Before Luo Hou, Liu Yue was covering her mouth in pain, having fallen directly onto the ground.
"Luo Hou, have you gone mad?" Liu Yue shouted.
It had been a long time since anyone had dared to hit her, ever since she became a physician.
"Heh, you know what you did. It's a light punishment. If it weren't for our past acquaintance, I could have taken your life!"
With that, Luo Hou walked out of the medical hall.
What a humiliation!
With so many people watching her, Liu Yue was reminded of her days studying medicine.
Back then, she lacked talent and her looks were average. She was often bullied and verbally abused by other apprentices. Now, she felt as if she had returned to those times.
"Luo Hou, stop! Do you think you can leave safely today after hitting me?" Liu Yue struggled to stand up, but stumbled and fell again. Fortunately, a shop assistant nearby caught her.
Hearing Liu Yue's words, Luo Hou chuckled.
"What? What do you intend to do to me? If you're not satisfied, hit me back?"
"Listen, everyone present! Whoever can avenge me, Liu Yue will surely repay them in the future!" Liu Yue cried out to the surroundings.
No one responded.
Under normal circumstances, if the person opposing her wasn't Luo Hou, someone might have stepped forward.
But her opponent was a cultivator at the half-step Foundation Establishment stage, hailing from a prominent family. Though he was from the fringe of the family, in a small place like Black Rock City, even the City Lord would show him deference.
Who would dare to provoke such a person?
"Heh, see? No one cares about you, you ugly thing."
"What? What did you just call me?" Liu Yue couldn't believe her ears.
"Ugly thing? What, did I say something wrong?"
In this world where the average appearance was eight or nine out of ten, someone like Liu Yue was indeed considered ugly. However, people usually refrained from mentioning it due to her status.
If Liu Yue hadn't almost caused Luo Hou's death, he wouldn't have used this to provoke her.
"You're the ugly thing!" Liu Yue roared.
"Oh yes, yes, yes, we all are." Luo Hou said with a smile.
"Who is 'we' with you?"
"Besides you, who else? Am I talking to someone else?"
As he spoke, Luo Hou appeared nonchalant, which starkly contrasted with his injuries. But the more casual he was, the angrier Liu Yue became.
"Luo Hou! Don't push me too far!"
"I'm just stating facts, is that wrong? Isn't this something everyone in Black Rock City knows? Liu Yue, it's not your fault that you're ugly, it's your mother's fault. Go back and get reincarnated!"
After Luo Hou finished speaking, his two subordinates beside him burst into laughter.
Luo Hou had connections and power. If he were facing a high-level physician, he might have been more cautious, but Liu Yue was merely a physician of the lower echelons, respected only within Black Rock City. To Luo Hou's family, she was less than nothing.
Furthermore, after emerging from the forest, they had taken the powder Liu Yue had given them and had it appraised by Zhu Yu at the academy. They had discovered that Liu Yue was behind the scheme.
Liu Yue had indirectly caused the deaths of so many of their brothers. How could they not seek revenge?
If Liu Yue didn't have some reputation in Black Rock City, a low-level cultivator like her would have been killed by them in minutes.
Facing Luo Hou's insults, Liu Yue clenched her fists tightly.
However, the half-step Foundation Establishment aura emanating from Luo Hou was too intimidating for a low-level Qi Condensation cultivator like her.
She dared not act against Luo Hou.
This was because Luo Hou clearly knew about the matter of the medicinal powder.
If she were to act, she feared he would kill her!
Luo Hou was no ordinary person, and she was in the wrong from the start. More importantly, if she were to die in the end, she would lose her value. The empire might not fight much for her justice, after all, she was just a minor physician, not worth a major family's downfall.
Seeing Liu Yue remain silent, Luo Hou felt an immense sense of satisfaction. He then left the medical hall.
Not long after, the crowd dispersed.
However, the day's events quickly spread throughout Black Rock City.
Everyone speculated about what Liu Yue had done to offend Luo Hou. Luo Hou, with his usual openness, revealed that Liu Yue had given him problematic medicinal powder, but he omitted the part about them ambushing Lin Xiao Tian and his group.
Combined with the fact that Luo Hou had appeared at the medical hall with injuries that day, this explanation quickly gained traction.
Liu Yue, of course, vehemently denied it, even accusing Luo Hou of spreading rumors. In response, Liu Yue declared that she would no longer accept any commissions related to Luo Hou.
Luo Hou was not one to be trifled with. Obtaining medicinal powder was not difficult for him, and he didn't need to register at the medical hall to enter the forest. To spite Liu Yue, he announced that from then on, if anyone entering the forest was found to be registered through Liu Yue's entrance, he would beat them up on sight.
Luo Hou's strength ranked among the top three in Black Rock City's hunting teams, and his special status made him someone no one wanted to provoke. Instantly, the hunting teams were in a state of panic.
However, the medical hall's business only experienced minor fluctuations and was not significantly impacted. Luo Hou understood this; he merely wanted to annoy Liu Yue.
In a certain tavern in Black Rock City.
Luo Hou summoned Lin Xiao Tian and his two companions. Together with the two remaining men from his side, there were a total of six people.
"Brother Wan, I apologize for my past transgressions. This gathering today is specifically to make amends!" Luo Hou toasted Wan Hao.
Wan Hao quickly accepted the toast, "Brother Luo, there's no need for apologies. We were all deceived by Liu Yue and are victims."
"I, Old Luo, am a rough fellow. Enough said. Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The six raised their glasses and drank them dry.
After a few rounds of drinks, Luo Hou revealed the purpose of the meeting: he wanted to form a team. However, Wan Hao politely declined.
"Brother Wan, do you still intend to cooperate with Liu Yue? Aren't you afraid she'll scheme against you again?"
Wan Hao was also helpless about the situation, but he was unwilling to team up with Luo Hou. They had been on the verge of death not long ago, and now he was expected to team up with him? Wan Hao couldn't bring himself to do it.
Moreover, who knew if Luo Hou would betray them again with a sudden change of allegiance.
Seeing Wan Hao's hesitation, Luo Hou continued, "Brother Wan, nowadays, to enter the forest for hunting in Black Rock City, one can only cooperate with the medical hall. You and your group can only rely on Liu Yue. But you know what happened before." Luo Hou paused here and cleared his throat.
"I witnessed your performance in the forest, Brother Wan. You are a true man, and I, Luo Hou, admire you. This time, I sincerely want to form a team. Rest assured, if I, Luo Hou, were to harm my brothers, may I be damned to hell."
"Furthermore, by teaming up with me, you can avoid Liu Yue. I have my ways of obtaining those medicinal powders and can help with registration, allowing you to enter the forest normally. Brother Wan, won't you reconsider?"
Wan Hao fell silent for a moment. Honestly, he was starting to waver.
With Zhu Kai and Lin Xiao Tian following him now, they would have nothing to rely on.
Liu Yue intended to target Lin Xiao Tian, and he wanted to protect Lin Xiao Tian. But protecting Lin Xiao Tian meant drawing a line with Liu Yue. This way, they would be unable to enter the forest for hunting. If he agreed to Luo Hou, all his problems would be solved.
"How about this! You all go back and think it over carefully. Contact me anytime when you've made up your minds. I'm also looking for new team members. If you are willing to join, I will prioritize accepting you," Luo Hou said, patting Wan Hao's shoulder.
Shortly after, the three left the tavern.
On the way, Zhu Kai blocked Wan Hao's path.