He beckoned a young man nearby, calling him over.
“Tell me, you’re Yang’er’s friend. Don’t be biased, say everything honestly.”
The youth pointed at Xu Zimo’s group and quickly said, “It was them. They tried to dine and dash here. Our young master spoke up for justice, and they beat him like this.”
“If they tried to dine and dash here at Bright Moon Tower, that’s a matter between them and the tavern keeper. What does that have to do with Gao Yang?” Elder Gao asked.
“Our young master was just standing up for justice,” the youth explained.
“That’s called meddling. Nothing better to do after eating too much?” Elder Gao snorted. “In my view, this beating was deserved. Well done, why didn’t they just kill him?”
Elder Gao continued, “First of all, this is our fault. I think we should apologize to these young gentlemen.”
“Big brother, you...” Gao Rujin was stunned.
Why did it suddenly feel like he no longer knew his own brother?
“Big brother, you’re an inner court elder of the True Martial Sacred Ground…”