15: Chapter 15 The Duel

The Law Enforcement Manager of the Ye Family Market arrived in a hurry with several team members, his face ashen.

He first glanced at the disheveled and resentful Lin Hao, then glared at Ye Tian in shock and anger.

"Ye Tian! How dare you! You have the audacity to beat Second Young Master Lin in the street!" the Law Enforcement Manager roared.

Ye Tian stopped in his tracks: "He struck first."

"Bullshit!" one of Lin Hao's attendants shrieked. "It was clearly you, this trash, who first offended our Young Master!"

"That's right! We all saw it!"

"He was the one who started it!"

Lin Hao's attendants clamored one after another.

Some onlookers around them also had flickering gazes, not daring to speak up as witnesses.

Without bothering to distinguish right from wrong, the Law Enforcement Manager pointed at Ye Tian's nose and cursed, "You troublemaker! Quickly kneel and apologize to Second Young Master Lin!"

Ye Tian stood still, his gaze turning cold: "I am not in the wrong."

"You!!!" The Law Enforcement Manager trembled with rage, then looked warily at Lin Hao, whose face was dark enough to drip water, and gritted his teeth, "Fine! Very well! Men! Seize him and take him back to be punished by Family law!"

"Wait." Lin Hao finally caught his breath and spat out some blood. His voice sounded strange because of the air leaking through his teeth, but it was full of resentment. "I have no interest in the Ye Family's Family law. It won't be over that easily after hitting me!"

He stared at Ye Tian, then at the Law Enforcement Manager, saying word for word, "Have him come to my Lin Family Residence tomorrow in person to kowtow and apologize! Otherwise, this won't be over! I'll see how your Ye Family accounts for this!"

The Law Enforcement Manager's expression changed.

The Lin Family was powerful; he couldn't afford to let things reach a deadlock over such a small matter.

He immediately turned to Ye Tian and said sternly, "Did you hear that? Tomorrow morning, go to the Lin Family yourself to apologize! If Second Young Master Lin doesn't forgive you, then wait to be expelled from the Family!"

Ye Tian suddenly looked up and stared at the Law Enforcement Manager.

The Law Enforcement Manager's eyes flickered as he avoided his gaze, but his tone became even more forceful: "What are you looking at? Hurry up and get back to prepare! If you dare not to go, hmph!"

Lin Hao gave a resentful cold laugh and, supported by his attendants, left indignantly.

The surrounding crowd pointed and whispered with various looks in their eyes before gradually dispersing.

Ye Tian stood alone on the spot as the wind from the market blew past, carrying a chill.

The Law Enforcement Manager gave him a disgusted glare: "Useless trash who only knows how to cause trouble!" After saying that, he also led his men away.

A worker from Danxiang Pavilion poked his head out, sneered, and then withdrew.

Ye Tian slowly clenched his fists.

Go to their door to kowtow and apologize?

He stood there for a long time without moving.

Then, he turned around. He didn't enter Danxiang Pavilion, nor did he go home; instead, he walked in another direction.

The Ye Family Ancestral Hall.

He swept the floor and cultivated as usual.

The next morning, the Ancestral Hall remained quiet.

As Ye Tian was wiping the altar table, a sudden clamor and chaotic footsteps came from outside, heading straight for the Ancestral Hall.

"Ye Tian! Get out here!" a furious roar exploded at the entrance of the Ancestral Hall.

The Law Enforcement Manager burst in with a team of law enforcement members, his face ashen and his eyes looking as if they wanted to swallow Ye Tian alive.

Behind him followed a group of people, led by Lin Hao, whose facial bruises had not yet faded and who had an arrogant and resentful expression. He was accompanied by several hostile Lin Family guards and a Lin Family Steward.

"You little bastard! How dare you not go and apologize!" The Law Enforcement Manager pointed at Ye Tian, his fingers trembling with rage. "Second Young Master Lin has come in person to demand justice! Let's see how you die today!"

Lin Hao took a step forward and stared coldly at Ye Tian: "You trash who doesn't know what's good for you! Giving you the chance to kowtow and apologize yesterday was a favor. Since you don't want it, don't blame my Lin Family for being ruthless!"

He turned to the Law Enforcement Manager, "Manager Ye, is this how your Ye Family accounts for this? You think you can just act like nothing happened after hitting me?"

The Lin Family Steward also spoke with a cold face: "The Ye Family must give our Lin Family an explanation! Otherwise, this won't be over!"

Sweat broke out on the Law Enforcement Manager's forehead as he repeatedly smiled apologetically to the Lin Family group: "A misunderstanding, it's absolutely a misunderstanding!" Then he suddenly turned his head and shouted sternly to the law enforcement members, "Break this little beast's legs! Drag him out and expel him from the Family! Let the Lin Family deal with him as they please!"

Several law enforcement members showed fierce expressions and were about to step forward to seize him.

"The Ancestral Hall is a place of peace. What are you shouting for?"

