Chapter 112: Face Hurts or Not

Not only him, but many people from the Yuan family felt a surge of anger, and even many outside the Yuan family couldn't help but feel their emotions stirred.

Ji Dengtu, who was secretly ogling all sorts of mature women, including older sisters and married ladies, couldn't help but glance at Zu'an. He thought, "Honestly, this kid really is asking for a beating." He decided he should keep his daughter far away from this guy in the future; with his troublemaking nature, she could easily get caught in the crossfire. However, he then remembered that the storybook Zu'an had given him last time was quite good. He wondered how many more Zu'an had. He mused, "Later, if Yuan Dong tries to beat him to death, should I secretly save him, for the sake of those storybooks?"

On the stage, Xue'er quietly snorted, "This guy is always so annoying." Shi Kun, standing in front of her, uncharacteristically nodded. He wholeheartedly agreed on this point.

"A hooligan is just a hooligan, completely unpresentable," Sang Qian couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Sang Hong, who was sitting in front of him, transmitted a qi message to him, "This young man was able to win 7.5 million taels from the Silver Hook Casino and become a math teacher at the academy; he is certainly no ordinary person. Do not be deceived by his appearance. How many times have I told you not to bother with superficial appearances like those powerful clans? You need to look at the substance of things."

"Yes," Sang Qian replied, but he remained unconvinced in his heart.

At this moment, Xie Yi also secretly asked Xie Xiu, "Is this the person you mentioned?"

"Yes, he is Zu'an," Xie Xiu replied. His elder sister, Xie Daoyun, frowned slightly. "This person is vulgar and unbearable. I don't like him." Xie Xiu was about to explain, but then he suddenly remembered the academy's legend of the "soft-rice king," especially how Zu'an had previously inquired about his sister. He decided it might be better for his sister to stay away from him.

On the other side, Duke Yangquan, Wu Wei, chuckled softly, "Duke Mingyue has taken on a son-in-law like this. It seems the Chu family is destined for ruin and decline." Hearing her father belittle Zu'an, Wu Qing felt greatly pleased. She thought, "Since this isn't school today, I'll enjoy watching how you make a fool of yourself."

Only Jiang Luofu on the stage knew his true background. Looking at the young man below, who remained calm despite everyone's criticism and strange looks, she couldn't help but fall into deep thought: "What reason made him choose to hide his abilities in this way? Is he planning to astonish everyone in today's grand competition?"

Sang Hong stood up and cleared his throat. "The grand family competition between the Chu and Yuan families is about to begin. I will now reiterate the rules. Both sides must confirm their respective order of appearance and submit it; no changes are allowed once submitted. The family with more victories will ultimately receive 80% of the weapons market share in all cities of Linchuan Commandery, while the loser will receive the remaining 20%."

"During the matches, both sides must stop short of seriously harming opponents. Intentionally taking a life is strictly forbidden; otherwise, the participant will be disqualified. Is everyone clear?"

"Understood!" The participants from both families replied in unison.

Zu'an, however, secretly scoffed. "Officially, you can't intentionally harm someone's life, but there's a lot of leeway with the word 'intentionally.' When the time comes, you can just say 'swords and blades have no eyes,' and you couldn't hold back in the moment. As long as it's not too obvious, no one will know if you did it on purpose."

"Now, each of you begin to confirm your appearance order and submit it. The competition officially begins after the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn!" After making the announcement, Sang Hong returned to his seat. In fact, for previous family competitions, the City Lord alone was enough, but today everyone knew perfectly well that while it appeared to be a contest between the Chu and Yuan families, it was actually a conflict between the Chu and Wu families. Naturally, his presence was required to oversee it.

Both families had already decided on their order of appearance. Chu Chuyan submitted their results. At this moment, Hong Xingying, the first from the Chu family to go on stage, passed by Zu'an. On the surface, he looked solemn, as if preparing for battle, but in a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, "Are you very proud of your performance just now?"

"What?" Zu'an was taken aback. "Is this guy really looking for trouble right before the big competition?"

