noffsinger Chapter 55 Farce
Chapter 55 Farce
"Uncle Wang."
"It's time to hit the road."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Jingshan moved.
The ground beneath his feet suddenly sank, and he moved like a beast unleashed from its cage, covering several meters in a flash, and punched Wang the blacksmith straight in the chest.
Without dodging or avoiding, Wang the blacksmith covered his right hand, which had been holding a hammer for many years, with his iron-gray aura. He lowered his waist, twisted his body, and threw a punch to meet the attack.
boom!
The two fists collided, and all the metal objects in the courtyard vibrated, emitting a chaotic tremor.
Li Jingshan felt a powerful force slam into his arm bone, his entire right arm went numb instantly, and he staggered back three steps, leaving deep footprints under his feet.
Wang the blacksmith simply shrugged.
A hint of surprise flashed in both of their eyes at the same time.
Li Jingshan has always been confident in his physical strength.
Reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining is already the mid-stage. At this level, the cultivator's dantian is transformed from spiritual mist into liquid, their divine sense has just broken through to the Niwan point, they can abstain from grains, and eat the morning dew and drink the evening mist. They have already stepped halfway out of the mortal world.
But he was different. He had no divine consciousness, nor could he abstain from grains, and he could even eat more than before. However, his five senses were more acute, his muscles and bones were heavier, his flesh and blood were more vibrant, and he could even subtly change the shape of his muscles to control his appearance. This was a secret he had always kept hidden.
Although he did not use his full strength, he did not expect that he would lose to Wang the blacksmith in terms of sheer strength.
Wang the blacksmith was clearly also somewhat surprised. He was a weapon refiner, specializing in hammering and forging magical artifacts, not fire-forging them; his physical body was already incredibly strong. Yet, Li Jingshan had managed to shake him.
The two exchanged a brief glance, and Li Jingshan pressed forward again.
This time, he no longer engaged in a head-on confrontation. He shifted his footing and dodged Wang the blacksmith's punches. He attacked extremely quickly, smashing, striking, lifting, and drilling, his offensive was swift, but he no longer sought to defeat the enemy with a single blow.
Wang the blacksmith remained as steady as a heavy iron block, alternating between his fists to parry, block, deflect, and strike.
His punches were like those of someone striking iron.
Every time Li Jingshan approached, it was like a piece of stubborn iron being placed on an anvil.
In the courtyard, a fierce wind howled, and powerful energy surged! Two figures clashed with lightning speed and sheer force! The dull thuds of their collisions echoed one after another.
"Bang!"
After another hard clash, Li Jingshan was jolted back. He steadied himself, breathing heavily, his voice strained from the force of the punch:
"Uncle Wang, why aren't we leaving?"
Wang the blacksmith remained silent, then swept his fist horizontally, forcing Li Jingshan to duck. Li Jingshan retaliated with a punch to his ribs, shouting urgently:
"Once my father arrives, you won't be able to leave even if you want to. Do you really think that someone at the sixth level of Qi Refining can contend with someone at the Foundation Establishment stage?"
With a downward press of his arm, the blacksmith deflected the punch, his stance as steady as a mountain.
"Over the years, you have been the eyes and ears of the evil cultivators." Li Jingshan continued his offensive, but his speech became increasingly rapid.
"But you never intentionally harmed the townspeople. What got out were mostly migration routes, population increases and decreases, and the number of granaries... In the end, these were things they would find out sooner or later."
He endured the heavy blow to the shoulder, only to have his own fist slam into the blacksmith's chest, but it felt like hitting an iron wall. The blacksmith groaned, his body swaying slightly, and a complex emotion finally flashed across his eyes.
Li Jingshan seized the moment and closed in by half a step:
"If you leave now, I can pretend I never saw you. Even if Father finds out, he'll at most scold me for being indecisive, but he won't investigate further."
Wang the blacksmith still didn't answer, but his next punch was even harder.
