Chapter 83

"Brat, clean up your mouth! Who’s the one without manners? You’re a buyer, I’m a buyer too. You haven’t completed your transaction with the vendor, so why can’t others join in? At your young age, you’ve already learned to bully the market. I think you’re the one without manners!"

"Who are you calling a brat?" Song Li sneered coldly.

"I’m calling you a brat!" The young man in the brocade robe replied without thinking, only to realize he had fallen into a trap. By then, people nearby had already gathered to watch the commotion. The audience’s laughter made him furious, and he shouted, "Brat, watch your eyes! Some people are not to be provoked! If you want to live a peaceful life, it’s best to behave yourself!"

After saying this, he unconsciously puffed out his chest, not because he was confident, but to show the boy the Starleaf Grass on his chest. A registered alchemist of the Alchemists’ Guild, and you dare to provoke me?

Song Li glanced at the five-leafed grass. He had heard his mother give a detailed introduction to all the information about the Alchemists’ Guild, so he naturally recognized the Starleaf Grass emblem. A mocking smile appeared on his lips, and he exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Wow! An Intermediate Alchemist! That’s quite intimidating!"

This kid, indeed knows his stuff. He even knows this is the emblem of a registered Intermediate Alchemist of the Imperial Alchemists’ Guild, showing some discernment. Most people only know that the Starleaf Grass is the emblem of the Alchemists’ Guild, but few know what the colors and the number of leaves represent. Chen Senior Brother felt smug for a moment, but then something felt off. The kid’s tone sounded like praise at first, but upon closer inspection, it didn’t seem that way.

What do you mean by intimidating? An Intermediate Alchemist is very powerful, how can it be compared to a fake title?

"Brat, do you dare to disrespect the Alchemists’ Guild?" Chen Senior Brother raised his eyebrows and maliciously tried to pin the blame on Song Li. In his eyes, Song Li was just a child, and it was easy to trick him. If Song Li fell into his verbal trap and admitted to disrespecting the Alchemists’ Guild, no one would say a word against him. Chen Senior Brother wouldn’t even need to act himself; countless people would step forward to teach this arrogant kid a lesson. The Alchemists’ Guild represents supreme authority and honor in the Holy Lion Empire! Who would dare to disrespect this group? Which cultivator wouldn’t want to have a connection with the Alchemists’ Guild? To please alchemists, they would not only teach a minor a lesson but even kill for them.

"I’m not disrespecting the Alchemists’ Guild, I’m just not respecting you," Song Li said with an innocent smile, but his words were venomous. "Why should a grandfather respect a grandson, right?"

Chen Senior Brother was taken aback for a moment before realizing that the kid was continuing the previous conversation, calling him a grandson. Damn, how did he fall into this kid’s trap so easily, admitting he was a grandson? It was utterly embarrassing in front of the girl he liked. He thought bullying a teenager of about ten years old would be easy, but this brat was cunning and slippery, even more so than the scoundrels in the market. He wanted to step forward to humble the kid and make him lose face in front of his junior sister, to vent his unrelenting jealousy. But it turned out he was the one who lost face.

The more Chen Senior Brother thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt. His anger boiled over, and since he couldn’t win verbally, he decided to win physically. He would beat up this kid first!

"Little bastard, you’re asking for it!" In a fit of rage, he swiftly kicked out, aiming for Song Li’s chest and abdomen.

The girl saw Chen Senior Brother attack without warning and tried to stop him, but it was too late!

Song Li had anticipated that this despicable guy would attack in a fit of rage. With his keen eyesight, he could see that the guy was only at the initial stage of the Qi Induction level, one level below him, and was no match. So he didn’t take him seriously.

In his hand, he held several Golden Chalice Leaves, which had sharp thorns on their stems. Chen Senior Brother’s leg moved quickly, and in an instant, it was in front of Song Li. Song Li quietly placed the Golden Chalice Leaves on his chest and abdomen, the sharp thorns pointing at Chen Senior Brother’s Yongquan point. He neither dodged nor moved, smiling as he waited for Chen Senior Brother to come closer and get pricked.

"Hey, you should dodge quickly!" The girl, seeing Chen Senior Brother’s foot about to kick Song Li’s vital spot, urgently warned him.

In fact, Song Li had noticed the beautiful girl’s presence. He was a normal man, and if he ignored such a beautiful woman, he would despise himself. However, since the girl was clearly with the annoying grandson, he didn’t pay much attention to her, but he had secretly glanced at her several times. Hearing her kind warning, he felt a warmth in his heart. It seemed she wasn’t with the arrogant guy, at least not in spirit. So he showed his eight white teeth and smiled at the green-robed girl.

