Looking at the board, Hong Zhao saw what he knew was going to happen. The next contestants were Li Wei and Huang Yi. "If he does anything questionable, forfeit the match." He looked at the young girl to his left. "I don't want to be out one friend just because of pride."
Li Wei gave Hong Zhao a wink and smiled. "I wouldn't worry about me. I'm not going to offer myself up as a punching post."
Hong Zhao sighed as he had a mental image of Li Wei being just that. He gave a tired smile and nodded to her. "You should probably make your way up there. The less Huang Ji has to yell, the better for all of us.
Li Wei gave Hong Zhao a small hug and left for the arena. Hong Zhao wasn't expecting her to be so intimate with him, yet he knew she was only seven years old. By this world's standard, she would still be an adolescent, as would he if Lan hadn't pulled him out of the fires of creation before his identity was completely lost.
Before Huang Ji had the chance to call out for her, Li Wei made her way up the arena. She bowed respectfully to the Village Elder and took her place at her side of the arena. Huang Yi lagged behind by a few paces and casually took his place at the other side of the arena. He didn't even give face to his grandfather, instead he only brushed past him.
Though Hong Zhao wanted nothing more than to give Huang Yi a lesson in the place of his grandfather, he only gritted his teeth and hoped that Li Wei was enough to put him in his place.
"We finally have two contestants that can make their way to the arena before I have to call for them." Huang Ji looked at Li Wei with a grandfatherly smile. The young girl gave her own short smile in return, but then took up her ready position. She had to be vigilant for any tricks Huang Yi had in store for her. When he had left not long ago, he was a Fourth Star Student Ranked cultivator, yet somehow he broke through the bottleneck into the fifth rank within just a few months. He had to have had some help while he was in Yuan City, most likely so he could secure a position within the village more easily.
"We have my grandson, Huang Yi fighting against Li Wei!" Huang Ji's voice rang out and jumped once more off of the arena, officially starting the match.
Before Li Wei had much time to react, Huang Yi appeared right in front of her. Hong Zhao's eyes widened as he realized that the Village Elder's grandson's speed was just a little below his own.
Huang Yi threw a hard punch into the center of Li Wei, causing her to stumble backwards. The wind was knocked from her lungs, causing a small window of opportunity for Huang Yi. Before she had a chance to recover, Huang Yi released a barrage of blows to Li Wei. He didn't give enough time for her to activate an ability, let alone catch her breath.
Hong Zhao could notice that Li Wei was trying to call out to Huang Ji, but his grandson wouldn't allow a single word to escape her lips. "End the fight! Can't you see she's trying to forfeit?!" Hong Zhao called out to the Village Elder. He could see panic in Huang Ji's eyes and knew there was nothing the man could do. If Li Wei didn't leave the ring or call out that she forfeits, or was knocked unconscious, she was stuck within the match.
Huang Yi's barrage of blows ended as he brought his leg in a sideways arch, hitting Li Wei in her center. Hong Zhao could almost hear bones crunching as she was shot back like a bullet leaving a gun. He grimaced as he saw blood spew from his friend's lips.
Before Huang Yi could get to her, she opened her mouth to forfeit, yet no words came out. Her breath caught in her throat and she spat a mouthful of blood onto the arena floor.
"Ah, it looks like you want to continue!" Huang Yi laughed as he raced over to Li Wei. She had began limping to get to the edge of the arena, yet she wasn't fast enough. Huang Yi appeared in front of her and grabbed her arm, throwing her back to the center of the ring.
"Huang Yi, that's enough!" Huang Ji roared in anger. Hong Zhao sighed in relief as the Village elder finally interceded. It looked like Li Wei wouldn't be able to take much more. He saw her lying face-down in a pool of her own blood. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the spoiled grandson. He would have his revenge one way or another. He had told Li Wei to accept defeat if it was going to be too difficult, yet he didn't think Huang Yi was rabid enough to keep her from forfeiting. He truly was a monster.
"Why, Grandfather, can't you see she's trying to get to her feet?" He pointed at the limp girl. Everyone looked at Li Wei as she tried to get up.
"Stay down or call out that you admit defeat, Li Wei!" Li Wuhan called out. Hong Zhao looked over at the older boy and noticed the look of pure fear plastered on his face. His eyes were wide and pleading as he looked at the heap that was his sister.
