Chapter 122: The Hunt

For the past few days, Jiang Xiaotian had spent almost all his time practicing how to slice leaves with his fingers. He had the occasional success, but it was mostly due to luck. As for Hanada Sakura, she had not come to see him again; even when they crossed paths, she would only offer a cold snort, as if they were bitter enemies.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaotian’s popularity had not waned. From time to time, young girls would run over just to get a glimpse of him, and there were even several upperclassmen among them, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

He had assumed he would have no further dealings with Hanada Sakura, but that evening, she followed him again. After many days of silence, she did not trail him in silence as she had before; instead, she took the initiative to call out to him.

"The warriors of the Ito family have arrived in Beihai. It is too late for you to apologize now, so you had better prepare yourself for a hospital stay. They are known for holding grudges and seeking vengeance. Since you severed one of Ito-kun's hands, I fear they will come to take both of yours." Hanada Sakura spoke with a hint of regret.

After all, Jiang Xiaotian was undeniably talented, and since she held a deep interest in Tai Chi, she did not wish to see him crippled. Furthermore, she found it shameful that they would go to such lengths just for a spoiled rich kid. While her strength was the reason she commanded these people, she had no authority to stop the Ito family once they decided to act.

Jiang Xiaotian, however, was unimpressed, perhaps even arrogant. He had no affection for this Ito and certainly did not fear them.

"Alright, alright, Miss Hanada, thank you for your concern. But since you've already said as much, an apology now would be useless, and there's no point in you seeking me out," Jiang Xiaotian said with a shrug.

Having already called him over, she would have wasted her time if she simply let him go without saying anything, wouldn't she?

Hanada Sakura realized he had a point. A moment of regret crossed her face, then she blinked as if struck by a sudden thought. "If you beg me, I might be able to put in a good word for you. You should learn to be more flexible in life."

*What a lunatic!*

Jiang Xiaotian scoffed and turned to head home. Was this Japanese woman out of her mind? Beg her?

His cold dismissal left Hanada Sakura stunned. She had truly never met a man like this—so self-willed and exceptionally rude!

"Jiang Xiaotian! You will regret this!" Hanada Sakura shouted in anger, but the former only waved his hand dismissively, nearly driving her to the point of apoplexy.

Back home, Jiang Xiaotian told Ling’er about the encounter. She remained indifferent, explaining that the disparity in strength within Japanese families was vast; it was common for one branch to be incredibly powerful while another was weak.

"As long as you don't run into a Dark Warrior, you'll be fine. My brother once dealt with the Japanese; their 'Dark Warriors' are similar to the hidden foundations of the great clans in Dragon City, possessing strength no less than the Divine Realm. If you encounter one, you would certainly be no match for them," Ling’er explained nonchalantly.

As expected of a Dragon, she knew everything.

Moreover, a practitioner of the Divine Realm was definitely someone Jiang Xiaotian could not defeat right now. His victory over 'Shadow' last time was truly a result of coincidence and luck. If Zhao Zheng had been a bit smarter, issued orders more decisively, or if the Ouyang family’s human wall hadn't been there, he would never have been able to kill him so easily. Of course, the primary contributor was his divine sword. If he had to face Shadow again now, his only option would be to run.

Fortunately, thanks to this opportunity, Jiang Xiaotian had successfully stepped into the Second Heaven. His strength, compared to other martial artists, was likely on par with the middle stage of the Internal Realm. He could exchange a few moves with those in the late stage, and as for the Divine Realm, while he couldn't defeat them, he would be difficult for them to capture if he chose to flee.

"Of course, that Japanese beauty was right about one thing: don't be too overbearing. It’s easy to invite a fatal disaster. If someone really comes to cause you trouble, yield when you can. But if they press you too hard, strike to kill, and make it clean," Ling’er warned.

She said these terrifying words in such a flat tone that even Jiang Xiaotian felt a shiver run down his spine. What a scary woman.

However, speak of the devil: on his way to school the next day, Jiang Xiaotian felt that the atmosphere around him was not quite right. It seemed as though someone was watching from the shadows. It wasn't Hanada Sakura, so he didn't need to think twice to know the Ito family had arrived.

Jiang Xiaotian pretended not to notice. As long as they didn't provoke him, he wouldn't go looking for trouble. Naturally, he was perfectly safe inside the school. Coincidentally, the Japanese Karate club, which had been dormant for a long time, became active again. Ito-kun, who had been hospitalized due to his injury, returned to school that very day, and the two even crossed paths.

