Brutal!

North of the city, the Martial Practice Field.

The grounds, usually spacious and deserted, were packed with people today.

A temporary platform stood tall and imposing. A scarlet carpet had been spread before it, while banners fluttered on either side, snapping in the autumn wind.

The area below the platform was crammed with people.

There were disciples from the various martial arts halls, all dressed in matching training clothes; wealthy merchants and local gentry, dressed to the nines; ordinary folk who had brought their whole families to watch the excitement; and martial artists who had just fled Lushan County, gaunt and sallow but sharp-eyed.

Directly in front of the platform stood a row of grand chairs draped in brocade.

The county magistrate sat in the center, smiling as he chatted now and then with those beside him, exuding all the dignity and composure of a local official.

Seated in order at his side were several of Anxi County's leading figures in the martial world.

Yan Sheng, the head of the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall, was burly and solemn-faced. It was said that his fist arts had reached the peak of Transformation Strength.

Jin Huang, the head of the Surging Wave Martial Arts Hall, had a lean, hard-featured face and keen eyes. His aura surged like a tide.

Xu Feng, the head of the Shattering Wind Martial Arts Hall, was slender, yet his brows held a blade-sharp fierceness.

The three sat closest to the magistrate, occasionally speaking in low voices. They were plainly the three pillars of Anxi County's martial world.

Farther to the side were seats for the heads of martial academies, such as Liu Qingshi and Zhou Yue.

Though each was the head of an institution, their seats were a tier lower, the distinction between them unmistakable.

Liu Qingshi's expression was calm. His gaze occasionally swept over the three figures not far away, but his eyes remained placid, giving no hint of what he was thinking.

Behind them, in the general seating area, sat representatives of the local powerhouses.

Su Chen, the head of the Su Family, smiled as he exchanged pleasantries with his neighbors, every inch the smooth and sociable merchant.

Zhang He, the head of the Zhang Family, was there too, speaking quietly with someone beside him. His expression was mild, as if he had come merely to watch the proceedings—as if the drawn swords and bitter enmity of that night had never existed between him, Liu Qingshi, and Su Chen, despite their being just a few steps apart.

At one side of the grandstand, several servants carefully carried a cushioned couch and set down a figure wrapped from head to toe in a shadowed corner. The person's face was as white as paper.

The figure was bundled in a thick blanket, with only a sunken face exposed. Yet a pair of cloudy eyes remained fixed on the direction of the Bluestone Martial Academy disciples. Whenever they shifted, a glint of venom slipped from them.

It was none other than Zhang Xu.

"What's that cursed beast doing here?"

Among the ranks of Bluestone Martial Academy disciples, Su Yan was looking down as she straightened the ties at her cuffs, her movements gentle and meticulous.

But the instant Zhang Xu's venomous gaze fell on her, her hands paused ever so slightly. Then she raised her eyes and met his stare squarely.

For a moment, their eyes locked. The smile on Su Yan's gentle face did not fade; if anything, it deepened a little.

But deep in her eyes lay a cold stillness, like a winter lake reflecting dead branches and fallen leaves along its banks.

Liu Yiyi never turned around.

She merely tilted her face slightly, letting the couch in the corner pass through the edge of her vision. A glint of icy contempt, three shades colder than Su Yan's, slipped through her eyes.

Then she looked away, as if it were nothing more than a heap of worthless filth.

One gaze warm, the other cold, yet both conveyed the same message: A cripple like him thinks he can look at us that way?

When Zhang Xu met those two gazes, his heart gave an involuntary shudder.

It was the humiliation of being scorned, of being utterly ignored.

His fingers clenched around the blanket until his knuckles turned white. His chest heaved violently, and a string of indistinct, beastlike growls rolled from his throat.

"Damn sluts... just you wait..."

At the edge of the crowd, a tall, gaunt figure with a hard look slipped into the throng at an unhurried pace, like an ordinary old man who had happened to be passing by.

His clothes were plain, his face unfamiliar, and his aura unremarkable. He blended in perfectly with the excited faces around him, as if he were just another old man who had come to watch.

