"Lock me up in prison, then rescue me? And then serve you?..."
Hua Zhezhi’s eyebrows furrowed deeper.
Although he had once been a disciple of the Flower Sect, carefree and debonair, he considered himself inherently good, just making poor choices in unfamiliar circumstances. But to be used for evil deeds was absolutely unacceptable.
"Secondly, if you refuse now, I’ll beat you half to death and then lock you up in the Prefecture Prison."
Jiang Dali smiled placidly, "You have three breaths’ time to decide."
"My lord!" The gentle woman was extremely tense.
Sweat was beginning to form on Hua Zhezhi’s forehead, and his expression was stern; he could feel the confidence exuding from the man before him.
The confidence this man had clearly indicated his remarkable strength.
In fact, the display of Inner Strength the man had shown before was already putting immense pressure on him.
Especially since the man had arrived riding what seemed to be an exotic beast, a giant eagle, with a person tied on its back.
Such behavior and character were bizarre and inscrutable.
But to think that mere words could make him surrender directly, he himself felt it was too suffocating and impossible.
But if he were to resist...
If he really was beaten half to death, taken down, and sent to the Prefecture Prison, then he truly wouldn’t be able to get out, not even if Hou Xibai came, he wouldn’t be able to rescue him.
Hua Zhezhi saluted with his fists and said earnestly, "Just with a few words from you expecting me to follow you is absolutely impossible. Since you are willing to recruit me, you must also be a person of broad mind.
How about we compete with thirty moves.
If within thirty moves, you can defeat me, I will follow you and be utterly loyal to you from then on.
If not, please let my wife and I retire from the Martial World."
Jiang Dali laughed slightly, "Normally, I am not fond of bargaining, but since you are willing to submit, I will accommodate you. Make your move!"
Hua Zhezhi saluted with his fist, and suddenly his folding fan opened, shooting out a burst of fine cattle-hair needles, stabbing toward Jiang Dali’s face.
This sudden attack was completely unexpected and impossible to guard against.
However, Jiang Dali just snorted coldly, and casually struck out with his palm.
A thick and ferocious burst of Great Vajra Palm energy exploded, like a Qi Wall colliding fiercely with the fine needles.
After the fine needles penetrated the Qi Wall, their momentum faded, Jiang Dali unflinchingly charged forward, the needles hitting him only tore his clothes, leaving him unharmed.
And in that lightning-fast moment, Hua Zhezhi sprung up and flew by, faster than a flash of lightning, narrowly avoiding the unabated energy of the splitting air palm, his robes fluttering, he reached Jiang Dali’s side, his fan continuously jabbing, enveloping the sound of breaking air, targeting Jiang Dali’s major points on his body.
Jiang Dali scoffed coldly, his arms vibrated, and a stream of air passed through his abdomen, ejecting from his throat, unexpectedly producing the sound of a dragon’s roar and tiger’s roar.
His entire body was instantly filled with energy, his veins bulging, his skin turned a shade of bluish-gold, and an incredibly strong burst of Qi spread out.
The jabs of Hua Zhezhi’s folding fan struck as if against iron, producing a sound of metal striking metal that numbed his own palms, leaving him inwardly shocked.
Just then, Jiang Dali suddenly charged in a flurry, his robe tightly pressed against his body unmoving, but the Qi-Blood inside him roiling like a fountain, and from his throat came a sound like a dragon’s chant, echoing throughout the forest.
Qi Mechanism was activated.
A claw reached out, grabbing toward Hua Zhezhi’s side.
Slightly swayed, claw shadows like mountains, oppressively layering, filling the sky with fierce claw shadows.
"Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand!"
Hua Zhezhi cried out in alarm, feeling as though he was about to be torn apart by the mere attack that hadn’t yet reached him, and immediately used all his skills to dodge.
However, his body appeared ethereal and gracefully elegant, his every dodging move looking as if it were a dance, his poses dashing and extremely attractive—a credit to the skills he had learned from the passionate young master Hou Xibai.
Yet soon, his space to dodge grew smaller and smaller.
Heavy claw shadows stacked like mountains, squeezing every inch of space he had to dodge.
A gentle woman by his side cried out anxiously.
Hua Zhezhi roared angrily, forcefully breaking through the situation, his Qi Force exploding throughout his body, his hair disheveled, and his folding fan flicking and blocking continuously.
Moments later, several muffled grunts were heard.
Jiang Dali suddenly withdrew his hands, his body moving like a swimming snake, and in a twist, he arrived beside Hua Zhezhi, the previous fierce and dominant aura had disappeared, as light as a breeze and cloud he patted Hua Zhezhi’s shoulder.
"You have already lost."
Hua Zhezhi was speechless, staring at Jiang Dali in utter shock. On his right shoulder, blood dripped freely, a chunk of flesh gone, his once splendid clothes now completely tattered, torn to pieces by the Dragon Claw Hand.
He knew Jiang Dali had shown mercy.
Otherwise, with the ferocity of the Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand, which could tear tigers and split leopards, claw trees and shred their bark, knead stones to powder, several instances earlier he could have easily taken his life.
Both being at the same level of the Outer Qi Realm, yet his skills learned from Passionate Mountain Manor seemed worlds apart.
This made Hua Zhezhi momentarily disheartened, and he sarcastically smiled.
"Having been defeated by you, I shall keep the promise made earlier, and hope you will not go back on your word, to rescue me after sending me to the county prison."
He said, then looked up towards Jiang Dali with a salute, "May I know the origins of my captor?
I, Hua Zhezhi, now that I am to follow you for sustenance, will surely serve as faithfully as I have declared. I only hope you will treat my wife and me kindly."
"That is only natural."
Jiang Dali spoke lightly, "Just so you know, I am Jiang Dali, the Mountain Village King of Black Wind Mountain in Hui City Mengyin County of Hui Prefecture.
Once you pledge allegiance to me, you will join my mountain village as a Squad Leader, and take the alias, Life-stealing Scholar."
"Mountain... Mountain Village King of Black Wind Mountain?"
Hua Zhezhi’s head buzzed, not even catching the new alias clearly, his mind echoing with a single thought.
Was this formidable expert who defeated him just a mountain bandit leader?
And he, Hua Zhezhi, once Flower-breaking Young Master from the Passionate Mountain Manor, was to join a mountain village and lead a band of mountain bandits as a Squad Leader?
Hua Zhezhi’s heart filled with reluctance, fearing that escaping from one den of thieves, he had entered another.
Nevertheless, considering Jiang Dali’s earlier warning remarks and seeing that though a robber leader, he seemed honorable in his actions, maybe the situation wasn’t as bad as he thought.
"My lady, do not panic. I see this chief is a man of sentiment, true to his words. I shall accompany him to the prison, and you can wait for me outside in peace."
"When you are ready, follow me!"
Jiang Dali chuckled lightly, and with one arm, he grabbed Hua Zhezhi, and leaped onto the Demon Hawk, laughing heartily and stylishly soaring away.
(The monthly ticket bonus is almost fulfilled. At month’s end, give me all your monthly tickets, and we’ll push for two thousand!)