Chapter 16: Strength Revealed

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go home and study. Wandering the streets like some idle layabout — you have none of the awareness expected of a great family's son. Is it a problem with your upbringing?"

Tang Yan's offhand remark landed word for word in the ears of those paying attention — namely Tang Ling and Uncle Mo. The two exchanged a surprised glance. On the surface, he was mocking Liu Yuan for having no upbringing; on a deeper level, he was belittling the Liu Family as nothing more than a small, insignificant household.

"Hmph. Tang Yan, weren't you so impressive last time? Do you dare spar with me again? If I lose, I'll give you another two thousand silver notes. If I win, you kneel and kowtow to me. What do you say?" Liu Yuan suppressed the urge to walk over and beat him senseless, and stated his purpose for coming.

"Two thousand silver notes and you expect me to raise a hand? You think I'm worth so little? Get lost — this young master is heading home." Tang Yan was indeed short on silver, but that young man in the blue robe was a genuine threat. He wasn't afraid, but if a real conflict broke out, the truth that he could cultivate would be exposed.

"Heh. What a grand attitude. Today, you'll fight whether you want to or not." The young man in the blue robe finally spoke.

"My lord, that young man in the blue robe is Liu Quan — among the younger generation of the Liu Family, his strength is quite respectable. Should we go out and take a look?" Uncle Mo said with concern.

"No rush. Let's see how the brat handles this first." Old Master Tang waved his hand.

"And if I refuse?" Tang Yan asked, unbothered.

"Refuse?" The young man studied Tang Yan with an amused look. "That's fine too. Just kneel on the ground and kowtow three times, and I, Liu Quan, will let you leave."

"Oh? You think you can restrict my personal freedom? This is Yun City, not your Liu Family's territory. Restricting my personal freedom requires the City Lord's approval. Are you saying the Liu Family is so powerful that even the City Lord's Manor means nothing to you?" Tang Yan called out dramatically. "Could it be that your Liu Family wants to replace the City Lord's Manor entirely?"

Tang Yan had deliberately chosen a busy street to walk down earlier, and the confrontation had already drawn the attention of the surrounding crowd. Liu Quan felt a jolt of alarm at Tang Yan's words. This brat would say anything — if that accusation truly stuck, even the perpetually neutral City Lord's Manor would have cause to look unfavorably upon the Liu Family.

"You bastard child — Tang Ling, that old fool, truly can't raise anything decent. Nothing but a slippery, scheming little weasel!" Liu Quan roared furiously.

Bastard child… The moment Tang Yan heard those words, his heart sank like a stone. A cold, piercing light flashed deep within his eyes and vanished.

In his previous life, he had no father or mother, growing up alongside his master from a young age. In this life, he again had no father or mother — yet by some fortune, he had a grandfather. One could say that family bonds were Tang Yan's greatest and most sensitive weakness.

Though he had only been in this world for just over a month, he could feel Tang Ling's wholehearted devotion to him with every fiber of his being, and deep in his heart, he had gradually come to accept this grandfather as his own.

Having lived two lives, Tang Yan was more than capable of navigating the world with tact — but that did not mean he had a gentle temper.

A true man knows what he will do and what he will not. Now that Tang Yan's deepest sensitivity had been provoked, a thread of killing intent quietly took root in his heart.

Tang Yan understood clearly: Liu Yuan had come prepared today, and leaving without a fight was simply not an option. If he couldn't walk away, then he had no choice but to fight.

"Hey, Uncle Mo — I'm over here!" Suddenly, Tang Yan's eyes lit up, and he looked past Liu Yuan and the others.

"Uncle Mo is here?" Liu Quan and Liu Yuan both felt their hearts drop as they spun around simultaneously.

"Idiots!" Tang Yan muttered under his breath. His body shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

Liu Quan, still puzzled by the absence of Uncle Mo, suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind bearing down on him. His heart lurched — he immediately recalled how this brat had pulled the same trick on Liu Yuan last time. He quickly stepped back, both hands moving to guard his cultivation core.

