C11

If it were anyone else, Wu Fann would have quietly dealt with the situation long ago. But since it was his son, Wu Chengzhao, he could only swallow his anger, even when it made him feel like he was about to burst. Over time, he just stopped caring.

With Wu Fann stepping back, Wu Chengzhao became even more arrogant. A few days ago, he was playing with crickets against Yan Xiuchuan. When he saw his cricket was about to lose, he stomped on Yan's cricket, crushing it completely. Yan was furious, but Wu just laughed, bragging that a cricket was nothing and even if he stomped on Yan himself, the Yan family wouldn't dare say a word.

Yan Xiuchuan was livid and ordered his servants to hold Wu down. Xie Zixiao and some other young men from noble families quickly intervened, smoothing things over with kind words and escorting Wu Chengzhao out.

Yan knew he couldn't match Wu Chengzhao, and he didn't want to embarrass Xie Zixiao, so he gritted his teeth and let it go. But he secretly vowed to find the best cricket next time and make Wu lose face in front of everyone.

Hunting was a common pastime for the young nobles. They usually set up in their family estates, releasing rabbits, pheasants, deer, and other harmless animals for sport. Today, Yan Xiuchuan wasn’t having much luck and only caught a few rabbits.

"Oh, I thought it was a young lady coming over, but it's just you, Sanlang."

Yan Xiuchuan didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He snorted, flicked his riding crop, and was about to leave.

Suddenly, a tall chestnut horse blocked his path. Wu Chengzhao was lounging on its back, grinning at him. "What's the rush? Even if you go back and forth again, you'll only catch one more rabbit. How does that compare to me?" He patted the bulging bag hanging from his saddle, which was clearly filled with game.

"Who knows if you caught those yourself or had someone help you? I didn't see it with my own eyes," Yan Xiuchuan sneered. "I remember someone telling me a joke the other day. A city boy was practicing archery, and he shot the arrow into a tree next to the target. Quite the talent, hitting a tree from a hundred paces."

Wu Chengzhao straightened up, his right hand slowly tightening around his whip. "Who are you talking about?"

Yan Xiuchuan lifted his chin defiantly. "Whoever responds is who I'm talking about."

Crack. Wu Chengzhao swung his whip, striking out.

Yan Xiuchuan hadn't expected Wu Chengzhao to actually make a move. He hesitated for a moment, instinctively dodging his head. The whip landed on his shoulder, and even though he was wearing a sheepskin vest for hunting, it still stung fiercely.

"You dare hit me?" Yan Xiuchuan, known as a fearless troublemaker, felt old grievances flare up with that strike. At this point, he didn't care about the rivalry between the Wu and Yan families. Not even the king himself would stop him from retaliating.

With a shout, Yan Xiuchuan lunged at Wu Chengzhao. Wu, used to throwing his weight around in town thanks to his father's influence, never expected Yan to be so reckless. The two were close enough that before Wu could react, Yan had tackled him to the ground.

"Let go of me!" Wu demanded.

Yan had the upper hand and wasn't about to listen. He locked his legs around Wu's waist, pinning him down securely, and began raining punches on Wu's face like a relentless storm.

Before long, Wu's face was a patchwork of bruises, looking like a painter's palette. "You country bumpkin, ow!" Wu's left eye went dark, and he saw stars swirling in his vision.

"Weren't you so proud of yourself, even daring to crush my cricket? Ha!" Yan landed another punch on Wu's nose. "I'll beat you so bad your own father won't recognize you."

Wu's nose stung and throbbed, and soon a warm trickle started flowing. Wiping his hand across his face, he saw it was covered in red. Furious, he spat, "Yan, you little punk, you have no idea who you're messing with!" Ignoring the punches, Wu reached up and wrapped his hands around Yan's throat.

Yan Xiuchuan felt his breath catch as Wu Chengzhao tightened his grip, causing his movements to slow. Seizing the moment, Wu Chengzhao flipped them over, pinning Yan to the ground.

Unwilling to back down, Yan grabbed Wu's neck in return. Despite Wu being taller and bigger, Yan was stubborn as a mule, and neither was willing to give an inch. Both were red-faced, gasping for air as they struggled.

Wu thought to himself, "You might not care about your life, Yan, but I sure do." He winked at Yan and loosened his grip slightly.

Yan, barely holding on, realized Wu was signaling a truce. He gradually eased his hold as well.

With a hoarse voice, Wu said, "Sanlang, you're upset, and I've taken quite a beating. How about we call it even?"

Yan locked eyes with him and slowly nodded.

They released each other simultaneously. Yan managed to sneak in a kick before rolling to the side to catch his breath.

Wu let out a groan as Yan's kick sent him sprawling. Sore and exhausted, he decided not to bother with Yan anymore.

Both lay on the ground, panting heavily.

Suddenly, Wu burst into laughter.

Curious, Yan turned his head to see Wu's swollen cheekbone and bloody nose, and couldn't help but laugh too.