“I’ve told you many times to kick your bad habit of boasting!” Qin Wanru was already feeling stressed over the future of the Chu clan, and Zu An’s words seemed to fuel her fury further. Were it not for the fact that they were in public, she would have really lashed out at him. “Now isn’t the time for you to be running your mouth. I’ll deal with you once we get back!”

You have successfully trolled Qin Wanru for 999 Rage points!

After saying her piece, she pulled Chu Huanzhao away. Chu Zhongtian also looked a little displeased, but chose not to say anything. Instead, he left with Qin Wanru to pass a few final instructions to Chu Huanzhao.

Zu An stared at them with an incredulous expression. 

Wow, what’s wrong with this world? Everyone doesn’t hesitate to believe my lies, but when I speak the truth, everyone starts doubting me. What a tough life I lead!

Also, father-in-law, you aren’t doing your part here. Look at how fiery-tempered Qin Wanru is. You have to work harder to vent her inner flames at night, or else I would be the one to suffer!

Chu Chuyan’s voice interrupted his inner ranting. “I know that you’re dissatisfied with your current circumstances, and you wish to do something to prove yourself before my father and mother. However, you really need not do this. It’s wiser to work within your limits instead. What you’re doing now will only make things worse.”

The subtle message behind her words were pretty clear. She clearly shared the thought that Zu An was boasting.

“Orh.” Zu An couldn’t be bothered to explain himself further. No one would believe him anyway.

“How did you know that my opponent was called Wu Di?” asked Chu Chuyan.

“I guessed,” replied Zu An with a shrug.

“Guessed?” Chu Chuyan frowned, unsatisfied with his answer.

“Yup. I thought that the name ‘Di Wu’ sounded pretty weird. Since the Wu clan is backing the Yuan clan, I wondered if his real name might just be Wu Di. So, I gave it a try, and it was unexpectedly correct.” There was no way Zu An could reveal his Keyboard System to her, so he fashioned a plausible excuse instead.

To his surprise, Chu Chuyan nodded in response. “I see. Although it was a coincidence, you really did the Chu clan and I a huge favor this time around.”

Zu An had no energy left to comment further. See! You believe my lies so easily, yet you keep doubting me when I’m telling the truth.

“Cough cough~” Chu Chuyan suddenly began coughing, and she quickly took out a handkerchief to cover her mouth.

Zu An sharply noticed a red patch on her handkerchief, and stiffened. “You’re injured?”

Chu Chuyan grabbed his arm to stop him from speaking further. “I’m fine. It’s just a minor injury. Please don’t say anything about it.”

Zu An noticed that Chu Chuyan’s face was three shades paler than usual, a clear indication that her injuries were not as light as she was pretending them to be. In a fit of rage, he cursed, “How dare the Yuan clan and Wu clan bully my wife? Tsk! I’ll teach them a lesson later on!”

Chu Chuyan pressed her lips together in a resigned manner.

She had no idea what else to say to Zu An anymore. She turned her attention toward the dueling ring to see how her younger sister was faring.

Chu Huanzhao’s opponent was Yuan Wenji, Yuan Wendong’s cousin. While his cultivation was beneath that of Yuan Wendong, he was still around the middle of the third rank. On paper, Chu Huanzhao didn’t stand much of a chance in this battle, but her Wailing Whip and Chu Zhongtian’s last-minute pointers evened things out a little. As long as she played her cards well, there was a fair chance she could defeat her enemy.

There was tension in the Yuan clan camp as well. They had expected to secure a decisive advantage in the first eight matches, so that the outcome of this match would have no effect on the final result of the tournament.

None of them had expected Wu Di to fail so spectacularly. Despite being a sixth rank cultivator, he had actually lost to a mere fifth rank cultivator. He really should change his name to ‘Useless’ instead!

With Wu Di’s loss, the Yuan clan was currently behind by three wins to four, which made this match critically important. They had to win this round in order to be able to proceed to the next round.

Yuan Wendong took a look at Zu An and sneered coldly. You have been hiding your true prowess for so long, likely intending to prove your worth in this tournament. It’s such a pity that you’ve ended up having to face me! I’ll make sure to show everyone that you’re nothing more than a worthless scoundrel. You’ll regret provoking me time and time again!

