Chapter 351: Martial Prowess Reigns Supreme, One After Another
As the courtyard gate opened, several young boys and girls entered.
They were all dressed in fine clothes and adorned with jade and gold ornaments, accompanied by maids and servants, clearly young masters and mistresses of the mansion.
But looking closely, she also saw three handsome young men entering the courtyard with them. Two of them were burly and robust, while the other, although slender, had a vigorous gait and a powerful aura.
Clearly, they were all trained martial artists.
“Sixth Sister still has so few servants, even opening the gate takes so long.”
The handsome young man in the lead glanced at them coldly and said in a deep voice: “Are you the Lin Tianlu from the rumors?”
“Indeed.” Lin Tianlu smiled gently and cupped his hands: “May I ask who you are—”
“Grandchildren of the Zhengyang Prince.”
The handsome young man continued coldly: “Is Shuya injured? How is she recovering?”
“There’s no need to worry, Miss Shuya isn’t injured, she’s currently bathing and having breakfast.”
As soon as Lin Tianlu responded, the young boys and girls gathered around, looking at him with interest: “Hey… so you’re Lin Tianlu?”
“You look just like an ordinary scholar.”
“But you’re quite handsome, much younger and more attractive than the teachers at the private school.”
Although they didn’t reach out and touch him, being surrounded and scrutinized by the children made Lin Tianlu smile wryly.
Compared to the three powerful young men, these children didn’t seem to have any martial arts training.
Perhaps because they were still young.
“Hmph! This man looks so weak and delicate, how is he a match for Elder Sister Shuya?!”
But just then, a young girl suddenly entered the courtyard and snorted coldly.
Meeting Lin Tianlu’s curious gaze, she pointed at him and shouted: “Someone! Capture this presumptuous fool and teach him a lesson!”
The two maids beside her exchanged glances and chuckled awkwardly.
If it had been their first meeting, they would have called the mansion guards to take action, but after what happened with Madam Ziyu last night…
They didn’t dare to act rashly now.
“You… you’re useless!”
The young girl glared at them angrily, then clenched her fists and walked towards Lin Tianlu, punching him without a word.
Slap!
Lin Tianlu caught her small fist with a smile and chuckled: “Little Miss, it’s quite rude to suddenly attack someone, it truly disgraces the Zhengyang Prince’s Mansion.”
“I can hit whoever I want, I don’t need a commoner like you to tell me what to do!”
The young girl’s face turned red with anger as she swung her left fist.
The children surrounding them quickly backed away with cries of surprise, but they still looked excited, as if enjoying the show. The three handsome young men remained silent with cold expressions, seemingly observing the situation as well.
—Slap, slap, slap!
Lin Tianlu caught the young girl’s punches repeatedly, calmly stepping back with each strike: “You seem young, little miss, but your punches are quite strong, have you been practicing martial arts?”
“Our Hua family has practiced martial arts for generations, how could we be compared to ignorant servants like you?!” The young girl glared at him, her arms moving swiftly, her attacks seemingly disorganized, but her flurry of punches actually carried quite a bit of power.
“How could Elder Sister Shuya possibly like a weak scholar like you?!”
The young girl twisted her waist, her right leg shooting upwards in a swift and fierce kick.
Lin Tianlu dodged the groin kick, grabbed her raised ankle, and said seriously: “Little Miss, I understand your feelings, but you should be more careful with such a vicious move.”
If such a kick truly landed on a frail scholar’s groin…
The consequences would be unpredictable.
“Mind your own business!” The young girl’s forehead throbbed with anger as she struggled to break free, her slender legs beneath her turquoise skirt a blur of motion, kicking repeatedly: “I’ll kick you to death, you hypocrite!”
But as she continued her relentless attacks, a look of surprise and astonishment gradually appeared in her eyes.
Although she had heard that this scholar was so strong that even Grandmother’s personal guards couldn’t defeat him, experiencing it firsthand… was truly unbelievable.
What kind of strange movement technique was this?!
“I don’t believe… that I can’t even land a single hit!”
The young girl gritted her teeth, her kicks becoming even faster.
But Lin Tianlu still effortlessly dodged her attacks, casually deflecting her kicks with a wave of his sleeve.
“Ugh!?”
The young girl suddenly felt a strange force running through her body, her leg missing its target and her balance faltering, causing her to stumble and fall, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Oh no—”
But before she could hit the ground, a hand gently caught her shoulder, steadying her.
The young girl gasped slightly, turning around in surprise to see the handsome scholar still smiling, and after a brief moment of shock, she glared at him angrily: “You… what kind of demonic technique are you using?!”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “You misunderstand, Miss, although I’m a scholar, I’ve also learned some martial arts.”
