Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 74 Slap in the Face

The dock was much busier than I had imagined.

Dozens of boats of all sizes were crowded on the shore, their masts so dense they resembled a shrunken forest.

The dock was bustling with people, and porters carrying sacks moved back and forth on the gangplanks. Their shouts, calls, and the boatmen's curses created a chaotic mess that gave people a headache.

Jiang Xun spotted Li Che at a glance.

He stood beside the gangplank of a large ship, talking to a man who looked like a manager. His plain white long gown stood out conspicuously among a group of porters in short brown robes.

Zheng Xiao stood behind him, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

"Brother!" Li Tang waved and called out.

Li Che turned around and saw his sister and Jiang Xun together. A smile appeared on his face: "What brings you two here?"

"I was just killing time anyway, so I came over to see you," Li Tang said matter-of-factly. "And we can grab a bite to eat together."

"Okay, you've learned to care about people now," Li Che said with a smile, then looked at Jiang Xun, "You've come at the right time, let's eat together."

The three of them turned into a small restaurant behind the dock, ordered a few dishes, and chatted while they ate.

Li Tang picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, brother, do you know that Mirror Lake is hosting a martial arts tournament at the Meng residence tomorrow?"

"I know." Li Che nodded. "I heard about it this morning."

"Jiang Xun received an invitation from Mirror Lake, did you receive one?"

"With my mediocre skills, even if Mirror Lake invited me, I wouldn't dare go," Li Che chuckled, turning to Jiang Xun, "Congratulations."

"I just went to join in the fun." Jiang Xun was unusually modest.

Li Che said earnestly, "Jinghu is a grandmaster of martial arts; it would be best to befriend him. Since they've openly set up the challenge, it's better for you to go openly and honestly than to sneak around."

Jiang Xun nodded; that was what he thought too.

"Is everything going smoothly here?" he asked.

"Things are going fairly smoothly," Li Che said. "The grain merchants delivered the first batch of grain this morning, and loading began this afternoon. At this rate, it should be ready to ship tomorrow morning."

"That's good."

After finishing their meal, the three returned to the dock.

The grain is still being packed, bag by bag, into the hold.

Jiang Xun leaned against a pillar and watched the movers come and go, yawning listlessly.

The sun was gradually setting in the west, and the boat was almost full.

Just then, someone shouted, "The boat is leaking!"

Jiang Xun's heart tightened, and he quickly walked over.

A grain ship that was leaning to one side was seen with water gurgling out from its hull.

Several porters frantically tried to unload the grain, but water had already flooded the bottom of the hold, and many sacks were soaked.

"Quickly! Seal the breach!" Li Che's face darkened, and he ordered loudly, "Move out the ones that aren't wet first! Zheng Xiao, call some more men!"

The dock was instantly thrown into chaos.

Jiang Xun was about to go over to help when he suddenly caught a glimpse of several people walking towards him.

The leader was a young man in brocade robes, with a handsome face and a hint of arrogance from a noble family in his eyes—it was Wang Tingfeng, whom he had fought at the Meng residence the night before.

He was followed by about ten people, walking at a leisurely pace, as if they were strolling through a market.

Jiang Xun recognized one of the faces—it was the young master of the Dugu family, the one he had seen in Wuling City.

Jiang Xun leaned closer to Li Tang and whispered, "Who's that person behind Wang Tingfeng?"

Li Tang glanced at it and curled her lip: "The Dugu family, his name is Dugu Hong. He's an annoying guy too, just like Wang Tingfeng."

Jiang Xun nodded, deeply agreeing.

Right now, Li Che is busy blocking the ships and moving grain, and he's in a real bind. He hopes these annoying guys won't come looking for trouble.

But what you fear most is what happens.

Wang Tingfeng walked straight up to Li Che, gave a forced smile and bowed slightly: "Oh, isn't this the Prince of Qi's heir?"

Li Che's expression was indifferent. He glanced at him and then looked away: "Young Master Wang, Young Master Dugu, I have things to attend to. Let's talk another day."

Wang Tingfeng smiled calmly, his gaze sweeping over the tilted grain ship before settling back on Li Che's face: "Your Highness, don't be in such a hurry. I heard you were loading grain, so I brought people to help. Look, with so many people, they can surely lend a hand, right?"

He pointed behind him.

Several men who looked like henchmen stepped forward, arms crossed, their faces full of expressions of watching a good show, showing no intention of helping at all.

"No need," Li Che said coldly. "I have enough people."

Dugu Hong interjected sarcastically, "The young master is very capable. He can even handle the grain merchants in Qiantang. Loading a ship full of grain is certainly no problem for him. Naturally, he won't accept our good intentions."

Jiang Xun stood to the side and saw the true colors of the two men clearly.

He understood perfectly well by now.

The grain ships are leaking; it's most likely the work of these powerful families.

Li Che was busy blocking the ships and moving grain, so he didn't have time to argue with these people.

But some people just have to walk right into the line of fire.

"Young Master, don't go!" Wang Tingfeng chuckled and took another step forward, his voice quite loud. "I heard that you were quite the big shot at the Misty Rain Pavilion last night, scaring all those grain merchants into signing contracts. Why are you in such a hurry at the dock today? This isn't like you at all."

He paused, deliberately looking around, then raised his voice a few decibels: "If the grain gets soaked and the quantity isn't enough, just let us know. Although our Wang family doesn't farm, we can still help with this. Young Master, don't be shy—"

Before he could finish speaking, a slap came flying at him.

