Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 16 - Slapping Faces

Members of the Tian and Wan Clans joined in ridiculing Liu Wuxie.

Xu Lingxue wanted to stand up, but Liu Wuxie held her down and gave her a reassuring look.

“Trash, this is not the place for someone like you. You should visit places like the brothels instead.” Tian Hong spoke up, not far away from Liu Wuxie. He was the one who hired Scarred Tiger to sabotage the Xu Clan’s Weaponry Workshop. But because of Scarred Tiger and his mercenary group’s failure, the patriarch heavily reprimanded him.

“Trash, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you dumb?” Tian Yequan sneered.

Only the Song Clan sat quietly at their table, unwilling to be involved. But a fatty suddenly stepped forward from the Song Clan’s table and yelled, “You bastards have taken it too far, and I can’t watch any longer. Are you guys considered men to gang up on one person?”

This fatty had a baby face, and his loud voice made everyone jump. Other Song Clan members wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.

“Song Ling, mind your own business.” Tian Yequan’s gaze became cold. Song Clan was the head of the four big clans, and they had a close relationship with the Li Clan of the imperial capital. So the Song Clan naturally didn’t fear Xue Yu and dared to stand up for Liu Wuxie.

“Come and fight me, one-on-one, if you have the guts. What’s so impressive about bullying someone weaker than you?” Song Ling strode over and stood behind Liu Wuxie. This turn of events naturally stumped Liu Wuxie, and he couldn’t help finding this fatty interesting.

The Wan and Tian Clan’s members gritted their teeth with hatred but couldn’t afford to offend the Song Clan, especially this fatty. This fatty was the only son of the Song Clan’s patriarch, and the entire Song Clan greatly doted on him.

“Trash, do you think you can escape with someone standing up for you? Young Master Xue gave you the honor, but you’re the one who didn’t want it. So don’t blame us for being impolite with you!” Tian Yequan could only vent his anger on Liu Wuxie, wanting nothing more than to throw him out of the colosseum.

“Oh? Do you mind going into details about how you will be impolite with me?” Liu Wuxie wore a devilish smile.

The conversation between him and Tian Yequan was loud and spread throughout the colosseum. At that moment, two people entered the area from the covered bridge, led by an old man.

“I’ll cripple you and throw you out of this place. A piece of garbage like you shouldn’t be here.” Tian Yequan wanted to slap Liu Wuxie when he finished talking.

Xu Lingxue wanted to help Liu Wuxie, but he stopped her. When Tian Yequan’s palm was about to land on Liu Wuxie’s face, a person appeared beside Liu Wuxie, and his attack was ten times faster than Tian Yequan's.

With a resounding slap, Tian Yequan flew out and smashed into the crowd. The events unfolded so suddenly that no one expected anyone to take action in this place.

“What’s going on?” Everyone was dumbfounded. Shouldn’t Liu Wuxie be the one flying out? So why was he still sitting there, with a burly man suddenly appearing behind him?

Xu Lingxue was also stumped. She had already summoned her Xiantian Spirit, but to her surprise, someone was even faster and sent Tian Yequan flying out with a slap.

Only Liu Wuxie sat there calmly without any changes on his face. But his right hand was already on his blade hilt. He would’ve severed Tian Yequan’s right hand if Lei Tao didn't attack.

“Young Master Liu, what happened here?” Master Huo came over. The Treasure Pill Pavilion was also invited to the Hundred Beast Gathering. They came later, and they saw Tian Yequan wanting to make a move against Liu Wuxie the moment they came in.

Everyone was shocked that the chief alchemist of the Treasure Pill Pavilion would wear a fawning expression towards a piece of garbage.

“It’s fine, just a few clowns,” Liu Wuxie said. These people were even worse than clowns in his eyes. But what shocked everyone more was that Liu Wuxie had no intentions of getting up to his feet when Master Huo stood behind him.