Hong Zhao put a hand to Li Wuhan's chest to stop him from climbing onto the arena floor. It looked like several others were planning on doing the same. Hong Zhao looked over to see that Ren Cai was also holding herself back. She had a death glare locked on Huang Yi and seemed almost ready to kill him.
Most of the combatants seemed to shy away from both sides of the arena, giving a wide berth to two of the combatants. Hong Zhao was unknowingly letting loose his own killing intent, which was the twin of the aura Ren Cai was releasing.
"Stop this now, Huang Yi." Huang Ji tried to diffuse the situation. "You have won this match, leave the Li girl be." He took to the arena himself and picked up Li Wei. "If you try anything more to the Li family during or after the tournament, I won't have to banish you. I don't think you can banish the dead." He fixed his grandson with a murderous glare.
"Was that a threat, dear Grandfather?" Huang Yi feigned a hurt look. He knew how to pick his jabs. Hong Zhao could see Huang Ji flinch, yet he didn't quite know why. He had to investigate what Huang Yi had on his grandfather. If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to gauge the situation correctly.
He knew that Huang Yi was the emissary for the City Lord, yet he didn't know the consequences for if something were to happen to him. He would have to find out if he were to gain any justice for what that spoiled piece of garbage had done to his friend.
Li Wei had trained just as hard as her brother and knew just as many skills. She had Vortex Thrust, yet somehow Huang Yi was able to make it look like she was standing still. Hong Zhao remembered when he was able to knock the spoiled grandson into the fountain. He wished Shadow wasn't hunting in the forest, he was sure the shadow panther wouldn't mind pinning him down while he gave him the same injuries he had inflicted on Li Wei.
Hong Zhao knew that he would have to let Huang Yi get away with his attacks for now. As far as the rules went, he had done nothing wrong. If Li Wei had called out that she had forfeited, Huang Yi would have either been banished once more, or he would have been killed on the spot. Even the City Lord wouldn't be able to seek out justice if there were so many witnesses to the grandson's misdeeds.
Hong Zhao rushed to Li Wei's side as Huang Ji rushed her away from the arena and to his estate. "She's going to need this." Hong Zhao took a recovery pill out of his storage ring. Huang Yi stopped moving for an instant and allowed Hong Zhao to pop the pill into her mouth. He watched as her throat slowly worked to swallow the small pill. He sighed in relief as he saw that she was still with him. "Don't worry Li Wei, I will make sure he pays." His voice resounded with promise.
"You will have to behave for now." Huang Ji said as he continued his way to the estate. "If anything happens to my grandson, we will have hell to pay."
Hong Zhao held the door open for the Village Elder and they brought Li Wei to a small recovery room. "Are you going to elaborate on that, or just leave me in the dark?" He was tired of acting the part of a small child. His friend was lying on a bed bleeding on the sheets and it was his fault. He could see the cuts start to mend on her arms and legs. The bruising on her stomach was starting to lighten as well. He gave another sigh of relief as she began to stir, finally revitalized by the pill.
"The City Lord has sent Huang Yi back to Rantori Village to stay as a guest of the Village Elder for a period of one year." Huang Ji began to tell Hong Zhao what he already knew, yet the boy listened as if it were the first time he had heard. He didn't know how well Huang Ji would take it if he were to say he knew. "If the City Lord were to find out that we have disciple ranked cultivators within our walls, he would send an army with himself at the head!"
"That's bound to happen eventually anyway," Hong Zhao finally regained his cool expression. Now that Li Wei was out of the woods, he could finally clear his mind. "What do you expect to happen, we scorned Huang Yi and banished him without inheritance. He was bound to come back to become a thorn in our sides. What do you intend to do with him?"
"I don't know!" Huang Ji snapped at Hong Zhao. "Right now I can't do anything more than be the Village Elder and keep the peace! I would want nothing more than to teach that spoiled little brat a lesson!"
"Could an accident happen to Huang Yi?" Hong Zhao asked calmly. "If you were to increase the guard around your estate, if something were to happen to Huang Yi, would it still be your fault?"
"Just what do you intend to do?" Huang Ji looked at Hong Zhao with an unreadable expression.
"The less you know, the better." Hong Zhao said darkly. "But it is exactly what that piece of garbage deserves!"