Boom—!
With a muffled thud, a figure crashed to the ground in front of Lin Guiming and He Wanying.
The person looked utterly disheveled, covered in wounds, but judging by his clothing, he seemed to be a young master from a wealthy family.
Blood stained the corner of his mouth as he looked ahead and said, “You really aren’t afraid? My father is the city lord of Yuzhou City!”
“Yeah, yeah, your father’s the city lord…”
From the dense forest emerged a shirtless young man with a carefree, roguish demeanor, chewing on a piece of straw he’d picked up somewhere.
A large saber was slung across his back.
He looked at the young man on the ground and said, “Your father’s the city lord, huh? Well, my dad’s the emperor himself. So, who’s bigger?”
“You…!”
The young man on the ground was furious, pointing at him.
“My father really is the city lord! If you don’t believe me, come to the city and see for yourself.”
“I believe you, how could I not?”
The man spread his hands.
“My dad’s really the emperor. Don’t believe me? Come to the capital and check.”
“Who… who the hell are you? Do you dare give your name?”
The young man on the ground, perhaps too angry, was starting to stammer.
“Sure thing! Your granddaddy here doesn’t change his name or hide his identity. I’m Wang Dali, and this forest is my turf, got it?”
“…”
Lin Guiming was getting annoyed.
Very annoyed.
Could he just have a damn conversation in peace?
Didn’t this guy see he was trying to discuss something critical about this girl’s life?
Where was his sense of tact?
At that moment, the saber-wielding man, who seemed to be a bandit, noticed Lin Guiming and He Wanying beside him.
He glanced at the nervous expression still lingering on He Wanying’s face, raised an eyebrow, and seemed to instantly understand something.
“Brother, which crew are you with? You look unfamiliar, haven’t seen you around.”
“You’re a bandit?”
Lin Guiming smiled at him.
“Didn’t I just say? This forest is my turf. But damn, that girl of yours is pretty fine… where’d you find her?”
The young man kept jabbering.
Lin Guiming tilted his neck, slowly walking a few steps forward.
“What a coincidence. You’re a bandit, and so am I…”
“Oh yeah? Brother, wanna grab a drink sometime?”
Lin Guiming smiled without responding, walking up to the man and beckoning him closer.
“Come here, let me tell you a secret—”
“What?”
“You’ve been robbed!”
The next moment, Lin Guiming kicked the man to the ground, casually tossed his saber aside, and unleashed a flurry of punches to his face.
Of course, Lin Guiming held back.
Though this young man had decent talent, reaching the Flesh Tempering Realm at a young age, he was still far inferior to Lin Guiming.
“Let you be a bandit! Let you not learn anything good at such a young age and play bandit instead…”
With every sentence, Lin Guiming landed another punch.
“Big brother, aren’t you a bandit too?”
The young man looked aggrieved.
“We’re all brothers here, always crossing paths. If you’ve got *that* kind of hobby, just take that kid over there and have your fun. No need to beat me up!”
He’d have been better off staying quiet. His words only made Lin Guiming angrier.
“Still talking back? You’re the one with that hobby! Your whole family’s got that hobby!”
***
“Phew”
A moment later, Lin Guiming retracted his fists and let out a breath.
“Learned your lesson yet?”
What did I do wrong?
The young man looked innocent but didn’t dare talk back, only nodding repeatedly.
“I got it, I got it…”