As the two fighters stepped into the dueling ring, excited chatter broke out in the crowd.

“Woah, I didn’t expect Chu Second Miss to be this pretty.”

“Of course! Given how pretty her older sister is, how could the younger sister be too different?”

“I heard that Chu Second Miss is in the ninth place of Brightmoon Academy’s Sweetheart Ranking!”

“I think she’s just lagging behind because she’s so young. Give it a few years, and she’ll surely blossom like a beautiful flower.”

“I think she’s fine as she is at the moment. It would be better if she could be younger.”

“You… Get away from us. We don’t hang out with fiends like you!”

… 

Hearing the discussions in the crowd, Yuan Wenji shook his head and sneered coldly. Only he knew just what kind of terrifying demon was hidden under her beautiful exterior.

He remembered all the times he had been bullied by her—having his pocket money snatched, getting beaten up by her, having his pants pulled down right in front of the entire class… He could still remember how proudly she had stood before him, her evil laugh ringing out like a true demon’s. That nightmarish image had jolted him awake far more than once.

In the past, he hadn’t dared to exact vengeance out of fear of her position as the daughter of a duke. However, with the Wu clan at his back, he no longer had any fear. He would make full use of this opportunity in the dueling ring to repay her for every single humiliation he had suffered.

“Chu Second Miss, we meet one another again,” said Yuan Wenji with a gleeful smile.

He had intentionally hidden from Chu Huanzhao all these years, subjecting himself to an arduous training routine in hopes of exacting vengeance one day. Unfortunately, he knew that his future accomplishments would be constrained by his limited aptitude. Nevertheless, the fruits of his labor thus far should be more than enough to deal with her.

“Who are you?” asked Chu Huanzhao.

Yuan Wenji choked, his face turning red with anger. This woman actually doesn’t remember me anymore! After bullying so much when I was younger, she’s actually forgotten all about me!

He wanted to lay out her crimes and make her remember, but his logical mind eventually persuaded him otherwise. Now was the time to exact vengeance, anyway, and it would be dangerous if others suspected his true motives for fighting her.

Unbeknownst to him, revealing the truth would have had no impact whatsoever. Chu Huanzhao had bullied so many people in her younger years that she had already lost count.

Perplexed by the lack of response, Chu Huanzhao was just about to probe further when her father’s voice rang in her ears. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, the Wailing Whip gripped tightly in her hands. As soon as the official announced the commencement of the duel, she flicked her wrist and struck at Yuan Wenji’s body.

Chu Chuyan nodded in approval. Her younger sister might be lacking in cultivation, but her skills with the Wailing Whip were truly formidable. She had used it to good effect while bullying others over the years, after all.

Yuan Wenji was well-prepared for her attack. With a quick sideways motion, he dodged her strike and quickly charged forward. Against a long-ranged weapon like the whip, the best option was to engage her in a close-quarters battle.

Chu Zhongtian had warned her about this in advance. She slowly retreated to maintain the distance between them, flicking her whip out constantly to keep Yuan Wenji at bay.

Yuan Wenji tried his best to approach her while dodging her strikes. He was initially successful, but a small misstep caused him to be struck on the arm.

“ARGH!”

The sheer pain of the strike caused him to twitch involuntarily. It was beyond what a human could endure. It felt as if someone had hammered a screwdriver straight into his bones.

The Chu clan camp was delighted to see the Wailing Whip working its wonders. As long as Chu Huanzhao could get a few more hits in, the sheer amount of pain should be enough to make Yuan Wenji pass out.

With her father’s instructions ringing in her ears, Chu Huanzhao continued to pressure Yuan Wenji with quick, deft flicks of her wrist.

“Did you think that I’m unprepared?” Yuan Wenji unexpectedly retrieved a shield from behind his back. It looked small at first, but as he held it out in front of him, it expanded to shield his entire body.

Chu Zhongtian felt his back stiffen. No wonder the arms produced by the Yuan clan have suddenly improved so drastically. They have indeed managed to find a formidable runemaster to work for them!

The shield was undoubtedly the work of a runemaster, and possessed the ability to expand and contract at will.