Hong Xingying snorted. "I don't know what's wrong with your brain. Did you think acting like a common street ruffian just now would win you popularity? Didn't you notice everyone was mocking you? They weren't just mocking you, but everyone in our Chu family. Someone like you will only bring shame to the Chu family. The Chu family taking you as a son-in-law has already become a laughingstock, and I never expected you to keep pushing the boundaries of shame."

Zu'an immediately chuckled. "What, did you forget so quickly how you were beaten to a pulp last time?"

Hong Xingying glanced guiltily at Pei Mianman in the distance. He snorted, "Last time, hiding behind a woman was no feat. Today's arena competition is completely genuine; everyone will clearly see what kind of trash you are!"

"Are you so sure I'll lose?" Zu'an wondered if he should bet something with him; otherwise, it would be a bit of a wasted opportunity.

Hong Xingying sneered, "You don't actually think you can win, do you? No way, no way! Your task today is to lose. Leave the winning to us. Only people like me can bring glory to the family. People like you, who enjoy comfort from behind, are living off the sweat and blood of people like us!"

Zu'an was about to retort, but on the stage, the start of the first round of the grand competition had already been announced.

Hong Xingying straightened his collar and walked onto the stage with his head held high and chest puffed out. "So satisfying, it's incredibly satisfying!" he thought. "Today, I finally vented all the resentment I've held for so long. That good-for-nothing was utterly humiliated by my words and couldn't retort. Seeing his pathetic face was truly exhilarating!"

Hong Xingying felt he had never been so pleased. "Hmph," he thought, "once I secure the first victory for the Chu family today, and that guy gets thrashed by the Yuan family in front of everyone, Master and Madam will surely realize who is truly dependable."

"Today, I must not only win, but win beautifully," he continued. "Firstly, I can hold my head high in the Chu family. Secondly, I can make a good impression on Principal Jiang. I'll show her that I am indeed from the 'Heaven' class and let her know my talent. Perhaps she'll give me more attention at school later. And when I successfully obtain an official position, I'll return to marry the Eldest Miss!"

"What's the situation with the person opposite? I've never seen him before," Qin Wanru said, frowning slightly on the stage as she quietly leaned toward her husband.

Chu Zhongtian shook his head. "I don't know either. The Yuan family doesn't seem to have this person. He should be from the Wu family, but does the Wu family have such an expert?"

"Do you think Xingying can win?" Qin Wanru had a very good impression of Hong Xingying. He was handsome and very capable. Crucially, both he and his father had been loyal to the Chu family for years. When choosing a son-in-law for her daughter earlier, she had actually quite favored this young man; it was just that her daughter had chosen Zu'an instead. Thinking of this, she felt a surge of anger and couldn't help but glare at Zu'an below the stage.

Rage points from Qin Wanru: 111!

Zu'an immediately felt depressed. He thought, "It was Hong Xingying who was just cursing at me, and the main thing is, I didn't even get a chance to retort. Why are you angry? Is menopause coming so early?"

Chu Zhongtian was unaware of his wife's thoughts. He casually replied, "Xingying is quite talented. He was somewhat delayed by working for our family in previous years, but despite that, he has reached the peak of the third rank. Although not extremely strong, he is definitely not weak. The person opposite him also seems to be of the same rank. If Xingying is careful, there shouldn't be much of a problem." Hearing her husband say this, Qin Wanru finally felt relieved.

On the stage, Hong Xingying drew his long sword and executed a beautiful sword flourish. He said coldly, "Who are you? My sword does not cut down nameless nobodies!"

"I didn't expect the Chu family to have such a person. He's a bit handsome too."

"In any case, he's much better than their son-in-law."

His posture and good looks immediately caused a small stir among some women. However, Chu Zhongtian frowned slightly, thinking, "This child is showing off too much."

The person opposite chuckled, "Chen Lei of the Yuan family." After saying this, he fell silent. In terms of both appearance and demeanor, he was indeed quite inferior to Hong Xingying, and soon, most people's sentiments leaned towards Hong Xingying.

Hong Xingying frowned. He hadn't heard this name before, and it wasn't among the key individuals the Chu family had previously researched. "It seems my luck is good enough," he thought, "this victory will be easy."

