VIP Volume Chapter 075: Both Sides Suffer

Uncle Ye sat at the head of the bed, curiosity etched across his face as he rolled his shoulders and asked Wen Xiaoyu, “Girl, what exactly did you and San’er find in the lake? Why does everyone want those things so badly?”

Jiaran caught the hidden meaning in his words and frowned, turning to Uncle Ye. “Dad, what do you mean? Has someone else asked about it?”

Uncle Ye nodded. “This afternoon, the village secretary asked me, too. He said we must have found some treasure to trade for so much money. Does San’er have a lot of money now?”

Ye Dajun declared earnestly, “That’s right, more than a few hundred thousand!” Uncle Ye slapped him on the back. “How much?” Ye Dajun said aggrieved, “It’s true, really, there’s more than a few hundred thousand...”

Jiaran quickly interjected, “No, it’s only a few tens of thousands!” She shook her head at Ye Dajun. “Brother, from now on, no matter who asks, never tell the truth—just say it’s a few tens of thousands. Otherwise, San’er will never get any peace!”

Aunt Ye pointed at Ye Dajun and scolded him, “If only your blockhead was half as clever as the girl and San’er!”

When Ye Xiaoxuan rushed outside, the old shepherd and that mysterious old dog had already vanished without a trace. He was wondering which way to pursue them when a figure flashed out from the side and pulled him along, saying, “Xuanzi, come with me!”

Ye Xiaoxuan’s heart eased at once—it was Hao Six-Fingers! With someone who mastered the Hearing Technique leading the way, no matter how far the old shepherd and his companion had fled, they’d be found for sure!

Sure enough, not far from the cliff by the lakeshore, the two finally heard the sounds of fierce fighting. The tranquil lakeside was disturbed by a shadow darting about like an enraged wild dog, its throat emitting guttural growls as it leaped between the trees.

Wherever this figure passed, it snatched at whatever it could—grabbing up dust or stripping away huge swathes of bark from trees. If those claws landed on a person, a few swipes would leave nothing but a skeleton!

Yet, Ye Xiaoxuan felt the man’s movements were oddly familiar, as if he’d seen them somewhere before. But in his memory, he had never even had the chance to encounter such a master—old shepherd excluded, of course.

At the moment, though this person’s attacks were fierce, he could not break through the web of whip shadows before him. The old shepherd had shed his usual playful air; his wine gourd had been set aside, and the immortal sheep scepter-whip in his hand danced up and down, cracking through the air with a continuous “pa-pa” sound. Each time it fell, it would send the shadowy attacker flying several meters back, tearing his clothes and revealing a gaunt, bony upper body.

Ye Xiaoxuan spat and cursed, “That old thing—always stripping men’s clothes off with his whip!” Beside him, Hao Six-Fingers seemed even more anxious—fidgety, desperate to jump in yet holding himself back.

Ye Xiaoxuan glanced at him in puzzlement. “What’s wrong with you?” Hao Six-Fingers shook his head, muttering that it was nothing, but his eyes were glued to the fight, worry etched deep on his face.

Could this guy be another of the old shepherd’s disciples? It was possible. Though the old shepherd’s origins were mysterious, he had no sense of propriety and no standards for taking on students. As long as someone bought him wine, he’d teach them kung fu—or even call them Master if you insisted!

“Relax, your master won’t lose anytime soon,” Ye Xiaoxuan said, watching the fight, trying to reassure Hao Six-Fingers.

Hao Six-Fingers muttered, “I’m not so sure. He’s so old now—he can’t keep running forever.”

Ye Xiaoxuan scoffed, “His opponent isn’t young either! They’re about the same age, same level of skill, same stamina—a fair match. Who wins or loses is still up in the air.”

Hao Six-Fingers realized this made sense and finally sat down, his eyes roaming the area.

Ye Xiaoxuan frowned and scolded him, “I said you don’t need to worry, can’t you sit still? What are you looking for?”

Hao Six-Fingers muttered, “Who’s worried! Where’s the old shepherd’s wine gourd? Watching a fight without a drink is such a waste!”

Ye Xiaoxuan: “…”

The two old men’s movements grew slower and slower. The old dog hadn’t run off or climbed a tree, but circled around, trying to get at the old shepherd from behind.

The old shepherd also dodged around the tree, looking for a chance to lash out with his whip and drive the old dog back whenever he got too close.

But in a place full of trees, using a long weapon was a disadvantage. With a quick dodge, the old dog got the whip tangled in a tree.

He seized the opportunity to throw himself forward, pinning down the whip with his body, then rolled over, and ended up right in front of the old shepherd.

With a quick swipe of both hands and a tearing sound, the old shepherd’s belly was slashed open in several places, and his trouser pocket was ripped off, falling to the ground.

“Pfft!” Ye Xiaoxuan, who was holding the wine gourd, sprayed a mouthful of liquor onto the ground. Seeing the old shepherd left in nothing but tattered underwear, he felt a great sense of satisfaction—serves that old rascal right for always stripping men with his whip!

Beside him, Hao Six-Fingers clapped his hands in delight, making Ye Xiaoxuan feel a bit sorry for the old shepherd—how did he end up with such a rebellious disciple? If Ye Dajun saw this, Hao Six-Fingers’ mouth would be swollen from getting slapped!

But the old shepherd, worthy of his reputation as a martial king, wasn’t fazed at all by losing his pants—if anything, he seemed enraged. With a flick of his right hand, the whip snaked around the old dog and flung him hard against a willow tree as thick as a man’s waist.

Before the old dog could get up, the old shepherd yanked back the whip and dragged him, rolling, right to his feet.

The old shepherd then pounced, not even bothering to remove his last ragged shorts, and sprawled atop the old dog, his body twitching in a motion that looked disturbingly obscene…

Ye Xiaoxuan and Hao Six-Fingers stared in stunned disbelief. Was the old shepherd really into this sort of thing? The two old men—doing that?

Soon, faint, shameful moans drifted over. Although very quiet, the old shepherd sounded thoroughly enraptured. Ye Xiaoxuan and Hao Six-Fingers were nearly sick to their stomachs.

Ye Xiaoxuan shoved the wine gourd into Hao Six-Fingers’ arms, stood up, and said, “I can’t take this anymore! These two old fairies are disgusting. I’m out of here!”

Hao Six-Fingers tossed the gourd aside, grabbed Ye Xiaoxuan’s arm, and said, “I’m coming too! No wonder Master always wanted me to visit at night—turns out he had other plans for me! Thank goodness I was clever—always having hemorrhoids. Otherwise, I’d have been doomed!”

Ye Xiaoxuan cursed as they walked away, “Damn you and your wife! What’s hemorrhoids got to do with being clever… Wait, that’s not right, I smell blood!”

He stopped after a couple of steps, sniffed the air, and glanced toward where the old shepherd had fallen. His face changed. He said to Hao Six-Fingers, “They’re not doing anything weird—it’s mutual destruction!”

Hao Six-Fingers’ expression changed, too. He spun around and ran toward the old shepherd. The way he moved struck Ye Xiaoxuan as familiar, and he frowned in thought.