Chapter 122: All Were Forced

  BOOM!!!!!!!

  A figure burst out of the door, and the two thick wooden boards that made up the courtyard gate were instantly shattered into pieces. A sturdy man wearing a cowhide breastplate flew out amidst the splintered wood, landing on the steps outside the gate, rolling down with a thud, his head hitting the stone pavement of the street, spitting out a mouthful of blood, as if he still wanted to say something, but finally his head lolled to one side - and he fainted.

  A broad-backed horse knife also shot out from the courtyard, fell to the ground, and with a clang, sparks flew everywhere, stuck in the gap of the stone slab.

  On the main street, at the head and tail of the streets, as well as in front of the shops opposite the gate of the courtyard, dozens of people dressed as warriors had already been standing. Seeing this guy flying out of the courtyard, they all changed their expressions, and many people were holding knives and swords, but looking around at other warriors, hesitating...

  In the courtyard, Xia Ya stood with a long axe in his hand, his face full of murderous intent, his eyes wide and staring, looking very majestic.

  Actually...

  Actually...

  The tortoise is almost furious!

  Because this guy who was just kicked flying by him is already the fourteenth one today!

  Within a little over an hour of his arrival at this Ruhr Valley hideout, fourteen gate-crashers had already burst in.

  Damn it! It's freaking unbelievable!!

  These guys are like flies, every one of them comes to the door with a stern face and shouts "Where is Shaya who defeated Hastings? Please accept my xxx challenge!"

  In just over ten hours, this "xxx" has changed its name more than a dozen times. These guys are just so-so, and with Xia Ya's current skills, she can easily defeat them with three punches and two kicks - but, but there are too many of them!!

  From the moment he settled down until now, Xia Ya's grandfather hasn't taken a breath of rest, drunk a drop of water, or eaten a single meal...

  Not even his grandmother's outhouse has time for this!! The turtle is already bloated in the lower abdomen, and one bubble of urine has been held back for half an hour, so that he is red in the face with holding it in. Finally, with a kick, he boots the fourteenth idiot out the door to spit blood. He finally shakes his legs, turns around and runs into the room, but just as he takes two steps up onto the stairs, a warrior carrying a long sword on his back jumps inside, striking a majestic pose and shouting loudly:

  "Where is Shaya who defeated Hastings! I xxx come to challenge!"

  Xia Ya was so angry and resentful that he spat blood: I curse your mother!!!

  Bang bang, crack! Ka-ching! Ow...

  A loud cry, this heroic figure with a majestic aura flew out in a flat sandy goose style, his front teeth directly knocked against the steps, jumped up covering his mouth and ran away.

  In the courtyard, Xia Ya covered her small belly with one hand and shook her legs, finally letting out a loud roar of grief and anger, turning around and running towards the door.

  Another hero jumped in outside the door: "The one who defeated Hastings..."

  Xia Ya walked around to the toilet behind the house, pulled down his pants and sat down, furious: "Wait! I'll be back to settle with you!!"

  ……

  …………

  Such a challenge lasted until nightfall, Xia Ya was so tired that he didn't even have time to eat, a piece of beef was roasted and interrupted several times, and the tortoise really blew up!!

  He stormed out of the gate with an axe in hand, looking at the many severed heads scattered on the road outside, and shouted: "I am Xia Ya!"

  One loud roar, the tortoise charged into the crowd, axe flying, instantly cutting down seven or eight people. The remaining warriors scattered in all directions with a loud crash, fleeing wildly. Xia Ya kicked two of them to the ground, holding his axe in one hand and putting the other on his waist: "Damn it! Come at me again, I'll let loose and kill you all! Do you really think I'm soft-hearted?!!"

  As he watched the flies outside disperse, Xia Ya finally felt at ease and let out a heavy sigh as he walked back into the courtyard.

  Duoduo and Soyet exchanged a glance, propped up the already collapsed door panel to barely cover the door frame...

