Yu Xu sighed, he was outmatched and the other person had even shown mercy. What else could he do but accept it?
No, it wasn't quite acceptance. Yu Xu was unwilling, but simply powerless.
In reality, this was also thanks to Old Lin's efforts. If Li Chonglou had been the one to fight, Yu Xu would not have ended up in such a state, even if he couldn't win.
After all, Li Chonglou cared about the outcome. In the end, Yu Xu might not have been able to win, but he wouldn't have been convinced. Otherwise, he would have been directly defeated.
But Old Lin was different. Old Lin not only provoked him deliberately but also used his own offensive techniques in every attack. In essence, he specifically targeted Yu Xu's strengths to defeat him. This kind of combat could easily break a person's spirit, and Yu Xu was indeed doubting his life right now.
After all, Li Chonglou looked around his age. Being crushed by someone of the same age was bound to leave a psychological scar. It would be a lie to say otherwise.
Fortunately, Yu Xu's resilience was strong enough. Otherwise, it would have been more than just a low mood.
So when he heard Hua Nanhu wanted to take a look, he, who usually enjoyed a good spectacle, had no interest at all.
"Then I'll be heading back."
Yu Xu stood up silently after speaking, walking towards the door with a hint of dejection. Hua Nanhu's mood was somewhat complicated as he watched him go, and his curiosity about the two intruders grew even stronger.
What kind of master could reduce such an arrogant person to this state?
After Yu Xu left, Hua Nanhu could no longer resist tidying up briefly and left his office.
His office was in the headquarters district, not far from Yang Dongtian's location. When he found Yang Dongtian, the three of Qing Lin had not yet arrived.
"Yo, isn't this Brother Hua? Why are you so free to visit me today?"
Yang Dongtian was also sitting in his office at the moment, with the same documents on his desk as Hua Nanhu.
"No, I was getting a bit bored watching, so I came out for a walk."
Hua Nanhu chuckled. He had no intention of reminding Yang Dongtian. In fact, due to Yang Dongtian's personality, he didn't have many true friends in the entire Martial Arts Association. Hua Nanhu had also clashed with him a few times because of his temper, and their relationship was superficial.
"Came out for a walk?"
Yang Dongtian raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing Hua Nanhu's words. He said directly, "Just say what you want."
Hua Nanhu smiled and said nothing, instead walking to the sofa and sitting down.
"You do your work, I'll sit for a bit and leave."
Yang Dongtian's brows furrowed immediately. He naturally knew that their relationship wasn't at that level.
"Brother Hua, if you have something to say, just say it. I don't have time to entertain you right now. Have you finished understanding these documents?"
"Not yet. I just feel there are two words for it: complicated."
"It is complicated. Does the Shangjing headquarters want us to act as vanguards first?"
Speaking of this, the two of them found common ground. Hua Nanhu's expression turned serious.
"Yes, that's what I feel too. But we've received so much care from the Shangjing headquarters over the years, it's hard to back out of this."
Hua Nanhu sighed slightly. Acting as vanguards sounded good, but to put it bluntly, it meant being the cannon fodder at the forefront of battle, the bait.
Their Martial Arts Association was not a direct government agency. Many of their disciples were bound by interests. Once they agreed to this request, it would undoubtedly put their Martial Arts Association on the edge of a precipice.
If handled poorly, it could bring irreversible disaster to the Martial Arts Association!
"Why don't we convene a meeting of the elders? I think it would be better for everyone to discuss this together."
Even Yang Dongtian, who was usually direct and overbearing, was now worried and dared not make a hasty decision or action.
Hua Nanhu nodded in agreement, "I think we should convene one. It seems we haven't had a meeting of the elders for over a decade."
Just then, the door to Yang Dongtian's office was pushed open again. Hua Nanhu thought it was those two intruders and quickly sat up straight. However, he saw the figure of Qing Lin's grandfather.
"Elder Qing?"
"Little Hua Zi? Why are you here too?"
As soon as the words "Little Hua Zi" were spoken, Hua Nanhu's expression couldn't help but change slightly. However, considering the other person's status, he said helplessly, "Elder Qing, I'm already approaching the elderly class. Can you stop calling me Little Hua Zi?"
Elder Qing chuckled, "Alright, Little Hu Zi."
"You can still call me Little Li Zi."
"So cheap."
Hua Nanhu's face darkened, and he simply closed his mouth. In terms of status, only the president of the Martial Arts Association could surpass Elder Qing. They, as juniors, truly couldn't gain any advantage.
At this moment, Yang Dongtian said somewhat puzzled, "I wonder what wind is blowing today. You guys, who usually don't interact, are all here today?"
Elder Qing smiled, "I don't know why Little Li Zi is here to see you, but I'm here because I genuinely have something to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
Elder Qing was not one to beat around the bush. He got straight to the point, "Are you trying to force your son onto a girl because you want to?"
Yang Dongtian's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Elder Qing, this is my family matter."
"That's what you say, but I also promised the young man that I would come and mediate. Otherwise, just do me a favor and let this matter go. Let young people resolve their own love affairs?"
However, Yang Dongtian directly put on a stern face.
"Elder Qing, it's useless no matter who comes. I have my own decision."
Elder Qing immediately frowned, "Little Yang, why is that?"
Given their relationship and his status in the Martial Arts Association, Elder Qing never expected Yang Dongtian to directly refuse.
At this moment, Hua Nanhu suddenly interjected, "Elder Qing, you usually don't get involved, so you wouldn't know. I've also heard about this matter. This girl is no ordinary girl."
"What do you mean?"
Hua Nanhu thought for a moment and then looked at Yang Dongtian, whose face had become extremely ugly, and said, "This is Brother Yang's family matter. It's best to let him explain."
Elder Qing finally realized the complexity of the situation and once again turned his gaze back to Yang Dongtian.
Yang Dongtian remained silent for a long time before finally uttering four words: "Furnace Cauldron Physique."
Elder Qing's expression changed dramatically, and he instantly understood why Yang Dongtian had this reaction!
In the entire Martial Arts Association, only Yang Dongtian's faction strictly followed the traditional martial arts path. Yang Guang also practiced the Pure Yang skill. These four words were indeed more precious to them than some supreme martial arts.
Now, Elder Qing was in a difficult position.
"So there's all this to it. Alas, my precious granddaughter has gotten me into trouble again. She must have known about this."