Abundant Martial Arts Virtue
Chapter 40 - 31: Coming to Ask (3rd Update for Votes)

Chapter 40: Chapter 31: Coming to Ask (3rd Update for Votes)

As Ya flew away, Wu Xiaode glanced at its tail feathers.

He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt that Ya’s tail feathers had grown longer and were emitting a black glow like ink.

——As it had mentioned, ability users of the Undead system were rare.

Perhaps, like himself, it was also rapidly enhancing its strength?

This was a mutually beneficial situation.

Anyway.

Brother Ya was not bad.

At this moment, the sounds of commotion drifted over from the street outside the night market.

Zhao Junyu turned to look and casually said, "These people, always causing trouble when they drink too much."

Wu Xiaode also glanced towards the street outside.

He saw a group of people grabbing a young man and taking turns hitting him.

"Are there cameras on this street?" Wu Xiaode, while continuing to gnaw on his chicken leg, asked indistinctly.

"This is the busiest night market at night; there are cameras everywhere," Xia Huilan chimed in.

"Then it’s not a big deal," Wu Xiaode said.

While they spoke, the group had already beaten the young man until he lay on the ground.

Blood seeped from the man’s head.

"He’s bleeding!" Xia Huilan covered her mouth and exclaimed.

"Looks like you guessed wrong," Zhao Junyu said with a smile to Wu Xiaode.

Wu Xiaode looked up and saw that as soon as the group saw the man on the ground, his head bloody, they sobered up quickly and scattered, soon disappearing from sight.

"A bunch of gutless, brainless idiots," Wu Xiaode shook his head and stood up to walk over.

"What’s he doing?" Xia Huilan wondered aloud.

"Who? Little Wu or the guy who’s getting beaten up?" Zhao Junyu asked.

Wu Xiaode crossed the long street, reached the man, squatted down and said, "How are you? Can you still move?"

"I reckon... I can’t," the man grimaced in pain as he spoke.

"Don’t move, let me check," Wu Xiaode said.

"Are you a doctor?"

"Sort of."

The man then relaxed, crying out, "I’m not going to let them get away with this; I have to find a chance—"

"Find what chance," Wu Xiaode interrupted, "Win the fight and go to jail, lose and end up in the hospital. If you can avoid fighting, then don’t."

The man protested, "But—"

Wu Xiaode interrupted him again, "Look at yourself, one broken rib, another cracked, a 9-centimeter wound on your scalp, a fractured nasal bone, broken finger bones... huh, there’s even a scratch on your face. Although not very obvious, it qualifies as a minor injury."

The man said infuriated, "Yes, I’m in such bad shape, I must—"

"Call the police, call an ambulance. Once the medical examination comes back, you can make them pay tens of thousands in compensation," Wu Xiaode said nonchalantly.

"Tens of thousands!" the man exclaimed.

"Yes, it’s a minor injury, and that’s already criminal. If they don’t pay up, they’ll go to jail. It’s as simple as that," Wu Xiaode said.

He began to help call an ambulance and the police.

"Doctor, are you sure? You’re not messing with me?" the man hastily asked.

"Look it up online yourself, it’ll be fine. By the way, when the hospital asks you how it happened, just say you don’t remember."

"Why?"

"Concussion, brother."

"Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Dizziness, and can’t urinate."

"What else?"

"Get ready to either get compensated or send them to jail. Brother, you’re about to have money. What do you plan to do next?"

The man paused for a moment, lying on the ground. He pulled out his phone and started browsing car apps.

"I’ve always wanted this car..." he said, full of longing.

Before long.

The police arrived.

The ambulance came too, and just before the man was carried onto it, he insisted on thanking Wu Xiaode. He added him as a friend and sent him a red packet.

Wu Xiaode waved goodbye, returned and sat down to continue eating.

Xia Huilan and Zhao Junyu stared at him.

"What are you looking at?" Wu Xiaode was puzzled.

"Little Wu, how did you know all that?" Xia Huilan asked.

"If you’re going to do something, you’ve got to love what you do, right? Would you dare to get into a fight on the street without reading criminal law and case studies?" Wu Xiaode shrugged.

He glanced at the floating Book of the Dead.

A few lines of ice crystal text, radiating a deep chill, appeared on the pages:

"Although your Soul Power has been replenished, your physical exhaustion is too severe."

"While you replenish food and rest, your physical strength will also slowly recover."

"Please continue eating."

What else was there to say? Just keep eating!

Wu Xiaode buried his head and wolfed down the food voraciously.

Suddenly.

A lot of people appeared in this street block.

They walked past each vendor, sat down at various night market booths, appearing indeed as if they had come specifically for late-night snacks.

The few booths around Wu Xiaode’s group were suddenly filled with people.

The entire night market became lively.

Zhao Junyu looked around and frowned, then spoke up, "Little Wu, someone is here for you."

"Who?" Wu Xiaode, holding a bowl and shoveling rice into his mouth, said.

"Me."

A voice came through.

A stocky man with a muscular build pushed through the lively crowd and sat down at Wu Xiaode’s table, smiling and saying:

"Hello, Iron Wire Fist master. I heard you were in seclusion, but it seems to me like you are enjoying a late-night snack."

Wu Xiaode, confused, glanced at Zhao Junyu.

Zhao Junyu laughed and said, "Two hours ago, after I had cleaned the floor, I thought you needed some rest, so I blocked some people for you."

Wu Xiaode immediately realized what had happened.

