Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye looked over in surprise. The person waiting for him was none other than the Zhaang Family’s number one Inner Sect Disciple, Zhaang Yizhi. The two locked eyes, and a faint smile appeared on Zhaang Yizhi’s face. ”Zhaang Ye,” he said, ”your strength is indeed above the Martial Arts Fifth Layer. Did you know that Lee Liang is the second-strongest expert in the Lee Family’s Inner Sect? He’s at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer and ranks within the top thirty of Cyan Mulberry City’s Younger Generation. To think a man like him would be defeated by you in a single move and beaten half to death.”

’To be seen even when fighting in a remote alley like this...’ Zhaang Ye was truly a bit speechless. Waving his hand, Zhaang Ye said with a wry smile, ”It’s because he underestimated me. If he had treated me as an opponent of the same level from the start, I never would have won so easily.”

Zhaang Yizhi chuckled and said, ”From what I saw of your move just now, you were seasoned and ruthless. Once you struck, you gave your opponent no chance. Even if Lee Liang had been prepared, he would not have been your match.”

At this point, he looked at Zhaang Ye and said, ”You and my sister are a good match.”

”A good match with your sister?” Zhaang Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”Senior Brother Zhaang, what are you talking about? I don’t even know your sister. How can you say we’re a good match? Huh...”

Zhaang Ye looked at Zhaang Yizhi, and a thought suddenly struck him. He blurted out, ”Senior Brother Zhaang, you couldn’t be Zhaang Yumei’s older brother, could you?”

Zhaang Yizhi laughed heartily and said, ”You finally figured it out. That’s right, Zhaang Yumei is my younger sister.”

Hearing Zhaang Yizhi’s reply, realization dawned on Zhaang Ye. ’No wonder I thought he looked familiar the moment I saw him. Zhaang Yizhi is Zhaang Yumei’s older brother.’ That explained why Zhaang Yizhi was so amicable toward him. It was because he had saved Zhaang Yumei’s life.

Zhaang Yizhi stopped laughing and said, ”Zhaang Ye, do you know why I said you and my sister are a good match? There’s only one reason: my sister has a rather good impression of you. Ever since she was little, my sister has never liked being around men. After growing up, it only got worse. She only likes to associate with women her own age and won’t even spare a glance for most men.”

At this, Zhaang Yizhi looked at Zhaang Ye and said, ”You have considerable strength, you act with seasoned ruthlessness, and your mind is far more mature than others your age. Most importantly, my sister has taken a liking to you. That’s why I think you two are a pretty good match.”

Zhaang Yizhi’s words left Zhaang Ye dumbfounded. After a long moment, he said with a serious expression, ”Senior Brother Zhaang, I thank you for your kind intentions. However, my life’s ambition is to pursue the peak of the Martial Dao. I have no interest in romantic affairs.”

’To go further on the path of the Martial Dao, one must have an unwavering heart. If I just go with the flow like everyone else—falling in love, getting married, having children—then this life will be just like theirs. I’ll slowly grow old, get sick, and then die. I already experienced that helpless process once in my previous life. In this life, I absolutely refuse to go through it again.’

Zhaang Yizhi hadn’t expected Zhaang Ye to refuse so resolutely. His brow twitched slightly. However, he didn’t say much more. The idea that Zhaang Ye and Zhaang Yumei were a good match was just a thought he had. If Zhaang Ye refused, then so be it.

As the two walked back to the Zhaang Mansion, Zhaang Yizhi said, ”Zhaang Ye, that woman in green you clashed with is named Lee Qingzhi. Lee Qingzhi is the Lee Family’s Miss Qi and one of the three great beauties of Cyan Mulberry City. You’ve offended her. Even if she doesn’t come looking for trouble, I’m afraid some men hoping to win her favor will. So, for the time being, it’s best you go out as little as possible.”

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly and headed for the Wind Cave.

「The Lee Family Estate.」

Lee Liang lay in a wretched state on a stone chair, letting several maids apply healing salves to his body.

After being swung around by Zhaang Ye and brutally smashed against the stone wall several times, not a single spot on Lee Liang’s body was left unscathed. Not only was his flesh torn and battered, but Zhaang Ye had also broken several of his bones. A searing pain coursed through his entire body.

