Chapter 12: If I Have No Manners, Do You Have Any Either?

Outside the courtyard gate, a middle-aged man in his forties waited in silence. He wore a long blue robe with a shark-skin scabbard sword slung at his left hip. With his right hand behind his back and a tall, upright posture, he radiated a calm, steady aura, possessing the dignified air of a true grandmaster. This man was Ding Le, who had come to pay a visit.

Upon hearing the blunt summons from within, Ding Le’s expression darkened. However, he did not flare up immediately, choosing instead to walk through the gate. He found a young man lounging behind a stone table like a dissolute scion, with a pretty young woman standing behind him, blushing and adjusting her clothes.

"Attendant Yu?" Though Ding Le had heard that this Attendant Yu was very young, he had not expected him to be this youthful. He appeared to be barely in his twenties, yet he was rumored to be a martial arts grandmaster who had already captured Chen Xiao, an expert of the Xiantian middle stage.

"That's me." Yu Xian did not even lift his eyelids. He had no kindness to spare for someone who had disturbed his leisure. "Who are you? Since you've come to pay a visit, you didn't even bring a gift. Do you have any manners?"

"I believe it is you who is being rude, sir," Ding Le said, his voice dropping. "I consider myself to have observed proper etiquette. I came to pay my respects, but you first spoke insolently, disparaging me as a nobody. When I entered, you didn't bother to greet me, nor did you even care to stand up. When have you ever shown any courtesy?"

Yu Xian paused for a moment, then retorted, "So I have no manners, but do you?"

Ding Le: "..."

Damn it! A miscalculation! Facing this kind of rogue tactic, which sought to drag the standard of conduct down to the lowest common denominator, Ding Le chose to avoid the edge of the blade and get straight to the point.

"I have always heard that Attendant Yu possesses profound martial arts, but I never expected your tongue to be just as sharp. However, I have come today to discuss a matter. This Building Number Two of the Heavenly Rank has beautiful scenery, and I am quite fond of it. I ask that you vacate it, Attendant Yu."

Hearing this, Yu Xian pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, "Is this the Prince's intention?" He had assumed the Prince’s mansion was becoming dissatisfied with his lack of productivity. Even if he didn't do much work, surely a grandmaster of his stature was worth two hundred taels of silver a month? Yu Xian felt a flicker of annoyance and began to consider jumping ship. The Sun Family Pharmacy seemed decent; when they came to deliver silver last time, they had subtly hinted that they would welcome him with open arms, and the perks were substantial.

Ding Le did not answer directly but sneered, "The Prince allowed me to choose my own residence in the Attendant Courtyard, and I happened to take a liking to your courtyard. If you are unwilling, then let us settle this with our skills. The houses in the Attendant Courtyard should belong to those with the virtue to hold them."

Yu Xian finally realized, "You are the new Heavenly-rank attendant of the Prince's mansion, and you've come to establish your authority through me?"

Having his intentions exposed, Ding Le did not deny it, continuing to sneer, "If you dare not fight, then please vacate Building Number Two."

Yu Xian scratched his head and sighed helplessly. "If you like it, just say so. Why must you resort to violence? How about this: give me two thousand taels of silver, and I will move out immediately. I remember Building Number Three is still vacant; that will do just fine."

Thinking Yu Xian was afraid, Ding Le became even more emboldened. "And if I don't want to pay?"

Yu Xian crossed his arms and said as if it were only natural, "If you don't pay, I won't move."

"And if I insist?"

"Uh, well, eighteen hundred taels would also work. That's the friends-and-family price."

"You are a martial arts grandmaster, yet you speak only of silver. Isn't that a bit beneath your dignity?"

"Fine, fine. You just want to haggle, right? You win. Fifteen hundred taels, and not a penny less."

"I am not here to rent a house!"

Clang! A cold light flashed. A burst of sword qi shot from the tip of his blade and struck the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, causing a flurry of branches and leaves to fall, thickening the fragrance in the air. Even with Ding Le’s superior cultivation of his temperament, he was so infuriated that he drew his sword. "Attendant Yu, do not try to divert the topic! If you are afraid to fight, just say so, and I shall turn and leave right now!"

Yu Xian finally stood up, looking rather indignant. "Damn it, I don't even know who you are. You barge in, wanting to fight for no reason, and you want to live in my house without paying a cent. Who is the unreasonable one here? You want to fight? Fine! Take this palm strike!"

He relied on his reputation to live a comfortable life; ruining his name was akin to smashing his rice bowl! Yu Xian’s palm condensed his energy, forming a crimson palm print. The air was distorted by the intense heat, and the temperature in the courtyard surged. As his only offensive spirit art, the Fireball Technique had not reached the grandmaster realm of returning to simplicity, but he had mastered it well enough to manipulate the shape of the fire at will, giving it the flair of a pyromancy technique. At this moment, the fireball took the shape of a palm, appearing vivid and lifelike, as if carved from crimson jade with a crystalline texture.