But with Tang Yan moving at full speed and Liu Quan caught completely off guard, there was simply no time to dodge.

Smack! Smack! Two sharp, resounding slaps rang out.

Liu Quan instantly felt a burning, stinging pain across his cheeks — but more than the pain, it was the humiliation. He, a top young talent of the Liu Family, had been slapped across the face by Yun City's biggest scoundrel?

In the brief moment of stunned disbelief, Tang Yan swung his hand twice more.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Quan had taken four slaps to the face.

"You're dead!" After all, he was a Yellow Realm warrior. After four slaps, Liu Quan snapped back to his senses. His eyes turned bloodshot, and with a furious roar, he swung his fist at Tang Yan.

A howling fist wind tore through the air, driving straight toward Tang Yan's chest.

"How dare you — don't you harm my grandson!" In the distance, Old Master Tang's eyes went wide with fury. He hadn't expected his grandson to strike without a moment's hesitation. Releasing his full power at the second grade of the Profound Realm, he charged onto the scene like a tiger descending from a mountain, roaring as he rushed in.

But everything was unfolding too fast — Tang Ling would almost certainly not make it in time.

Faced with a Yellow Realm warrior's furious strike, Tang Yan showed no weakness. He raised his fist and met the blow head-on.

Seeing Tang Yan recklessly pit his own strength against his, Liu Quan's lips curled into a cruel smile. Brat — you dared to slap me? Today I'll beat you to death!

Though murderous intent surged within him, Liu Quan was no fool. He knew he couldn't kill Tang Yan outright right now — otherwise the Liu Family would face the full wrath of the Tang Clan. Still, this punch carried eighty percent of his strength. Tang Yan's arm would likely be crippled.

Among the onlookers who had gathered, some recognized Liu Quan, and they all waited for the moment Tang Yan would be sent flying.

Just as the fist was about to land, Tang Yan's body shifted at an almost impossible angle, tilting slightly to the right. Liu Quan's fist grazed past the very tip of Tang Yan's nose.

This… what was happening? He actually dodged it! Everyone stared wide-eyed, as if unable to believe what they were seeing.

"My turn!" Tang Yan flashed Liu Quan a grin. His own fist, which had been driving forward, suddenly halted. True Qi surged wildly from within him, flooding into his fist — then he drove it hard into Liu Quan's cultivation core.

Eighth grade of the Primary Realm!

Sensing the ferocity of that strike, Liu Quan's heart went ice cold. Hadn't they said this brat's cultivation core was destroyed? How could he still have strength?

Liu Quan's momentum had already spent itself, and he had no way to evade. That fist, saturated with True Qi, slammed squarely into his lower abdomen.

Boom! Liu Quan's body was sent flying.

"Impossible!" Every onlooker gaped once more.

Only Liu Quan himself knew it wasn't as simple as being knocked back. When that fist had struck his cultivation core, a hidden force had driven straight through it.

Even if his cultivation core wasn't destroyed outright, it had surely suffered grievous damage. His future cultivation would likely be forever capped at the first grade of the Yellow Realm.

Old Master Tang, who had just moments ago been burning with rage, now stood with his eyes wide open, staring at his grandson as if he'd seen a ghost.

This little rascal — he could actually use True Qi? And Fuck, eighth grade of the Primary Realm at that!

Having already revealed himself, it would be unseemly for Old Master Tang to slink away now. Still seething, he strode over and delivered three hard slaps across the stunned Liu Yuan's face.

"My grandson's cultivation core was already destroyed, and you still dared to bring your brother here to bully him — do you think the Tang Clan has no one left? I, Tang Ling, hereby warn everyone present: whoever dares to lay a finger on my grandson in the future, I will spend every last bone in this old body to leave not a single tile standing of your house!"

With those murderous words, Old Master Tang grabbed Tang Yan by the collar and marched him back toward the Tang Clan's residence.

Before leaving, his eyes lingered for a long, meaningful moment in the direction of the City Lord's Manor.