Peach Blossom Dual Cultivation

“Come on, from the looks of you, you’re still wet behind the ears. I’ll let you have three moves!”

Shangguan Yu couldn’t sense any true energy fluctuations from Zhou Lang, so he looked down on him. He knew that Zhou Lang had defeated his subordinates, Wang Fan and Wang Zhong, but they were merely advanced Martial Fighter. He assumed Zhou Lang was, at best, an early martial arts expert—nothing compared to him, a peak-level Martial Expert master.

“Shangguan Yu, you’re not even qualified to let me have three moves. The real question is whether you can withstand three of mine,” Zhou Lang said with a faint smile. Shangguan Yu was arrogant, but to Zhou Lang, he was nothing.

Hearing this, Zhao Cang thought Zhou Lang was boasting too much. Though he didn’t know martial arts, he understood that even a grandmaster might not be able to defeat Shangguan Yu in three moves.

Even Gu Xiuzhi, Zhao Xiaorou’s mother, felt that her daughter’s boyfriend might be a braggart. She feared that if Zhou Lang lost, he wouldn’t be able to save face. Deep down, she was worried. Although she didn’t like Shangguan Yu and hoped Zhou Lang would win, her concern lingered.

However, Elder Zhao’s expression had changed subtly. Earlier, Zhou Lang had easily broken his two grappling moves. He knew Zhou Lang was a top-tier expert, and seeing his calm demeanor now, he increasingly felt that Zhou Lang was unfathomable.

As for Zhao Xiaorou, she wasn’t worried at all. Zhou Lang was a cultivator, and defeating Shangguan Yu would be as easy as crushing an ant. She had absolute confidence in Zhou Lang’s victory.

“Anyone can talk big. Take this!”

Shangguan Yu, provoked by Zhou Lang, flew into a rage. With a flicker of his figure, he threw a punch straight toward Zhou Lang’s chest.

His moves were swift, like a dragon in flight, and he quickly closed the distance. At such close range, if Zhou Lang didn’t dodge, he would have to take the punch head-on. There wasn’t much room for technique now—it would come down to raw power.

“Remember, if you lose, you are not to bother Xiaorou anymore!”

Zhou Lang shouted coldly, throwing a casual punch.

When the two fists met, just as Zhao Cang and the others expected Zhou Lang to be in trouble, Shangguan Yu was sent flying backward as if hit by a runaway cart.

What terrified everyone even more was that Shangguan Yu flew back four or five meters before crashing to the ground. He struggled to get up but couldn’t.

Zhao Cang couldn’t believe his eyes. Moments ago, Shangguan Yu had seemed formidable, but he was now easily defeated by Zhou Lang!

Meanwhile, Elder Zhao broke into a cold sweat. He was thankful that Gu Xiuzhi had intervened earlier. Had he continued fighting Zhou Lang, he might now be lying on the ground, humiliated.

Gu Xiuzhi scrutinized Zhou Lang again. She realized now that he hadn’t been boasting—he had defeated Shangguan Yu, not in three moves, but with just one!

Shangguan Yu’s face turned pale, his blood boiling inside. If he hadn’t forcibly swallowed it down, he would have coughed up blood. His mind went blank. He couldn’t believe Zhou Lang had defeated him with just one move.

In his mind, only his father, Shangguan Long, going all out, could defeat him in a single move!

After a long while, Shangguan Yu finally struggled to his feet. Earlier, he had been the picture of elegance, but now he was in a sorry state. His once-handsome face had scraped the ground, leaving it bloodied and disfigured.

“Shangguan Yu, a true man keeps his word. Don’t ever mention Xiaorou’s marriage to me again. It’s late—you can leave now,” Zhao Xiaorou stepped forward and said.

“Zhao Xiaorou, you’ve been with Zhou Lang all along, and you think I’d still want someone as unfaithful as you? I, Shangguan Yu, keep my word. I won’t marry you. But I have made enemies with your Zhao family and Zhou Lang today. Zhou Lang, you injured me today, and I will repay you a hundredfold! I will make sure you understand the power of the Shangguan family, and you will regret everything you did today for the rest of your lives!”

Shangguan Yu snarled, his eyes cold and filled with murderous intent.

“Nephew, I won’t allow Zhou Lang and Xiaorou to be together. Don’t be angry. It was Zhou Lang who offended you today, not me,” Zhao Cang said, afraid of the Shangguan family’s revenge. He didn’t dare offend Shangguan Yu, still hoping to maintain good relations with them.

“Zhao Cang, stop pretending to be a good guy. You knew full well that your daughter was involved with another man, yet you didn’t tell me. Just for that, I won’t let you off the hook,” Shangguan Yu sneered, shattering Zhao Cang’s hopes.

“Shangguan Yu, Xiaorou never agreed to marry you. That was all one-sided on your part. A loss is a loss, stop whining. All grudges are between you and me—they have nothing to do with the Zhao family. If you want revenge, come after me. But even in a few decades, you still won’t be able to withstand a single move from me. If you’re shameless enough, you can bring your father or even those ancient relics from your family,” Zhou Lang said, fully aware that he had already offended Shangguan Yu, so he took on all the blame himself.

“Zhou Lang, you know nothing of the Shangguan family’s heritage. We’ll see,” Shangguan Yu said with some fear, before turning and leaving.

He had arrived in glory and departed in utter disgrace—a stark contrast indeed.

…

“We’ve offended the Shangguan family this time. I’m afraid the Zhao family’s days will be hard from now on,” Zhao Cang sighed, watching Shangguan Yu’s retreating figure, deep worry etched on his face.

“Father, it’s too late to worry now. Zhou Lang isn’t completely without background. In the political arena, he’s on friendly terms with General Qin. As for his martial prowess, he’s a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining stage. Someone like Shangguan Yu is nothing in comparison, and even his father, Shangguan Long, wouldn’t fare much better,” Zhao Xiaorou said, trying to reassure her father. Despite their current differences, she still cared deeply for him and didn’t want him to worry.

“General Qin? Which General Qin? Is Zhou Lang a cultivator?”

Zhao Cang asked, incredulous.

“How many Generals named Qin do we have? As for Zhou Lang’s martial prowess, you saw it yourself earlier. If he weren’t a cultivator, could he have defeated Shangguan Yu in a single move? Brother Lang didn’t even go all out. If he had, Shangguan Yu would already be dead,” Zhao Xiaorou explained.

“If General Qin is backing you, then we don’t have to worry about the Shangguan family causing trouble in the political or business arenas. Shangguan Long is also at the Qi Refining stage, though I’m not sure of his exact level. The Shangguan family likely has an ancient master behind the scenes. Although that old relic hasn’t appeared in decades, we can’t be sure he’s dead,” Zhao Cang said, still a bit anxious.

“Whether that old relic is still alive is uncertain. And even if he is, he may not be a match for Brother Lang,” Zhao Xiaorou replied.

“It’s getting windy outside—let’s head inside before mother catches a cold.”

“Alright. Zhou Lang, I hope you don’t take my earlier words to heart,” Zhao Cang said, his tone softer now that he had fully severed ties with the Shangguan family. He couldn’t afford to offend Zhou Lang anymore.

“Uncle Zhao, please don’t worry about it,” Zhou Lang said with a smile, indicating that he wasn’t bothered.

With that, they all headed inside.

“Auntie, do you have rheumatism? I’ve studied a bit of medicine, and I might be able to help,” Zhou Lang said, noticing that Zhao Xiaorou’s mother was walking with a slight limp.