This was a little too overwhelming for them to accept. They couldn’t figure out how the trash of the Xu Clan got involved with the Treasure Pill Pavilion.

“Do you need me to teach them a lesson?” Others might fear the four big clans, but they were no different from a group of ants in Master Huo’s eyes. The Treasure Pill Pavilion wasn’t under the jurisdiction of any forces, and even the Great Yan Dynasty’s imperial family had to be respectful to them. The Treasure Pill Pavilion in Azure Billow City was only a branch. In the imperial city, the status of the Treasure Pill Pavilion was above the Imperial Academy.

“There is no rush. I have a pill here and would like to seek Master Huo’s advice,” Liu Wuxie calmly stated as he retrieved a porcelain bottle from his chest. With a gentle pour, a pill landed in his palm, capturing the attention of everyone present.

Master Huo’s eyes widened when he caught a whiff of the pill’s dense fragrance. But when he tried to reach for it, Liu Wuxie kept it away, nearly driving Master Huo insane.

“Lei Tao, give them all a beating on behalf of Young Master Liu!” How could Master Huo not notice that Liu Wuxie was mocking him? He would need to pay the price if he wanted to see the pill, not to mention Master Huo’s life was in Liu Wuxie’s hands. After receiving Liu Wuxie’s treatment, the pain in his acupoint eased a lot over the past two days.

Lei Tao also saw that pill clearly. The cooperation between them was unknown to outsiders, but Lei Tao knew that the Treasure Pill Pavilion’s status in Azure Billow City would rise when they introduced the Heavenly Spirit Pill to the market. This meant their position as staff of the Treasure Pill Pavilion would also increase.

“You can only blame yourself for being unlucky. You just have to offend Young Master Liu out of everyone.” Lei Tao disappeared and gave out slaps one after another. Wan Butong was the first to suffer as he bled from his lips and nose. Everything happened too fast, and the Tian Clan’s members in the surrounding weren’t spared either. It didn’t take long for Xue Yu to be the only one standing.

“Stop!” Xue Yu finally interrupted. To slap his lackeys in public was no different from embarrassing him, and his sense of superiority disappeared at this moment. But it was already too late because everyone was sent flying away when he intervened.

“Young Master Xue, you have to seek justice for us!” Wan Butong crawled back to his feet. The Wan Clan was the host today and was slapped in their territory. This would be a shame that followed them for eternity.

“How dare the Treasure Pill Pavilion disregard my Xue Clan!” Xue Yu’s gaze became cold as he looked at Master Huo, and the murderous intent in his eyes grew even denser.

“You’re a member of the Xue Clan?” Master Huo was placed in a difficult position. He was a little afraid of the Xue Clan, but it was just a little.

“That’s right. Xue Dingtian is my grandfather.” Xue Yu was proud when he mentioned his grandfather.

On the other hand, Master Huo’s face became ugly when he heard that. He had long heard of Xue Dingtian’s name. Xue Dingtian was the Xue Clan’s patriarch, and he was notorious for being overprotective.

“Young Master Liu, things are a little troublesome now...” Master Huo leaned over and whispered in Liu Wuxie’s ears. He wouldn’t bat an eye to kill those from the Wan Clan and Tian Clan, but the Xue Clan was different. The Xue Clan had a high position in the imperial city, and even the Treasure Pill Pavilion had to show them respect. Both parties wouldn’t interfere in each other’s affairs, and it wasn’t worth offending the Xue Clan for Liu Wuxie.

“Don’t worry. It won’t implicate your Treasure Pill Pavilion.” Liu Wuxie waved his hand, comforting Master Huo. If he was forced to a dead-end, he could only stop holding back his cultivation and make a breakthrough to the Xiantian Realm in one swoop if he had no choice. At that time, he could gain access to some means as an Immortal Emperor, and the Xue Clan would be nothing to him.

But he didn’t wish to do that unless it was a last resort. After all, the foundation was essential, and it wasn’t worthwhile to affect his future for a moment of fit.

