Chapter 78: Surprising People

“Li Tan has broken ties with the Li family!”

“What? Did they fight?”

“Well, not exactly. Recently, there have been many rumors about that good-for-nothing Li Tan causing trouble at the Lin family estate. He’s apparently been hiding his strength. I guess he’s just too scared to fight head-on. It seems they’ve resorted to beast fighting.”

“What? Beast fighting? How does that work here?”

Newcomers stood behind the “encirclement,” gossiping and craning their necks to push forward, but everyone was excited and unwilling to give way.

After all, Li Tan was a well-known “celebrity” in Linjiang, and especially recently, with many ambiguous rumors swirling, his popularity had only increased.

In the center of the “encirclement,” Li Tan stood opposite the young boy. The young eagle had already been placed on the ground, looking somewhat bewildered, while the wolfhound opposite, having received its master’s command, was already drooling and flashing its fangs, eager to attack.

“A wolfhound fighting a bird?

How shameless can one be to stoop this low?”

“I’m shocked too. At first I thought I must have been mistaken, but it’s really like this.”

“So does this mean Li Tan is definitely going to lose?”

“He’s not stupid. Maybe he has some hidden trump card?”

“What bird could possibly defeat a dog?

I think he’s truly an idiot. After getting some small advantages at the Lin family, he’s forgotten who he is. I say, a good-for-nothing will always be a good-for-nothing.”

Passersby shouted their opinions, both criticizing and supporting Li Tan, while the boy shouted angrily, demanding those who criticized him to shut up or else.

However, the bystanders all understood the principle that the law won’t punish the masses, so they weren’t afraid of him at all, instead shouting even louder and more piercingly.

At this moment, the sky was overcast, hinting at possible rain, though no one could tell whether it would really fall. The weather was unpredictable, impossible to guess or foresee.

“He’s really just a child.”

Li Tan muttered, casting a glance at him. The boy, unable to hear clearly due to the surrounding noise, glared angrily at Li Tan and asked what he had said.

Li Tan ignored him and raised his voice to shout.

“No more nonsense, just start!”

This was directed at the boy, but also a signal for the spectators to quiet down. The effect was immediate, and the area fell silent, leaving only a few whispers.

“Start, you’ll regret this!”

The boy tried to sound threatening, a smirk forming on his lips, apparently confident in his wolfhound.

After all, the cute little bird opposite looked utterly powerless.

“Start.”

Li Tan casually replied, officially beginning the match.

“Xiaohei, bite it! Bite it to death!”

The boy shouted loudly. The black-furred wolfhound let out a low growl and swiftly charged forward. In a flash, its gaping maw was opening toward the distracted young eagle’s head.

Some timid girls in the crowd had already covered their eyes in fear.

Bang! A crisp sound rang out, but contrary to most people’s expectations, no blood splattered. Due to inertia, the wolfhound’s head slammed directly into the ground, its upper body collapsing forward, while the young eagle had somehow appeared beside it, motionless and staring at the wolfhound.

It seemed the little creature had finally realized something.

“What the hell!”

“What happened just now?”

“I couldn’t see clearly. I just saw a flash, and then it was like this!”

The crowd was shocked again, causing another uproar.

“Damn it!” The boy cursed furiously, his whole body trembling with rage. He shouted angrily.

“Get up! Don’t pretend to be dead. Kill it now, or else I’ll slaughter you and make soup when we get back!”

The wolfhound let out a mournful cry and climbed back up, turning around to attack the young eagle once more.

This time, many people widened their eyes, determined to see clearly how the young eagle dodged.

As expected, the wolfhound’s attack missed again.

“Hahaha, a dog can’t even beat a bird. What’s the name of that guy over there? I really want to know how he usually trains his beasts.”

“He’s even more useless than Li Tan.”

“I’m amazed. But that bird must have some background—it might be a young beast of a fierce monster. This young man has definitely met his match with Li Tan.”

Amid the crowd’s murmurs, the boy recalled the bet they had made earlier, his whole body trembling with fear. Seeing Li Tan’s cold expression only increased his dread.

If he really had to publicly call Li Tan “father” in front of everyone, how could he ever show his face again?

He would surely become the laughingstock of all Linjiang! Whether this thought was exaggerated or not, at least the boy believed it to be true. He gritted his teeth hard, determined, and walked grimly toward the wolfhound, which was still dazed and sprawled on the ground.

“It’s not over yet,” the boy said, taking a round, greasy-looking object from his pocket and stuffing it into the wolfhound’s mouth, then showing a cruel expression.

“Li Tan, I want your life!”

“An Explosive Qi Pill?

So you’re really willing to go to any lengths? Don’t you regret endangering your dog after raising it for so long, just for a bit of pride?”

“It’s just an animal. If it dies, I’ll raise another one. What’s there to regret? You’d better watch out!”

The boy’s expression was twisted, his laughter sharp and unpleasant to hear. The surrounding bystanders instinctively took a half-step back.

Li Tan slightly furrowed his brow, showing a look of disgust. Despite the boy’s repeated insults, he had not been angry before, but now he was furious.

The Explosive Qi Pill, as its name suggested, was a pill that caused a burst of Qi energy. It could greatly enhance one’s strength within a short time, but it had severe side effects. Cultivators who took it would have to lie in bed for half a month, unable to move. For ordinary people, beasts, or low-level fierce beasts, the price of swallowing it was their life.

“Hmph, you’re not even worthy of being its master.”

Li Tan coldly remarked, making a motion to pick up the young eagle, but the eagle directly walked toward the wolfhound, which had turned bloodshot-eyed and lost its senses.

Li Tan’s hand trembled slightly and he withdrew it, carefully watching the situation ahead, ready to intervene at any moment.

The surrounding crowd, frightened by the vicious wolfhound, took another half-step back.

The wolfhound started moving without any warning. It leapt into the air, faster than before by at least double. The boy’s heart raced, as if already seeing the young eagle dying tragically before being torn apart by the wolfhound.

As for Li Tan, whether he could win or not wasn’t too important. After all, if he couldn’t defeat the beast, he could just run away. This was Li family territory, and he could quickly summon guards.

However, a scene that astonished everyone, including Li Tan himself, unfolded.

The young eagle let out a long cry, and the surrounding temperature dropped noticeably. Then, as the wolfhound leapt into the air, frost appeared on its fur. Like a stone, it fell down with a crash, letting out a pained cry. Because of the strange frost, it couldn’t move, its cries becoming even more piercing, before it lost consciousness.

Li Tan’s eyes widened slightly, clearly taken aback.

The young eagle still stood in place with its usual cute expression, making it hard for anyone to believe that it had just done all of that.