Chapter Twenty-Six: Ruthlessness

“Qin Shi, what are you standing there for? Hit him! Let this arrogant fool learn what the Chen family is capable of!”

“Damn it, Qin Shi, get up there already!”

“Hey, Chen Long up there! If you’ve got guts, come down and fight your grandpa for three hundred rounds!”

The Qin family couldn’t stand Chen Long, and even the Zhang family thought he was insufferable. Truth be told, even the Chen family themselves found him lacking in manners. As imposing as he might appear, his behavior was a stain on the family’s reputation.

“Tsk tsk, what a bunch of cowards the Chen family are. The girl comes to break off the engagement, and not a single one of you dares to speak. Only a useless wretch dares step forward. And now, here comes another outrageously arrogant brat—ha!” sneered a Zhang family dandy, fanning the flames.

That was all it took to set off the powder keg. The Chen family erupted in fury. “Who the hell are you? Is it your turn to talk?”

“It’s Chen Bo’s own incompetence that led to the broken engagement; that’s his issue. Why drag the whole Chen family into it? Looking for a fight?”

“From today on, we’re at odds with the Zhangs and the Qins!”

The Zhangs were quick to retaliate, “What about you lot? If you’ve got guts, come fight! We just couldn’t stand Chen Long at first, now we can’t stand your entire family.”

“Exactly! When the Sword Sect came, even the trash among you had more backbone than this. Incredible!”

“Indeed, that’s something our Zhang family could never learn.”

“Silence, all of you!” A thunderous shout made everyone’s heart jolt. Among the mentors from Sunward Academy, one stood with a darkened face, sweeping his gaze over the crowd. With a cold snort, he declared, “What do you all think you’re doing? Today is Sunward Academy’s admissions day. If anyone dares to make trouble, don’t blame us for what happens next!”

Sunward Academy’s authority was absolute here, and the scene fell silent at once, though the youths from all three families continued to glare daggers at each other.

The whole scene reminded Chen Bo of a classic moment from one of those films he’d seen: two gangs, beer bottles in hand, shouting insults at each other.

“What are you staring at?”

“Staring at you, so what?”

“Try staring one more time!”

“Try me!”

The thought nearly made Chen Bo laugh out loud—it was such a perfectly ridiculous scene.

Up on the platform, Qin Shi had no choice but to step forward. Drawing a deep breath, he steeled himself—he couldn’t lose. If he lost, he’d miss this chance to get into Sunward Academy. Admissions were restricted to those between thirteen and eighteen. Qin Shi was already seventeen; in another year, he’d be too old.

Conceal his identity? He’d already tried four times before; Sunward Academy had him marked as one of the “perseverance kings.” They might not recognize his face, but they’d know his name anywhere. Four years of persistence—he’d given it everything.

Brandishing his steel blade, Qin Shi let out a roar and stomped forward, charging at Chen Long with such speed that to the average eye, he was little more than a blur.

Chen Long smiled dismissively. As Qin Shi’s blade came down, Chen Long’s right hand formed a claw and, with lightning speed, caught the back of the steel blade.

The attack was effortlessly blocked, but Qin Shi showed no panic—this was only a feint. With a twist of his wrist, the blade spun, creating a strange force that knocked Chen Long’s hand aside. Qin Shi quickly retreated several steps, putting distance between them.

“Oh? You’ve got some tricks after all,” Chen Long remarked, hands clasped behind his back, clicking his tongue in mock admiration.

Chen Bo watched, speechless. If a middle-aged man or an elder clasped his hands behind his back, it might look profound and mysterious. But on a boy of fifteen or sixteen, the gesture seemed laughably out of place.

What was the saying? Try to paint a cat, end up with a dog.

Qin Shi bit his lip. Chen Long’s strength far exceeded his expectations. Even though he’d only been testing, he’d used sixty percent of his power—and Chen Long had caught it as if it were nothing.

Chen Long had no intention of ending the fight quickly; he wanted to toy with Qin Shi for his own amusement.

“Kill!” Qin Shi suddenly swept his blade in a wide arc, slicing through the air with a whistling wind, an impressive display.

The blade was long—its tip nearly slashing at Chen Long’s abdomen—but Chen Long showed not the slightest sign of alarm. With a swift kick, he struck Qin Shi’s hand on the hilt.

The kick landed with tremendous force. There was the sound of bone cracking. Qin Shi’s face went deathly pale; with a scream, he dropped the blade.

He glanced at his hand and nearly fainted. His right hand was a bloody pulp, the bones visible, the tendons severed in several places.

His right hand was ruined. What could a swordsman do without his right hand? Switch to the left? As if such a technique existed in this world.

“Aaah! You… you’ve crippled my hand! How ruthless!” Qin Shi, overcome by rage and pain, fainted on the spot.

“Heh, useless wretch. Can’t even hold your sword—what good is that hand to you?” Chen Long sneered. “And you haven't even surrendered. Besides, this doesn’t count as a serious injury yet, does it? Now it’s my turn.”

Before the referee could call the match, Chen Long darted over to Qin Shi and delivered another savage kick. Qin Shi’s left arm twisted at an unnatural angle, bone piercing through flesh. The pain jolted him awake, and he howled miserably on the ground.

Such brutality made nearly everyone present frown, especially the Qin family. If not for their elders’ stern rebukes, they would have swarmed Chen Long already.

Suddenly, the Qin family patriarch spoke up, “This is only a contest. Peace should be valued above all; competition second, friendship first. Isn’t this going too far?”

“Patriarch Qin, injury is inevitable in a contest,” replied the Chen family’s Grand Elder.

“But my Qin family’s boy no longer has any power to resist, and your Chen family still pushes things further! So much for your high-minded posturing—it’s all a sham!” a Qin family elder shouted in fury.

A flash of anger passed through the Grand Elder’s eyes. In truth, he was helpless—he hadn’t expected Chen Long to so brazenly provoke the Qin family. He had no wish to make enemies of the Qins; after all, his own wife was a Qin. But Chen Long was his son—how could he not defend him? Yet as an elder, how could he outmaneuver a patriarch?

With a quick glance, he said, “Patriarch Qin, my son was indeed in the wrong. The Chen family will send our apologies another day.”

By saying this, he was yielding to the Qin family. As for what he really thought, only a few present could guess.

The Chen family head, Chen Zhenhai, frowned deeply. His eyes flashed coldly as he looked at the Grand Elder. He knew the Grand Elder had long coveted the patriarch’s seat, but like the Second Elder, he had brawn without strategy.

Patriarch Qin, however, smiled, casting a smug glance at Chen Zhenhai and muttering to himself, “So this is what the Chen family is really like. Today I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Ha!”

As for Qin Shi’s fate—at this moment, who still cared?