“Damn it!”
The young girl continued to attack relentlessly.
But no matter how she moved or attacked, she couldn’t even touch the corner of his clothes.
Whenever their fists and feet collided, she would be sent stumbling and reeling, as if her balance was completely under his control, toyed with and pushed around, repeatedly almost hitting her head on the ground.
The children who had been watching the show were now dumbfounded: “Such incredible martial arts!”
“Such lightness skills, how can this scholar be so powerful?!”
“Seventh Sister is no match for him!”
“…”
And the three handsome young men frowned, exchanging glances, their expressions turning serious.
This man was truly strange!
“D-Damn it! If you have the guts… stop dodging!”
The young girl’s breathing became ragged, sweat dripping from her forehead, clearly enraged.
Lin Tianlu casually dodged a sideways kick and, hearing her words, smiled faintly, suddenly stopping and spreading his arms: “Your turn, Miss.”
The young girl didn’t hesitate, focusing her mind and clenching her fist, putting all her remaining strength into a single punch.
Slap!
This final punch was firmly caught in his palm.
The young girl’s pupils constricted, frozen in place: “How…”
Before she could react, a shadow flashed before her eyes, and an incredibly terrifying pressure descended, almost making her mind go blank, her face dazed and vacant.
Thud.
Her hair fluttered in the wind as a finger lightly flicked her forehead.
The young girl’s body trembled slightly, and the terrifying pressure that had almost crushed her vanished, she almost collapsed weakly to the ground.
Lin Tianlu reached out and supported her, smiling gently: “Are you convinced now, Miss?”
“I-I…”
The young girl, her shoulder being held, was speechless, her initial arrogance gone.
Fear, terror, timidity… All sorts of emotions flooded her heart, but the gentle smile on the handsome man’s face and the warmth of his hand gave her a strange sense of security, making her expression even more complex. She shook off his hand, her voice trembling: “D-Don’t touch me!”
Lin Tianlu smiled wryly and softened his tone, saying gently: “Your martial arts skills are quite impressive, Miss, clearly the result of years of diligent practice. To have achieved such a solid foundation at such a young age, you must have gone through a lot of hardship, thank you for your hard work.”
“You…”
The young girl couldn’t help but take a step back, her eyes flickering, her lips pressed together tightly as she remained silent.
Seeing that her attitude had softened, Lin Tianlu smiled gently and cupped his hands: “You put up a good fight, Miss. If there’s a chance in the future, I’d be happy to spar with you again.”
The young girl was silent for a moment, then lowered her head and cupped her hands in return, without saying a word.
Finally, she murmured almost inaudibly:
“…I won’t let you off the hook next time.”
Lin Tianlu smiled: “If you’re worried about Shuya, Miss, go and see her in the house.”
“S-So nosy.”
The young girl snorted coldly and turned away.
But as soon as she took a few steps, a graceful figure suddenly appeared before her.
“Hmm?” She was slightly stunned and looked up, surprised to see a woman with snow-white hair and crimson eyes. Her exquisite and jade-like beauty momentarily captivated her.
But—
“Miss, you’ve been sparring for a while, why don’t you come and rest in the pavilion with me?”
Cheng Yishi smiled and took her hand.
The young girl stammered: “Y-You are…?”
“I’m Miss Shuya’s good friend.” Cheng Yishi smiled flawlessly: “Let’s go inside.”
“But I still… Eek?!”
The young girl suddenly cowered, feeling a terrifying aura emanating from this breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Although that exquisite and beautiful face still had a smile, this smile… made her tremble!
She was almost as intimidating as her two stern grandmothers!
“You’re such a good girl.” Cheng Yishi smiled, patted the young girl’s head, and led her away: “Why don’t you tell me later, what’s your status in this mansion, and what’s your relationship with Miss Shuya?”
“O-Okay…”
The young girl trembled like a mouse caught by a cat, being led away without any resistance, her face pale, as if her head would be twisted off if she dared to resist!
“Hehehe—”
Cheng Yishi led the young girl to the pavilion and sat down, looking her up and down, a cold and elegant chuckle escaping her lips.
The young girl trembled like a leaf, cold sweat dripping from her face, her legs pressed together tightly.
She had never missed her strict masters so much…
This… this woman was terrifying!
…
The children were completely dumbfounded.
“—Eh?”
Their seventh sister, who had always been strong-willed, short-tempered, and a diligent martial artist, was now so docile and obedient.
No.
Their seventh sister had actually admitted defeat and lowered her head to that scholar!
