"Me? I'm here to sell herbal medicine!" Liu Ergou said, unstrapping the carrying basket from his back and setting it down nearby.
"Xiao Rou? What's going on?" he asked. "If I remember correctly, you should be at school right now. Why are you back?"
As the two spoke, veins popped on the foreheads of the five men watching them. What do these two think they're doing?! Are they pretending we don't exist?
"Brother Er Gou, school's on vacation!" Xiao Rou had barely finished answering when the five men could no longer hold back.
The man with a rat-like face cursed at Liu Ergou. "Damn it, you country bumpkin! How dare you ignore us!"
"You dare interrupt us while we're getting to know this little lady! Since you're asking for it, we'll poke a few holes in you today to teach you a lesson!"
As soon as the rat-faced man finished speaking, the other four men simultaneously drew small knives from their waists. They aimed them at Liu Ergou, ready to attack.
Seeing this, Liu Ergou, far from being scared, simply snorted with derision. I just finished cultivating my body-refining technique, and all my abilities have grown substantially. I was just looking for someone to practice on, and now these five have delivered themselves to my doorstep. It's like getting a pillow just when you're feeling sleepy.
Just as Liu Ergou was about to tell them to bring it on, Xiao Rou suddenly cried out a warning.
"Brother Er Gou, be careful! They have weapons!"
Liu Ergou merely nodded in response to her warning, his expression remaining perfectly calm.
"You five are dithering like a bunch of old women. Are you going to make a move or not!" Liu Ergou said to them coldly.
Provoked by his words, the five men cursed angrily and charged at him, brandishing their knives. Xiao Rou, terrified by the scene, squeezed her eyes shut.
But Liu Ergou remained completely unfazed.
Just as one of the knives was about to reach him, he made his move. Liu Ergou's hand shot out, grabbing the man's wrist in a firm grip. With a sharp twist, a pained scream tore through the air.
Then, using only that one arm, Liu Ergou lifted the man completely off the ground and flung him away with great force. This update is available on noᴠelfire.net
The man crashed into the other four, sending them all flying. They landed in a heap on the ground, dazed and disoriented, their heads spinning. But Liu Ergou wasn't finished with them. He strode forward and delivered a single, powerful punch to each of the five men as they lay on the ground.
The blows made the already dizzy men see stars. They couldn't even sit up, left to lie on the ground, whimpering weakly.
Without a second glance at the men on the ground, Liu Ergou walked over to Xiao Rou. He reached out a hand and pulled her up.
Xiao Rou's eyes were now filled with stars as she looked at him. "Wow, Brother Er Gou! I haven't seen you in years, and you've become so powerful! You just lifted a man up and threw him like a rag. You're so strong!"
Liu Ergou chuckled. "It's just average strength."
"But look at you, Xiao Rou," he continued. "I can't believe how much you've changed! The little snotty kid who used to follow me around everywhere... I almost didn't recognize you!"
Hearing Liu Ergou call her a "snotty kid," Xiao Rou couldn't help but blush. She protested coyly, "Brother Er Gou, you're not allowed to call me that!"
Liu Ergou laughed heartily at her words.
He wasn't lying. The change in Xiao Rou was truly staggering. A few years ago, she was always trailing behind him with a runny nose, constantly calling out, "Brother Er Gou, Brother Er Gou." But now, that snotty little girl had transformed into a graceful and elegant young beauty.
If I remember correctly, she should be eighteen this year, right? We've been apart for at least six or seven years.
Right now, Xiao Rou was wearing a white dress, her long hair cascading down her back. Her features were delicate, and paired with her sandals, she looked incredibly beautiful. This was why Liu Ergou hadn't recognized her at first.
"Alright, alright, I won't call you a snotty kid anymore," he said. "In any case, you should hurry on home. I still need to go to town to sell my herbal medicine!"
As he spoke, Liu Ergou released the hand that was supporting her. The moment he let go, however, Xiao Rou cried out in pain and started to fall to the side.
Quick as lightning, Liu Ergou pulled her into his arms.
Feeling her soft body and smelling the faint fragrance from her hair, Liu Ergou was momentarily lost in a daze, only coming back to his senses after a few seconds.
"Xiao Rou, what's wrong?"
Lying in his arms, Xiao Rou said pitifully, "I think I sprained my ankle. It hurts so much!"
Hearing she was injured, Liu Ergou wasted no time and immediately helped her over to a clean spot to sit down.
After getting her answer, Liu Ergou lifted her left foot to examine it. Sure enough, her ankle was swollen like a large steamed bun. He barely touched it, and she cried out in pain again.
"Brother Er Gou..." Xiao Rou whimpered pitifully.
Liu Ergou simply nodded and told her not to worry. Then, he recalled the Hundred Turns Nine Sounds Phoenix Needle technique in his mind and quickly found the appropriate treatment method.
He covered her entire ankle with his large hand and began to massage it with a uniquely special rhythm.
At first, Xiao Rou kept crying out in pain. Soon, however, the pain vanished, replaced by a tingling, numbing sensation that she found strangely intoxicating. Within a few minutes, her face was completely flushed, and a fine sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead.
"B-Brother Er Gou..." she called out, her voice trembling.
Liu Ergou looked up at her, and the sight left him stunned. Xiao Rou was already beautiful, but now, with her face flushed red, she possessed an entirely new kind of allure. For a moment, he was captivated.
Seeing him staring at her so intently, Xiao Rou grew flustered and lowered her head.
"Brother Er Gou... c-could you not stare at me like that?" she whispered.
Her words snapped Liu Ergou back to reality. He quickly looked down and resumed massaging her ankle.
After a few more minutes, he finally released his grasp. Her small foot now rested gently in his hand. Looking at her soft, fair, callus-free skin, Liu Ergou couldn't help but swallow hard.