"I what, I what? Get over there immediately!" The mysterious old man didn't wait for Yang Yi to say anything more before sharply barking the command.

"Brother Yi," seeing the mysterious old man was truly serious this time, Fatty looked visibly anxious.

Yang Yi knew the situation was serious; he glanced at the mysterious old man, his heart sinking as he thought, I really don't know what to do this time. "Fatty, let's go back and apologize."

"Mm," Fatty replied, turning back with Yang Yi.

The faces of the several middle-aged burly men showed not a trace of kindness; their eyes held fury and contempt, but absolutely no sympathy. And rightly so—who would feel sympathy? It was akin to catching someone peeping at your daughter; not grabbing a knife and striking immediately would be shocking. Sympathy? Impossible.

Approaching the group of middle-aged men, Yang Yi thought to himself, Damn it—how did they know it was me, and how did they find this place? Blast—that was a massive miscalculation. Yang Yi feigned a downcast expression, appearing sorrowful. "I apologize, sirs. Please forgive my rudeness. I shouldn't have spied on your daughter bathing..."

Watching Yang Yi pour out apologies like a never-ending river, Fatty echoed his tone. "Please forgive us, sirs!"

"Forgive you? You terrified my daughter half to death, and you saw everything! How is she supposed to show her face in public now? How will she ever get married?" the leading middle-aged man roared in anger.

Yang Yi and Fatty knew they were in the wrong and chose silence. But precisely because of their silence, the mysterious old man narrowed his eyes, a chilling glint in his brow. "Kneel."

"Brother Yi!" Fatty looked at Yang Yi. Fatty had a peculiar nature: since childhood, he had only ever listened to Yang Yi. He would obey no one else, not even if the mysterious old man threatened his life; thus, he looked to Yang Yi for instruction.

His brow furrowed slightly. In his heart, he could kneel to the mysterious old man, kneel to Heaven, even kneel to the Earth. But he simply would not kneel to anyone else. Since childhood, he believed he was an orphan, a wretch abandoned by the world, and it was the mysterious old man who gave him hope. Therefore, he obeyed the old man implicitly.

Yet, at this moment, he hesitated. "Grandpa, you should know, even if my parents appeared before me now, I wouldn't kneel to them. In this world, only you and the Heavens and Earth deserve my Yang Yi's kneel; no one else is qualified."

His voice was icy, carrying an inherent arrogance. He looked back at the mysterious old man with determined eyes. The leading middle-aged man and the others stared at Yang Yi in astonishment, secretly admiring his backbone and pride—but this fleeting appreciation was quickly eclipsed by the raw fury of the blatant insult.

"Kneel for me!"

Thwack—! Without another word, the mysterious old man executed a swift step and lunged, intending to strike Yang Yi’s joints, as if trying to force him onto his knees.

However, Yang Yi seemed equally stubborn; with a sudden spring, he dodged the old man's foot, clearly unwilling to bow to anyone.

Seeing him evade the kick, the mysterious old man coldly snorted. "Learned to fly, have you? Very good." With that, he seemed to get serious. He delivered another kick, but this time, Yang Yi did not seem to evade. His eyes were filled with resolve as he watched the old man's movement.

Thump—! Yang Yi's leg was struck. The mysterious old man immediately gave a cold snort. "Kneel."

Yang Yi gritted his teeth, his expression frigid. "Bang—" His knee kissed the ground violently, yet he clearly did not enjoy this 'kiss.' He immediately suppressed the pain shooting up his leg and stood up.

"You... fine... If you are unwilling to kneel, then I will make you kneel forever." As he spoke, he kicked out again forcefully. Seeing this move, Fatty instantly cried out, "Grandpa, don't! Brother Yi!"

CRACK— This impact seemed far heavier than the last. After his knee 'kissed' the ground again, two small indentations appeared. Yang Yi’s face turned ashen, and a trickle of blood appeared where he was biting his lip.

"This..." The middle-aged men and burly fellows felt a sudden wave of alarm. They knew this mysterious old man possessed not only miraculous medical skills but also profound Tai Chi mastery. His personality was eccentric, yet his heart was fundamentally righteous, earning him the deep affection of the villagers. While what this boy did was unforgivable, surely it didn't warrant ending his life?

"Old Yang, perhaps that's enough. He's just a child; who hasn't made mistakes when young? Let it go, since he apologized," the leading middle-aged man advised.

Hearing this, Yang Yi secretly let out a breath of relief. He felt he had finally waited for these words. The mysterious old man—no, Old Yang—chuckled toward the group and said lightly, "I am truly sorry for the trouble caused. I apologize on his behalf."

"Old Yang, you are too polite. Then we won't keep you any longer. We’ll chat properly another day," the middle-aged man said, glancing at Yang Yi before concluding. "Boy, don't do things like that again, or even Heaven won't forgive you."

"Did you hear that?" Old Yang snapped when he saw Yang Yi secretly gloating.

"Yes!" Yang Yi answered promptly. Once the villagers left, he immediately sprang up, stretching his slightly numb leg, complaining, "Grandpa, you used too much force! Phew—my leg is so tired."

"You rascal, you never change. Alas, when will you ever learn? Cough, cough!" Old Yang’s demeanor suddenly shifted. He looked at Yang Yi with indulgent affection before suddenly breaking into a fit of coughing. Old Yang knew perfectly well that the force he had used earlier couldn't possibly have harmed Yang Yi.

"Grandpa, are you alright? Is your illness not better yet?" Yang Yi naturally knew the trouble he had caused this elderly man and silently blamed himself. No matter what mistake he made, this old man would always shield him and help him escape punishment. Unquestionably, Old Yang had used his inner qi just now to protect him, making his already ailing body seem even more fragile.

"Sigh... when you finally correct your ways, my illness will start to heal. It's not that I need to clean up your mess every time, brat. Sometimes, a person needs to have some backbone." Old Yang remarked.

The villagers knew him as Old Yang, a traditional Chinese physician, and nearly every household knew how indulgent he was toward Yi Chen, always looking out for him. But today felt like the hardest he had ever struck him, and it seemed he was genuinely angry this time.

"Sigh—that boy really keeps Old Yang worried!" the middle-aged man muttered while walking away.

The other men exchanged glances, understanding the unspoken truth, and shook their heads helplessly as they followed the lead man.

Hearing Old Yang’s words, a strange weight settled in Yang Yi’s heart. His playful expression vanished, replaced by a solemn one. Looking at Old Yang’s somewhat desolate silhouette, a hint of unshed tears welled in his eyes for reasons he couldn't articulate. Fatty witnessed it all, knowing that the mysterious old man, Old Yang, held an immensely important position in Yang Yi’s heart—equal to the importance Yang Yi held in his own heart.

"Brother Yi," Fatty called softly.

Yang Yi turned, patted Fatty’s shoulder, and said, "Let’s go in. It’s almost time to boil Grandpa’s medicine."

Fatty nodded, his heart heavy with concern for Yang Yi. Fatty knew Yang Yi best. Seeing his similarly downcast posture, Fatty shook his head and followed him inside.