Xia Lin knew that even if he tried to reason with them, they wouldn't listen. So he simply took advantage of the arrogant disciple not paying attention to him and gave him a hard shove.
He helped the young boy up. "Are you okay? Can you stand on your own?"
The young boy nodded. "I can. You should run away quickly. Since the sect master is away, they have the guts to beat you up."
Seeing that the young boy was so concerned about him even though he himself was black and blue from the beating, Xia Lin took an even greater liking to him. "It's okay. Listen up, all of you. The most respected person in the Xiaoshan Sect is the sect master, my master. If you dare to bully me, when my master comes back, I'll definitely tell him and let him avenge me and teach you a good lesson!"
However, the disciples of those elders were used to bullying others on a regular basis. They were also jealous that Xia Lin, who didn't start learning martial arts until he was fourteen or fifteen, had become the sect master's only direct disciple. So, taking advantage of the sect master's absence, they grew bold and wanted to give Xia Lin a good beating. When the sect master returned, they thought that with their masters interceding on their behalf and claiming it was just a minor conflict among young people, the sect master wouldn't make things too difficult for them. Moreover, these disciples firmly believed that Jiang Yun had reluctantly taken Xia Lin as his disciple only because Xia Lin's father was a great general in the court.
Xia Lin was beaten. It was the first time he had been beaten since coming to this world. Even in the previous two worlds and before he time - traveled, he had never been beaten so severely. The most severe punishment he had ever received before was kneeling as a punishment from his parents for making mistakes. Now, he was being pressed to the ground and beaten until he couldn't get up.
The disciples of the elders were all laughing boisterously. The onlookers didn't dare to intervene. The young servant boy was beaten along with Xia Lin.
Just as Xia Lin felt someone's foot kick his head again, those disciples stopped.
Xia Lin was picked up by someone in a princess - carry. He was so dazed from the beating that he didn't react for a while. When he opened his eyelids blurred with blood and saw Jiang Yun's pained look, he knew he was saved.
"Master... Why did you... come back at this time? My head... is so dizzy. I was kicked so hard... Am I going to get a concussion? Wuwuwu..."
Jiang Yun shook his head and said softly, "No. Even if you do get a concussion, I'll cure you."
Jiang Yun then looked at the trembling disciples and... the young servant boy who was beaten even more horribly than Xia Lin. "You're really something! Really something!"
With several "thuds", the disciples all knelt down and pleaded in terror, "Uncle sect master, we're sorry. We didn't... didn't do it on purpose. It was just a fight among young people. We just got a bit carried away..."
"Got a bit carried away!" With a wave of Jiang Yun's palm, the disciple of the second elder was sent flying several meters away. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground, which left Xia Lin stunned. Was this really his master's true strength?
...
Xia Lin was settled on the bed by Jiang Yun. Jiang Yun applied the medicine himself, and Xia Lin also drank the decoction to nourish his internal injuries. The doctor said, "Sect master, don't worry. With good care, he'll be fine in half a month. But this young boy..." The doctor looked at the young servant boy. "He has been injured all year round. It'll probably take him at least half a year to recover."
Jiang Yun didn't care about the young servant boy. He looked at the sleeping Xia Lin, who had been coaxed to sleep after drinking the medicine. His disciple, the one he himself was reluctant to even scold, those brutes actually dared to...
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Yun temporarily suppressed his anger. He told the young servant who could move freely after applying the wound medicine and Xia Lin's servant, "Take good care of Xiaolinzi."