Kacha!
The crushing sound of bones gave birth to chill in everyone's hearts and the heart-wrenching scream which escaped from Huji's pale did no good to quench the rising fear in their minds. Everyone took in a sharp breath and couldn't help but exclaim in awe as the originally proud features on Huji's face were now wrinkled which acted as the perfect reflection of his physical pain.
Blank, that was all that Huji could sense at the moment. He only remembered requesting the kid for a match and all that followed after was a blur, the only reminder of the transpired events being the stinging pain in his wrist. The sharp pain slowly cleared his senses and his heart fell to the bottom as a terrifying realization washed over his mind.
His wrist… The wrist of his right hand which he was so proud of, he was sure that it was broken into a million fragments, or it seemed that way because of the numbing pain travelling through his nerves. It was unclear to him why he was in this present state nor did he understand why the kid attacked him without any prior warning.
As if clearing his doubts, Xia Lian's sharp voice cut through the air " Lesson one, There are no enemies in this world who warn you before they attack."
Those words were not new to Huji, it was just that he never paid any attention to such rules before. He acted on his impulses and it never ended in a way like today. Strangely he found his heart listening to her words and he nodded his head sub-consciously.
Xia Lian was also in no mood to toy with him and she narrowed her eyes at the sight of his swollen wrists. Should she treat him or not? There was no need to ponder as the answer was already at the tip of her tongue " You need not worry about your wrist, I did not render it useless. You can go to Wu Gong hospital for treatment. The doctors there know what to do."
" Really?!" Those words were like heaven's grace bestowed on him. His heart calmed down after hearing her words but it does not hurt to confirm it.
Xia Lian rubbed her nose sheepishly on seeing Huji's excitement. She somehow felt as if she was a wolf preying on a little rabbit as she nodded at him " Yes, I have no reason to lie to you."
On the sidelines, Lidan was rendered speechless as he witnessed the shamelessness of his younger sister. But he had to admit, she was promoting her hospital in all ways possible.
Supporting his lifeless arm in his left hand, he straightened himself and declared in a loud voice as he locked his eyes with Xia Lian " I will defeat you in the next match."
Xia Lian: "..."
Not waiting for her to answer, Huji exited the stage and made his way to the wines section to drink away his sorrows, pains and defeat. Also, he wants to see the kid's next fight! His appetite for action and excitement are barely satisfied. He plopped on a wooden chair and grabbed a huge gourd of wine and wolfed it down much to the amusement of everyone around him
He watched the stage where Xia Lian was standing, her lazy and carefree posture looked immensely pleasing to his eyes. He was looking forward as who was brave enough to challenge this monstrous kid and he managed to successfully choke on his wine on hearing the next challenger's voice.
" I challenge you to a fight, a fight for my freedom."
Not only Huji, but even Xia Lian also raised her brows on hearing the voice. It was the voice of a woman, bold and confident. Xia Lian turned around and eyed the woman in black with a smile on her face. The woman was interesting, there were no hints of surrender on her face. But, Xia Lian felt that this attitude of hers would do no good to her.
" My lady, I promise to not mistreat you and no one will touch you. Following me is better than fighting here." Xia Lian advised sincerely and she sighed at the sight of cuts and bruises on her body "We can stop the match before it's too late. You are in no condition to fight."
" This young master, I thank you for saving me earlier. For me, freedom is akin to life and there is no going back once I make a decision." there was defiance written all over her face and her features turned sharp as she continued " I would rather die than follow a man for the rest of my life!"
Xia Lian's smile froze and her frivolous attitude disappeared completely as she squinted her profound eyes at the woman who was standing proudly before her. Everyone watched the current developments with varying expressions, for the current scenario was one which was not seen every day.
" She lost against me, but she wants to go against the kid. Such a hateful woman!" Huji exclaimed in a hateful voice which was laced with the tiniest speck of concern. Even a man like him was affected by her words! He was now looking forward to Xia Lian's response.
Looking at the stern expression on her visage, everyone assumed that Xia Lian was angry with the woman's outburst. Even the woman herself was berating herself for her extremely impatient character, the young man saved her but here she was acting all high and mighty before him. She was sorry for her outburst, but she had no second thoughts about withdrawing from the match. She valued her freedom and she was willing to pay the price for it.
But in reality, Xia Lian's thoughts are running at a speed of thousand miles per second. She was calm on the surface, but if one observes her closely her laboured breathing and thumping heart gave away the cracks in her facade.
' There is no going back once I make a decision!'
' I would rather die than follow a man for the rest of my life!'
Those two seemingly arrogant yet proud declarations echoed in Xia Lian's mind endlessly...
Just when the crowd are about to die in anticipation, Xia Lian parted her thin lips " Fine then! Swordfight, sparing, archery..." she paused for a while before stressing each word clearly " or hand.to.hand.combat! The choice is yours!"