"You're using a sneak attack!" Ding Le recognized this as Attendant Yu’s signature "Scarlet Flame Divine Palm," and a sense of alarm surged in his heart, his face turning pale with shock. This strike was far more powerful than he had imagined. He dared not block it head-on. With a tap of his toes, he spread his arms like a giant roc taking flight and retreated with extreme speed.

But Yu Xian intended to catch him off guard. The Scarlet Flame Divine Palm morphed from the Fireball Technique suddenly exploded in mid-air. Unable to dodge in time, Ding Le was touched by a spray of sparks, and his clothes immediately caught fire. This Fireball Technique was formed from spiritual energy and was not comparable to ordinary fire. Once it touched something, it clung like a maggot on a bone, never stopping until it had burned everything away.

Ding Le felt the scorching fire-poison burrowing into his body. He pushed his true qi outward, struggling to resist the flames. He did not know how much time had passed. Ding Le was unable to spare any focus to look around; he felt his true qi depleting rapidly. The power of the flames was simply unreasonable—for every bit of fire he suppressed, he had to exhaust ten times the amount of his true qi. Only after seven or eight tenths of his true qi were spent did the flames slowly extinguish.

By now, most of Ding Le’s long hair was scorched, his blue robe was a disaster site, and his face was covered in soot. He no longer possessed any of the grandmaster-like air he had displayed just moments ago.

"You couldn't even take one strike from this attendant, so what right do you have to ask for a house swap?" Yu Xian stood with his hands behind his back, looking down his nose at him. He did not take the opportunity to kill the man; after all, this was merely a verbal conflict, not a deep grudge. Besides, the man was an attendant of the Prince’s mansion, so he had to give him a chance. However, if there were a next time, he would have to resort to his three-step plan: sack over the head, blunt weapon beatdown, and sinking into the pond.

Moreover, regardless of whether this was a tacit test by Prince Fu, he had revealed his strength again today. If he didn't get a proper settlement, he would have to put his plans to switch jobs back on the agenda. With his ability, he wouldn't suffer injustice anywhere. Thinking this, Yu Xian’s thoughts stirred, and a crude interface appeared at the bottom of his field of vision.

[Name: Yu Xian]
[Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 6 (83/130)]
[Dao Companion: Yulan (1/1)]

"I'll put in a bit more effort lately and try to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining within a month," Yu Xian thought to himself.

On the other side, Yu Xian’s arrogant attitude left Ding Le, who had been proud his entire life, burning with fury. He almost wanted to rush up and fight to the death. But recalling the power of that palm strike, he quickly calmed himself down. This was definitely not the strength of someone at the early Xiantian stage. Even in the hidden, talent-filled Changle Sword Sect, only the Great Elder could likely be his match.

A great man knows when to yield. Ding Le quickly found a reason for himself and cupped his fists in apology to Yu Xian. "Attendant Yu’s martial arts are profound; I am full of admiration. As for the matter of swapping houses, let us treat it as my own rambling. I shall never mention it again!"

With that, he turned and left.

"Hold it!" Yu Xian called out, pointing to the scattered osmanthus petals on the ground. "You say it's nothing, but how will you compensate me for ruining my plants? I won't extort you—these are osmanthus trees I cultivated with great care. Just give me a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver to show your sincerity."

"Attendant Yu, it is better to be forgiving when one can. Leave a path open today, so we may meet again in the future." Ding Le’s fists tightened.

Yu Xian turned his palm over, examining the lines, looking as if he were ready to unleash another strike at any moment. "Do you believe I can take away your 'future' right now?"

"You dare?!" Ding Le swallowed hard, his voice firm but his spirit wavering. "I am also an attendant of the Prince’s mansion. If you dare kill me, the Prince will not forgive you lightly."

"Shall we bet on it?" Yu Xian grinned, his expression carrying a youthful, spirited air.

"I don't have the silver on me. I will send it another day." Ding Le was sensible enough to concede. This was not a matter of betting; it was his own life.

"Fine. You're from that Changle Sword Sect, aren't you? I'll give you three days. If you don't send the silver, I'll go to your sect and take it myself." Now that money was involved, Yu Xian’s memory was suddenly excellent. "Walk slowly, I won't see you out."

Ding Le had arrived in high spirits, only to leave in a state of utter dejection. This was not how the script was supposed to go. Wasn't it said that this Attendant Yu was mediocre and only knew how to use sneak attacks? The part about sneak attacks was true. But if this strength could be called mediocre, what did that make him? Trash?

Yu Xian watched Ding Le depart but remained where he was, lost in thought for a moment before saying to Yulan, "Go get Chen Yi. I have something for her to do."

Having witnessed her master’s divine might, Yulan was both nervous and excited. She spoke eagerly, "Master, Sister Yi is practicing her martial arts. What is it? Can I help you?"

"You have a different task." Yu Xian rubbed Yulan’s cheek and laughed. "Go on. She eats for free here all day; it’s about time she made herself useful."

"Oh." Yulan looked disappointed but obeyed, heading off to find Chen Yi.