Xu Hengyan stood before Xie Jiang and said, "If this continues, someone will die."
Xie Jiang replied, "Let them."
Xu Hengyan gently stroked Xie Jiang's head, soothing her. "Master Ruan Second did go too far, but your subordinates were also quite ruthless. They've beaten them so badly, surely they've had their fill of anger?"
Xie Jiang felt indignant. They had been very restrained, hadn't they? "Their boss is still here."
Xu Hengyan said, "If their boss is no longer here, then as the magistrate, wouldn't my responsibility be immense?"
Xie Jiang retorted, "You signed the waiver of liability. All responsibility lies with themselves. What does it have to do with you?"
Ruan Lizhi suddenly cursed angrily, "Xie Jiang, you little brat—"
Then, another series of crackling, flesh-rending sounds followed.
How dare he speak disrespectfully to his young master? Why should they be polite? Beat him to death!
Xu Hengyan looked at the two howling figures. "One arm and one leg is about the same."
He gently rubbed Xie Jiang's head and walked towards the group beating people in the center of the courtyard. Xu Hengyan said to Nie Tong and Da Chui, "Stop fighting."
Nie Tong glanced back towards the shade of the trees. Seeing that his young master had not given his approval, he temporarily ceased his attack.
The others also stopped, only Da Chui still felt unsatisfied and was about to strike again when Nie Tong restrained him.
Xu Hengyan instructed, "Untie Master Ruan Second and General Cao."
Nie Tong and the others collected the nets. Ruan Lizhi and Cao Mian finally had their bodies freed, lying on the ground and gasping for breath.
Ruan Ziji's eyes were almost spitting fire with jealousy!
Xu Hengyan had so much face with Young Master Xie!
Why didn't he have the same?
"You tricked me, you little brat Xie Jiang!" Ruan Lizhi suddenly roared, scrambling to his feet, ready to charge at Xie Jiang.
However, after taking just two steps forward, he suddenly fell to his knees with a thud.
Xie Jiang, showing mercy, raised a hand towards him. "Rise, Master Ruan Second. There's no need for such a grand gesture towards me."
Ruan Lizhi struggled to get up, but his body completely refused to obey. Half of his body rose, but his head and legs seemed stuck to the ground, immovable no matter how hard he tried.
Cao Mian's leg was broken, and coupled with his exhaustion, he couldn't stand at all. "Second Master, the net is poisoned..."
When they were bound by the nets, they had already felt it. Otherwise, with Second Master's strength, what net couldn't be torn open?
But Ruan Lizhi stubbornly refused to believe it, yelling as he tried to get up. However, his head was stuck in the ground, and no matter how much strength he mustered, he could only barely lift his body.
It was tragic to be top-heavy and light-footed.
Ruan Lizhi flipped over like a turtle.
A crisp sound.
A copper coin landed in front of Ruan Lizhi.
It was clear that his struggles were being mistaken for a performance, and the thrower thought it was a good show, tossing a copper coin as a reward.
A scholar could be killed but not insulted!
Xu Hengyan looked at the person who threw the coin.
Luo Tie remained unfazed by Xu Hengyan's gaze. What was wrong with humiliating Ruan Lizhi? Ruan Lizhi had barged into their Xie residence early in the morning and forcibly searched their house, which was also a humiliation to their young master.
Relying on being a local bully in Dayu, he dared to come to the young master's residence and act arrogantly. Humiliating him was the least of it.
Otherwise, did they really think their young master was made of clay?
Xu Hengyan looked at Xie Jiang helplessly.
Xie Jiang, eating fruit, found his belt too tight and was calling for Aunt He to loosen it.
"Second Uncle, Second Uncle, don't get agitated. Your wounds are bleeding. If you get more agitated, you'll bleed even more. Sit for a while and catch your breath..."
Ruan Ziji probably thought Young Master Xie had calmed down enough. Since Xu Hengyan had personally come to intercede, there was no anger Young Master Xie couldn't let go of. He immediately ran over to help Ruan Lizhi sit up.
Ruan Lizhi didn't blame Ruan Ziji for standing by. He knew his nephew's character well enough. The Xie brat had such a face that he had already captivated his eldest nephew.
It was filial of his eldest nephew not to sell him out to the Xie brat.
What more could he ask for?
But the Xie brat had insulted him too much, and he wanted to tear him apart!
Ruan Lizhi tried to borrow some strength from his eldest nephew to charge forward.
But his legs felt like they didn't belong to him, completely unresponsive. His body surged forward, but his legs remained in place.
Ruan Ziji, struggling to support Ruan Lizhi, lowered his voice and advised him, "Second Uncle, Second Uncle, don't get agitated. Listen to me, calm down. Even if we go before Young Master Xie, we won't be able to touch a single hair on him. Truly, Second Uncle, believe me, I won't lie to you."
"I know Second Uncle is furious, but Young Master Xie's skills are extraordinary. The two of us, plus Cao Mian, are no match for Young Master Xie."
"Second Master, Second Master..." Cao Mian had made a new discovery. "Try to control your movements. The more agitated you are, the faster you bleed, and the weaker we become!"
Although he didn't know what poison Xie Jiang had given them, he had heard of this type of poison before.
Cao Mian suddenly remembered something. Wasn't another of Xie Jiang's identities a poison doctor? They had actually forgotten this!
Damn it!
Ruan Lizhi struggled until he was covered in sweat, and finally had to believe it, slumping to the ground and gasping for breath.
Only after Ruan Lizhi had calmed down a bit did Xu Hengyan approach him. "Master Ruan Second, if you have something to say, let's discuss it properly. Although Young Master Xie is young, he is not unreasonable."
Speak properly and show the right attitude, and Young Master Xie will reason with you. If you think Young Master Xie is young and try to bully him, then don't blame Young Master Xie for being impolite.
Ruan Lizhi understood the implication of Xu Hengyan's words.
Ruan Lizhi, sweating profusely and gasping, looked up at Xu Hengyan.
Xu Hengyan was clearly on Xie Jiang's side.
If Ruan Lizhi had any other intentions, he would have to reconsider them carefully.
Ruan Lizhi forced himself to calm down.
He had indeed been careless this time.
He knew that Xie Jiang possessed unprecedented superweapons, yet he still treated Xie Jiang as a child from the bottom of his heart.
In his eyes, children didn't need to be respected.
Did children who only knew how to eat, drink, play, and cause trouble need to be respected?
Who knew that the child he thought was just a child was not an ordinary child at all.
Although Ruan Ziji disliked Xu Hengyan immensely, he felt that Xu Hengyan was right this time.
Young Master Xie's principle was always: if someone respects me one foot, I respect them ten feet; if someone bullies me one inch, I'll beat them until they shit themselves.
Ruan Lizhi sat on the ground to rest for a while, and indeed felt much more comfortable. His head no longer felt like it was being driven into the ground as if it were filled with iron.
Ruan Lizhi then asked Xie Jiang, "Kid Xie, what poison did you give us?"
Xie Jiang said casually, "Just a little poison. It just makes people unable to fight back. The stronger their strength and martial arts, the greater the reaction."
Ruan Lizhi shook his head and asked, "When can we get the antidote?"
The feeling of not being able to control his own body was too unbearable.
Xie Jiang replied, "That depends on when you plan to apologize to me."
Ruan Lizhi's eyes widened. "It was wrong of us to rummage through your residence without your permission as the owner, but you've beaten us to this state and you still want us to apologize!"