In the middle of the two groups, two young men were engaged in a hand-to-hand combat competition. One of them was King Big (Wang Dapan), a corpulent yet sturdy youth with strong legs, delivering heavy punches and kicks. Despite his size, he moved with surprising power, each punch generating a fierce wind. His opponent was a short and nimble individual, darting about like a mouse, dodging King Big's strikes and trying to wear him down before launching a counterattack.
Han Li, seeing his old friend in action, couldn't help but favor King Big. After watching for a while, it was clear that King Big wasn't going to lose any time soon. Han Li, though not skilled in martial arts, could tell that King Big was on top for now, so he relaxed and looked around for someone to ask about the situation.
Not far from him, near a large rock, stood a youth who was watching intently and gesturing with his hands, muttering to himself. "Hit his head, kick his waist! Ah, so close! Yes, yes, kick his butt! Harder!" This youth seemed to be rooting for King Big. Han Li found him interesting, so he slowly climbed down from the tree and walked over.
"Senior brother, do you know the fighters? Why are they fighting?" Han Li asked with a friendly and honest expression.
The boy paused, then looked at him with a confused frown. "Why ask me? I'm 'Little Calculator,' I know everyone. But wait... who are you? I've never seen you before. Are you a new disciple?" The boy scrutinized Han Li, his gaze sharpening.
Han Li smiled and replied seriously, "I'm Han Li, a friend of the valiant King Big out there."
"King Big's friend? I know all his friends, but I don't know you!" the boy said suspiciously.
"Oh, I've been in seclusion for the last few years, so it's not surprising that you don't recognize me," Han Li said, half-truthfully.
"Really? You joined four years ago, too? Well, it's hard to believe even I, Little Calculator, didn't know someone in the sect," the boy said, eyeing Han Li's robe before seeming to believe him.
The boy continued to chat with Han Li for a while, before he couldn't resist and began explaining the reasons behind the current duel.
"You probably don't know, but this all started because of a woman. Let me tell you the full story…" Little Calculator, true to his nickname, proceeded to lay out the entire situation with great detail.
It turned out that the fight had to do with two young men: Wang Dapan's cousin, Wang Yang, and Zhang Changgui, the son of a wealthy moneylender. Wang Yang was an outer disciple, and Zhang Changgui was an inner disciple. Despite living in the same town, they had no reason to interact—until a woman came into the picture. This girl was promised to Wang Yang, but while traveling, she caught the eye of Zhang Changgui. With his wealth and influence, Zhang Changgui was able to persuade the girl and her family to break the engagement and marry him instead. Heartbroken, Wang Yang took the news badly, and in his despair, he eventually drowned himself.
The story might have ended there, a sad tale of unrequited love. But King Big, who had been very close to his cousin, couldn't accept this and challenged Zhang Changgui to a duel. The loser would have to apologize by serving tea and bowing to the winner.
Zhang Changgui, though proud, knew his martial arts weren't as good as King Big's. He demanded that the duel include several rounds and that friends could participate. With his wealth, Zhang Changgui recruited a few skilled disciples to help him, while King Big, though not rich, had many friends among the middle and lower-tier disciples who were more than willing to assist him.
The news of the duel spread quickly, and many disciples gathered to watch, resulting in a divided crowd—wealthy disciples supporting Zhang Changgui, and the middle and lower-tier disciples supporting King Big.
Little Calculator, seeing Han Li's curiosity, continued, "You must be with King Big's side, right? If they don't play fair, let's join in and make sure those rich kids never mess with us again!"
Han Li could only laugh awkwardly. He had no interest in taking sides. The conflict didn't really concern him, and he wasn't involved in martial arts. After years of meditation and cultivation, the impulsive youthfulness in him had diminished, and he wasn't eager to get involved in such petty rivalries. Besides, he had no skills in combat and would be no match for any of the disciples. Once the fight was over, he would just head back to the valley.
"Alright!" Little Calculator suddenly shouted, turning toward the fight.
Han Li quickly followed his gaze. It seemed that King Big's opponent had finally been caught off-guard. Unable to dodge King Big's powerful punch, the opponent was knocked out cold and fell to the ground.
The crowd erupted into cheers from King Big's side, while those supporting Zhang Changgui grew silent and tense. King Big, grinning from ear to ear, raised his fists in victory and then swaggered back to his side, completely losing the fierce energy he had shown earlier. Zhang Changgui's side pulled out a couple of men to carry the unconscious fighter away.
Then, two more combatants stepped forward—one with a sword, the other with a saber. Without a word, they launched into their own fight, weapons clashing loudly in the air.
Han Li sighed inwardly, unsure whether to watch the rest or leave.