Chapter 648: The Consequences of Caring About Face at the Cost of 648 Lives
If he had defended himself just now, blocking Mu Hanyan’s palm strike wouldn’t have been too difficult, but the problem was that he had underestimated his opponent and had taken the blow with his chest.
In an instant, the Defensive Energy in front of his chest was shattered by Mu Hanyan’s palm strike. Mu Hanyan’s incredibly solid Qi surged into his body like a breaching flood. Although he realized something was wrong and promptly activated his Cultivation Technique to protect his internal organs, his organs were still violently shaken by the powerful force.
Waves of intense pain flooded his mind, causing Dai Songling to convulse all over, while the foul Qi within his body chaotically surged, making him feel nauseous, oppressed, dizzy, and almost wishing he could vomit up his meal from the previous night to feel a bit better.
"Manager Dai indeed possesses great strength. He took my palm strike and seems completely unharmed," Dai Songling was just about to vomit when he heard Mu Hanyan speak admiringly.
Dai Songling immediately snapped back to reality. He was, after all, the steward of the Mo Residence, a master at the Sword Master Realm. If he were to be seen vomiting incessantly in front of so many people, especially by a junior, he would lose all face, and his prestige in the Mo Residence would plummet.
"Hmph, with your little strength, of course you couldn’t possibly injure this old man." Having no choice, Dai Songling suppressed the urge to vomit and forcibly pressed down the foul Qi, putting on an inscrutable act. He also struggled to muster a smile, though it looked strangely awkward.
Pretend, just keep pretending. Seeing Dai Songling’s constipated expression, Mu Hanyan almost burst out laughing.
"Manager Dai, here comes the second palm." Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, Mu Hanyan immediately struck with the second palm.
Damn it, so fast? Can’t you let an old man rest a bit? Dai Songling felt utterly miserable, wanting to vomit blood. The foul Qi was still chaotically surging within his body, making him feel extremely nauseous and dizzy. How could he possibly block this palm?
No, he couldn’t keep getting hit like this. Dai Songling moved his shoulders, ready to defend himself. He had agreed to take three strikes, not necessarily to just stand there and take them. It wouldn’t be a problem as long as he didn’t fight back.
But just as this thought arose in his mind, and before he could even raise his arm, Mu Hanyan’s voice drifted over again. "It’s truly impressive that the steward of the Mo Residence can take two of my palm strikes. If it really becomes too much, I can only admit defeat and apologize."
Upon hearing this, Dai Songling immediately changed his mind. Others might not know how formidable Mu Hanyan was, but he had felt it firsthand. His cultivation was at the peak of the Great Swordsman level, and he was considerably stronger than other swordsmen of the same rank.
If he really fought desperately like Mu Cheng and Wu Qiuyun had, he might not defeat him easily. Even if he won, it might not be a glorious victory. If he could make him apologize voluntarily, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome. Later, with some pretentious scolding, he would gain face, gain benefits, and even earn a reputation for protecting and tirelessly caring for the younger generation.
Weighing the pros and cons, Dai Songling placed his hands behind his back and puffed out his chest again.
"Bang!" A muffled sound rang out as Mu Hanyan’s palm struck his chest again, the endless force rushing in like a tsunami.
The boundless pain invaded his mind once again, and worse than the pain was the foul Qi that he had barely managed to suppress surging up inside him once more, making him feel even more nauseous.
"No way, I absolutely cannot lose face. Endure it, just endure it." Sweat streamed down Dai Songling’s forehead and his face turned from pale to white, but he still desperately reminded himself. His eyes widened as he exerted all his strength to push the foul Qi downward.