NOVEL NEXT Chapter 72: Chapter 72
Chapter 72: The Tragic Brothers
Yu Xiaolong staggered and spun three and a half times before collapsing to the ground, his left cheek swollen and throbbing. He tasted blood and spat out a mouthful, several teeth clattering to the ground.
Before he could comprehend what had happened, Zhao Ling squatted down and swung his hand again.
*Pah!*
Another crisp slap echoed through the night market. Yu Xiaolong's right cheek now matched his left, and another tooth fell out.
Anger surged through Yu Xiaolong as he glared at Zhao Ling, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "You… you dare to—"
*Pah!*
Another slap cut him off mid-sentence.
Yu Xiaolong's head rang, a sharp tinnitus piercing his left ear. His vision blurred as he struggled to stay conscious.
Zhao Ling's cold voice rang out, slicing through the silence. "What if I do? Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?"
He leaned closer, his gaze like ice. "You actually expected me to kneel and apologize? Let me tell you something. Even if your father came here, I'd make him kneel. Where do you get the audacity to demand anything from me?"
Without waiting for a response, Zhao Ling grabbed Yu Xiaolong's head and slammed it into the ground.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
The stone-paved ground cracked as Zhao Ling pressed Yu Xiaolong's head into it repeatedly. Blood splattered from the impact, forming crimson lines across the shattered surface.
Yu Xiaolong's body went limp, his head lolling as he slipped into unconsciousness.
The crowd gasped, their collective shock palpable. Yu Xiaogang and the collateral members of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family froze in place, trembling. None dared to intervene as Zhao Ling threw Yu Xiaolong's unconscious body to the ground like discarded trash.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened in horror at his brother's bloody, battered state. Rage and desperation overwhelmed him, and he charged at Zhao Ling with a roar.
"Zhao Ling! I'll kill you!"
But his movements were clumsy and slow. Zhao Ling easily sidestepped him, gripping his head and forcing him to his knees with a well-placed kick to the back of his leg.
*Thud!*
Yu Xiaogang collapsed, his head held firmly by Zhao Ling.
"Really, Gangzi?" Zhao Ling said mockingly. "You brought me these weaklings and expected me to break a sweat? At least trick your father or one of the family elders next time. This is just embarrassing."
Zhao Ling smirked, his tone growing colder. "You like forcing others to kowtow, huh? Then it's your turn."
Yu Xiaogang's head was slammed into the ground repeatedly, forming a smaller pit next to the crater created by Yu Xiaolong.
By the time Zhao Ling was done, both brothers lay unconscious, their faces swollen and unrecognizable.
The six collateral members of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family stood rooted to the spot, heads bowed in terror. Not one of them dared meet Zhao Ling's sharp, predatory gaze.
Even the onlookers, who had initially sided with the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family, now shrank back, fear evident in their eyes.
Zhao Ling dusted his hands off, smirking grimly. Without a word, he walked to Ah Yin, wrapped an arm around her waist, and left the scene.
Zhao Ling had been careful not to kill the brothers. Despite their bloody state, Yu Xiaogang would recover within days with proper treatment.
Yu Xiaolong, however, wasn't as fortunate. Zhao Ling had deliberately inflicted severe injuries on his brain. Whether he became an amnesiac, an idiot, or a vegetable was now up to fate.
As Zhao Ling and Ah Yin disappeared into the night, the six collateral members rushed to carry the brothers to the Great Fighting Soul Arena. It was the only place in Soto City where they could find high-level healing soul masters, apart from the Spirit Hall branch—which they couldn't approach due to their family's enmity with the Spirit Hall.
From a distance, Liu Erlong watched the events unfold, her emotions a tangled mess.
As a descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family, she felt a pang of guilt for standing by and not helping her cousins. But as a reader of "Copy of Zhao Ling's Diary," she felt justified in her decision.
"This was their own fault," she muttered. "They didn't have the strength but still chose to provoke a Titled Douluo. Zhao Ling was merciful to let them live."
She shook her head, ridding herself of any lingering guilt. 'No, I'm not in the wrong here. It's those two who were blind to the consequences.'
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**Inside the Great Fighting Soul Arena**
When the healing soul saints of the Great Fighting Soul Arena saw the brothers' pitiful state, they couldn't suppress their irritation.
Especially when they recognized Yu Xiaogang, their patience wore thin.
"This guy again," one muttered under his breath. "Does he ever stop causing trouble?"
The arena's person-in-charge was similarly frustrated. He glared at the collateral family members as they explained the situation.
"What is it with the direct descendants of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family?" he fumed. "Do they all love making trouble?"
He threw his hands up in exasperation. "First the second young master, now the eldest young master. They're nothing but headaches! And now they're both lying here, beaten half to death. What a disgrace!"
The staff exchanged weary looks, muttering among themselves as they worked to treat the brothers. It was clear they were fed up with the family's antics.
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(End of Chapter)