Liu Wuxie’s words instantly made Master Huo feel relieved. The members of the Wan and Tian Clans also rose to their feet, with blood dripping from their lips and several teeth knocked out.

“Bitch, no one can refuse me! No one!” Xue Yu ripped off his disguise as a gentleman, and his words made Xu Lingxue’s delicate figure tremble in anger.

Liu Wuxie clapped his hands without a hint of anger on his face. Instead, he wore a harmless smile, the same smile he showed when he severed Scarred Tiger’s arm.

“Based on what you said earlier, the Xue Clan will be struck off from the Great Yan Dynasty not long from now,” Liu Wuxie said calmly, but his words made everyone’s hair stand on end. The Xue Clan was a powerful clan with a history of five centuries.

Xue Yu responded as though he had just heard the funniest joke ever and laughed out loud, saying, “Hahaha! Are you trying to make me die of laughter?”

He wasn’t the only one, but everyone else was laughing as well. The Xue Clan was like the moon in the sky, while Liu Wuxie couldn’t even be considered a firefly. So this was no different from an ant saying it would topple an elephant.

“This trash has gone insane. Not even the Treasure Pill Pavilion can save you today!” Wan Butong didn’t know why Master Huo would stand with Liu Wuxie. But with Xue Yu around, Liu Wuxie would definitely die today.

“Young Master Xue, please kill this trash!” Tian Yequan said in a grievous tone. He suffered the heaviest injury by Lei Tao, with half of his cheeks swollen. He could only appease his anger with Liu Wuxie’s death.

Everyone’s gazes fell on Xue Yu, who released his Xiantian Spirit and his aura toward Liu Wuxie. This instantly made Master Huo nervous because who could treat him if Liu Wuxie died?

Wan Butong sneered and looked at Liu Wuxie like he was looking at a dead person. He wanted to see how Liu Wuxie would be killed.

“Young Master Xue, can you give me face and let this matter go?” Master Huo stood in front of Liu Wuxie. If Liu Wuxie died, he couldn’t live more than three months. So he was determined to protect Liu Wuxie even if he offended the Xue Clan.

“A mere two-star alchemist like you dares to obstruct me?” Xue Yu became furious, and his Xiantian Spirit grew even stronger. His eyes were filled with mockery because two-star alchemists were nothing in the imperial city; they only had some status in the countryside, like Azure Billow City.

The surrounding atmosphere became tense, like a battle could break out at any moment. But there was no doubt that Liu Wuxie would suffer if a fight broke out.

Xue Yu slowly approached Liu Wuxie. Xu Lingxue would belong to him if he killed Liu Wuxie.

“Today’s events have been a bit overwhelming. The Treasure Pill Pavilion unexpectedly sided with Liu Wuxie, and Xue Yu appeared out of nowhere. He seems to have a powerful background that even the Treasure Pill Pavilion is afraid of.” The patriarchs of several smaller clans gathered to discuss the situation. They could get a sense of the conversation since they were close to the conflict.

“He seems to be from the Xue Clan of the imperial capital. There’s a show to watch now. The Xu Clan will have a hard time in the future if they offend the Xue Clan!” The small clans couldn’t be compared to the four big clans in terms of their strength. But if Xu Clan were to disappear, they could take advantage to rise, gobbling Xu Clan’s territory and even replacing them as one of the big four.

“But Liu Wuxie is the surprising one. Everyone says he’s trash, but he doesn’t look like one judging from his behavior today. He’s nothing like the rumors at all.”

Xue Yu had already approached Liu Wuxie, who took a deep breath and grasped the hilt of his blade with his right hand.

Right then, Xu Lingxue stepped forward. She took out a medal from her bosom and slammed it on the table. “Xue Yu,” she said, “I’m the disciple of Baili Qing in the Imperial Academy. Why don’t you try and make a move?”