Su Yang was stunned. It took him a long moment to realize he was sprawled on the ground, with a sharp blade at his throat.
But how had he lost?
Sikong Jing had moved far too fast. He'd seized the sword, knocked Su Yang flying, then brought the blade down—all in the blink of an eye.
Even Su Zhenglong, once Yunye City's Heavenly Pride, hadn't managed to react.
"Criminal, what are you doing?" Su Yun's voice shattered the silence as she rushed over.
Smack!
Without even turning around, Sikong Jing slapped Su Yun across the face and replied, "What am I doing? Giving him a taste of his own medicine. Su Yang wanted to break all four of my limbs, so I'll break all four of his."
As he spoke, Sikong Jing's gaze fell on Su Yang's hands and feet.
"Stop, criminal!"
Su Yun, knocked to the ground, looked up and shouted furiously, "If you dare cripple my second brother, you're dead!"
At that, Su Zhenglong, still shocked, suddenly paled. "A-Jing, stop for a moment and listen to me."
Sikong Jing looked over and replied, "Father-in-law, don't worry. Since they say this is a contest between the younger generation, even the Su Clan head wouldn't dare openly do anything to us if I cripple him."
Sikong Jing knew exactly what Su Zhenglong was worried about.
But Su Yang had been the one to challenge him first, and he had been the one to say he'd cripple both of Sikong Jing's arms and legs. Now that he'd lost, would Su Yuexi's grandfather and Su Zhengtao really be shameless enough to seek revenge?
"If you cripple Su Yang, they may not be able to punish you openly."
"But Su Yang has an older brother, Su Shan. He's traveling abroad right now, but he'll be back in ten days."
Su Zhenglong explained hurriedly, "With his temperament, he'll challenge you too."
He was less worried about Su Zhengtao and Su Xuefeng than about Su Zhengtao's eldest son, the current eldest young master of the Su Clan.
Once he returned, he'd challenge Sikong Jing as a member of the younger generation too!
And then, it would be a fight to the death, with no mercy!
Hearing this, Su Yun relaxed and sneered. "That's right. My eldest brother will be back in ten days. If you dare cripple Second Brother, you and Su Yuexi will both die. Even Su Zhenglong won't be able to protect you."
Su Yun had complete faith in her eldest brother, Su Shan. The coldness returned to her face.
Su Yuexi also hurried over to Sikong Jing's side and quietly urged him, "Sikong Jing, Su Shan is the Su Clan's precious treasure. His grandfather would do anything for him, so you can't cripple Su Yang."
That "anything" naturally included killing Su Zhenglong's entire family if need be.
Sikong Jing pondered for a moment, then asked, "What realm is Su Shan in?"
Su Zhenglong replied solemnly, "He'd entered the Dark Realm when he left home a year ago. I don't know what realm he's in now, but with his talent, he should have reached at least the Dark Realm's third tier."
The Dark Realm and the Bright Realm were worlds apart. Even if Sikong Jing had beaten Su Yang, he couldn't cross the vast chasm between major realms.
Pinned to the ground, Su Yang snickered. "Let me go, or my big brother will crush you with a single finger."
Sikong Jing ignored him and calmly said to the three of them, "The Dark Realm's third tier? That's nothing."
With that, he turned to the arrogant Su Yang and planted a foot on the joint of his arm. A crisp crack rang out...
A scream soared into the sky!
Then, without so much as a change in expression, Sikong Jing stamped on Su Yang's other arm and both legs. In the blink of an eye, all four of Su Yang's limbs were crippled.
The screaming abruptly stopped as Su Yang passed out from the pain.
"A-Jing, you..."
Su Zhenglong stared at the scene, dumbfounded. So all his warnings had been for nothing.
The whole courtyard fell silent. Everyone stared at Sikong Jing with their mouths hanging open.
Only after a few ragged breaths did Su Yun let out an incredulous scream. "Second Brother!"
She rushed to Su Yang's side, only to find his hands and feet twisted out of shape.
Su Yun roared furiously, "Criminal, Su Yuexi, just wait until you're in hell! I'm going to tell Grandpa right now..."
After hurling a few vicious threats, Su Yun hurriedly called the servants over and had them carry the unconscious Su Yang away.
Even after the siblings had disappeared, the courtyard remained deathly quiet.
Suddenly, his mother-in-law, Mei Xiaofang, shrieked, "Criminal, is something wrong with your head? We told you there'd be serious consequences if you crippled Su Yang. Why did you do it anyway?"
Her chest heaved as she raged at Sikong Jing like an old mother cat.
Sikong Jing merely smiled and replied, "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
He'd married tonight and was now Su Zhenglong and Mei Xiaofang's son-in-law. Of course he'd consider their feelings before acting.
If he truly weren't confident, Sikong Jing wouldn't have gone through with it.
But Su Shan wouldn't be back for another ten days, and he was only at the Dark Realm's third tier. Forget how much Sikong Jing's own realm would improve over the next ten days—even now, he feared no challenge and could kill Su Shan all the same.
So crippling Su Yang really was a small matter.
"You know what you're doing? You still dare say that?"
"Even a child knows how enormous the gap is between the Bright Realm and the Dark Realm."
Mei Xiaofang couldn't understand Sikong Jing's confidence. Trembling with anger, she said, "You think that because you beat Su Yang across realms, you can beat Su Shan across realms too? You can't even get close to the Dark Realm's true energy. How are you going to win?"
She had to admit that Sikong Jing beating Su Yang despite the difference in realms was astonishing, but it wasn't unheard of.
But no one in Yunye City had ever even heard of someone in the Bright Realm defeating someone in the Dark Realm.
Not even someone at the Bright Realm's ninth tier could do it!
"Mother-in-law, I can get close..."
Sikong Jing tried to explain, but Mei Xiaofang cut him off viciously. "Get close to what? You think this is an assassination game? In ten days, that old bastard Su Xuefeng will be holding his birthday banquet. He'll oversee your fair fight then."
"He'll use the opportunity to wipe us all out."
"Our family is already miserable enough. Why did you, criminal, have to come and ruin us too?"
She poured out a string of complaints in one breath, then panted heavily.
Su Yuexi hurried over, but could only try to soothe her. "Mother, Sikong Jing was standing up for me too. Don't blame him."
Sikong Jing might have acted rashly, but he'd certainly let them vent their anger.
"What good is venting your anger? You have to weigh your strength before you do anything. First and foremost, we have to stay alive." Mei Xiaofang said as she shook Su Yuexi's hand away. Then she abruptly declared, "Tonight, you two aren't sharing a room."
"Huh?" Su Yuexi's mouth fell open.
Mei Xiaofang was already supporting Su Zhenglong. Looking back, she replied, "This criminal is sure to be killed by Su Shan in ten days. I don't want my daughter's pure, untouched body sullied by him."
"If this marriage hadn't been arranged by the Lord of Yun Province, I'd have thrown him out this very moment. He's infuriating."
The marriage arranged by the Lord of Yun Province was like a shackle, binding Sikong Jing and Su Yuexi fast.
Unless Sikong Jing died, the Su Clan would never escape this prison.
"Alas..."
Su Zhenglong sighed too, then returned to his room without saying another word.
His injuries were like shackles as well, binding him to a life stripped of his former glory.
His father's and the Su Mansion's coldness, his daughter's disfigurement—all of it weighed on him. He'd thought his daughter had finally found a good husband...but Sikong Jing's impulsiveness would ultimately bring disaster upon them.
Breaking all four of Su Yang's limbs for a moment's satisfaction would also incur Su Xuefeng's boundless fury.
Before you continue