However, Ito showed no hostility toward Jiang Xiaotian; on the contrary, he smiled in a friendly manner and even greeted him.

The more abnormal the situation, the more certain Jiang Xiaotian was that the Ito family had definitely arrived and were lingering nearby, simply waiting for an opportunity. Otherwise, would Ito dare to wander in front of him?

To prevent innocent people from being caught in the crossfire, Jiang Xiaotian deliberately waited until very late before leaving school. Aside from a few pedestrians, there were almost no students left, and the sky had turned quite dark.

His sensory perception was far beyond that of an ordinary person. As soon as he stepped out, he sensed several people quickly locking onto him. They didn't strike immediately, choosing instead to shadow him.

Jiang Xiaotian took the initiative to walk toward a deserted area. Since they were here, he might as well settle it early to avoid complications. Indeed, such good-for-nothing rich kids were everywhere, but this was his first time seeing a baby who ran home to mommy and daddy the moment he got beaten up. And a family that would cross an ocean to seek revenge because their child was bullied was truly bizarre.

When they reached an abandoned factory, Jiang Xiaotian stopped. He found a piece of reinforced concrete, sat down, and started playing on his phone.

His move left the others hesitant to approach. After all, this wasn't Japan, and they had to be careful after traveling so far. They only dared to come because they assumed a small place like Beihai wouldn't have any major figures stationed there. Only after they had thoroughly investigated the surroundings did they dare to close in on Jiang Xiaotian.

Before long, footsteps echoed. A dozen or so people appeared, but one person remained hidden in the shadows. His presence was so faint it was indistinguishable from an ordinary person’s; had he been facing a common martial artist, they likely would have overlooked him entirely.

The person walking at the forefront was the bandage-wrapped Ito-kun. He smiled brighter than anyone: "So, the great Tai Chi master had already discovered us yet still dared to come alone. I am truly impressed!"

Jiang Xiaotian couldn't be bothered to banter with him. He scanned the people behind him; their strength was uneven, ranging from the External Realm to the Internal Realm. The strongest among them was only at the early stage of the Internal Realm, and he was hiding at the very back—clearly the ace.

However, Jiang Xiaotian’s attention wasn't on them, but rather on the person hiding in the dark. He wasn't sure what martial art the Ito family practiced, but they were capable of concealing their strength so well that Jiang Xiaotian couldn't see through them, nor could he pinpoint their exact location.

Still, if they could be detected by him, they were certainly not Divine Realm masters, so he had nothing to fear. After all, if the Ito family were to deploy a Divine Realm expert for a matter as trivial as this, they were either unimaginably powerful or complete idiots.

"Alright, enough chatter. You went to such lengths to find me, what is this all about?" Jiang Xiaotian tilted his neck, deliberately mimicking Ito’s tone.

Ito remained unprovoked and pointed to his own hand: "You hurt me; must you not pay the price? Isn't it you who said, 'courtesy demands reciprocity'?"

Jiang Xiaotian chuckled. "Then let me gift you another old saying: 'When will the cycle of vengeance ever end?' You hurt my classmate, I hurt you; it should have been settled. Now you insist on throwing your lives away—the whole lot of you. I think you're mentally ill!"

Chinese culture was profound and deep; Ito couldn't understand what Jiang Xiaotian meant, but he understood he was being insulted. He let out a cold snort: "I know you are strong and capable, but two fists cannot fight four hands. Do you really think you are a match for so many people?"

"Why don't you try and find out?" Jiang Xiaotian stretched his joints.

Ito was merely an External Realm martial artist himself, so he had brought many people, including those of the Internal Realm, and believed he would surely win. This was the frog in the well—he didn't understand that the higher the level, the less numbers mattered. A hundred External Realm fighters couldn't defeat one Internal Realm master; that was an indisputable fact, at least among ordinary martial artists.

However, everyone present was a martial artist. There were no elders as Jiang Xiaotian had expected, and they were all dressed in distinctively Japanese attire, looking particularly eye-catching.

"By the way, let me ask first. I've heard that Japanese people are skilled with the sword. How does your Ito family fare?" Jiang Xiaotian asked casually.

Unexpectedly, this question made Ito-kun freeze, and a hint of nervousness appeared on his face: "That has nothing to do with you!"