A raspy voice sounded slowly.

The old servant Ye Zhong, leaning on a cane, limped out from the shadows deep within the Ancestral Hall. His cloudy old eyes swept over everyone in the room before finally landing on the Law Enforcement Manager's face.

"Uncle Zhong..." The Law Enforcement Manager's expression stiffened. He seemed somewhat wary of this old servant, but he still braced himself and said, "This trash Ye Tian has caused a great disaster by offending Second Young Master Lin. I am about to enforce the Family law."

"Family law?" Ye Zhong sneered and tapped the ground with his cane. "When did the Ye Family change its Family law to state that if a junior loses a fight, their own disciple's legs must be broken and they must be sent out to apologize?"

He turned his gaze toward Lin Hao and the Lin Family Steward: "Lin boy, if Ye Hao couldn't beat you, should our Ye Family also break his legs and deliver him to your door?"

Lin Hao was choked up, his face looking unsightly: "How can that be the same! It was this trash who first..."

"How is it different?" Ye Zhong interrupted him, his voice carrying an inexplicable pressure. "Juniors have their scuffles; they should accept winning or losing. Is it the Lin Family's rule to go home and call for adults when you can't win a fight? The Ye Family and Lin Family have stood as equals in this Luo City for how many years? Since when did a junior losing a fight mean the head of the Family has to go and apologize? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?"

The Lin Family Steward's expression changed slightly.

Ye Zhong's words had directly elevated the issue to the level of both families' reputations.

Ye Zhong looked at the Law Enforcement Manager again, his tone flat but sarcastic: "To settle matters, you would beat and kill your own Family's disciple like a dog to please others? You've certainly been a 'fair' Law Enforcement Manager. If the Clan Chief and the Elders knew about this, I wonder if they would praise you for being so capable?"

The Law Enforcement Manager's face instantly turned pale, and cold sweat poured down.

He had only thought about appeasing the Lin Family's anger just now, forgetting this aspect.

If he really punished Ye Tian heavily for this matter and caused the Ye Family's reputation to suffer, the Clan Chief and Elders would never forgive him!

"Uncle Zhong... I... I didn't mean it like that..." He stammered incoherently.

Seeing this, Lin Hao became even more annoyed. He stared fixedly at Ye Tian and suddenly shouted, "Fine! Old man, you say juniors' matters should be settled by juniors! Then we won't trouble the families!"

He suddenly pointed at Ye Tian, his eyes resentful: "Ye Tian! You trash who only dares to launch sneak attacks! Do you dare to step onto the Martial Arts Arena? A fair fight between you and me! The loser will kowtow three times to the other in public and call them 'Grandpa' three times! From then on, they must take a detour whenever they see the other! Do you dare?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

The Martial Arts Arena was a common way to settle private grudges in the city. Once on the stage, life and death were left to fate.

Lin Hao was determined to completely humiliate Ye Tian!

The Law Enforcement Manager and the Lin Family Steward both looked at Ye Tian.

Ye Tian looked up at the provocative Lin Hao.

Because he had struck quickly yesterday, Lin Hao clearly believed he had only succeeded through a sneak attack and didn't think Ye Tian's strength was superior to his.

"What? Scared? Trash is just trash!" Seeing him remain silent, Lin Hao became even more smug.

Ye Tian spoke slowly, his voice calm: "The time."

Lin Hao was stunned for a moment, then grinned hideously: "Fine! Three days from now! At noon! The Central Square Arena! If you don't show up, you're a Ye Family coward! I'll beat you every time I see you from now on!"

"Deal." Ye Tian uttered two words and stopped looking at him. He picked up his rag and continued wiping the altar table, as if what he had agreed to was just a trivial matter.

Lin Hao was so enraged by this dismissive attitude that his face turned ashen. He gave a heavy huff: "Let's go! Three days from now will be the day you die!"

The Lin Family group left indignantly.

The Law Enforcement Manager's expression shifted, and finally, he glared fiercely at Ye Tian. He didn't have the face to stay any longer and led his men away.

Silence returned to the Ancestral Hall.

Ye Zhong walked slowly to Ye Tian's side and glanced at him with his cloudy old eyes: "Qi Gathering Level 3? You've made some progress. But that Lin boy is at the Level 4 Peak, and he doesn't lack Martial Skills or Medicinal Pills."

Ye Tian didn't stop his wiping: "I know."

"You still agreed despite knowing?" Ye Zhong's tone was unreadable.

Ye Tian put down the rag and looked at the bright sky outside the hall.

"Some heads cannot be bowed." His voice wasn't loud, but it was resolute. "If you bow, your backbone will break."

Ye Zhong narrowed his eyes and said no more. Leaning on his cane, he slowly limped back into the shadows.

Ye Tian continued to wipe with his head down.

A corner of the altar table was wiped so clean it could reflect a person, showing his calm yet exceptionally bright eyes.

Three days later...

Just right.