Huang Xiaolong could see Li Bin's right leg was slanted out at an odd angle, and from the looks of it, the bones inside were shattered. Even if he healed, his future mobility would not be as agile as it was before.
Not only his leg, but Li Bin's internal injuries were also severe and his meridians were traumatized.
If Li Bin was in such a condition, then the rest of the Nine Tripod Commerce must have suffered worse injuries. And they did-- one of the disciples even had his left ear cut off.
Seeing the severity of Li Bin's and the disciples' injuries, the killing intent in Fei Hou's eyes surged intensely.
"All of you, stand up." Huang Xiaolong allowed them to stand.
Hearing this, Li Bin and the branch disciples answered yes and stood up from their kneeling position.
"You all have suffered and been wronged these past few months." Huang Xiaolong said as he looked at Li Bin's and each of the disciples' faces.
Everyone's eyes became red-rimmed.
"Young Lord, we did not feel wronged." Li Bin stated as his eyes grew redder, "Really, we don't feel wronged at all. We just hate that we are not strong enough to resist those Clear Cloud Pavilion's lackeys.
"Don't worry about it. I'll ensure that the Clear Cloud Pavilion pays a hundred times over for the injuries you've all suffered!" Huang Xiaolong looked straight at Li Bin and the injured disciples, swearing an oath.
"Thank you Young Lord!" Once again, Li Bin and the group of disciples knelt down in gratitude.
Huang Xiaolong and Fei Hou's arrival was like a stabilizer in Li Bin's and the rest of the disciples' hearts – it was their pillar of strength.
Seeing that they were about to kneel down again, Huang Xiaolong quickly walked up to stop them, having failed in his attempt to keep them from dropping.
"Fei Hou, give Li Bin and the disciples one Mysterious Yin Yang Dan each!" Huang Xiaolong looked over and said to Fei Hou.
Fei Hou, Li Bin, and the disciples were stunned, but Fei Hou recovered quickly and did as he was told.
"Young Lord, this… this, we truly cannot accept!" At this point, Li Bin blurted out suddenly: "This Mysterious Yin Yang Dan is too precious!"
Mysterious Yin Yang Dan was a high Grade Three Spirit Dan, one of the best medicines for healing injuries. However, it didn't come cheap. One Mysterious Yin Yang Dan costs more than several thousand gold coins. There were roughly one hundred people in their Big Dawn branch, so didn't that mean several hundred thousand gold coins?
After Li Bin declined, the branch disciples also followed and declined the precious pill.
Huang Xiaolong shook his head, and dissuaded, "Very well, you don't need to say more." His eyes indicated Fei Hou to pass out the Mysterious Yin Yang Dans to everyone.
Moments later, there was a little round pill in Li Bin's hand, and it was the same with the other one hundred disciples. Their eyes turned red as they stared at the little pill in their hands, conveying their gratitude to Huang Xiaolong.
After everyone had calmed down a little, Huang Xiaolong asked, "The people from Clear Cloud Pavilion, do they come over every day to make trouble?"
"Yes, Young Lord; the people from Clear Cloud pavilion come here to make trouble every single day." Li Bin limped forward and replied to Huang Xiaolong respectfully. "They usually show up at noon, around this time."
"Around this time?" Huang Xiaolong nodded. Cold killing intent flitted passed his eyes.
Suddenly, at the front entrance, a loud, impetuous voice sounded in the hall, "The Nine Tripod Commerce group of pathetic grandsons, your Grandfather is here. Why aren't you all rushing out to kowtow and greet my arrival?"
Huang Xiaolong and Fei Hou both turned around.
"Young Lord, the people from Clear Cloud Pavilion are here!" Li Bin was startled, and he swiftly informed Huang Xiaolong and Fei Hou.
Just as Li Bin had finished saying this, a group consisting of more than twenty people swaggered in through the front entrance.
This group of people wore light, ash-colored robes which were embroidered with a cyan cloud. This was the official uniform worn by Clear Cloud Pavilion disciples.
At the front of the pack was a young man, about twenty-eight years old at most. He had an insufferable, arrogant demeanor.
"The one in front is Clear Cloud Pavilion Branch President Mei Sen's son, Mei Pengliang." Li Bin explained to Huang Xiaolong and Fei Hou.
Huang Xiaolong nodded his head, and he observed this Mei Pengliang. His physique was on the thinner side, with elongated narrow eyes and a flat mouth. His entire presence gave off an insidious feeling akin to a poisonous snake that could strike at any time.
When Mei Pengliang walked in and saw Huang Xiaolong and Fei Hou present in the hall, he couldn't help but be startled. Earlier, both Huang Xiaolong and Fei Hou had changed into the Nine Tripod Commerce's disciple robe.