Zhao Junyu went to the Binjiang Road Food God Restaurant to clean on his behalf and incidentally found an excuse to block those who were truly behind the scenes.

Now others had come knocking at their door.

"What an honor, may I ask who you are?" he set down his bowl and inquired.

"Fu Zhengyang, Boxer of the Tiger Crane Group, with a Soul Power of 15 points, I’m here to deliver a message on behalf of several bosses," the man said.

"What bosses—bosses—I don’t care about that," Wu Xiaode grinned, revealing his neat white teeth, "hiding in the shadows and not daring to show your face, but killing and robbing becomes your forte. Just speak whatever you want to say."

He glanced at Xia Huilan, almost imperceptibly.

—This time, they probably found the right person.

Those important figures who wanted to take Xia Huilan’s research achievements and then kill her.

They finally sent a high-level expert, whose Soul Power had reached 15 points, to see him.

Fu Zhengyang said, "The previous incident... it was all a misunderstanding. I am here to convey the bosses’ apologies. It was our mistake, we were in the wrong."

"Hmm, please continue," Wu Xiaode said.

Fu Zhengyang continued, "Starting from tomorrow, Miss Xia can go back to work, and from now on, she only needs to hand over her research achievements to receive ten percent of the profits."

"As for you, name your price. Whatever amount will make you satisfied for this compensation," he added.

Wu Xiaode looked at Zhao Junyu and expressed his surprise, "His conditions are not even as good as yours."

Fu Zhengyang interjected, "Actually, our offer is the real deal."

"So, his is fake?" Wu Xiaode pointed at Zhao Junyu and asked.

"No, that’s not it... It’s just that once you reach an understanding with the bosses behind me, you won’t have to worry about Miss Xia’s safety anymore," Fu Zhengyang said with a smile.

Wu Xiaode’s gaze lowered slightly as he picked up the glass of water from the table and took a sip, speaking slowly,

"If we hadn’t survived, there wouldn’t even be the deal we have now, right?"

"Of course," Fu Zhengyang shook his head, speaking with some emotion, "When you have strength, you also have a say in matters."

"So, this sort of thing has happened many times, and we are basically the only ones who have survived," Wu Xiaode said.

Fu Zhengyang pondered for a moment and then nodded, "You have the strength."

Crack.

The cup in Wu Xiaode’s hand was crushed.

He had an easy smile on his face as he spoke softly,

"If I could get a large sum of money and take good care of Sister Lan, of course, I would be very satisfied."

"So, are you agreeing?" Fu Zhengyang smiled as well.

"No," Wu Xiaode said.

"...Why not? Is the money not enough? Or do you have some additional conditions?" Fu Zhengyang asked leisurely.

"There are no additional conditions because I won’t agree," Wu Xiaode said.

"There must be a reason," Fu Zhengyang watched him, speaking dispassionately, "In this world, interests are the only real thing. To practice Iron Wire Fist to such a degree, I thought you were someone who could be flexible."

"I started fighting at the age of seven, so of course I know how to adapt, and I indeed like money... but there’s no way," Wu Xiaode said.

"Is it because of him?" Fu Zhengyang looked toward Zhao Junyu.

"No," Wu Xiaode said.

"Is there a difficulty?" Fu Zhengyang asked.

"Yes," Wu Xiaode said.

"What difficulty? Tell me about it, maybe we could help smooth things over," Fu Zhengyang said.

Wu Xiaode leaned forward, his voice low, "There’s no smoothing this over, because you killed me—I am already dead."

Fu Zhengyang was stunned.

He said he—was already dead?

Wu Xiaode nodded, laughing, "I climbed back to the living from Corpse Mountain all by myself."

"This enmity, no amount of money can smooth it over."

Fu Zhengyang was silent for several breaths, then stood up tall and without looking back, said,

"Tomorrow, we will petition the emperor to challenge the royal Guardian to a duel, regardless of life or death."

"Prepare yourself to be killed by me in the ring."

He left swiftly.

The people sitting in the various night market stalls all rose and followed him into the distant darkness, quickly disappearing from sight.

Zhao Junyu showed a look of worry.

This matter had escalated.

The facade had been torn down face to face, and now all the different factions would come to challenge Wu Xiaode. If he failed, his fate would be death.

His father... wasn’t in good condition, and probably wouldn’t be able to stop the impending series of life-and-death battles.

Zhao Junyu looked over at Wu Xiaode, who seemed unconcerned as he picked up his bowl, started putting food in it from the table, and began eating without lifting his head.

Zhao Junyu hesitated for a long time, and finally unable to hold back, whispered,

"Little Wu."

"Hmm?"

"The forces behind Fu Zhengyang have been operating within the empire for hundreds of years, their strength unfathomable, filled with numerous experts."

"I know," Wu Xiaode responded.

"Then—"

Xia Huilan interrupted him, asking directly,

"Little Wu, is this man backed by those big shots who want to deal with us?"

"Yeah," Wu Xiaode spoke as he continued to eat his rice.

"Why not just compromise? What are you planning?" Xia Huilan asked.

"They’re only compromising temporarily, Sister Lan. As soon as I’m not by your side, they’ll surely not leave even your bones intact, so—"

Wu Xiaode spoke earnestly, "Even for the sake of those who have been oppressed and killed by them, and for your sake, for my sake, I will never compromise."

Xia Huilan fell silent.

Zhao Junyu’s expression shifted slightly, and after a long hesitation, he asked,

"Fight?"

"Fight!" Wu Xiaode spoke indifferently.