Chapter 63: Fierce and Brutal

A heavy blow struck Li Sheng’s fist, sending his body spinning to the left. Knowing this was bad, he quickly used the momentum to dodge swiftly aside.

But Chen Cheng, having landed the blow, suddenly accelerated. With another move that used his fist like a saber, he brought his left fist chopping down, striking Li Sheng squarely in the back.

PTHOO! Li Sheng’s body flew several meters like a kite with a snapped string. He sprayed a mouthful of blood before crashing to the ground, motionless.

Two constables quickly rushed forward and helped Li Sheng up. They saw his face was ashen; he was already seriously injured and unconscious.

In an instant, the entire training ground fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

All the spectators were secretly astonished.

In just a few moments, he had seriously injured a Great Success Martial Artist specializing in Fist Technique, and he had done it with such ease, so effortlessly. ’Chen Cheng’s Martial Arts Power is simply terrifying.’

Among the spectators, a shocked Jiang Rongxuan whispered to his daughter, Jiang Yun, who stood beside him, "Yun’Er, can you tell what level of power Chen Cheng has?"

The Jiang Family and the Zhou Family were joined by marriage, so the father and daughter were also among those invited to observe.

Jiang Yun, however, seemed not to hear him. She was staring in a daze at the figure of the young man walking slowly from the training grounds.

She had heard from Jiang Rongxuan that Chen Cheng had single-handedly and effortlessly injured four of the Jiang Family’s Hospital Martial Artists, but a part of her had refused to believe it.

But now, having witnessed Chen Cheng in action, she was utterly dumbfounded.

’Not long ago, this young man was nothing more than an insignificant Little Prison Guard, a nobody I held in utter contempt.’

’I always thought he and I were from two different worlds. I was in the heavens and he was on the earth, forever forced to look up at me.’

’But in just a few short months, everything has changed. The Martial Arts Power he just displayed has left me so far behind that all I can do is stare at his back.’

’Only now do I understand. Back when we met at Ronghe Restaurant, I was filled with scorn and disdain for him. I was so afraid he might try to bother me that I sneered and mocked him.’

’At the time, Chen Cheng didn’t say a single word in response. He just left silently. I just assumed he was too ashamed of his own inferiority to say anything.’

’Looking back, I’m afraid it was Chen Cheng who was looking down on *me*.’

’I thought he wasn’t worthy of me, but perhaps, in his heart, he thought the exact same thing.’

...

"Steward Qian, I never would have guessed you have such a keen eye for talent. You saw long ago that Chen Cheng was special and that he would make a name for himself eventually."

In an inconspicuous corner of the stands, a beautiful woman in a blue-green dress said with a smile to Qian Bin.

The beautiful woman was none other than the Shopkeeper of the Ruyi District branch of Luo’s Shop, Luo Yunzhi.

In truth, Qian Bin was also deeply shocked. Although he had high hopes for Chen Cheng, he never imagined Chen Cheng would develop so quickly.

"Shopkeeper, I previously mentioned to the Patriarch about recruiting Chen Cheng into the Luo Family, but the Patriarch didn’t agree," Qian Bin said with a wry smile.

Luo Yunzhi said, "A few months ago, this young man didn’t have such an imposing aura. It’s only natural that my brother wasn’t impressed. To be honest, even I only thought he was a little interesting."

Qian Bin said, "Shopkeeper, I mentioned to Chen Cheng before that he should join the Zheng Martial Arts Hall. Should I bring it up with him again? It would be a good chance to strengthen our connection."

"Let’s wait and see," Luo Yunzhi said after a moment’s thought. "It’s still not certain if he can even win this assessment."

...

"The techniques Chen Cheng was using were all from Saber Technique, yet Li Sheng was completely oblivious. Utterly foolish!" Zhou Xu cursed under his breath from his seat in the stands.

Shen Qingshuang glanced at him and said coolly, "Why are you so nervous, Lord Zhou? Could it be that you’re worried Zhou Fang is no match for Chen Cheng?"

Zhou Xu snorted and said with a sneer, "Chen Cheng’s Martial Arts Power is indeed impressive, but I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed, Lord Shen. Zhou Fang’s Martial Arts Power is also very strong."

"And what realm has Zhou Fang’s Martial Arts Cultivation reached?" Shen Qingshuang asked, her expression unreadable.

Zhou Xu knew she was trying to fish for information about Zhou Fang’s power, but he wasn’t taking the bait. "No need to be impatient, Lord Shen," he said casually. "You’ll find out soon enough."