"Hey kid, were you sent over from other Nine Tripod Commerce branch? It seems that the Nine Tripod Commerce is so lacking in capable people that they actually sent a greenhorn here?" Mei Pengliang chuckled, his flat mouth curving into a charming smile.
When the Clear Cloud Pavilion disciples heard this, all of them broke out in ugly, unscrupulous laughter.
It was evident that neither Mei Pengliang nor any of the Clear Cloud Pavilion disciples recognized Huang Xiaolong or Fei Hou. None of them expected that Huang Xiaolong and Fei Hou would arrive in Big Dawn County in such a short time and that they would actually come in person.
The Nine Tripod branch disciples along with Li Bin were all furious hearing Mei Pengliang's disrespectful words towards Huang Xiaolong. When Li Bin wanted to speak out, Huang Xiaolong waved a hand at him, preventing his subsequent action.
Instead, Huang Xiaolong asked Li Bin, "Who was the one that crippled your leg?"
Li Bin pointed at Mei Pengliang: "Young Lord, it was this Mei Pengliang!"
Young Lord? Before Mei Pengliang or any of the Clear Cloud Pavilion disciples could react, Huang Xiaolong's silhouette flashed and closed the distance between him and Mei Pengliang. A palm struck out without reserve.
The hit landed silently, but Mei Pengliang's face changed drastically in that moment. Fear crept into his eyes, but it was already too late for him to dodge.
"Little punk, how dare you hurt my Young Lord!" An expert standing behind Mei Pengliang shouted in shock and anger. Without delay, both of his hands slapped out in Huang Xiaolong's direction. The force from this expert's palms whistled through the air, and then sounds of steel colliding rang out in the hall.
Just when Fei Hou was about to take action, Huang Xiaolong's aloof voice sounded: "No need."
Fei Hou's movements halted and retreated to the side with the disciples.
At this point, Huang Xiaolong's palm had landed on Mei Pengliang's chest, a low sound of explosion sounded as Mei Pengliang flew back from the great force. Letting out a miserable scream, Mei Pengliang's body seemed caved in from his chest.
At the same time, the attack from the expert behind Mei Pengliang struck Huang Xiaolong. A sound of impact was heard, yet all the Clear Cloud Pavilion disciples clearly saw Huang Xiaolong actually standing in the same spot without moving, maintaining an indifferent expression on his face. It was as if the person struck by the palm just now was not him.
"How, how can this be?!" That expert found it harder to believe than anyone else in the hall. He was, after all, a peak late-Eighth Order expert. Even if it was a late-Ninth Order expert being hit by his palm at full force, they would vomit blood and suffer serious injury.
Huang Xiaolong had advanced into the Tenth Order. Coupled with his third level cultivation achievement in the Golden Linglong Physique and the endless consumption of Fire Dragon Pearl's that also tempered his physical attributes, Huang Xiaolong's body defense had already reached a formidable degree. To say he was undefeatable below the Xiantian realm was no exaggeration.
Not to mention a peak late-Eighth Order's full force strike, even if it was a peak late-Ninth Order's full force attack, Huang Xiaolong could take it without so much as moving an inch.
After sending Mei Pengliang flying with one palm, Huang Xiaolong turned his wrist and struck out with another palm strike straight at the Clear Cloud Pavilion expert's torso. Feeling like the weight of a mountain fell on him, the expert bawled pitifully as he was sent flying, accurately falling onto Mei Pengliang's body.
The Clear Cloud Pavilion disciples that watched what happened had ugly expressions on their faces.
The strongest person amongst them that traveled to the Nine Tripod branch this time was the expert that was hit by a simple turn of Huang Xiaolong's wrist.
"You, you are Huang Xiaolong?!" Recalling Li Bin's words when he spoke to Huang Xiaolong, Mei Pengliang exclaimed aloud in a hoarse voice as he struggled to get up. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The fear in his eyes was difficult to conceal.
Huang Xiaolong was actually more terrifying than the rumors had described him to be. Before this, he had heard of these rumors and had not believed one word of it, thinking it was spread out deliberately by certain people.
A while back, a rumor said that Huang Xiaolong had already advanced to the Ninth Order. This was one of the most unbelievable rumors to him thus far; a boy no more than sixteen-year-old is a Ninth Order Warrior? Even if you killed him, he would not believe it!
However, he believed them now even though he wasn't dead yet.
Huang Xiaolong slowly walked over to Mei Pengliang, his face indifferent, "That's right, I am Huang Xiaolong."
Seeing Huang Xiaolong approaching, Mei Pengliang staggered back in a panic, looking terrified.