Chapter Sixteen: A Foul Mouth

The voice wasn’t particularly loud, but everyone could hear it clearly. The newcomer was none other than Ye Yan.

“Brother-in-law Ye!”
“Brother Yan!”

Feng Yaya was the first to be delighted upon seeing him. She hurriedly pushed aside Chen Guo’s hand and started shouting.

“They’re trying to take someone away!”
“They’re being unreasonable!”
“We were here first!”

Feng Yaya resembled a little dog bullied outside, finally able to find someone to complain to.

Beside her, Chen Guo breathed a sigh of relief when Ye Yan appeared, feeling the weight in her heart lift. To be honest, she couldn’t quite see through the group of Taoists across from her; without someone to hold the fort, she was truly afraid a conflict might break out. But now that Ye Yan was here, her worries eased considerably.

Ye Yan paid no attention to the stares from everyone. He walked across the clearing, went straight to Feng Yaya’s side, reached out to pat her little head, and spoke gently,

“That can’t be helped. I’m not working today, so whatever it is, you’ll have to wait until your sister comes back.”

“Mm...”
Feng Yaya pouted, cheeks puffed up in anger as she glared at Zhang Lingyu not far away, feeling indignant.

But soon, Ye Yan chuckled softly and added, “Still, I’d like to see who’s got such a big mouth—didn’t brush their teeth before coming out?”

As he spoke, Ye Yan’s gaze remained fixed on Zhang Lingyu, who had so rudely issued the order to leave. There was no overt action, no sense of oppression, just a few simple words, yet they instantly turned the atmosphere in the forest icy cold.

“Who are you?”
Having been publicly rebuked, Zhang Lingyu frowned and couldn’t help but demand an answer. He was in a foul mood. Fresh from his retreat, he encountered this situation, making someone who considered Dragon Tiger Mountain his home feel as if he’d swallowed a live fly—utterly miserable. All the accumulated frustration made the usually even-tempered Zhang Lingyu suddenly volatile, like two pounds of gunpowder swallowed whole.

“Little Taoist, you’ve got quite a temper, I see.”
Ye Yan stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at Zhang Lingyu from a distance, a playful smile on his face.

“If you’ve got time, you should cultivate your temperament, learn some manners, maybe see a doctor and get that foul mouth of yours treated. That’d do you good.”

Ye Yan’s words were merciless.

“You—”
Zhang Lingyu was so infuriated that his energy surged, terrifying golden light bursting from his body as he prepared to act.

“Little uncle, don’t be impulsive!”
“Please, don’t!”

The fat and thin duo rushed up to restrain him. Xingye and Jiyun, one on each side, grabbed an arm apiece to prevent Zhang Lingyu from breaking free and acting recklessly. The incident from a few days ago had happened while Zhang Lingyu was in retreat, so he wasn’t aware, but they certainly were. If a fight really broke out, the three of them together wouldn’t be a match for the other’s single hand.

This was someone even their master, Zhang Zhiwei, had personally praised as an up-and-coming talent.

“Xingye, Jiyun, don’t hold me back! I must teach this foul-mouthed bastard a lesson!”

Anger welled up in him, overtaking his training in self-cultivation. Zhang Lingyu didn’t care what he came here for, nor did he pay any mind to Zhang Chulan—his sole intent was to deal with Ye Yan.

“Too bad, you’re not up to it.”

Ye Yan sneered, holding his ground. He didn’t need any particular reason—he simply found this guy irritating and deserved a beating. It’d be nice to dish one out, though it seemed there’d be no chance.

Seeing that Zhang Lingyu couldn’t be calmed, Xingye and Jiyun turned to persuade Ye Yan, hoping he’d relent and give them a way out.

“Master Ye, please, put away your abilities—don’t provoke our little uncle any further...”
It was Jiyun who spoke.

The plea was clear; continuing was unnecessary. Ye Yan didn’t want to unnecessarily offend a major force like Dragon Tiger Mountain, so he decided to give them an out.

Ye Yan waved his hand, “All right, you’re from Dragon Tiger Mountain, so I won’t hold today’s matter against you. Let’s call it a favor to the Grandmaster.”

“Thank you, Master Ye!”
The two thanked him as they continued pulling Zhang Lingyu away. They were the busiest in the whole scene, while everyone else watched the drama unfold—including the source of it all, Zhang Chulan.

After much effort, the skinny one finally whispered something in Zhang Lingyu’s ear, calming his fiery rage. Zhang Lingyu’s gaze toward Ye Yan changed, becoming shocked, incredulous, and even tinged with a hint of jealousy... It was strange.

Meanwhile, Zhang Chulan, who had been ignored for ages, was not idle. He didn’t know why this group suddenly started infighting, but he was deeply shocked—shocked by the golden light on that little Taoist’s body. It wasn’t just similar; it was identical.

Zhang Chulan began to doubt himself.

How could this be? Isn’t this golden light the family technique handed down to me? How could that little Taoist use it, and the two beside him as well? What on earth is going on? Is this golden light mass-produced?

His bewilderment was caught by the now-calm Zhang Lingyu, who ignored Ye Yan and turned to him, stern-faced:

“Did you see? The so-called golden light is not your family’s inherited technique, but the secret Golden Light Incantation of our Orthodox First Division at Dragon Tiger Mountain.”

“Golden Light Incantation?”

Hearing this name for the first time, Zhang Chulan was deeply shocked.

“That’s right, the Golden Light Incantation.”
Zhang Lingyu maintained his aloof persona. “I don’t know how your ancestors managed to steal it, but as long as I’m here, I won’t allow someone of unknown lineage, without strength, to tarnish the gates of the Celestial Master’s Mansion.”

He glanced at Ye Yan, but Ye Yan was uninterested in their dispute, simply enjoying the spectacle and not offering any opinion.

“You! What! Did! You! Say!”

Zhang Chulan, seemingly enraged by these words, activated the Golden Light Incantation and charged forward.

Zhang Lingyu, golden light enveloping him, was also angered by Zhang Chulan’s reaction. Unable to beat the foul-mouthed one was one thing, but now even someone like this dared to jump out? Did they really think Zhang Lingyu was made of mud? Did they really think he was easy to bully?

In an instant, Zhang Lingyu moved.

Zhang Chulan only saw a flash of golden light, then felt a tremendous force lift him into the air, shattering even his protective golden light with a single punch.

“Bang!”

Zhang Chulan crashed heavily to the ground, his body feeling as if it would fall apart. Zhang Lingyu had used half his strength in that punch.

Jiyun, nearby, was a little shocked. “Little uncle, the master only asked us to bring Zhang Chulan back—you might have hit him too hard.”

Zhang Lingyu said nothing, remembering Zhang Zhiwei’s instructions, and felt a bit of regret. But what’s done is done. He just hoped the boy wasn’t too fragile.

Before Zhang Lingyu’s thoughts could settle, Zhang Chulan, eyes bloodshot, shakily stood up.