Chapter 1254: Misunderstanding—Stunned! The two men with beards stood completely motionless, their previously fierce aura gradually fading away, as if vanished entirely. %&*"; Eagle Claw Technique? The man with the beard had good eyes, yet due to Lu Yun's swift movements, he wasn't entirely certain that Lu Yun was indeed employing the Eagle Claw Technique—only catching glimpses of it in the way Lu Yun now held the black-faced man's hand. Even though he had lived in the county for years, the man with the beard had heard of the reputation of the Eagle Claw Village. Among the leading figures of the "Southern City Thirteen Eagles," a prominent one was renowned for mastering the Eagle Claw Technique, reportedly originating from the Eagle Claw Village. Having just complained about his neighbor—could it be that this young lad was actually a prodigy from the Eagle Claw Village? If that were truly the case, then the business deal taken up by his four brothers had certainly run into a brick wall. With a flash of thought, the man with the short beard turned his eyes rapidly, completely ignoring the black-faced man's desperate cries. After a moment, he suddenly spoke warmly to Lu Yun: "Young sir, it seems as though the great flood has swept away the Dragon King's temple—now even family members no longer recognize one another." Upon hearing this, Lu Yun furrowed his brows, momentarily puzzled by the meaning behind the short-bearded man's words. Could it be that he had unexpectedly subdued the black-faced man, thereby making the others hesitant to act, perhaps even resorting to underhanded tactics to take advantage of his youth? The bald man standing beside the short-bearded man immediately grew displeased, murmuring softly: "What's wrong with you? The black man's wrist has been crushed—you didn't go to help him, yet you're talking about such nonsense!" "You don't know what you're talking about!" the short-bearded man snapped, offering no further explanation. Yet, neither Lu Yun nor the bald man had lost his composure. Hearing Xiao Hu's words, the one who was most furious and enraged was the dark-faced man whose wrist Lu Yun had crushed—though it was indeed embarrassing to have his wrist broken, it was even more unbearable that his own brother, instead of helping him, now bowed and flattered the young boy. With the sharp pain radiating through his arm, the dark-faced man broke into a torrent of curses: "You goat! I'm going to kill you! What are you babbling about? Just lay this kid flat right now—don't you see I'm about to die!" The goat’s expression changed. He wasn’t afraid of Lu Yun—rather, if Lu Yun truly came from Ying Zha Village, this mission would inevitably draw in the conflict between two factions in the county town, and possibly even spark a full-blown clash between them. With a sharp glance, the goat’s eyes flashed a cold determination. Now that his companion was held by Lu Yun, he and the bald man dared not rush forward to rescue him. Lu Yun’s finger pressure could shatter Old Hei’s wrist bone—within the brief moment it would take for the two of them to reach him, Lu Yun could easily apply the same pressure again to crush Old Hei’s throat. At present, the most urgent task was to stabilize Lu Yun, ensure Old Hei escaped unharmed, and then have the four of them return to the county to investigate quietly—perhaps even staying hidden within the school to gather information about Lu Yun’s identity. Only after fully clarifying this young man’s background could they make their next move. According to the goat's thinking, if Lu Yun were indeed from the Eagle-Catch Village, then unless their identities remained concealed, the two groups—the Northern City Blood Dagger faction and the Southern City Thirteen Eagles—would inevitably clash. As they both operated within the same county, they knew each other well. The Thirteen Eagles were all madmen—purely mad—protecting their members as if each brother were their own father. This fierce loyalty made the Southern City Thirteen Eagles particularly resilient within the county’s underground networks. Should a conflict arise between the two factions, and if the leader pursued the matter thoroughly, Lu Yun and the other three would inevitably become entangled. They might even be personally bundled into sacks and drowned in the river, becoming tragic, unexplained water spirits. The man with the short beard was most concerned: if Lu Yun were truly brought to half-dead today, their own identities might be exposed—specifically, because of that junior, awkward young man still at the convenience store. Blamed the neighbors, how come they're so unlucky? After just a short visit to this countryside, they still end up hitting a brick wall—curses, my grandmother! The bearded man sheathed his dagger and clearly signaled his goodwill to Lu Yun: "Young sir, our brothers were actually entrusted with a mission—our conflict with you arose only because of unavoidable circumstances. I must say, your martial skills are impressive—surely you're from the renowned Eagle-Catch Village, right? Our elder brother is actually from there. If only we had known you were from the Eagle-Catch Village, we wouldn't have dared to touch you!" As the bearded man continued his flow of words, Lu Yun began to understand: why had this young man suddenly changed his attitude so dramatically toward him? It must have been the way I held the black-faced man—so much like the Eagle-Catch Villagers' signature technique—making him believe I was indeed from that very village. Your sister, so good at reading people, must be a sneaky, double-crossing sort—definitely a lowly, unprincipled one. But then, recalling the recent conflict with the people of Eagle's Village, Lu Yun suddenly had an idea. He immediately released the broad-shouldered man, then kicked him squarely in the groin, coldly saying, "I should've known sooner—this has really worn me out." The man's wrist bone had been crushed, and he was groaning in pain. Once freed, he was promptly kicked back toward the man with the beard, and upon hearing Lu Yun's words, he was furious, his indignation rising despite the pain in his wrist. "You youngster," he snapped, "I didn't even notice you were playing your game—really thought I couldn't handle you!" "Old Black, this lad might have some connection with the people of the Southern City's Thirteen Eagles. Calm down a bit," the man with the beard quietly advised, soothing the enraged man. Huh... The broad-shouldered man blinked, surprised, and asked, "Is it really that coincidental?" At this moment, the bald man began to understand the odd behavior of the bearded man earlier, furrowing his brows and speaking in a low tone: "It's likely that, without the bearded man's reminder, I wouldn't have thought of this myself. Old Black, recall this young man's grip on you—does it resemble the Eagle Claw Technique?" The man with the dark face furrowed his brows deeply and nodded vigorously in a moment: "Good heavens, it really does seem similar. If this young man has any connection to the Southern City's Thirteen Eagles, then we've certainly been outplayed today." The bearded man nodded in agreement and then stepped forward, bowing slightly to Lu Yun: "Young sir, the misunderstanding is now resolved. We'll be leaving now. We'll personally come to thank you soon." With that, the bearded man turned and walked off. The dark-faced man glanced at Lu Yun in surprise, then emitted a low, cold exhalation before heading toward the convenience store.