“Alright, young masters and mistresses, who else wants to spar with me?”
Lin Tianlu withdrew his gaze, a wry smile on his face, and beckoned: “I can still entertain a few more of you.”
The children all took a few steps back, shaking their heads with awkward smiles.
Although they were young, they weren’t stupid. If they dared to attack, their fate would surely be worse than their seventh sister’s!
“I’ll go.”
Just then, the handsome young man in the lead stepped forward with a calm expression: “My name is Hua Jinyan, Shuya’s third older brother, the son of the Zhengyang Prince’s third son. I just returned from the army this year.”
Lin Tianlu raised an eyebrow and cupped his hands: “You truly have an imposing aura, Brother Hua, a warrior’s spirit.”
“I have no interest in pleasantries, nor do I intend to make things difficult for you.”
Hua Jinyan raised his right hand with a cold expression, assuming a fighting stance: “Our Hua family has a long military tradition, martial arts are in our blood. Although there are some among us who prefer studying and poetry, for outsiders who want to be associated with our family, strong martial arts skills are essential.
My two brothers and I don’t care about those rumors, we only care about your strength, nothing else. If your fists are stronger than ours, we won’t have any objections, we might even put in a good word for you with our elders.”
Lin Tianlu smiled faintly: “So it’s like a martial arts competition for marriage?”
“No need for nonsense.” Hua Jinyan said coldly: “Make your move.”
Seeing that he had no intention of talking, Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but be amused.
Thinking about it carefully, that old prince had been a soldier all his life, and his children had also practiced martial arts since childhood. Compared to reasoning, sometimes a pair of strong fists were more effective than a thousand words.
If he used his usual gentle and scholarly approach, it might only disgust these hot-blooded descendants of the Hua family, creating unnecessary misunderstandings and hostility.
In that case—
He would do the opposite. Just like with that little girl earlier, he would abandon words and use his fists to “communicate.”
Thinking of this, he smiled and hooked his fingers: “You two brothers don’t just stand there, come and fight together with Brother Jinyan. Today, I’ll make all of you convinced, so you don’t have to gossip behind my back.”
As everyone was stunned, Lin Tianlu looked at the children: “And if anyone else is unconvinced and wants to spar, you can call them as well, I accept all challengers. Let’s settle this before the Qingyang Grand Ceremony at noon.”
“Truly… arrogant!”
Hua Jinyan’s face darkened, and he charged forward with a fierce and intimidating aura.
Although he was barehanded, he still displayed an impressive power, the wind from his fist as if it could shatter metal and stone!
Then…
“Pfft!”
A palm strike landed on his face, twisting his handsome features, and he stumbled sideways a few steps, his fierce attack instantly shattered.
Hua Jinyan covered his face in disbelief, staring back at Lin Tianlu.
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned cold, his hand still extended, and he said in a deep voice: “Your punch looks fierce, but it lacks any adaptability, you’re just a reckless fool, how stupid!”
“You—!”
Hua Jinyan’s expression turned grim as he immediately regrouped and attacked again, his fist transforming into a claw, his ten fingers like sharp blades, his attack far more powerful than the young girl’s earlier, his abundant internal energy proving that he had reached the Pure Yang Realm, his moves fierce and decisive!
“Pfft?!”
Another palm strike.
Hua Jinyan was struck in the chest, almost spitting out all his breath, his expression changing drastically as he stumbled backward several steps.
Lin Tianlu’s expression was indifferent as he casually hooked his finger:
“Although you changed your tactics, it’s still useless, just a waste of effort!”
“Damn it!”
Hua Jinyan roared angrily, swinging his arm and charging forward, throwing a punch.
Bam!
But in the blink of an eye, he was pushed back again by a palm strike, losing his balance and falling to the ground.
“Your mind is weak, your strength unstable, even your footing is a mess. You’re wasting your Pure Yang Realm cultivation!”
“You, cough…!”
Seeing this one-sided and crushing beating continue, the children’s faces turned pale with fright, and they backed away repeatedly, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Another handsome young man, his face full of anger, immediately assumed a fighting stance and charged forward— And then he was slapped to the ground.
Lin Tianlu glanced at the young man lying on the ground with a dazed expression and said coldly: “You’re even worse.”
…
The young girl was completely stunned by the scene.
She had been sitting in the pavilion, intimidated by Cheng Yishi’s “aura,” but now, watching Lin Tianlu, like a god of war, beating her three older brothers black and blue, she felt goosebumps all over, her heart filled with fear.
This… this man had shown her mercy earlier.
“Little Miss, what’s your relationship with Shuya?” Cheng Yishi sat beside her and asked with a smile.
