“People from the Tang family always keep their word. If we say it, we do it. But let's set the ground rules: no mercy, and if anyone gets hurt, don't blame anyone.” Tang Yan pushed Xiao Cui aside, rolling up his sleeves, clearly eager for a fight.

Liu Yuan nearly burst out laughing. This fool really couldn’t help himself, revealing all his thoughts openly.

“Ah, Young Master Tang is as straightforward as always. Let’s begin then! Everyone here, bear witness—Young Master Tang himself said 'no mercy,' so no excuses later.”

Their conversation had already drawn attention from the onlookers.

However, neither the Tang nor the Liu family was easy to mess with, so no one dared to speak up, but privately, they were all eager to watch the show, waiting for Tang Yan to end up kneeling before Liu Yuan.

“Ready to start, Young Master Tang?” Liu Yuan asked.

“Of course. But let me warn you first—this fan I’m holding isn’t just an ordinary fan. It’s a magical artifact. The eighteen ribs of the fan can transform into eighteen sharp arrows, capable of piercing iron and gold without effort.”

Hearing this, Liu Yuan’s expression shifted. No wonder this brat had the guts to taunt him—he had a magical artifact. Artifacts were rare and usually very expensive. Though Liu Yuan didn’t own one, he knew Tang Yan, as the sole heir of the Tang family, would have access to one, likely supplied by his grandfather for protection.

Liu Yuan was about to protest against the use of such artifacts when Tang Yan shouted, “Watch this magical fan!”

With that, he tossed the fan into the air, and with a sharp “whoosh,” it opened mid-flight.

Everyone in the crowd looked up in unison, including Liu Yuan’s two guards, who now watched the fan with great interest.

Magical artifacts were a rare sight in Yun City, and most noble families rarely got to see them.

Liu Yuan’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at the fan in the air. In his haste, he had neglected to bring a weapon and now felt a deep sense of urgency and frustration.

Tang Yan, smiling faintly, dashed forward. He lifted his leg and kicked Liu Yuan in the stomach.

The kick was swift, powerful, and precise. It struck Liu Yuan’s abdomen just as he was preparing to unleash the power of the fan. The sudden force sent him flying through the air, crashing heavily to the ground.

The crowd stood frozen, shocked. “What just happened? Where’s the magical artifact? Why did Liu Yuan get knocked out?”

Tang Yan, once a ninth-rank alchemist in his past life, had faced countless challenges. His indomitable spirit and battle-hardened experience left no room for his enemies to breathe. As soon as Liu Yuan flew through the air, Tang Yan was already on top of him, pinning him down and hammering fists onto Liu Yuan’s head.

Liu Yuan, already reeling from the kick and the fall, was now completely dazed. The barrage of punches landed relentlessly, turning his eyes into swollen black circles within moments.

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He tried to summon some true energy, but his stomach hurt too much. Every small movement felt like thousands of needles piercing his body, and he broke into a cold sweat from the agony.

The constant pounding to his head kept him fully aware of the beating he was taking. The realization that he was being beaten senseless by a man with a destroyed dantian was too much for him to bear.

Once he returned home, he wouldn’t just face disappointment—his father and his elders would likely scold him mercilessly, and his temperamental father would probably already have a whip ready for him.

In a mixture of humiliation, anger, fear, and pain, Liu Yuan finally lost consciousness as Tang Yan's fists continued to rain down.

As the fan clattered to the ground, and Tang Yan’s last kick sent Liu Yuan flying, the onlookers slowly started to process what had just happened. “That fool didn’t even use a magical artifact. He just ambushed him!”

“Haha, Liu Yuan, you’ve fallen asleep already!” Tang Yan laughed, rummaging through Liu Yuan’s pockets. He pulled out two thousand taels in silver notes and some loose change.

The crowd could only grimace. “Did you really knock him out just to take his money? What a show-off!” But more people looked on with pity at the defeated Liu Yuan.

Tang Yan, the infamous playboy, had knocked Liu Yuan out with a single strike, leaving him utterly powerless to fight back. This defeat would undoubtedly bring disgrace to the Liu family.

“Wow, Young Master, you won!” Xiao Cui, beaming with pride, was the only one still naive enough to think Tang Yan had won a fair victory.

“Of course, your young master is amazing, haha…” Tang Yan casually picked up his fan, fanning himself as he strutted away, his swagger back in full force.

The two Liu family guards finally realized what had happened, hurriedly lifting Liu Yuan and rushing back to the Liu family compound.

The crowd slowly began to disperse, but the story of this confrontation would become a popular topic of conversation for days to come in Yun City.

Meanwhile, Tang Yan walked leisurely with Xiao Cui, deep in thought about what to do with the two thousand taels of silver he had just won. Should he buy a cheap cauldron, or use it for something else?

After about fifteen minutes of walking, Tang Yan spotted a street up ahead lined with herbal medicine shops.

An idea sparked in his mind. He pulled out a thousand taels in silver notes and handed them to Xiao Cui. “Take this money and buy three taels of Thousand Herbs, one tael of Qing Tan incense, half a tael of dried Peony, and two taels of Mi Tree core from the Baicao Hall ahead.”

He continued listing off more ingredients, and when he finished, Xiao Cui carefully noted everything down, clutching the silver notes as she headed toward the shop.

Once Xiao Cui entered the store, Tang Yan quickly slipped into another herbal shop nearby.

“Shopkeeper, give me two taels of Crystal Sand, three pennies of Pearl Powder, nine pennies of Tianxing Grass, and half a tael of Butterfly Flower,” Tang Yan called out loudly as he entered.

Hearing the order, the shopkeeper immediately greeted him with a smile. Although the quantities weren’t large, the total cost was still significant. After calculating with an abacus, the shopkeeper informed Tang Yan that he had only three hundred taels left.

After paying, Tang Yan returned to the previous spot. Half an hour later, Xiao Cui finally reappeared from the herbal shop.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Young Master,” Xiao Cui said, apologetically.

“It’s fine, let’s go,” Tang Yan smiled, knowing his maid well. She was always diligent, and if she had taken longer, it was probably to carefully double-check the measurements and ensure no mistakes were made.

“Where are we headed now, Young Master?” Xiao Cui asked, relieved that she hadn’t been scolded.

“Miaodanfang!”

“Miaodanfang? Young Master, what... what do you need to go there for?” Xiao Cui immediately became anxious. She feared Tang Yan was about to stir up trouble at Miaodanfang.

“To buy more herbs, of course. I’m planning to refine some elixirs,” Tang Yan said with a calm smile.

Hearing this, Xiao Cui sighed with relief. She quietly observed Tang Yan’s back as they walked, noticing the carefree swagger was still there. But after serving him for so many years, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something about him had subtly changed.

For example, if it had been in the past, she would’ve gotten scolded for taking so long, but today, he was far more patient than usual.