Chapter 209 - 207: Return to Normal

"I think he’s scared and getting ready to run. He’s a cripple, after all. The Cyan Dragon Chief and the King of the Underworld are fighting—with such a huge commotion, anyone who doesn’t run is an idiot."

"It doesn’t look like it! Look, he’s heading right toward the Cyan Dragon Chief and the others!"

Xuanwu was slowly walking toward Ye Xuan and the King of the Underworld.

His actions dumbfounded the spectators below. Everyone said he was courting death. Only Cyan Snake and the Qilin Chief paled in realization.

Ye Xuan and the King of the Underworld were both seeing red. At that moment, they only had eyes for each other, and only one thought occupied their minds: to take down the opponent. They didn’t even notice Xuanwu slowly approaching them.

Looking at Ye Xuan and the King of the Underworld, who were fighting fiercely because of him, Xuanwu’s eyes filled with guilt.

He was now only half a meter away from Ye Xuan, just as the King of the Underworld threw a punch at him. Ye Xuan hopped a half-step to the side, dodging the King of the Underworld’s attack.

Due to the angle, the King of the Underworld hadn’t seen Xuanwu standing behind Ye Xuan. He only spotted him when Ye Xuan dodged. It was too late to pull his punch. The King of the Underworld’s pupils contracted, but he decided to follow through and threw the punch directly at Xuanwu.

He wanted to see how Xuanwu would dodge this strike.

The oblivious spectators below all gasped collectively. They assumed Xuanwu would be sent flying by the King of the Underworld’s punch. After all, how could someone whose martial arts had been completely crippled withstand such a heavy blow?

However, what happened next left everyone’s jaws hanging wide open.

Xuanwu’s body sharply tilted to the left as he blocked the King of the Underworld’s punch with his elbow. He then swiftly rebounded. In just a few dozen seconds, he had already exchanged five moves with the King of the Underworld.

The King of the Underworld grew increasingly excited as they fought, eventually bursting into boisterous laughter. "Hahaha, good boy! I knew you could do it!"

Watching the two of them spar, a glimmer flashed through Ye Xuan’s eyes. He lowered his gaze, concealing a trace of calculation.

The crowd below was completely dumbfounded by Xuanwu and the King of the Underworld.

"Fuck! Who the hell said Xuanwu was a cripple? How could a cripple block so many of the King of the Underworld’s moves?"

"Exactly! With that kind of strength, he’s evenly matched with the King of the Underworld. If he’s a cripple, then we’re worse than trash!"

"I heard his medical reports from back then were faked. His martial arts were never crippled at all!"

Listening to the crowd’s discussions, Vermilion Bird smiled smugly. How could her brother be a cripple?

"Alright, alright, you two. Stop fighting!" Seeing that the King of the Underworld had no intention of stopping, Vermilion Bird quickly hopped onto the stage and glared at him in exasperation.

Not daring to fool around any longer, the King of the Underworld hastily stopped and scratched his head sheepishly.

"Brother Cyan Dragon, Brother King of the Underworld, I’m sorry for making you worry." Having returned to his normal self, Xuanwu looked at Ye Xuan and the King of the Underworld apologetically before giving them a deep bow.

"Cut the useless crap, kid! I took quite a beating just to get you back on your feet!

"We’re going drinking tonight, and it’s your treat!" the King of the Underworld said, wincing in pain as he rubbed his swollen cheek.

"Alright! You can drink however much you want, Brother King of the Underworld! It’s all on me!" Xuanwu laughed, patting his chest as he readily agreed.

Vermilion Bird watched the King of the Underworld and Xuanwu fooling around nearby, then discreetly nudged Ye Xuan with her elbow. "Did you fight with the King of the Underworld on purpose just now?"

Hearing Vermilion Bird’s hushed voice, Ye Xuan smiled noncommittally.

Seeing Ye Xuan’s expression, Vermilion Bird instantly realized she had been duped. That old fox! She knew it! There was no way Ye Xuan could be provoked so easily by the King of the Underworld and get into a fight just like that.

It turned out to be a setup by Ye Xuan all along. He had deliberately provoked the King of the Underworld into attacking him. He used this method to stimulate Xuanwu, forcing him to face his inner demons.

"You old fox, your true strength goes far beyond this, doesn’t it?" Vermilion Bird whispered again, noticing Ye Xuan’s perfectly steady breathing.

"It was just an act. Why take it so seriously?" Ye Xuan replied with a faint smile, glancing over at the Qilin Chief.

Vermilion Bird was utterly speechless. She reached out and viciously pinched Ye Xuan’s waist. "Damn it, you even tricked me! Are we still brothers or what?"

Ye Xuan winced and furrowed his brows, but his eyes were filled with amusement.

In truth, he had only used seventy percent of his martial arts prowess while fighting the King of the Underworld. It wasn’t because he looked down on his opponent, but rather to put on a show for the people from the Qilin Hall.

He suspected that someone within the Qilin Hall was colluding with the Celestial Ranking. Furthermore, the mole in the Ministry of State Security most likely came from the Qilin Hall as well. Holding back his strength was also meant to lull that man into a false sense of security. Only then could he catch him off guard during their final showdown.

"Alright, everyone, disperse. This was nothing more than a friendly sparring match between a few comrades."

The Lord had walked over at some point. He waved his hand at the onlookers, signaling them to stop crowding around. After dispersing the crowd, he stepped onto the arena and looked at Ye Xuan and the others, revealing a gratified smile.

"Excellent. You lot are finally gathered together again. This is truly wonderful."

The Lord said "excellent" several times, his eyes glistening and his voice choked with emotion. Seeing him like this, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Old man, you’re not going to cry, are you?"

Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, the Lord raised his cane and whacked him. "You little brat, you’re the one who’s going to cry! Do I look like the kind of person who cries?"

With that, he turned his head and stealthily wiped the corners of his eyes.

Ye Xuan and the others exchanged smiles, choosing not to expose him.

"My Lord, I’m sorry. I’ve been too willful these past few years and made you worry," Xuanwu said. His eyes instantly reddened as he looked at the white-haired elder, and he gave him a deep bow.

"Sigh, child, please get up." The Lord reached out to help Xuanwu up, then held his hand and said kindly, "It’s all in the past. It’s fine, it’s fine. We are a family; there’s no need to mention this."

Hearing the Lord’s words, Vermilion Bird and the others felt a mix of being deeply moved and a poignant sorrow. Over the past five years, if the Lord hadn’t gritted his teeth and held everything together, the Four Palaces wouldn’t even exist anymore—they would have disbanded long ago.

"My, oh my, our tomboy actually knows how to cry? That’s a rare sight."

Seeing the atmosphere turn so sorrowful, the King of the Underworld’s eyes darted around, and he quickly stepped in to lighten the mood. Noticing the tears welling up in Vermilion Bird’s eyes, he teased her with a grin.

Vermilion Bird’s initially complicated emotions were instantly shattered. She let out an exasperated laugh. "Are you fucking asking for death? Haven’t you had enough of a beating just now?"

After snapping at him, Vermilion Bird lunged forward to beat him up. Naturally, the King of the Underworld wasn’t going to just stand there and take it, and the two began chasing each other around the arena.

Ye Xuan looked at his old friends before him, a flash of anguish crossing his eyes.

The place was still the same, but unfortunately, there was one person missing.

"Alright, chin up. Things will definitely get better over time," the Lord said, astutely catching Ye Xuan’s emotional shift as he reached out to pat him on the back.