The injuries to his body were severe, but the wound to his pride was even worse. He had been subdued in a single move and, in front of Lee Qingzhi, swung around and smashed against a wall several times. This filled Lee Liang with unbearable humiliation. All day long, his fists remained tightly clenched and he ground his teeth, wishing he could tear Zhaang Ye apart piece by piece.

”That brat! I’ll find out who you are, and I will avenge today’s humiliation!” Lee Liang howled, waving his fist. His ferocious expression terrified the maids.

A brawny young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight suddenly strode into the courtyard. His hair was black, stiff, and short, standing up spike-like on his head, giving him an exceptionally fierce appearance. As he entered the courtyard, his gaze fell on Lee Liang. ”Second Brother,” he said, ”I heard you ran into some trouble outside. What happened?”

Seeing the young man approach, a hint of joy appeared on Lee Liang’s face. ”Big Brother, you’re here just in time! I suffered a huge loss at the hands of some brat from the Zhaang Family today. He nearly shattered my entire skeleton. Find out who he is for me, so I can go kill him after my injuries heal.”

The short-haired young man glanced at Lee Liang’s injuries and mused, ”The Zhaang Family’s True Disciples are all in arduous Cultivation; it’s unlikely any of them would come out to fight you. As for the Zhaang Family’s Inner Sect, to my knowledge, there are very few young experts. With your Martial Arts Fifth Layer strength, the only one among the Zhaang Family’s Inner Sect Disciples who could contend with you is Zhaang Yizhi. Was the one who injured you Zhaang Yizhi?”

Lee Liang shook his head. ”I know Zhaang Yizhi, and I know all of the Zhaang Family’s True Disciples. I have no impression of the person who injured me at all. I have no idea where he popped out from.”

The short-haired young man said in a low voice, ”Tell me what he looked like and what Combat Skill he used.”

Lee Liang nodded and recalled, ”The person who hurt me might have gone through Cultivation in the Wind Cave. He has very short hair and rough skin, making it a bit hard to tell his age. I’d guess he’s probably around seventeen or eighteen...”

”Wait!” The short-haired young man frowned, cutting Lee Liang off. ”You didn’t get your head smashed in, did you? Since when did a Martial Arts Fifth Layer expert who’s only seventeen or eighteen appear in our Cyan Mulberry City?”

”I also think it’s impossible, but he really is that young.” A resentful look flashed in Lee Liang’s eyes. ”He smashed me a good six or seven times. I’d recognize his face even if it were turned to ash.”

The short-haired young man pondered for a moment before saying, ”Tell me about the fight.”

Lee Liang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, ”We only fought for a very short time. I thought he was at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, so I planned to crush his shoulder bone with my first move. But I never expected him to grab my wrist in an instant. Then he swung me up and started smashing me against the stone wall. He was fast and incredibly strong. I couldn’t break free no matter how desperately I struggled, so I could only let him smash me...”

Lee Liang’s voice grew quieter as he spoke. After all, being defeated in a single move was definitely not something to be proud of. Even in front of his own brother, he found it difficult to speak about.

Although Lee Liang’s voice was quiet, the short-haired young man heard him clearly. He sucked in a sharp breath of cold air and said in a low voice, ”You’re saying you fell into his hands in a single move? And you don’t even know what Combat Skill he used?”

Lee Liang nodded.

The short-haired young man asked a few more questions, then mused for a moment before saying, ”It seems your defeat wasn’t without reason. If I’m not mistaken, this person must be a Body Refining expert. Although his Cultivation is only at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, his Body Refining Technique is already well-practiced, giving him strength comparable to a Martial Arts Fifth Layer expert. You underestimated him and were overpowered by brute force. It’s not strange at all that you were defeated in one move.”

”To think the Zhaang Family actually produced such a Body Refining expert. How interesting.” The short-haired young man stood up. ”You focus on resting and try to recover fully within a month. If I’m not mistaken, that Body Refining expert will definitely compete in the upcoming Four Races’ Younger Generation ranking tournament. When the time comes, I’ll test him out myself.”

Lee Liang said happily, ”If you take action, Big Brother, you’ll definitely be able to defeat him.”

A confident look appeared in the short-haired young man’s eyes. ”My Saber Technique is nearing Great Success. Once it reaches Great Success in a few more days, I’ll go find a suitable saber. Then, I’ll even be able to contend with a True Disciple. If I run into that person, I’ll cut him down and avenge you.”