"Snapped!"

Wang Tingfeng was hit squarely in the face, and he was completely stunned. Half of his face swelled up at a visible speed.

Jiang Xun withdrew his hand, looking completely innocent: "Oops, sorry, my hand slipped."

Wang Tingfeng covered his face, staring at him with wide eyes. It took him a long time to react before his face turned bright red: "You—you dare hit me?!"

"I already said it was a slip of the hand," Jiang Xun chuckled, his tone light and casual. "Young Master Wang is magnanimous; you won't hold such a small matter against me, will you?"

"You're asking for it!" Wang Tingfeng roared, waving his hand. "Attack!"

The attendants behind him immediately rushed forward.

Jiang Xun had been waiting for this moment.

The docks were in complete chaos. Li Che was busy plugging the gaps and moving grain, and didn't have time to waste with these people.

The right thing to do is to defeat them quickly and decisively.

With a swift movement, he unleashed the Azure Lotus Divine Skill, his entire body flashing away like a shadow.

The fists flew in a flurry of light, too fast to see clearly, and within moments the followers were all lying on the ground, groaning and crying out in pain.

Wang Tingfeng's expression changed drastically. He finally realized that Jiang Xun had already shown mercy the night before, and he shrank back repeatedly.

"He's got some skill, huh?" Dugu Hong sneered, then winked at someone behind him, "Teach him a lesson."

A young man stepped out from the crowd.

In his early twenties, with a fair complexion and a long sword hanging at his waist, he was none other than Zhang Tao, the young master of Baoyue Manor.

He stood there, hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips, his gaze sweeping lightly over Jiang Xun as if he were looking at an ignorant and arrogant junior.

That air of superiority and composure made many people present sigh inwardly: No wonder he comes from a prestigious family.

Jiang Xun narrowed his eyes slightly.

Baoyue Villa?

His mind raced. Had Baoyue Manor pledged allegiance to the Dugu family or the Wang family?

Before he could think any further, Zhang Tao had already made his move. He didn't even bother with polite words, and with a flick of his wrist, his sword light reached Jiang Xun's eyes.

His first move was the "Falling Moon Sword Technique" of Baoyue Manor, with three cold stars flying from the tip of his sword, heading straight for Jiang Xun's throat, heart, and dantian.

Jiang Xun felt a chill run down his spine.

This was the first time in his career that he had truly faced off against a top-tier expert.

As soon as Zheng Xiao handed him the longsword, his palms were covered in a fine layer of sweat.

It wasn't fear, but rather an instinctive reaction that made every pore on my body tense up.

But backing down is not an option.

He took a deep breath, and the Spring Water Sword Technique flowed effortlessly from his hand.

The sword light was like water, continuous and unbroken, each strike perfectly blocking the opponent's attack.

The two swords clashed, sparks flying everywhere with a clang.

Zhang Tao's swordsmanship was indeed excellent, and his internal strength was also solid. Every move he made had the foundation of a prestigious school, and he was suppressing Jiang Xun.

The onlookers saw swords flashing and figures flying, with white marks left on the ground by sword energy and gravel flying everywhere.

The twenty-year-old young master of the manor truly lives up to his reputation.

But Zhang Tao himself knew it was wrong.

He originally thought Jiang Xun was just a street urchin who had won against Li Fei by sheer luck with his strange movements, and today he could use him to establish his authority.

Who knew that the opponent would be so difficult to deal with once they started fighting.

Thirty moves, forty moves... the more he fought, the more alarmed he became.

Each thrust of the sword felt like piercing a pool of supple water. Even though it had broken through Jiang Xun's sword net, the sword light would roll back from an unbelievable angle, weaving a continuous barrier once more.

In Jiang Xun's hands, the Spring Water Sword Technique truly flowed smoothly and seamlessly, like living water, without any stagnation.

What's even more terrifying is internal energy.

Zhang Tao believed he had a solid foundation, and his internal strength had been honed by the manor lord with superior techniques since childhood, making him a rare talent among his peers.

After exchanging forty or fifty sword strikes with Jiang Xun, his tiger's mouth began to go numb, his arm began to ache, and his breathing became erratic.

The young man opposite him, however, was becoming increasingly fierce and fast with his swordplay, as if he had an inexhaustible supply of internal energy.

Jiang Xun was also fighting, but his experience was completely different.

Once the "Dragon Control Technique" is activated, the domineering power of the Unbound Heaven Guiding Technique automatically surges through the meridians.

With each swing of the sword, his inner strength not only did not feel depleted, but instead became more and more abundant, like a flood that had burst its banks, surging ever more fiercely.

My lower abdomen felt incredibly hot, both comfortable and exhilarating, and my entire body was clamoring for release.

Sixty moves.

Sweat dripped from Zhang Tao's forehead down his temples, and his breathing was heavy, like a bellows.

His swordsmanship had become chaotic, turning from its initial methodical approach into a frantic and frantic slashing and hacking.

All the demeanor of a disciple of a prestigious family and the majesty of Baoyue Manor have vanished.

All he wanted to do was win.

Jiang Xun's eyes narrowed.

Right now.

A deadly move hidden within the Spring Water Sword Technique suddenly erupted, the sword light suddenly surged, like waves crashing on the shore, breaking through Zhang Tao's defense with a single strike, the tip of the sword stopping steadily three inches from his throat.

The entire room fell silent.