But the eyes hidden in the crowd's shadow locked precisely onto the tightly wrapped figure in the corner of the grandstand, sharp as a hawk's.

"Found you."

Jiang Ye's aged lips twitched faintly, curving into a smile that carried a chilling menace.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the pale, sunken face, then swept over the servants standing nearby with their heads bowed.

"Judging from that brat's feeble aura, he won't last more than an hour or two before they have to carry him back to rest."

"On the way back, the servants will be carrying the couch, so they'll move slowly. There's no way an expert will be accompanying them for protection. That'll be the perfect time to strike."

In an instant, a clear and ruthless plan of attack flashed through Jiang Ye's mind.

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted on the Martial Assembly platform.

A nimble figure leapt onto the platform and landed firmly in its center.

He was a youth dressed in gray training clothes, with dark skin and a faint old scar cutting across his brow. It gave his young face a distinctly fierce edge.

He cupped his fists toward the crowd, but his gaze went straight to the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall. His voice rang out, full and powerful:

"I am He Jie of the Mountain Opening Martial Arts Hall! I've long heard that Anxi County is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. I've also heard your hall recently took in a 'star pupil' named Hu Tian—who broke through to Bright Strength in half a month. What a young hero! I'm honored to take the stage today. I wonder if Brother Hu Tian dares come up and fight me!"

The moment he finished speaking, the crowd below exploded.

"The Mountain Opening Martial Arts Hall? Aren't they the ones who fled here from Lushan County?"

"Well, would you look at that. Those outsiders have finally gotten restless, and the first person they're challenging is the one in the spotlight!"

"Hu Tian? The one who betrayed Bluestone Martial Academy and went over to the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall?"

"Right, that's him! The academy's been talking about it for days. Everyone says the brat turned against his own and betrayed his master!"

"This should be interesting! A challenger from Lushan County taking on an academy traitor. Heh, whoever wins, we're in for a show!"

"That He Shan looks to be at the early stage of Bright Strength too. He's about as strong as Hu Tian, so they should be evenly matched!"

"Let's see if Hu Tian dares accept! If he chickens out, he'll be branded a coward on top of being a 'traitor'!"

The crowd roared, surging like a tide.

Countless gazes turned in unison toward the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall. Some were expectant, some mocking, and others made no effort to hide their glee.

In the grand chair at the front of the platform, Yan Sheng, head of the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall, sat perfectly still, his expression unchanged, as though the repeated accusations of treachery had nothing to do with him.

But anyone who looked closely would have seen a shadow flicker deep in his eyes, like a venomous snake gliding beneath the surface of a deep pool.

He instinctively wanted to turn around and signal Hu Tian with his eyes to hold back and not accept the challenge rashly.

The boy had joined the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall only three days ago. He hadn't even found his footing yet, and his situation was so sensitive. If he took the stage now, winning would be fine, but if he lost... it wouldn't just be his own face he lost; it would be the face of the entire Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall.

But in the end, he was a beat too slow.

"What's there to be afraid of!"

A clear, excited young voice suddenly rang out behind him.

Hu Tian sprang to his feet, his face flushed and his eyes shining. He looked just like a young tiger that had finally caught sight of its prey.

What boy didn't dream of making a name for himself in the ring?

Ever since leaving Bluestone Martial Academy and joining the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall a few days ago, he had been living in a state of frustration and pent-up resentment.

After he joined the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall, its head, Yan Sheng, hadn't immediately taken him on as a personal disciple like Zhang Xu had claimed. Instead, Yan Sheng said he wanted to test his character and gave him only slightly better treatment than an ordinary disciple.

The looks his fellow disciples gave him always carried a trace of scrutiny and disdain. The gossip behind his back made him feel as though thorns were pricking him from every side.

He desperately needed a clean, decisive victory—to silence everyone, prove he had made the right choice, and make those who looked down on him see him in a new light.

And now, this ring, this opponent, this stage watched by thousands—it was practically a perfect opportunity sent by heaven!