Li Jingshan braced himself against the impact, his blood surging from the shock, almost causing him to lose his balance. He gritted his teeth and held on, finally raising his voice:
"Don't you understand? Father wants to move the entire clan to Cloud Hidden Lake. How can the evil cultivators allow these 100,000 mortals to leave? White Creek Town will inevitably become a battlefield! What will you do then?"
Wang the blacksmith's eyes darkened.
Li Jingshan pressed down with both fists again, his voice almost tinged with blood:
"Aiding evil cultivators to slaughter these townspeople who live with you day and night?"
Or will they defect on the spot and become enemies of their former masters?
No matter which path you take, it's a dead end!
Li Jingshan's eyes were bloodshot as he poured his spiritual energy into his arms, desperately trying to break through the iron-like defense:
"Why don't you leave?!"
The response he received was a sudden burst of immense strength from Wang the blacksmith. He forcefully swung his arms outward, deflecting Li Jingshan's incoming punch. Immediately afterward, his right leg struck Li Jingshan's abdomen with the force of a heavy hammer.
puff--
Li Jingshan's protective spiritual energy shattered instantly, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He was sent flying backward, crashing through the simple fence and tumbling onto the dirt road outside the courtyard, raising a cloud of dust.
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Wang the blacksmith's tall figure slowly emerged from the broken courtyard wall.
Li Jingshan struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. There was no fear in his eyes, only a deeper solemnity.
------------
High in the sky, amidst the drifting clouds.
Li Wangxiang's slender figure hung silently in the air.
Beneath the clouds, the smoke and dust inside and outside the courtyard, the shadows of fists, and Li Jingshan's figure being knocked back and then rushing forward again and again all fell into his eyes.
He didn't move.
[Xuan Li] The ancient mirror floated beside him, its surface shimmering with a clear light, its expression carrying a hint of bewilderment:
"Aren't you going downstairs?"
"If the fighting continues, your adopted son is likely to suffer a great loss."
Li Wangxiang's gaze remained fixed downwards.
"Jingshan has given him many chances since last night."
"He even risked his life, resorting to verbal provocation. But this person..."
"There has been no indication that we will separate. What does the Mirror Master think?"
"Testing me?" [Xuan Li] had just been "distracted" by Li Qinghan, and upon hearing this, his mirror light flickered slightly, as if he had really thought about it seriously:
"Heh heh, I think this blacksmith at least has some self-awareness!"
"He knows his own limitations; he has no chance of escaping!"
"Why don't we just stand here and wait for you to come and grab him? That would save us the trouble!"
Li Wangxiang's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he was speechless. He thought his thoughts were sometimes quite "naive," but he never expected the Mirror Master's way of thinking to be even more...unique!
Master of the Mirror, your heart is not kind.
Li Wangxiang had no choice but to explain:
"Jingshan was determined to spare his life, and even stated that although he was an informant, he had not committed any great evils and his hands were not stained with innocent blood. I think... this man may have harbored thoughts of surrendering to the enemy."
"Then why fight at all?!" Xuan Li was even more puzzled.
"Wouldn't it be better to just point it out directly, abandon darkness for light? Why go through all this punching and kicking, making a scene of dust? Is that even entertaining?"
"He must have his concerns." Li Wangxiang's gaze was deep, as if he could see through the struggle behind Wang the blacksmith's silence.
"Perhaps... he was worried that the evil cultivators had left him with even more vicious tricks, and that if he betrayed them, he would suffer a fate worse than death."
"Perhaps... he felt deeply guilty and ashamed to face the people of Baixi Town."
"At this moment... he only hopes that I can capture him. In this way, he will be 'eliminated' and his story will be told to the evil cultivators."
"Without having to get your hands dirty with the blood of your former neighbors, by not helping either side, you can find... peace of mind."
"But isn't he afraid you'll just kill him?" Xuan Li still couldn't understand this "desire to die" mentality.
Looking down at Jing Shan, who was struggling to withstand the heavy blows yet still trying to persuade him, Li Wangxiang slowly uttered a few words, carrying a profound understanding of human nature:
"This person... may no longer care about life and death."