...

"Chen Cheng, so you do have some skill after all. You are worthy of being my opponent."

Zhou Fang said, his eyes burning with a hint of excitement.

Chen Cheng couldn’t be bothered to respond. He walked straight to the side, took the Long Saber from Liao San’s hands, and then waited.

"How dare you act so arrogant before me? You’ll learn the consequences soon enough!" Having been snubbed, Zhou Fang flew into a humiliated rage. He spat the words hatefully, then gripped his Longsword and strode to the center of the field.

He Zhiling, also holding a Long Saber, came to the center of the field.

"He Zhiling, you dare to compete with me? You’re courting death! If you know what’s good for you, concede now. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless."

Zhou Fang said coldly. His eyes were filled with viciousness, as if he wanted to vent the anger from his frustrating encounter with Chen Cheng onto He Zhiling.

He Zhiling was known for his steady character. Having chosen to participate in the assessment, he was not about to be scared off by a few threatening words from Zhou Fang.

Now that he had offended the Zhou Family, He Zhiling’s only recourse was to side with Chief Constable Shen Qingshuang and hope to win her favor.

He turned and cupped his fists toward Shen Qingshuang in the stands, then said:

"The Chief Constable said we must give our all in this assessment, so I will not concede. However, this is a match to determine a victor, not a fight to the death. I ask Young Master Zhou to show appropriate restraint."

"Hmph!" Zhou Fang snorted. "Since you refuse to appreciate my kindness, I’ll just have to deal with you first."

With that, he drew his Longsword and lunged, striking at He Zhiling.

Zhou Fang was incredibly fast. His sword strike was vicious and sharp, aimed directly at He Zhiling’s throat.

He Zhiling had lost to Chen Cheng precisely because he was at a disadvantage in speed. Thus, he had spent the last several days studying how to counter faster opponents and had made significant progress.

The Long Saber in his hand danced, creating several arcs of light that formed a watertight defense around his body.

His plan was to mount a solid defense and wait for an opening.

"TING!"

Zhou Fang’s sword strike was parried by He Zhiling’s Long Saber.

Zhou Fang retreated several steps, while He Zhiling, though he didn’t retreat, felt his saber arm go numb.

After just one exchange, He Zhiling was secretly alarmed. ’Zhou Fang’s Martial Arts Power seems to be far greater than mine.’

’With that retreat, Zhou Fang was actually dispersing the force of the blow, while I took the full brunt of the impact from our crossed weapons.’

Zhou Fang leveled his Longsword and attacked again. Not daring to be careless, He Zhiling executed his Saber Technique, focusing solely on defense and doing his best to avoid letting their weapons clash.

He Zhiling had achieved Great Success in Saber Technique, and his style was steady and practiced. Zhou Fang’s sword strikes were sharp and vicious, but for the moment, he couldn’t break through the defense.

The two fought for several rounds, seeming to be evenly matched.

The longer Zhou Fang fought, the angrier he became, his expression gradually turning savage.

"You forced my hand!"

The aura around him suddenly erupted. His speed with his Body Technique increased dramatically, and he began pressing the attack with every single move.

While both of their techniques were at the Great Success realm and thus evenly matched, Zhou Fang’s sudden burst of speed immediately put He Zhiling on the defensive, struggling just to hold on.

Yet Zhou Fang seemed to be in no hurry to claim victory. His sword strikes no longer aimed for vital points, instead targeting He Zhiling’s limbs, shoulders, and back.

In just a few more exchanges, He Zhiling’s body was covered in several wounds. He was a pathetic sight, dripping with blood.

He Zhiling now knew his own power was far inferior to Zhou Fang’s. He quickly found an opening to retreat a few steps, intending to concede.

A vicious glint flashed in Zhou Fang’s eyes. He pursued closely and thrust his sword straight at He Zhiling’s throat.

The strike was as fast as lightning. He Zhiling, his face pale with terror, hurriedly swung his saber to block.

But unexpectedly, Zhou Fang’s sword technique changed in an instant. The thrust became a vicious downward slice.

"SHLICK!"

With a single slice, Zhou Fang severed He Zhiling’s saber arm at the shoulder. Blood sprayed wildly from the wound.

Zhou Fang sent He Zhiling flying several meters with a kick before sheathing his Longsword. He then turned to look at Chen Cheng, his eyes filled with savage cruelty.