The old man's fall did not attract the attention of the queuing crowd. Those near him dodged far away, as if the old man were a plague. Some even whispered that the old fellow dared to cause trouble again, and if not for the magnanimity of others, he would have been thrown into a cesspool and drowned.
I frowned at everything happening before me, then quickly stepped forward and helped the old man up. I felt his neck pulse and found that he had merely fainted from a surge of qi and blood. I then pinched his philtrum.
"Oh..." He took a long breath and woke up.
"Grandpa, are you alright?"
"Cough cough... I'm fine, I'm fine!" The old man coughed twice, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said quickly. At the same time, he pushed away my supporting hand, then stumbled to his feet and walked away.
Seeing this, I quickly wanted to step forward and ask him what had happened and why he was thrown out, but I was stopped by someone nearby.
"Young man, I advise you not to meddle in other people's affairs. Otherwise, if you come here to seek help, it won't be resolved." The speaker was a middle-aged man, about forty years old, with a weathered face. As soon as he finished speaking, people in front of and behind him moved away, looking at him with a hint of fear.
As soon as he finished speaking, a discordant voice came from within the courtyard, carrying a tone of contempt and a hint of arrogance.
"Luo Sanliang, the shamaness said she cannot and dares not handle your matter. You should seek someone else."
"You... what did you say? I paid the money the day before yesterday, and only today did I get to the front of the line. How can the shamaness just refuse to see me? Isn't this..."
Before he could finish, the two burly men who had thrown the old man out stepped forward, glaring at him and saying, "What, you have a problem? The shamaness said it. If you have the guts, go ask the shamaness yourself."
Upon mentioning the shamaness, the dark-faced man's expression changed slightly. He glared at the small courtyard through gritted teeth, then looked at me with annoyance, turned, and left the line. His previously straight spine seemed to bend, appearing quite dejected.
When the troublemaker left, the two burly men turned their gaze to me and said, "Kid, if you want the shamaness to help you, just queue up honestly and pay the money. I advise you not to meddle in other people's affairs, or you'll get into unnecessary trouble."
Facing the two burly men who offered "kind" advice, I really wanted to rush up and knock all their teeth out.
Damn it! Are these disciples of the spirit-summoning sect or just bandits and thugs?
Just looking at the two burly guards at the door, one could get a glimpse of the whole picture. If the Hu family's hall was like this, it was no wonder Master didn't allow them into Panyu City.
"I'm not here to ask about matters. I have something important to discuss with your shamaness. Please inform her."
"Kid, are you taking my words for nonsense? I just said if you want to ask about matters or have a divination, queue up and pay. Do you think you're the king of the world? Even the mayor has to queue up and pay to ask about matters. What right do you have, a kid who hasn't even grown a full beard?" The burly man who spoke first, while speaking, moved closer to me, his fingers as thick as rolling pins poking at my chest. Seeing this, I took two steps back.
"Brothers, do you have to be so excessive? I just asked to see her. If you don't agree, fine, but don't get physical." I said again, frowning.
"Oh ho, kid, you're quite defiant. I'll tell you, the shamaness definitely won't see you. Even if you brought money and knelt on the ground begging for a divination, it would be useless. You can get lost."
I clenched my fist and was about to move to deal with them, but I was interrupted by a voice as faint as a mosquito.
"Young Master Song, don't be impulsive. Let's leave here first."
"What do you mean?" I glanced sideways at the backpack behind me.
The words were spoken to Huang San, but the two burly men in front of me didn't know that. They thought I was provoking them. As soon as I finished speaking, the burly man who had spoken first threw a punch at me, cursing as he did so.
If I were my former self, I would have been in a mess by his sudden attack. But after the incident in the desolate village, and the baptism by the shadowy figure when I was on the verge of death yesterday, my reaction speed and martial arts were no longer what they used to be.
So, the moment he swung his fist, I had already sensed it. At the same time, I moved my body backward, grabbed his fist with my left hand, and then tripped him with my foot. Using his momentum, the burly man drew a parabola in mid-air and fell to the ground.
Because this fellow used too much force, coupled with my throw, he flew at least two meters away and nearly two meters high.
Bang—
"Ugh..."
The ground was hard cement, so after falling, he let out a muffled groan and fainted directly.
The other burly man was stunned for a moment, then glared at me and said, "Kid, you're finished. How dare you cause trouble at the fox spirit's hall? Tonight, you'll just have to wait for the fox spirit to come and claim your life!"
I shrugged and said, "Which eye of yours saw me make a move? He flew out by himself. What does it have to do with me? Don't you know he used the lost martial art 'Ping Sha Luo Yan Shi'?"
My movements just now were very stealthy, and the person who flew out had his back to me, so he couldn't see my actions at all. The only thing he could see was me dodging backward.
"You... you... you wait for me. I'll go call the shamaness." The burly man was clearly smarter than the one who attacked me. Seeing his companion, who was a head taller than me, fly away, he turned and went inside to call for help.
The commotion at the door made the surrounding people hide far away, adopting an attitude of staying out of trouble.
"My Young Master Song, why did you get into a fight? This hall has the fox spirit presiding over it." Huang San's voice came from the backpack again. Although it was still as quiet as a mosquito, it carried a trace of unease.
"Fox spirits also need to be reasonable, don't they? Besides, he attacked me first. I just took two steps back, and he fell by himself. What could I do?"
"You... forget it. You'd better be careful. The one behind the shamaness is no weaker than me."
As soon as Huang San finished speaking, a hoarse voice, as if carrying phlegm in his throat, came from inside.
"Where did this wild kid come from, daring to cause trouble at my Hu family's hall? Didn't your elders tell you to worship gods when entering the mountain and greet people when entering a place?"
Then, an old woman, as burly as Sun Erniang, walked out from inside, followed by the burly man who had just gone to report.
"Granny Sun, it's this kid who came to cause trouble and knocked out my nephew."
Granny Sun first glanced at the burly man lying unconscious on the ground, then turned her gaze to me, frowned, and asked, "Are you here to challenge the hall?"