C10 Fighting Ye Yan

"You damned servant!" Ye Yan exclaimed as he lifted his arm, clearly intending to strike Ye Xiaoxia.

As Ye Yan's hefty palm neared her, Ye Xiaoxia, terrified, shut her eyes tightly. A whoosh of wind skimmed her cheek with a resounding bang.

Slowly, Ye Xiaoxia opened her eyes to see Ye Xiaoyun standing before her, his arm intercepting Ye Yan's blow.

"Young... Young Master," Ye Xiaoxia's eyes brimmed with tears. Had Ye Xiaoyun not intervened, she would have been sent flying by Ye Yan's wrath.

"Ye Xiaoyun!" Ye Yan's eyes glinted with malice as he bellowed furiously.

"A grown man shouldn't treat a girl this way. It's hardly proper," Ye Xiaoyun retorted coolly.

"A maid's there to be hit if I choose!" Ye Yan declared.

"She's under my protection, and it's not your place to lay a finger on her!"

"Cut the crap. You hurt my brother, and I haven't even begun to settle that account!"

"Your brother was bested fair and square. He had it coming."

"Nonsense! This isn't over!"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Apologize to my brother, bow your head, and you might just avoid a beating."

"Have you lost your mind? Do you really think that's going to happen?"

"Very well, Ye Xiaoyun. You've chosen the hard way!" With that, Ye Yan launched a punch straight at Ye Xiaoyun's face.

"Xiaoxia, move!" Ye Xiaoyun called out to her to dodge, bracing himself with his arms to fend off Ye Yan's onslaught.

The force of the punch sent Ye Xiaoyun staggering back several steps.

Internally, Ye Xiaoyun acknowledged the man's strength. 'He's no ordinary fighter; as a Middle Level Martial Master, his power is formidable!'

"Ye Xiaoyun, today I'm going to leave you crippled!" Ye Yan resumed his vicious assault.

"Dorje Fist!" Left with no choice, Ye Xiaoyun unleashed his martial technique in response.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of their fists clashing echoed loudly.

"I must admit, I didn't expect you to have such skill," Ye Yan remarked.

"This guy, he's not even using martial skills. He's holding his own against my Dorje Fist just with his cultivation level. The gap is just too wide!" Ye Xiaoyun murmured to himself.

"Ye Xiaoyun, let's go again!" Ye Yan launched yet another offensive against Ye Xiaoyun.

"Ye Yan, hold on a second," Ye Xiaoyun interjected.

"What's the matter? Scared? If you're scared, go ahead and apologize to my brother by kowtowing," Ye Yan taunted.

"Ye Yan, you're well aware of your own level of cultivation. Do you believe that if you give me a few days, I can catch up with you? Then, we can have a rematch. How does that sound?" Ye Xiaoyun proposed, knowing full well he was currently no match for Ye Yan.

"Haha, catch up to me? You must be joking!" Ye Yan scoffed.

"I'm dead serious. Are you up for the challenge or not?" Ye Xiaoyun pressed.

"Hmph, a few days won't make a difference. I'm not afraid!" Ye Yan retorted.

"Fine, we'll have our rematch in five days," Ye Xiaoyun declared, setting the date for their next battle.

"Just remember, there'll be no mercy this time!" Ye Yan said before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Young Master," Ye Xiaoxia approached Ye Xiaoyun at that moment.

"What is it, Xiaoxia?" he inquired.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Don't cry, silly girl. You belong to me, and it's my duty to protect you," Ye Xiaoyun comforted her, gently patting her head.

"Alright, no more tears," Xiaoxia affirmed with a nod.

"Come with me. My mother has returned today; we're going to have dinner at her place."

"Master, Madam? I... I couldn't possibly impose," Ye Xiaoxia hesitated.

"There's nothing to worry about. I've already spoken to them," Ye Xiaoyun assured her as he led her to his father's home.

"Master, Madam," Ye Xiaoxia greeted Ye Shenglin and Zhao Suoqing with respect upon seeing them.

"Don't be so formal. Feel at home here," Zhao Suoqing encouraged.

"Yes, Madam," Ye Xiaoxia replied, still feeling somewhat out of her element.

"Xiaoxia is getting cuter by the day," Ye Shenglin complimented Ye Xiaoxia with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," Ye Xiaoxia responded, her smile beaming.

"Come, Xiaoxia, let's get started on dinner," Zhao Suoqing beckoned.

"Right away," Ye Xiaoxia replied, following Zhao Suoqing into the kitchen.

"Xiaoxia is truly remarkable. She's resilient and kind-hearted. Yun, make sure you treat her right," Ye Shenglin advised.

"Thank you, Father. I'll take good care of her," Ye Xiaoyun assured him, his affection for Ye Xiaoxia evident.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ye Xiaoxia and Zhao Suoqing were busy preparing a lavish meal.

"Take a break, Xiaoxia," Zhao Suoqing suggested.

"What can I do for you, Madam?" Ye Xiaoxia asked, setting aside her work.

"Tell me, what do you think of Yun?"

"The Young Master?"

"Yes, him."

"He's very kind to me, and takes good care of me," she admitted.

"Mm, Xiaoxia."

"What is it, Madam?"

"I've decided that Yun will marry you in the future."

"This... How could that be possible? Madam, that mustn't happen."

"Do you not like Yun?"

"It's not that I don't like him, it's just... how could the Ye family's young master marry a maid?"

"Silly girl, forget about young masters and maids. As long as you're good to Yun, that's all that matters."

"This... I..."

"Do you accept?" Zhao Suoqing pressed.

"Well... then I thank you, Madam," Ye Xiaoxia managed to say.

"Still calling me Madam?" Zhao Suoqing asked with a gentle smile.

"Mother," Ye Xiaoxia corrected herself, her smile sweet as ever.

After dinner, Ye Xiaoyun took Ye Xiaoxia back to his room.

"Xiaoxia," he said, wrapping her in a tender embrace.

"Young Master."

"Why do you still call me Young Master, you silly girl?"

"We aren't married yet," Ye Xiaoxia murmured, blushing.

"There's no one else here. You can be more intimate."

"Xiaoyun."

"That's my girl. From now on, you'll sleep here with me," Ye Xiaoyun told her warmly.

"Hey, you can't just do whatever you want—we're not married yet," Ye Xiaoxia said, her cheeks flushing a deep red, making her look as adorable as a little apple.

"Okay, okay, I'll do as you say," Ye Xiaoyun replied.

"By the way, Xiaoyun, do you think you can beat Ye Yan in five days?" Ye Xiaoxia inquired.

"I'm pretty confident it won't be an issue," Ye Xiaoyun responded with assurance.

"Good, I have faith in you. You'll definitely take him down," Ye Xiaoxia encouraged.

"Xiaoxia, you should get some rest. I'm going to practice," Ye Xiaoyun suggested.

"Then I'll wait for you. Go on and practice."

"Silly girl," he said affectionately, releasing Ye Xiaoxia and sitting down on the bed to begin his cultivation, with Ye Xiaoxia staying by his side.

Ye Xiaoyun took out the Spirit Gathering Pill and ingested it. A surge of potent spiritual energy burst forth within him, and his Dantian, like an insatiable void, furiously absorbed the spiritual energy.