It's been two days since De Ming's first Gu fights. Thanks to Lao Jiu's Sturdy Bone Infusion Technique, Bu Li's stolen medicine, and Zhu Lian's tender care.
De Ming made a full recovery; tonight was gonna be his second time stepping into the "ring", and he was determined to win.
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Late into the evening, he changed his robes for beggar rags. De Ming, accompanied by Bu Li and Lao Jiu, walked through the Golden Carp Town's slums, and they arrived at the dilapidated temple
It was as rowdy as it was two days ago, these people were still fiending for intense death battles
It creeped De Ming out. Do these people not have anything better to do? He thought
"Still quite a spectacle to you, huh? When you're this deep into rock bottom, the only fun down here is the pain of people worse off," Bu Li paused and then chuckled. "You'll get used to it, Humans aren't that far off from beasts when push comes to shove."
"You have quite a view on humans, Bu Li," De Ming remarked awkwardly. What life could he have lived to develop such thoughts
"Don't mind him, kid," Lao Jiu interjected, then looked over at Bu Li, who wore a perpetual smile. "The kid's been out here since he was six."
"That's terrible," De Ming sighed
"It's fine, really, it helped me see through human nature early, ya know?" Bu Li joked nonchalantly and pointed at De Ming, " You're the exception, though. I don't understand you at all."
"Why? What makes me special?"
"You befriended me, a beggar, without any hidden agendas"
"So? Doesn't make you any less of a person to me," De Ming shrugged
"That's exactly why, kid, you lack a sense of hierarchy." Lao Jiu said knowingly "But I guess only people like you can shift this damned cycle of power struggles called JiangHu."
The three continued to chat as they waited for the two people in the "ring" to finish. Their fight was brutal as always, but De Ming learned to properly observe them, rather than just judging as if he were above it
This was the reality of JiangHu, not some lofty legend
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The battle resulted in a draw, they took each other out with a decisive clash. The crowd went wild as their bodies were dragged out
"Looks like it's my turn," De Ming cracked his knuckles, his eyes all shades of resolution as he stepped forward and into the moonlit and blood-splattered circle
"He's back! The guy that took out Da Bao!"
"Hell yeah! Tonight is gonna be lit."
"Someone beat him up good! He's a softy."
The crowd roared with recognition and anticipation
De Ming stepped into the middle, firmly planted his feet, and raised his hand in a taunting gesture
"I'm back, ya bastards!" De Ming roared out
Two thugs stepped in, both a bit on the haggard and chubby side.
"So you're the lad that done in Da Bao, huh?"
"As rude as he was, he was still our blood-sworn brother."
The two of them finished off each other's sentences as they stepped forward and drew their weapon, one wielding an axe, the other wielding a Hammer
The crowd cheered on, blatantly ignoring the fact that they're double-teaming on De Ming, it's like they wanted this
"Playing dirty as always, huh?" Lao Jiu spitted
"Will my benefactor be okay?" Bu Li asked anxiously
"You should be worried for the thugs instead, the kid isn't the same greenhorn two days ago!" Lao Jiu chucked confidently
While the two thugs were busy introducing themselves, De Ming instantly rushed in, flanking the Axe-wielding thug from his right
He tried to retaliate by lifting his axe
"No, you don't," De Ming sneered as he kicked the thug's axe handle, flinging it from his hand
De Ming didn't stop there; he slipped into the thug's side, subtly flared his Qi, and slashed a claw upwards, ripping apart his sides
"You bastard!" The other thug screamed out as he rushed in to help his brother, hammer in hand
De Ming quickly stepped back and fled from his range
Mountain Thuggish Smash!
The man flared his early third-rate Qi and focused it on the head of his hammer.
He slammed down in De Ming's direction, sending quakes rumbling towards him
De Ming grinned, he couldn't possibly dodge I time, so he took a sturdy stance and crossed his hands in front of him, which took on the full brunt of his technique
It pushed De Ming back and battered his body, but he still stood confidently
The other thug picked up his axe and ran towards him while his other hand clutched his stomach
Mountainous Cleave!
