No one could accept this fact. Even Pang Shao stared at Ye Chu in a daze, his soul seemingly lost!
Defeating a third-layer Intent Transformation Realm martial artist with a single move was simply inconceivable! Among the younger generation, only those two legendary figures of Yao City could possibly achieve such a feat. Yet Ye Chu had actually done it!
Although Pang Shao had known Ye Chu was definitely stronger than Ding Kaiwei, he had never imagined the gap would be this vast! Pang Shao had originally thought that even if Ding Kaiwei could not win, he should at least be able to withstand a few moves from Ye Chu. But the result was this: with one kick sending an iron rod flying, Ye Chu had crippled him!
“What level has this fellow reached in just this one year?” Pang Shao muttered under his breath. The realisation struck him hard. He had made considerable progress in his cultivation over the past year and had thought he could close the distance between them. But now it seemed the gap had only grown wider.
“Damn it! I really cannot compare with him!” Pang Shao grumbled, finally giving up any notion of competing with Ye Chu. This fellow could not be judged by ordinary standards!
“Liang Shan!” Ye Chu suddenly called out.
“Here!” Liang Shan responded with wild excitement. He hurried over to Ye Chu’s side! Never in his life had Liang Shan felt such exhilaration! The mighty Dingwu Hall, feared by all in Yao City, had been silenced by Ye Chu alone. What kind of dominance was this?
“Whoever beat you, beat them back. They hit you once, hit them ten times. They broke your arm, break their legs and arms.” Ye Chu said calmly to Liang Shan.
Liang Shan’s blood felt as though it were burning. He nodded vigorously. In all his years, he had never had the chance to swagger like this.
Liang Shan’s gaze turned towards Fang Xinyuan. Fang Xinyuan’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He had never imagined that even Dingwu Hall could not stop Ye Chu. His courage had long since shattered. Watching Liang Shan approach with bared teeth and claws, he collapsed to the ground, retreating desperately while crying and begging in a trembling voice, “Don’t come over! Don’t come over!”
As one of Yao City’s notorious troublemakers, Liang Shan was no saint either. He grinned wickedly, his eyes glinting with savagery. Picking up an iron rod from the ground, he brought it down hard on Fang Xinyuan’s leg.
“Ahhh…”
The miserable scream echoed through the hall. But Liang Shan showed no mercy. One strike after another rained down relentlessly.
Fang Xinyuan’s cries sent chills through everyone present. Especially those who had personally beaten Liang Shan earlier—their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Watching Fang Xinyuan being beaten until his flesh was torn and bloodied, they could no longer hold back. One after another, they dropped to their knees, kowtowing frantically to both Liang Shan and Ye Chu, begging for mercy.
Ye Chu paid them no attention. His gaze shifted to the centre of Dingwu Hall. There hung a large plaque with three gleaming golden characters: Dingwu Hall!
The calligraphy flowed smoothly and elegantly, carrying the air of a true master.
Ye Chu walked step by step until he stood before the plaque. With a forceful tug, he ripped it down.
“Whoa…”
Seeing Ye Chu’s actions, the crowd’s hearts nearly stopped. They stared in horror, unable to believe their eyes. “Is Ye Chu really going to destroy Dingwu Hall? And does he even know who inscribed that plaque?”
But clearly, Ye Chu had no idea.
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er watched in disbelief as Ye Chu swung the iron rod across the plaque. His movements were swift and fluid. In moments, a poem appeared carved into the surface.
“He’s gone mad! This fellow actually dares to deface this plaque! And he even dares to inscribe such arrogant words on it!” Everyone’s minds held only this one thought. Only now did they truly understand just how bold Ye Chu was. He really intended to demolish Dingwu Hall!
“Laughing and singing wildly for seventeen years, finding pleasure among flowers and kisses beneath the moon. I draw my sword and laugh at the heavens. Smashing this hall is the only way to vent my hatred!”
Su Rong read the words aloud from the plaque. The first two lines carried the air of a romantic libertine, yet the final two burst with domineering power. Though it might not rank among the greatest poems, for Ye Chu to compose something so perfectly matching his state of mind in such a short time—how could anyone still claim he was useless and uneducated?
Su Rong felt she could no longer see through Ye Chu clearly. Ever since his return to Yao City, he had repeatedly delivered shocks that defied belief!
“This fellow’s calligraphy is quite impressive. It is not inferior to your grandfather, the Prime Minister.” Zhang Su’er could not help commenting in front of Su Rong.
Su Rong shook her head. “Judging purely from the layout and structure of the characters, my grandfather cannot compare to him. I have never seen this style of writing before!”
“Ah!” Zhang Su’er had not expected such an answer. She let out a surprised gasp. “Ye Chu is this formidable? Strong enough to surpass Ding Kaiwei, and his calligraphy even surpasses the Prime Minister! Could he really be… as he claims, skilled in both literature and martial arts?”
“We underestimated Ye Chu in the past!” Su Rong exhaled softly. “Who knows what he has gone through in these three years?”
“What? Taking an interest in him now?” Zhang Su’er saw Su Rong looking somewhat dazed and could not resist teasing her with a giggle.
“What nonsense are you talking about!” Su Rong glared at Zhang Su’er, her face flushing faintly. “If you are interested, go after him yourself!”
“No way!” Zhang Su’er shook her head. “But you once said your ideal husband would be a prince on a white horse! The first requirement being skilled in both literature and martial arts! Look at Ye Chu—he is not bad at all. Strong enough to defeat Ding Kaiwei in martial arts, and his writing surpasses even the Prime Minister in literature. You could consider him?”
“Keep talking nonsense and I will tear your mouth apart!” Su Rong snapped, her face burning red. She had never expected Zhang Su’er to bring up those private childish fantasies from years ago! Who had not dreamed of a perfect prince when they were young? What was wrong with that?!
“I was just teasing! Even if Ye Chu looks impressive now, he is still not worthy of our Miss Su Rong! Hmph. Even if he really is skilled in both literature and martial arts, he is still a scoundrel!” Zhang Su’er huffed indignantly. She thought to herself that if Ye Chu were not such a scoundrel, he might actually be worth considering among Su Rong’s suitors!