The girl, seeing him still smiling at such a moment, felt anxious. She vaguely sensed that his smile was a bit mischievous, almost flirtatious, and her fair cheeks instantly blushed.

"Ah!" Chen Senior Brother suddenly let out a scream, pulling back his leg much faster than he kicked it, hopping around and hissing in pain.

Song Li, however, still stood there smiling, hands behind his back, not moving an inch.

"It seems you not only have a bad character but also poor physical condition. You can get cramps just from kicking. I don’t even want to comment on you!" Song Li shook his head, acting like a wise old man, as if he were scolding a grandson. Since Song Li hadn’t moved at all, his quick and hidden movement of placing the Golden Chalice Leaves on his chest and abdomen, and then hiding them behind his back after pricking Chen Senior Brother, went unnoticed. Everyone believed Song Li’s claim that Chen Senior Brother had cramps, even the beautiful girl.

Chen Senior Brother knew he didn’t have cramps. In the moment he thought he would kick the hateful kid into a roll, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the middle of his foot, causing his entire body to twitch. He realized he had been tricked by his opponent, who must have had something sharp in his hand. Song Li hadn’t attacked, but it looked like Chen Senior Brother had kicked into the sharp object.

However, he couldn’t contradict Song Li, as that would reveal he had been outsmarted by the kid. That would be too embarrassing, especially in front of his junior sister.

Getting cramps was embarrassing, but being outsmarted was worse. He chose the lesser of two evils and remained silent.

The Golden Chalice Leaves were precious herbs, but their thorns were toxic. After being pricked, Chen Senior Brother felt the pain in his foot gradually turn to numbness. He realized he had been injured by the toxic thorns of the Golden Chalice Leaves. Damn, this bastard is so devious!

He felt his right foot swelling rapidly. If not treated in time, it would soon burst through his shoe. If his junior sister saw his foot swollen like a pig’s trotter, it would be even more embarrassing. Revenge is a dish best served cold. As long as they were both in the capital, they would meet again, and he would settle the score then. For now, he needed to find a place to detoxify.

"Junior Sister Cui, you can browse the market. I just remembered I have some family matters to attend to. I’ll leave first." Chen Senior Brother, beads of sweat on his forehead, didn’t even look at Song Li as he bid farewell to the green-robed girl.

"Is that so? It’s fine, Senior Brother Chen. Family matters are important. I’ll take care of the herb procurement." The girl, unconcerned, smiled and waved at him.

Chen Senior Brother didn’t have time to say more and hurriedly turned to leave, walking with a slight limp, looking like a comical, fat duck.

"This kid has no manners, leaving without even saying goodbye to his grandfather. I wonder how his father raised him." Song Li sighed old-man style, "If a child is not well-raised, it’s the father’s fault."

Song Li’s voice was loud, and Chen Senior Brother, who hadn’t gone far, heard it clearly. His face twitched violently. He wanted to turn back and fight the bastard, but the increasing pain and numbness in his right foot forced him to suppress the urge. Damn, I’ll endure this! This time, I underestimated you, but next time, you won’t be so lucky!

The beautiful girl glared at Song Li, scolding him, "At your young age, how can you be so bad? Always trying to take advantage of others."

Beauty is beauty, even a glare is charming. Song Li’s heart fluttered, and he smiled, "Miss, how old are you? Where are you from? Are you betrothed? If not, what do you think of me?" Since he was already seen as a bad guy by this beauty, he decided to drop the act of being a gentleman. If you say I’m bad, I’ll be bad for you. As the saying goes, a man who isn’t bad, a woman won’t love. In Song Li’s experience, those who act like good, honest men in front of girls usually don’t end well. If a girl tells you, "You’re a good person," it means you’re out. If she says, "You’re so bad," there’s an 80% chance you have a shot.

Since this beauty called him a bad guy, it means I have a shot, right? Hehehe. Song Li chuckled to himself.

"Ah, you’re so shameless." The girl spat, but found Song Li’s words amusing, like something from a play, and couldn’t help but laugh.

"You shouldn’t laugh so easily," Song Li said seriously.

"Why not?" The girl asked, puzzled.

"Haven’t you heard the poem? 'A beauty should not show her smile, for when she does, the mountains and rivers turn cold.' Your smile is fine, but when you smile, the mountains and rivers turn cold, and the men standing among them will freeze to death. Look, my teeth are chattering!" Song Li deliberately made his teeth chatter, making a clattering sound.

"Hehehe, you’re so funny..." The girl laughed, her body shaking. She wasn’t usually a laughing person, but for some reason, she couldn’t help but laugh with this young man. She suddenly remembered a question, "Who wrote the poem 'A beauty should not show her smile, for when she does, the mountains and rivers turn cold'? I’ve never heard of it."

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