Seeing Hu Tian accept the challenge without even looking to him for a signal, Yan Sheng's brow flickered with a trace of displeasure. Then he shook his head slightly. "Forget it. I never trained the boy myself, after all."

"So what if you're from Lushan County? I, Hu Tian, will take you on!"

Full of swagger, he strode toward the platform, his sleeves snapping in the wind, each step solid and sure.

For a moment, he could almost imagine the crowd roaring as he knocked the dark-skinned youth down, the approving look from Yan Sheng as the hall head clapped him on the shoulder, and the envy on his fellow disciples' faces as they replaced their disdain with admiration.

After that, who would dare call him a traitor to the academy?!

On the platform, He Jie watched the youth approaching him and grinned, his dark face alight with wild provocation and barely restrained excitement.

"Brother Hu Tian, please!"

"Please!"

The crowd below grew louder still.

"Die!!!"

With a thunderous shout, Hu Tian struck first. He clenched his hand into a fist and ferociously drove it toward He Shan's face.

The punch was heavy and fast, wrapped in a sharp whistle through the air. It seemed to tear through the very air itself.

Someone below gasped. In just a few days, Hu Tian had already gained a good grasp of the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall's signature technique, Extreme-Breaking Fist. His talent truly deserved to be called that of a genius.

"Good!"

Faced with the incoming heavy punch, He Jie neither dodged nor retreated. He threw a punch of his own, choosing to meet it head-on.

Thud!

A dull impact rang out.

Both men staggered back two steps. At first glance, they seemed evenly matched.

But the situation changed quickly.

He Jie's fighting style was fueled by the kind of ferocity that risked mutual destruction. Again and again, he tried to trade blows with Hu Tian, injury for injury.

"Is this guy insane? It's only a spar, yet he's fighting like his life depends on it..."

Hu Tian grew more and more unnerved as the fight went on.

He usually practiced his punches at the academy, trading moves with his fellow disciples. They always stopped before anyone got hurt, and he had never experienced a real fight to the death.

This was his first time facing someone like He Jie, who fought as if he didn't care whether he lived or died. The confidence had vanished from Hu Tian's eyes, replaced by a flicker of panic.

"No... If this keeps going, I might die..."

After several more exchanges, Hu Tian began to waver. A hint of disarray crept into his punches.

In a fight between evenly matched opponents, the first to show weakness exposed a fatal opening.

He Jie keenly spotted the uncertainty in Hu Tian's attacks. Deliberately leaving an opening, he took Hu Tian's punch squarely on his left shoulder.

With a dull thud, He Jie's expression did not change. Instead, he used the force of the punch to twist his body sharply, slipping in close like a loach. In the blink of an eye, he had circled behind Hu Tian.

"Not good..."

Alarm bells rang in Hu Tian's heart. He realized something was wrong.

But it was too late.

Behind him, He Jie gathered all his strength into his right fist, then slammed it into Hu Tian's spine like a heavy hammer.

Crack.

A sharp snap of breaking bone rang out, enough to set anyone's teeth on edge.

Hu Tian's body went limp as if its bones had been pulled out. His forward momentum stopped abruptly, and he collapsed onto the platform like a puddle of mud.

He couldn't even manage a full scream. Only a few dying, beastlike whimpers rolled from his throat.

"Aah!!!"

A moment of dead silence passed before the shrill scream finally burst from his throat, heart-wrenching and enough to make listeners' scalps crawl.

At the sight, everyone below changed expression. Some of the fainthearted even shut their eyes, unable to bear watching.

For everyone, the spine was one of the most vital parts of the body.

A severe blow there was absolutely devastating.

The change had come so quickly that the crowd below was only now beginning to realize what had happened.

"No way... That was way too vicious..."

"Is that martial artist from Lushan County crazy? He fought like he didn't care whether he lived or died!"

"That punch was heavy. Hu Tian's spine might be broken..."

"Hiss... If his spine's broken, then that genius Hu Tian is finished!"

Gasps, sharp intakes of breath, and incredulous murmurs surged like a tide.

The heads of the martial arts halls at the front of the platform watched the scene with varied expressions.

