Chapter 355: How Dare You Hit Me!
Chapter 355: How Dare You Hit Me!
After the musicians finished their performance, it was finally Yu Xiang’er’s turn to take the stage, and the atmosphere in the venue instantly reached its peak.
Yu Xiang’er appeared alone, without any accompaniment or backup dancers. She walked up the stage and sat in the center of the stage by herself.
Her long hair flowed gracefully as she wore a blue and white dress that trailed on the ground, revealing her fair-skinned arms. When she looked up, she radiated an aura reminiscent of Jiangnan's misty rain.
Before she appeared, the hall was filled with noise, but as she gently walked to the center of the stage, the entire hall subconsciously fell silent.
Yu Xiang'er specialized in playing a long flute.
Upon seeing that she had sat down, Chu Liang cast a glance at Zhuge Guanxing.
Seeing this, Zhuge Guanxing got up and started walking to the exit.
Before long, Zhuge Guanxing returned, his eyes gleaming slightly, and gave Chu Liang a subtle nod.
Chu Liang nodded back, then turned to Xiaoyu'er beside him and said with a determined smile, "Wish me luck."
"Mm!" Xiaoyu'er responded, her brows immediately frowning with nervousness.
She had been acting as a mascot in Berry Wonderland, giving blessings to people every day, which was not tiring. So, when Chu Liang suddenly offered her a day off, she was naturally happy.
However, when Chu Liang mentioned that he wanted to take her to a music performance, the girl immediately refused.
She had once failed to sneak into South Gate City because she couldn't sing or dance at all.
When it came to the arts of singing and dancing, she had no interest in either.
She would rather stay at Silver Sword Peak giving blessings than travel a thousand li to listen to a performance. However, when Chu Liang insisted that he really needed her for something important, she reluctantly agreed to come along.
The little girl was no longer just a helper; now she was an important mascot of Berry Wonderland. Her opinion mattered more now, so Chu Liang had to ask her nicely to get her to do anything.
After all, no matter where you work, being irreplaceable was the most important thing.
Suddenly, Chu Liang stood up and said to Yun Chaoxian next to him, "Hit me."
"Huh?" Yun Chaoxian's eyes widened in surprise. He never expected Brother Chu to make such a request in public.
Chu Liang glanced at the stage behind him and said, "Just aim for that direction."
"With full force?" Yun Chaoxian asked, bewildered.
"Uh... Seventy percent," Chu Liang replied after a moment's hesitation. Considering Yun Chaoxian's rapid cultivation progress, it was safer to hold back a bit to avoid taking a full-force hit.
Immediately, Yun Chaoxian swung his fist, aiming to deliver precisely seventy percent of his strength, and struck Chu Liang squarely in the chest!
BAAAAAAM—
He was surprised to feel at least twenty percent of the force rebound onto himself, twisting his right arm and slamming his body back into his chair, instantly crushing it!
Chu Liang's body was also thrown forward, flying straight toward Yu Xiang'er on the stage! While he was in mid-air, he didn't forget to shout, "How dare you hit me—"
Yu Xiang’er had just started her performance. The sound of the flute was melodious, with a gentle breeze, bright moonlight, and the fragrance of exotic flowers. The entire audience, including her, was immersed in it.
Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred as a figure flew toward her.
Yu Xiang'er opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Instantly, the sound of the flute changed. The gentle breeze swirling around the venue transformed into a howling whirlwind, protecting her and preventing anyone from approaching.
In her haste, this was her quickest response.
However, Chu Liang not only used the force from Yun Chaoxian's punch but also his own blood-burning power, crashing through the whirlwind with a bang!
He collided next to Yu Xiang'er, grabbing her arm and pulling her down to the ground with him.
Boom—
The accident happened so suddenly that everyone in the audience stood up, trying to see what had happened.
Yu Xiang'er also tried to stand up, but as soon as she did, Chu Liang quickly grabbed her wrist again.
"Miss Yu, you are not hurt, are you?" he asked loudly.
"Let go!" she demanded, shaking off his hand.
"Oh... Miss Yu, give me a hand," Chu Liang cried out miserably, grabbing her arm once more.
Yu Xiang'er wanted to slap him, but with so many people watching, she reluctantly broke free. Before she could move, she felt her ankle tighten as Chu Liang grabbed it.
"Miss Yu, sorry for disrupting your performance," he apologized, lying on the ground.
"Let go of me first," Yu Xiang'er said in a grimaced voice.
"Oh, okay." Chu Liang suddenly leaped up, stopping his howls of pain as if they had never happened. He gave a bow to the audience and quickly slipped off the stage.
Yu Xiang'er was left alone, frowning in puzzlement for a long time. It wasn't until everything was reorganized on the stage that she resumed her performance.
...
Chu Liang and his group did not stay at the Jubilant Melody Hall but went straight back to the inn.
That evening, a letter arrived from the Jubilant Melody Hall—an invitation from Yu Xiang'er. Chu Liang smiled, as if he had anticipated this.
Yun Chaoxian, Li Fujian, and Zhuge Guanxing joined him to meet Yu Xiang'er. This was the arrangement between both groups.
In a quiet room at the Jubilant Melody Hall, Yu Xiang'er sat silently. When she saw them arrive, she stood up and bowed.
Her expression was calm, with a hint of loneliness that made her appear more fragile. The expression could easily evoke sympathy.
"Miss Yu," the group greeted her as they gently took their seats.
"There's not much for me to say. You have one of the Baxia Dual Rings, which means the evidence is conclusive," said Yu Xiang'er.
Indeed, Chu Liang had dramatically flown onto the stage to steal one of the Baxia Dual Rings from her. It was a risky move, but there was no better option at the time.
However, he had made careful plans. He first called on Zhuge Guanxing to perform a divination to determine if the Baxia Dual Rings were with Yu Xiang'er.
While locating the rings with a general divination reading would have been too difficult for Zhuge Guanxing, the task of divination focusing on a specific item and a specific person would be much easier.
At that time, Zhuge Guanxing had performed divination calculations from below the stage and confirmed that the Baxia Dual Rings were indeed with Yu Xiang'er.
However, whether or not Chu Liang could retrieve the Baxia Dual Rings by touch alone depended on luck, but luck just so happened to be the strong suit of a koi fish.
With the blessing of the koi, Chu Liang managed to grab three items from Yu Xiang'er: a mask identical to the one Li Feiyu wore that day, a pill, and an ancient, heavy golden ring imbued with dragon qi.
This ring was one of the Baxia Dual Rings, making the evidence conclusive.
However, Chu Liang did not expose her on the spot. He quietly left. After all, the disciples of the South Melody Conservatory were public figures. If this incident became known to the public, regardless of the reasons, Yu Xiang'er's reputation would be ruined.
And so, Chu Liang wanted to hear her reasoning first.
"Actually, there's something I don't understand," Chu Liang began. "Li Feiyu has been stealing in Jiangnan for years. He has always targeted cultivators who bullied the common folk and wealthy households that were unkind. He often helped the poor, earning a reputation for robbing the rich to help the poor. But the Ultimate Martial Mountain Manor is far away in the East Sea... Why did you steal from them?"
"Because..." Yu Xiang'er paused before continuing, "I am not the real Li Feiyu."
"Hmm?" The group looked at her in surprise.
"I stole the Baxia Dual Rings to rescue the real Li Feiyu," she explained.