  "Hmm, those guys won't dare to come again, right...") Tuo Tuo's heart felt relieved as he returned to his room and had Duo Luo fetch a bucket of hot water. Just as he was about to take off his clothes to bathe, having only removed half of his pants, he heard a loud shout from outside the door, and the courtyard gate was kicked open once more: "The one who defeated Hastings..."

  Xia Ya collapsed...

  He finally understood what "ask for trouble" meant from Fatty Lu's words.

  These door-to-door challengers are a bunch of rascals! Can't beat you, then disgust you to death! If not disgusted to death, then exhaust you to death!

  These guys are clearly inferior, but they still come to harass you with a thick skin - they also know that their skills are far from comparable to Xia Ya's, and tacitly adopted the method of ganging up on her.

  It seems that most people are thinking: if this continues, Xia Ya will eventually get tired and exhausted, and when I go up to challenge her, I might be able to take advantage of the situation!

  Xia Ya, in a fit of rage, rushed out of the door with one hand holding up his pants. The guy who came to take advantage didn't even have time to introduce himself before Xia Ya punched him in the nose and then kicked him in the leg, breaking his femur and sending him flying out.

  Outside the gate, the warriors gathered on the street were not only not fewer in number, but had actually increased a bit compared to daytime.

  Watching another "outstanding bird" being thrown out, the remaining guys looked at each other, some clever ones deliberately shouting loudly from behind, and some hot-headed ones began to flatter themselves: He must be tired, right? ...Then, under the instigation of others around him, he charged into the courtyard with a knife and sword, only to be thrown out again after a moment...

  Xia Ya was thoroughly convinced!

  I'm really convinced! I'm completely won over!!

  One night he hardly closed his eyes, every time he lay in bed and turned over, there were new daredevils rushing in outside the door.

  In the second half of the night, Tu Bie finally let go and killed someone. He punched a guy's chest bone to pieces, and that guy was thrown out while spraying fresh blood, probably not alive anymore. This move shocked everyone for a while, allowing Tu Bie to sleep for half an hour. However, soon after, those guys outside changed their strategy!!

  Bang!

  A stone suddenly came from nowhere and smashed into the yard, shattering the gate again. Immediately, those guys on the street outside kept throwing stones into the yard. By the time Xia Ya finally couldn't bear it and rushed out, those guys outside scattered again, leaving only two or three slow runners who were beaten by Xia Ya until they spat blood.

  When Xia Ya scolded and returned to her room to sleep, those guys finally didn't dare to get close and throw stones.

  Far, far away from the gate of the courtyard, those guys were shouting loudly and scolding, starting from the 18th generation ancestor of the tortoise, then some creative guys also found out the cymbals, drums, horns, blowing and beating them up, for a time it was noisy and boiling, Xia Ya inside used a pillow to cover her ears, tossing and turning on the bed but couldn't fall asleep...

  Their intention is clear: exhaust you! Exhaust you! Not let you sleep, not let you rest! Exhaust you! As long as you are tired and exhausted, there will be opportunities to take advantage of!

  "Master, actually those guys last night, quite a few of them were just thugs who were paid to cause trouble... someone paid them to disturb your rest..." Doro didn't sleep well all night and looked at Xia Ya with panda eyes: "Uh... this kind of person will come again in batches after being chased away..."

  "For crying out loud! Is there no one in charge? Where are the city patrol soldiers?! They're making such a ruckus..." Xia Ya was on the verge of tears.

  Duoduo Luo had been in the Imperial City before, so he knew some of the underlying facts. He sighed and said: "These street gangs who make a living by eating and drinking have some open or secret relationships with the patrol teams that maintain law and order, so... Alas, besides, you are a stranger here, and those patrol teams won't help you..."

  "Is...is there really no other way?" Xia Ya said with great sorrow and indignation.

