Chapter 103: Fight to the Death

Lying on the ground and feeling the burning pain across his body, Gao Yang could hardly believe that the fellow opposite him had actually dared to strike him.

Who was he, Gao Yang? He was the direct grandson of the Great Wei State's Pillar of the Nation General, and a notorious hell-raiser throughout the city of Wuan. Never in his life had he suffered such humiliation.

In particular, the fact that the whip had lashed across his buttocks left him with no scrap of dignity remaining. The arrogance and intimidation he had displayed moments ago now seemed like nothing more than a joke.

"I swear, I will make you die..." Gao Yang gritted his teeth, speaking with bitter resentment. In Wuan City, if he, Young Master Gao, wanted someone dead, that person was effectively already knocking on the gates of the underworld.

"Is that so?" Wei Wuji chuckled, completely unfazed by the threat.

Seeing the man still wearing that look of supreme confidence only stoked the fires of Gao Yang's rage. "Do you have any idea who I am? I am from the Pillar of the Nation General’s estate!" Gao Yang roared, pointing a finger at Wei Wuji’s nose.

With a sharp *crack*, Gao Yang’s hand received another strike.

Only then did Wei Wuji say calmly, "I know. You’re the Pillar of the Nation General’s grandson, aren't you?"

Seeing Wei Wuji’s nonchalance—treating the matter as if it were an everyday occurrence—Gao Yang was on the verge of losing his mind.

"Then do you have any idea what the Pillar of the Nation General represents?" Gao Yang bellowed, his eyes practically spitting fire. Under normal circumstances, once people knew he was the General's grandson, who in Wuan City wouldn't show him some deference? But today, the tactic had failed entirely; it was as if, in this man’s eyes, the Pillar of the Nation General was no different from an ordinary foot soldier.

"You must be a lunatic..." Gao Yang collapsed back onto the ground, shouting in indignation.

The onlookers now stared at Wei Wuji as if he were a madman as well.

"Is this lad a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, or is he just a fool?" someone asked anxiously.

"Sigh! It's just a momentary display of bravado. By offending the Pillar of the Nation General’s estate, this boy likely won't live to see the night."

"General Gao is a man of such great virtue and prestige; how could he have a grandson like this?" others lamented.

Gao Yang remained on the ground, not daring to move while Wei Wuji hovered over him.

"I didn't want to get involved in this business today, you know. Why did you have to go and provoke me?" Wei Wuji squatted down, tugging at the whip in his hand.

Gao Yang was speechless. *Who the hell told you to stand there like a statue? If I don't deal with you, who am I supposed to deal with?*

"So what if I provoked you? Now that you've injured me, you’re already a dead man," Gao Yang sneered. He figured the fellow was just posturing, and since he had dared to lay a hand on him, he would make sure the man suffered a fate worse than death by nightfall.

"You intend to kill me?" Wei Wuji pointed at himself, his expression one of genuine bewilderment.

Gao Yang sneered again. He had assumed the guy might have some sort of backing, but it turned out he was just an idiot. Did he naively think this was just a simple assault, punishable by ten strikes of the cane according to Great Wei law?

Gao Yang looked at Wei Wuji with astonishment. Could this guy really be that ignorant? It wasn't surprising that Gao Yang would think so; the status of the Pillar of the Nation General was a concept that anyone with a brain in the Great Wei State knew better than to challenge.

Seeing Wei Wuji’s reaction, the surrounding townspeople were also stunned. They had initially taken him for a young hero, but now it seemed he truly was an idiot who knew nothing of the world.

"I reckon this lad is about to cave in," someone whispered.

"Who can afford to offend the Pillar of the Nation General’s estate? He’d best slit his own throat now to avoid implicating his family," another shook his head, passing judgment on Wei Wuji's fate.

"I merely struck you, and now you want to kill me? Is there no justice in this land?" Wei Wuji asked indignantly.

Seeing this, Gao Yang pulled himself into a sitting position and sneered. "Justice? In this city of Wuan, *I* am the law. What does it matter if I kill a nobody like you?"

"In other words, we don't need to speak of the law?" Wei Wuji asked, feigning doubt.

Gao Yang became increasingly smug, eyeing Wei Wuji with the look one reserves for an idiot. "Of course. Whoever has the bigger fist makes the—"

Before Gao Yang could finish his sentence, a piercing scream erupted. It was he who had let it out. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Gao Yang collapsed once more, his body curling up in agony.

"How... how could he dare..." The crowd murmured in disbelief. They were stunned that Wei Wuji still dared to strike.

After kicking Gao Yang down with a forceful blow, Wei Wuji squatted in front of him. Seeing the twisted expression on Gao Yang’s face, Wei Wuji’s face was filled with pity. He shook his head and said, "Sigh! As you said, there is no law in Wuan City—only the rule of who has the bigger fist."

"Since my fist is bigger now, I have no choice but to beat you!" Wei Wuji said, spreading his hands.

Gao Yang had no interest in listening to Wei Wuji’s drivel. His stomach hurt terribly, and he was absolutely livid.

"You won't blame me, will you?" Wei Wuji leaned in close to Gao Yang’s face.

Such behavior only made Gao Yang feel more miserable and infuriated. A single thought consumed his mind: the person before him had to die.

"Young Master!" Nearby, Gao Yang’s servants and guards cried out, struggling to crawl toward them. Some of the onlookers couldn't bear the sight; the people from the General's estate were being handled far too brutally.

In truth, regardless of what had happened before, the current scene looked exactly like a wealthy young aristocrat bullying a gentle, refined gentleman. Seeing the master and servants crawling on the ground was a truly pathetic sight.

Just as the crowd began to squeeze out a shred of sympathy for Gao Yang, an even more dramatic scene unfolded, drawing further gasps.

"Beat them until they're half-dead! They can still move, did you lot not eat breakfast this morning?" Wei Wuji’s fierce voice rang out. Since he had already offended them beyond repair, he might as well go all the way and unleash all the rage in his heart.

The more he looked at Gao Yang and his wicked servants, the angrier Wei Wuji became. He had always despised their behavior—daring to harm and rob people in broad daylight, not to mention treating human lives as a game and attempting to kill him.

"Since that's how it is, I might as well beat you half to death first!" Wei Wuji declared viciously.

What angered Wei Wuji most of all was that this fellow had claimed the fabric he bought for Lady Dan was meant for burial shrouds. If not for his remaining shred of reason, he would have drawn his sword and run him through long ago. For the sake of his future, Lady Dan had sacrificed far too much. Since he had accepted her as his mother, as long as he was a man, he would never let her suffer another moment of grievance or harm—whoever dared to try would have to die.

"Don't hold back, damn it! It doesn't matter if you kill those slaves; I’ll take the heat," Wei Wuji commanded sharply. As long as Gao Yang remained in one piece, killing a few wicked servants was of no consequence.

Under the intense pain, Gao Yang’s servants let out wails, some even accompanied by the sound of breaking bones. Seeing the ferociously imposing Wei Wuji, the onlookers broke into a cold sweat and instinctively retreated, filled with absolute terror.

This was no fool; this man was a demon incarnate. The crowd was in a frenzy. At the same time, they were filled with questions about his origins—what kind of young master could possess such audacity?

Meanwhile, Gao Yang lay on the ground, his expression vacant, his eyes filled with fear as he stared at Wei Wuji. When he saw Wei Wuji walking toward him, Gao Yang let out a scream of terror; he was truly frightened.

Just as Wei Wuji was about to loosen up the young master's joints a bit more, the sound of hoofbeats thundered from outside the crowd.