Chapter Seventy-Five: The Arrival of the Three Mighty Tigers

Chapter Seventy-Five: Ku Hu and the Others Arrive in Utter Disbelief

“Yao’er, let me do it myself,” Lin Xueyou said weakly to Lu Yao.

“Alright,” Lu Yao replied gently, carefully withdrawing her own power of the laws of heaven and earth.

“Are you alright, Sister Xueyou?” Lu Yao asked with concern.

“Thank you for your concern, little sister. I’m fine now. You’re so gentle and thoughtful—it’s no wonder that rascal Li Hao can’t get you out of his mind,” Lin Xueyou answered, her mood much improved by Lu Yao’s worry about her. Even in such a state, she couldn’t help but tease her.

“Sister Xueyou, that’s not fair. Why do you call Brother Li Hao a rascal?” Lu Yao protested coyly, her curiosity piqued. She couldn’t understand why Sister Xueyou would speak ill of Li Hao for no reason.

Lin Xueyou, flustered by being questioned, felt a guilty blush rise to her cheeks and her heart beat even faster. She hurriedly replied, “It’s nothing, really.”

Lu Yao wasn’t completely convinced, but only said, “Well, Sister Xueyou, you rest here for a while. I’ll go check on Brother Li Hao.”

Lin Xueyou’s eyes darted away as she replied, “Yes, hurry along, Yao’er.”

Only after Lu Yao left did Lin Xueyou let out a long sigh. She felt more nervous than she had during the life-and-death battle just now.

“Brother Li Hao, are you alright?” Lu Yao asked worriedly, seeing Li Hao’s face as pale as paper.

Li Hao forced a gentle smile and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Yao’er. I’m fine—just overexerted myself. I’ll be alright after some rest.”

Lu Yao had been on edge throughout his battle, worried every moment. Now, hearing that he was alright, she felt a great weight lifted from her heart. Yet, having seen him so drained that he couldn’t even lift his weapon and fell from the sky, she still felt an ache inside, blaming herself for being powerless to help. Though Li Hao said he was fine, her worry lingered, and she asked again uncertainly, “Brother Li Hao, are you truly alright?”

Li Hao, with some effort, reached out a trembling hand and gently patted her head. “Really, I’m alright, Yao’er. Sorry to have made you worry.”

That simple apology brought tears to Lu Yao’s eyes.

Trying to lighten the mood, Li Hao forced a smile and teased, “Yao’er, you’re all grown up—why are you still such a child and so fond of crying?”

“But I…”

Suddenly, with a thud, a figure crashed down beside them, cutting off Lu Yao’s words.

Lu Yao had wanted to say, “But I really am just a child!” but before she could finish, the figure that fell from the sky interrupted her, and the rest of her words were swallowed, never to be spoken.

The one who fell was the young man with the blade who had attacked Lin Xueyou.

He had fought Zhenba to a standstill, but once Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation joined the fray, he began to lose ground. Zhenba launched his Yin-Yang Crescent Slash at the youth’s chest.

Seeing the attack about to pierce him through, the blade-wielding youth dared not be careless and used all his strength to block it.

Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation seized the moment, weaving behind the youth with a Phantom Step. Without mercy, he struck with the “Dragon Roams the Plains.”

Sensing the attack from behind, the youth shook off Zhenba’s killing blow and hurriedly turned to block the Desire Incarnation’s strike with his blade. But in his haste, he couldn’t muster enough power; the Desire Incarnation’s halberd sent him staggering back.

As he staggered, Zhenba flashed above, and before the youth could react, Zhenba brought down a thunderous kick, driving him into the ground.

The youth realized that if he couldn’t escape, he would end up like his three companions. He scrambled to his feet and fled.

Zhenba tried to give chase but was already too late.

At that moment, Ku Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen arrived at the edge of the battlefield.

The blade-wielding youth was unlucky—he ran straight toward the three of them.

From on high, the Desire Incarnation saw this and laughed with delight. Channeling his cultivation into his voice, he called out, “Block him for me!”

Hearing the echoing command, the three immediately understood the situation as they watched the youth fleeing toward them.

Just as the youth was about to reach them, the three joined forces, each landing a kick that sent him reeling back dozens of steps. Off balance, he landed hard on the ground.

Qin Zhen rushed over, summoned his sword, and unceremoniously placed it at the youth’s throat.

“Gentlemen, I beg you, spare my life! I will remember your great kindness forever!”

Ku Hu and Li Zhan didn’t bother to reply. They simply grabbed an arm each, hauling him toward Li Hao and the others like a prisoner. Qin Zhen, not missing an opportunity, kept kicking the youth’s backside, remarking, “Such nice bounce, this one!”

With every comment, he added another kick. Ku Hu and Li Zhan couldn’t help but laugh at Qin Zhen’s childish antics, nearly losing their grip on their captive.

The youth, subjected to Qin Zhen’s abuse, was left in tears of frustration, forced to swallow his anger and humiliation. “One day,” he thought, “I’ll repay them for this, twice over.”