He grunted, charged his axe with Qi, and swung down
"Fuck!" Recognizing his stance as the same one Da Bao took while using his dangerous Qi slashing technique
De Ming frantically opened his dantian and used Flowing Reed Steps to move away from the slash's trajectory. It strained his body, but since he only used it briefly, the pain was more than manageable
Just as the thug's attack missed, De Ming leveraged the moment and moved in, lowering his stance, anchoring his body with his left foot
Underhanded Thug Sweep!
Chaotic Qi hardened his right foot as he brutally swept at the thug's right leg. The combination of De Ming's sturdy bones, the technique's inherent malice, and De Ming's volatile Qi completely severed the thug's right ankle.
The thug tumbled to the ground, dropping his axe, and grabbed his leg, screaming. His severed foot was lying neatly in a puddle of blood
One down, one to go
Not skipping a beat, De Ming turned his attention to the hammer-wielding thug
De Ming, the once docile servant boy, now wore a contrasting battle-crazed smile
"This fucker's nutts" The thug remarked, shuddering at what De Ming did to his sworn brother
He grunted as he raised his hammer, preparing to hit. De Ming was in line for another torrent of shockwaves
De Ming keenly assessed the situation and moved directly under his hammer in an instant
Crimson Flame Palm!
De Ming went into stance, a chaotic torrent of Qi packed his palm, and struck forth squarely at the thug's hammer head
Bam!
The two clashed, sending ripples across the air. This was a clash of strength and Qi between two early third-rate cultivators
The thug was bigger in stature, but De Ming's years of manual labor and chaotic Qi gave him an unfair edge
The man's hammer flew back, throwing the thug to the ground as a blast of flame illuminated the night sky
The clash shattered the bones in De Ming's right hand, but he didn't let up
"Good fight," De Ming spoke bluntly as he raised his right foot, opened his dantian fully, allowing his chaotic Qi to ravage his meridians as he focused as much as he could on the sole of his foot
Flattening Curb Stomp!
"N–no, please–" The tug begged for his life, thinking that De Ming was going for the kill
De Ming's foot landed on his forearm, it dug into his skin and crumbled his bones, just as Da Bao did to De Ming. Leaving the thug's hand a pulp of flesh and shattered bones
The thug went unconscious from the pain and fear. His unconscious body was frothing at his mouth in a puddle of his own blood
De Ming raised his hand, victorious
"Play dirty all you want, victory will be mine!" De Ming roared out
"Boo! Finish them off!"
"Yer too soft!"
"Get them dead!"
The crowd roared out with insults and killing intent, It seems that sparing your opponents wasn't the leading trend here. De Ming simply ignored their urging and stepped off the ring. He had won; that alone was enough
"Way to go, benefactor!" Bu Li cheered as he jumped at De Ming, and flung his arm over De Ming's shoulder
"You did well, Kid," Lao Jiu chuckled and patted De Ming's back.
The three celebrated a little and promptly left the scene. De Ming was lucky to get away with just a broken hand this time.
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De Ming walked back to the Drifting Cloud Pavilion, pushed in the door with his left hand, and walked upstairs
He had already told Zhu Lian not to wait for him this morning, after their breakfast. He didn't want her to sleep on the dining table again
De Ming swiftly made his way upstairs and knocked on the room numbered 003
"Lian, I need to be treated."
Rustling could be heard beyond the door
Zhu Lian hurriedly opened to door
De Ming smiled cheekily and raised his broken right hand
"See? I need your tender care again, Lian."
"Ming! Y-you're impossible!" Zhu Lian gasped and pulled him into the room, sat him down, and hurriedly treated him while De Ming chuckled like an idiot
"You're lucky I'm patient with you!" Zhu Lian hissed tenderly
"Very lucky," De Ming remarked cheekily as he reached out his left hand and brushed aside a strand of hair covering Zhu Lian's eyes
Zhu Lian simply blushed in silence and finished his treatment, avoiding his gaze the whole time
Whatever he was doing these past days, it dramatically increased his cheekiness. Zhu Lian thought to herself, frustrated at herself for letting herself blush so much
Exhausted, they lay down and fell asleep peacefully