Chapter 428 - Battle (1/2)

Xiao Luo did not take the bank card from Hong Ji, but instead, he asked in return, “Who is that?”

“Ouyang De, the present Head of the Ouyang family!”

“We, of the Hong family, and the Ouyang family, are incompatible and have been in conflict for generations. This old poison and I have also been fighting ever since we were young, and I have beaten him every time. But, now that he heard about the loss of my arm, he eagerly comes over to redeem his reputation,” Hong Ji said.

“Bullsh*t, you old fart… stop talking nonsense and slandering me in front of the younger generation. Boy, don’t listen to him. Every time he competes with me, all it takes is just half a step, and he’s beaten. As for his arm, I swear to the heavens that I had no idea, and if I am lying, then may I be struck by lightning,” Ouyang De exclaimed.

“You still dare to talk about lightning? Old Poison, you better not make such an oath, or who knows, maybe one day God will really drop a bolt right on top of you and take you to heaven!”

“Enough of your nonsense, just stop this chatting. It’s time to fight!” Ouyang De scowled.

Hong Ji chuckled and mocked in reply, “Hahaha, I’ve nothing to be afraid of, so if you want to fight, let’s do it now.”

Hong Ji promptly returned into the home, and in a short while, he was back in the courtyard holding his familiar dog-beating stick. It was a sturdy bamboo rod, purplish in color, and scarred with traces of sword cuts all over its surface—a testament to the long years it had served him and the countless battles it had been used in.

Xiao Luo stopped Hong Ji just as he was about to step forward. “You really want to fight him?” he asked.

“Of course, I do. It’s time to end this feud once and for all,” Hong Ji replied.

“Then, I’ll fight in your stead.”

Xiao Luo could not allow Hong Ji to take on the challenge without the use of his left arm. Feeling responsible for it, Xiao Luo felt compelled to stand in as Hong Ji’s champion in the fight.

“Mr. Xiao Luo…”

Ji Siying felt a deep sense of admiration for Xiao Luo and unconsciously called out his name under her breath.

Hong Ji adamantly waved him away. “I appreciate your kind offer, but this is a long-standing conflict between our two families, and no outsiders should interfere,” he declared.

Right after he spoke, he dashed toward Ouyang De without further hesitation and let out a fierce roar.

“Hong… you, old ghost, I will not take advantage of you. I will not use my left arm either!”

Ouyang De bellowed as he tucked his left arm behind him. With his right hand, he raised the Ghost Head Divine Snake Rod and advanced to meet Hong Ji’s attack.

As soon as the two adversaries clashed, a ferocious fight ensued. Intense bursts of internal energy began to surge forth, causing a strong wind to sweep across the courtyard, and the ground cracked under their feet.

It was almost like a scene taken out from a martial arts movie, and it captured everyone’s attention.

Ji Siying was shocked and at a loss for words, for she was just a Level C fighter, and she was nowhere close to the level of these two old men. From her observation, Hong Ji and Ouyang De’s capabilities would place them in the Level A rating, or possibly even close to Level S. To Ji Siying, it was inconceivable that such powerful and skillful fighters were not roped in to be part of NSA. If she could meet two of such legends in Xiahai alone, wouldn’t there be more hidden masters scattered across the country?

Xiao Luo observed the fight with a keen eye, and he could tell that Hong Jia and Ouyang De were using all their inner strength and at no time were they holding back. Yet, they were obviously confidants and friends, as Xiao Luo could tell from their earlier verbal exchange and the fact that Ouyang De chose to fight on equal terms, keeping his left arm behind his back.

The children remained seated in the courtyard with a casual indifference to the goings-on and continued holding their bowls and slowly eating their porridge.

“Hong, you old ghost, take this stick!”

Ouyang De glared fiercely at Hong Ji and whipped his wrist, channeling a powerful surge of energy through his weapon to strike at his opponent.

Hong Ji reacted immediately, swirling his waist in mid-air and twisting his body to avoid Ouyang De’s strike. At the same time, Hong Ji struck out with his dog-beating stick, targeting Ouyang De’s abdomen. In his hand, the stick was as sharp as a knife.

Ouyang De instantly spun around and parried with precision, and in one swift motion, the Ghost Head Divine Snake Rod was back on the attack again—a display of just how lethal Ouyang De’s rod was.

“Old Poison, you are just slightly short!”

Hong Ji sneered, as he was well prepared for the counter-attack from Ouyang De’s rod.

CRACK!

When the rods smashed together, a burst of energy exploded outward around them. The ground under Hong Ji’s feet sank, and his face strained with a grimace as he was pushed back by the force of the blow. Suddenly, Hong Ji skipped and kicked out with his left foot directly at Ouyang De’s chest.