"Alright," he thought, "I'll use this Chen fellow as my stepping stone. I'll shine brightly today. I must not only win, but win beautifully, and show those important figures on stage!" Thinking of this, his fighting spirit soared instantly. "Here I come!" he declared, and immediately swung his sword, charging towards his opponent.

Chu Zhongtian nodded secretly as he watched. He had initially thought Hong Xingying was somewhat arrogant and complacent, but to his surprise, Hong Xingying's first move was quite steady, combining offense and defense to first ensure an impregnable position.

Chen Lei, on the opposite side, roared loudly, drew his long saber, and charged forward. The two clashed head-on, their weapons meeting with sparks flying everywhere. Both retreated five steps simultaneously. Hong Xingying was startled, thinking, "I didn't expect this nameless person's primal energy to be so strong."

"Again!" he called. He dared not be careless any longer and abandoned his initial intention to show off, his swordplay becoming steady. The two soon engaged in battle again, their weapons constantly clashing. Even from below the stage, one could faintly feel the chilling aura emanating from their weapons.

"I've never heard of these two before, yet they are both so strong!" someone exclaimed. "Is the foundation of great families truly this profound?"

"That Hong Xingying seems to be from the Heaven class of Mingyue Academy. As for this Chen Lei, I've truly never heard of him."

The two fought evenly matched; sometimes Hong Xingying gained the upper hand, sometimes Chen Lei did. Many spectators felt their blood boil as they watched, fantasizing about how wonderful it would be if they could be so impressive on stage. Regardless of the competition, an evenly matched fight is the most exciting; a one-sided match offers little to see. Everyone was surprised that the first match of the grand competition was so intense, and many couldn't help but stand up.

After another clash, the two separated again. Both were breathing heavily, regulating the chaotic primal energy within their bodies. Hong Xingying felt his tiger's mouth was somewhat torn, but he didn't care at all. Having fought to this point, he couldn't afford to lose. He absolutely had to win this match: to show Master and Madam, to show all the dignitaries present, and to show that good-for-nothing Zu'an!

"Huh, why did I think of that guy?" he mused. "What bad luck."

"Intermediate Sword Art!" After entering the academy, Hong Xingying desperately learned everything taught there. The Intermediate Sword Art was a technique only taught in the academy's higher-level classes. Although its name sounded rather common, its power was considerable, and it had very few flaws, being three times more powerful than his previous sword techniques. So this time, in front of Principal Jiang, he decided to use this sword art.

The sword's blade emitted faint dragon-like roars. The sharp sword in his hand transformed into several illusory images, thrusting towards Chen Lei's vital points all over his body. On the stage, Jiang Luofu nodded slightly. "This student's talent is indeed good," she thought. "He's been able to practice this sword art to such a level shortly after entering the school."

With a soft thud, the sword had already pierced the opponent's shoulder, directly penetrating his body.

Victory!

Hong Xingying finally let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he noticed a strange smile on his opponent's face. His heart skipped a beat, and he hastily tried to pull his sword back. But to his surprise, the opponent directly extended his left hand and gripped his sword's blade. Then, the saber in his right hand slashed out fiercely.

Chaotic Cloak Saber Art!

Chen Lei's aura suddenly surged, and a look of madness appeared between his brows. The long saber in his hand was like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, roaring as it hacked down on his opponent. The primal energy armor on Hong Xingying's body shattered inch by inch in the face of this wild saber energy. He screamed, blood spurting from his mouth, and his entire body fell from the stage like a broken sandbag.

Chu Zhongtian quickly flew over and caught him. His fingers moved like afterimages as he sealed Hong Xingying's acupoints to stop the bleeding, simultaneously neutralizing the rampant saber energy still raging within his body.

"Chen Lei of the Yuan family, wins!" the voice of a City Lord's Manor official announced from the stage.

Hong Xingying felt both ashamed and mortified. "Master, Madam, I, I..." he stammered.

Just then, a mocking voice came from beside him. "Who was it just now, bragging that he would bring glory to the family and that others would only bring shame? How long has it been, and you've already been beaten down like a dead dog? Does your face hurt?"