The young girl’s body trembled, and she stammered: “I-I’m the twelfth sister in the family. Although I’m not very close to Elder Sister, we practiced martial arts together since childhood…”
“Aaaaaargh!”
Hearing another wail from the courtyard, the young girl’s shoulders trembled, and she glanced sideways, her face turning even paler.
Her third brother seemed to… have been sent flying more than two zhang by a single palm strike?
Would he be alright?
“I see.” Cheng Yishi smiled charmingly: “So many of you came to visit Shuya early in the morning, it seems she’s quite popular among her siblings in the mansion.”
“Ugh!!”
Seeing her fifth brother being pushed to the ground and vomiting, the young girl gasped and stammered: “S-Sixth Sister… she’s not very… popular in the mansion.”
Cheng Yishi took her small hand, caressing it gently with a smile: “Then why did you all come to visit so eagerly? It seems it’s still quite early in the morning.”
The young girl’s expression changed slightly, and she hesitated, whispering: “B-Because the person who came to visit is a powerless scholar, so we’re all a bit…”
“Angry?”
Cheng Yishi leaned closer with a smile: “Do you think he’s just a lowly person trying to climb the social ladder, wanting to drive him away as soon as possible to avoid tarnishing the Zhengyang Prince’s Mansion’s reputation? Or were you instructed by your parents to warn and punish him?”
Her cold and sinister crimson eyes stared intently at the young girl, as if trying to freeze her soul.
The young girl’s face turned even paler, and she shook her head, her lips pressed together tightly: “N-No, I didn’t think that… and neither did my parents…”
“So, you came to investigate?”
“…”
“It seems that’s the case.” Cheng Yishi smiled and patted her head: “There’s no need to be nervous, since my husband didn’t treat you harshly, I naturally won’t harm you either. Just sit here obediently and watch… how your siblings receive my husband’s guidance.”
“Ugh?!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Hua Jinyan was once again grabbed and thrown away, landing in the pond in the courtyard with a splash.
And not long after, two more young men, carrying swords, hurried in from outside. Seeing the scene, their faces turned grim with anger, and they joined the fight: “You brat, daring to cause trouble in our Hua family, I’ll—Pfft!”
The next moment, two more figures were sent flying, crashing against the wall.
“Lin Tianlu! You’re truly audacious!”
Suddenly, two middle-aged men with powerful auras entered the courtyard, their expressions cold and stern. Seeing the children sprawled on the ground, they immediately snorted coldly and attacked, both displaying extraordinary Pure Yang Realm cultivation, their powerful internal energy surging like tangible flames as they struck out with their palms.
Facing this pincer attack, Lin Tianlu turned around and smiled faintly, raising his hands to block.
Dong!
A muffled boom like a thunderclap echoed, and the two middle-aged men’s expressions changed drastically, their eyes widening, as they felt an incredibly powerful force surging towards them, pushing them back several feet. They stumbled and fell awkwardly.
Lin Tianlu smiled, cupped his hands, and said in a clear voice: “Although your palm strikes and internal energy are quite powerful, elders, you should pay more attention to the area two inches below your ribs, a weak point in your defense. If you can forcefully open this point with your internal energy, your cultivation will surely improve.”
“Wh-What?!”
The two men quickly sat up from the ground. Hearing these words, their anger dissipated, and they circulated their internal energy slightly, truly feeling a strange and profound sense of ease and comfort.
They exchanged glances in surprise and uncertainty, then, ignoring their disheveled appearance, they stood up and quickly approached Lin Tianlu.
—Bam, bam, bam, bam!
…
The young girl sitting in the pavilion had become numb.
She watched as more and more of her older brothers arrived, only to be easily defeated. Even her father, uncles, and other elders, who were usually stern and dignified, were quickly defeated after arriving. Within just a few sticks of incense’s worth of time, the spacious courtyard was filled with fallen bodies.
Not to mention her older brothers, clutching their wounds and wincing in pain, her father and uncles actually seemed to be getting more and more energetic, their faces even filled with excitement and joy…
Was there something wrong with this picture?
“Go, Master!”
Shanghan had also arrived at the pavilion, her face flushed as she cheered and occasionally shouted warnings about sneak attacks.
At the same time, Hua Shuya, having changed her clothes and finished breakfast, walked out of the bedroom, supported by Mao Ruoyu.
But her ears twitched, and she quickly heard the sounds of fighting, looking over curiously.
“Is there a fight in the courtyard— Ah?”
Seeing her relatives sprawled all over the courtyard, Hua Shuya was completely dumbfounded.
What… what was going on?!