  "A legitimate challenge between warriors is protected by imperial law." Dororo's face twisted in a scowl: "Imperial law allows warriors to engage in challenges for the sake of honor, and similarly, challenges between magicians are also protected by law. Even if someone dies, it can be considered not punishable... unless you refuse the challenge, which would be considered an automatic forfeit."

  Admit defeat?

  If Xia Ya had heard this conversation yesterday, he would have chosen to concede defeat automatically - damn it, defeating Hastings was not what he wanted in the first place! Moreover, he didn't even really defeat that guy Hastings. This title... can be fatal! Conceding defeat is conceding defeat, and Tuo Bao isn't someone who pursues fame without substance; as long as he gets real benefits, it's enough for him.

  But now... he can't swallow this insult!

  Thinking of those bastards outside who have been harassing me, making a big fuss - now admit defeat? I'd rather die than lose to these trashy bastards!!

  As soon as Xia Ya walked out of the hospital gate and onto the main street, he heard a loud shout from outside: "Xia Ya has come out!!"

  With a buzz, the people gathered on the main street outside the door immediately scattered. Xia Ya looked carefully for a while and found that, as Duoduo said, most of them were dressed in ordinary clothes, with only a small number of warriors. Probably most of them were hired to disturb themselves.

  Breakfast was ruined, and it wasn't even clear which bastard had wrapped a lump of feces in cowhide paper and thrown it into the courtyard. Xia Ya could only pinch her nose and take two attendants out to find a place to eat.

  Just after turning onto the main street, I saw that many passersby were pointing and staring at me, and some suspicious-looking guys were hiding in the crowd to peek.

  Xia Ya let out a hum, raised her head and chest, and continued forward. Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd, and those onlookers from the Imperial City who had been surrounding them seemed to have anticipated this, as they scattered and ran away in all directions.

  A loud crash, stones came pouring down from all sides, and to my surprise, there were even a few feces packets among them. Xia Ya swung the weapon in her hand to block them, and with one swift move, she pulled over a door panel from a nearby shop that had just opened, placing it on top of her head. After a series of loud crashes, the door panel was battered with holes and dents, and some suspicious, foul-smelling things fell onto her body and the ground.

  Dororo and Saito were both pale-faced and lying on the side, while the poor magician had a broken head and was bleeding, wanting to cry but having no tears.

  Xia Ya chased after them, but those guys had already run far away. Although Xia Ya was furious, there was nothing she could do.

  He finally pulled Dororo and Souta into an open restaurant and sat down, but as soon as they sat down, they heard someone shouting on the main street outside: "Where is Shaya? Are you dare to come out and fight with me?"

  Xia Ya sat on the second floor by the window, looking at a burly man standing on the street below. He directly picked up a chair from the room and threw it down, knocking the man to the ground.

  When eating, the shop assistant holding the food tray will suddenly flip over the tray and pick up a bag of quicklime from underneath to sprinkle over.

  When walking out of the door, several masked men would suddenly rush out from the intersection, holding short crossbows and firing randomly at Xia Ya.

  When walking on the main street, cold arrows will suddenly shoot from the crowd in front and behind.

  Xia Ya originally thought that he was also considered to have seen the big scene, even if it was in the great war on the Wildfire Prairie, on the battlefield, among the tens of thousands of troops, he could still kill a few and come out unscathed from the encirclement of the Odin people's fierce warriors...

  Now, walking on the main streets of the imperial capital is like walking into a trap at every step, and everyone around looks suspicious.

  The only chance he got to rest in the morning was when they encountered a patrol of soldiers on the road. When the patrol passed by, those ambushing guys finally restrained themselves for a while, allowing Shaya to get a moment's peace. The clever turtle followed closely behind the patrol team, taking the opportunity to buy two meat pies and share them with Dororo and Souta as they walked and ate along the way.