The two whose expressions were most complicated were Yan Sheng, head of the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall, and Liu Qingshi of Bluestone Martial Academy.

"Idiot!"

The corner of Yan Sheng's eye twitched sharply. Then he vaulted onto the platform.

He pressed one hand against Hu Tian, who was screaming without pause, and placed his palm against the boy's back, releasing a thread of strength to examine the injury.

After a moment, Yan Sheng turned toward He Jie, his face dark as water. In a low voice, he said, "You went too far. This was supposed to be a spar, and you broke his spine."

He Jie, who had taken Hu Tian's punch on his shoulder, was also deathly pale. Facing Yan Sheng's accusation, he lowered his head slightly, avoiding Yan Sheng's murderous glare. His voice was weak, though not especially fearful. "This junior lost control of his strength for a moment..."

"Hmph! Lost control? I think you—"

A chill flashed in Yan Sheng's eyes.

"Brother Yan!"

A deep voice cut him off.

A burly, middle-aged man in gray martial clothes, with a square face, strode onto the platform and stopped beside He Shan. He spoke loudly:

"This is a martial spar. Fists and feet have no eyes—that's an age-old truth. I've heard that many disciples have been injured at past Martial Assemblies when they lost control of their strength. As the head of the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall, Brother Yan ought to know that better than I do. You can't apply the rules differently just because the injured disciple is one of your own and ruin the fairness of the proceedings, can you?"

It was none other than Shi Kaishan, head of the Mountain Opening Martial Arts Hall, and a formidable martial artist of Transformation Strength himself.

He smiled, but his words were soft and barbed. He would not yield an inch.

The atmosphere on the platform suddenly turned tense, as if swords were drawn.

"That's enough!"

A voice, stern without needing to rise in anger, came from below.

The county magistrate sat in his grand chair, his expression calm, but his gaze carried unquestionable authority as it swept over the men on the platform.

He spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, yet everyone heard him clearly. "Yan Sheng, have your disciple taken for treatment first. We can discuss the rest later."

Yan Sheng took a deep breath and suppressed his churning anger. Then he waved a hand.

Several disciples from the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall climbed onto the platform and carefully carried Hu Tian away. His body hung limp as mud, and he was still screaming without pause.

Two physicians waiting below hurried over. After examining him, one of them walked to Yan Sheng with a grave expression and lowered his voice. "Head Yan, your disciple has suffered severe spinal injuries. His life may be in danger. He needs a Great Restoration Pill to stabilize his condition."

Yan Sheng's brow rose at once, and his gaze toward Hu Tian turned even colder.

That idiot had ignored his instructions and accepted the challenge on his own. Now he was badly injured, and Yan Sheng had to clean up the mess.

A Great Restoration Pill cost a fortune—three thousand taels of silver apiece.

He pointed to Zhang Xu's couch in the corner and said to the physician, "He was introduced to me by that man. Go ask him for a Great Restoration Pill."

The two physicians exchanged a glance and sighed helplessly. Carrying Hu Tian, who was still screaming, they approached Zhang Xu's couch. Before they could say a word,

"Go on, go on. Hurry back. I'm going to rest."

Zhang Xu glanced at Hu Tian, who lay limp as a rag doll, groaning without end. Disgust filled his eyes, as if he were looking at a piece of trash. He gestured for his servants to hurry and carry Hu Tian back to the Zhang residence.

A martial artist with a shattered spine was worth less to him than a stray dog by the roadside.

"Ahhhhh... Big brother... save me..."

Hu Tian lay on the stretcher, his consciousness already fading. Yet his instinct to survive still made him reach out toward the soft sedan chair rapidly disappearing into the distance, letting out a heartrending plea.

"What kind of stray cat or dog are you? And you think you can call me brother!"

Zhang Xu's curses drifted faintly into the ears of Hu Tian, who teetered on the brink of death.

"How... how could this happen..."

Hu Tian's voice grew ever more anguished and desperate.

Meanwhile.

As Zhang Xu departed, an inconspicuous old man in the crowd vanished as well.