But would he ever get the chance?

With the youth captured, Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation and Zhenba returned to Li Hao’s side.

Now, Zhenba took a good look at the Desire Incarnation, thinking to himself, “This incarnation of the young master is truly strange—just a change from black to red robes, and he’s like a different person entirely.” He had mistaken the Desire Incarnation for Li Hao’s Earth Soul Incarnation, the one who had attacked him before.

After about a minute, Ku Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen reached Li Hao, and began to report, “Young Master, the prisoner has been brought—”

But as the words left their lips, all three froze, staring in shock, speechless.

Qin Zhen gave the youth another kick. “Does that hurt?” he asked.

Now utterly at their mercy, the youth could only force a smile and say, “No, not at all.”

Qin Zhen shook his head. “I must be dreaming.”

Ku Hu and Li Zhan, hearing this, felt the same—they must be dreaming.

Standing before Li Hao, they saw not one, but two identical Li Haos, as well as a handsome stranger they didn’t recognize: Zhenba. Beside Li Hao stood a majestic, intimidating war halberd.

The halberd, after the Desire Incarnation finished using it, had been left standing guard beside Li Hao.

No wonder the three felt as if they were in a dream. Suddenly, there were two Li Haos, a stranger, and a powerful halberd, when they recalled Li Hao had never carried a weapon before. It was all simply unbelievable.

Zhenba, having cleaned himself up, looked like a completely different person; naturally, they didn’t recognize him. Had he remained as disheveled and timid as before, perhaps they would have remembered.

By now, Li Hao had regained about thirty percent of his strength. Rising to his feet, he instructed the Desire Incarnation, “Go, search elsewhere for Sister Xuemei, Lu Zhengtian, and Lin Huashu. Leave matters here to me.”

The Desire Incarnation, receiving his order, soared away.

Lifting the Nine-Dragon War Halberd, Li Hao turned to the blade-wielding youth and said coldly, “Harm my friends, and you die.”

Hearing the icy sentence, the youth fell to his knees and pleaded, “Please, Young Master, spare my life! I was only following orders. If you show mercy today, I will remember it all my life and never show you disrespect again.”

Li Hao smiled darkly. The youth, hearing that, felt a sliver of hope.

Li Hao continued, “Who ordered you to kill me?”

“Du… Du Qingfeng!” the youth stammered, still shaken.

“Greedy, ruthless, a bully of the weak, a thief of men and women, a lackey of evil—you deserve to die a thousand deaths. Mercy? In your next life, be a good man and maybe we’ll talk.”

With those words, Li Hao swung his halberd, severing the youth’s head, which rolled several yards away before the body collapsed in a bloody pool.

Even then, Ku Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen remained stunned—so many mysteries, so much unbelievable had happened in one day.

Li Hao gradually regained his color and strength.

Zhenba turned to the three and said, “Gentlemen, I am Zhenba. I remain deeply grateful for your timely help the other day. Should you ever need my assistance, only ask—I will do my utmost.”

“Ku Hu greets Young Master Zhenba.”

“Li Zhan greets Young Master Zhenba.”

“Qin Zhen greets Young Master Zhenba.”

The three introduced themselves in a daze, still not understanding this handsome young man’s words. In their memories, they had never met such a person before.

Ku Hu voiced their confusion, “Young Master Zhenba, what do you mean by timely help? I don’t understand—please, explain.”

Li Zhan and Qin Zhen felt the same—they, too, wanted an explanation.

Zhenba laughed heartily. “You three must have short memories! Do you recall the first day of registration, when you stood up for a destitute stranger?”

Qin Zhen replied, “Oh! Now I remember. But to be honest, we only did so at Young Master Li Hao’s urging. That boy being bullied by Du Qingfeng and his entourage—was he your friend?”

Zhenba chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. “No. That destitute youth was me.”

“What! You?”

“You?”

“You?”

All three exclaimed in disbelief.

“That’s right. It was me.”

Qin Zhen turned to Li Hao, “Young Master, is this true?”

Li Hao nodded, confirming it.

After a long moment of surprise, Qin Zhen circled Zhenba, then said, “He really doesn’t look the same.”

Ku Hu and Li Zhan nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Lin Xueyou stood up, still weak, but seeing their disbelief, she said, “Don’t doubt Young Master Zhenba. He was a bit disheveled before, and after meeting us, he changed his appearance. We were shocked, too.”

Li Zhan finally said, “So it’s all true! Clothes really do make the man.”

As the three slowly recovered from their astonishment, they finally noticed that something was amiss with Li Hao and Lin Xueyou.

Ku Hu asked with concern, “Young Master, Sister Xueyou, are you injured?”

“I’m fine!” Lin Xueyou and Li Hao replied in unison. After all they’d been through, they were no longer shy, simply exchanging a smile.

Still, Ku Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen had many questions that only Li Hao and the others could answer.