In an instant, the tables were turned on Chu Huanzhao. Her whip was formidable, but Yuan Wenji was able to easily guard himself with the shield. Step by step, he slowly closed the distance. Chu Huanzhao was helpless to stop his advance.

Qin Wanru clutched her husband’s arm. “He seems to be well-prepared.”

Chu Zhongtian nodded, a dreadful look on his face. “Indeed. There’s no doubt now that there’s a spy in our Chu clan. They revealed our sequence of fighters to the enemy; that’s why they are able to curb us to this degree. They even thought of how to deal with Huanzhao’s Wailing Whip in advance.”

“Who in the world is it?!” Qin Wanru turned to look at their own people, but with doubt lingering in her mind, everyone looked like a possible spy to her.

“We’ll look into it carefully once we get back.” Chu Zhongtian closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “We’re doomed today. However, not all is lost. At least we now know the threats that lurk beside us, and we can prepare our countermeasures appropriately.”

“But we’re paying too great a price for that!” Qin Wanru knew just how important the arms business was to the Chu clan, as well as the implications of losing it. “Should we get Huanzhao to hold on a little longer? There might still be some hope left.”

Chu Zhongtian hesitated, but decided to go along with his wife’s wishes in the end. He too couldn’t bear the thought of giving up the dominant share of the arms market, which the Chu clan had enjoyed for centuries.

Meanwhile, in the dueling ring, Yuan Wenji was almost upon Chu Huanzhao. A sinister glint flashed across his eyes. In a sudden, swift motion, he rolled forward and came up a hair’s breadth away from Chu Huanzhao.

Chu Huanzhao was horrified, and hurled her fist forward in retaliation. However, her cultivation was beneath that of Yuan Wenji’s, and her other hand was still holding onto the now-useless Wailing Whip. There was no way to hold her own against him while at such a disadvantage.

Yuan Wenji grabbed her left hand and dislocated her wrist, and Chu Huanzhao cried out in horror.

Alarmed, Chu Zhongtian immediately stood up and declared, “We admit defeat this round!”

However, even as those words left his mouth, Yuan Wenji gathered all his strength into his fist. Channeling all the years of accumulated rage, he directed a heavy blow straight into her abdomen.

“Pu!”

With a spurt of blood, Chu Huanzhao was sent flying.

Chu Zhongtian dashed forward to catch his daughter, and hurriedly began tending to her injuries. He had no attention to spare for anything else.

Those from the Chu clan quickly crowded around Chu Huanzhao, and Zu An found himself unable to squeeze in. So, he turned around to glare at Yuan Wenji, a cold fire in his eyes. “We already admitted defeat! Why did you still deal such a vicious blow?”

With his conscience weighed down by guilt, Yuan Wenji was momentarily overwhelmed by Zu An’s fearsome stature, and ended up stuttering.

Yuan Wendong came forward swiftly. “How could an ordinary human like you know about the battles between cultivators? There’s only a fine line between winning and losing in a fight, and Wenji witnessed Chu First Miss’ glorious splendor in defeating a sixth rank cultivator earlier. How was he to know whether Chu Second Miss had any other hidden means to bring to bear? Instead, Chu Second Miss only showed just how lacking she was. Hah! She really should follow her older sister’s lead and practice more.”

Yuan Wenji snapped out of his daze and added, “Indeed! I was simply too immersed in the fight earlier, and I didn’t hear the Brightmoon Duke’s words!”

“You didn’t hear my words?” Chu Zhongtian suddenly bellowed furiously. Having confirmed that his younger daughter was in no immediate danger, he raised his head to glare at the man still standing in the dueling ring. “Are you saying that the words spoken by an eighth rank cultivator are too soft for the likes of you to hear?”

A terrifying aura suddenly pressed down on the dueling ring, leaving Yuan Wenji gulping in horror. His body began to shudder uncontrollably, and he took an involuntary step backwards.

“Is being an eighth rank cultivator that big of a deal to you?” Wu Wei suddenly appeared in front of Yuan Wenji, shielding him. “This is a conflict between the juniors. Why is an adult like you stepping into this and bullying the juniors?”