  Those patrolling soldiers looked at Xia Ya with sympathetic eyes, and some softhearted guys couldn't help but remind him in a low voice: "Be careful next time you buy something to eat, these guys might be poisonous... You're not the first master who was poisoned to death in the city."

  Xia Ya: "......"

  In the morning, Xia Ya, who was covered in sweat, almost dragged Duo Luo and Soite through the streets of the city, fleeing wildly until they reached a crossroads near the southern dock. From afar, they saw General Lu Er and his guards. Xia Ya immediately burst into tears and rushed over to him, hugging him tightly and refusing to let go.

  Looking at Xia Ya's gasping for air, Rour's eyes held back laughter and patted Xia Ya's back hard, laughing: "Alright alright, I sent someone to pick you up early and found that you weren't in your residence, so I guessed a few points - these guys are too arrogant this time, I thought they would at least be a bit restrained, but I didn't expect them to be so blatant! Alright alright, with my team of guards here, those guys won't dare to act rashly."

  "Damn it, I've had enough of these thug warriors! They're like locusts! I can tolerate open attacks and sneakiness, but they even used feces-throwing tactics!"

  Lu Ruo immediately pushed Xia Ya away, took a big step back, covered his nose and cursed: "Shit! Damn it! Why didn't you say so earlier? This set of clothes was just put on this morning!"

  "Didn't you know about it earlier? Why didn't you remind me!"

  "Nonsense! I reminded you yesterday, didn't you say something like 'come one, fight one, come two, fight a pair' with great fanfare?"

  "Damn it! I didn't expect these guys to be so resilient! I thought if I just killed two of them, the others would be scared... But no... It's okay to come in pairs, but coming with hundreds? Can I handle that?"

  The toad vented his anger, but suddenly had a thought: "No way! In this imperial capital, there are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers, many masters! Why do these guys keep targeting me?! Are all the other martial arts masters in the imperial capital living days like mine?!"

  Lulu's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement as she gazed at Xia Ya and nodded in approval: "Hmm, finally figured it out."

  Xia Ya anxiously grabbed Pao Zi's neck and shook him vigorously: "Speak quickly! What's going on!!"

  Rourou shook off Xiaya's hands, and sneered coldly: "Do you think it's that easy to become a master? In this world, there are tens of thousands of people who want to get rich, famous, and stand out! Do you think everyone is kind and noble? Despicable and shameless people are everywhere, and those who will stop at nothing are as numerous as the hairs on a cow's hide! To get ahead, these people will do whatever it takes. Any master, no matter how strong they are, still needs to eat, sleep, and take care of their bodily functions, right? When they're exhausted from constant harassment, that's when these people strike! So, do you think those legendary masters all went solo?" Hmph!

  "... Xia Ya's forehead throbbed with anger: "You mean..."

  "You need to have a strong backing and power to protect yourself, my little brother." The fatty patted Xia Ya's shoulder and laughed: "The stories of lone heroes conquering the world only exist in legends. What 'lone hero'? Ha! Even when sitting on the toilet, they'll set up ambushes with hidden arrows. I think he's still lonely? Even if you're made of iron, how many nails can you withstand? These despicable guys, even if you kill a thousand of them, there will always be a time when you're exhausted, and the one-thousand-and-first one will take advantage of it to knock you down. Then they'll loudly declare 'I defeated the legendary Xia Ya'! And step on your shoulders to rise to power!"

  "What... how are others doing?" Xia Ya sighed.

  "The way of the strong, is nothing more than a few tricks. Those famous masters either take in some apprentices to have helpers at hand, so as not to be outnumbered, and when someone comes to cause trouble, they can send their disciples to deal with it. Some just rely on powerful figures or noble families, those big shots have great influence, naturally no one dares to come and cause trouble. And then there are those who... refuse to take in apprentices, and also don't rely on any power or backing, they can only hide their name and reputation, and live in seclusion in some remote place."

  "I see." The tortoise cursed and said: "It turns out that those hidden masters were all forced to be so!"