Lift Your Heads

Chu Wen's earlier kick had been perfectly measured.

His opponent had only been a mid-level warrior. One kick from him was enough to leave the man bedridden for a month—a fitting lesson.

But when everyone saw Chu Wen's domineering methods, they were stunned for a moment.

"Who are you?"

"You actually dare injure people at Xinhang Martial University?!"

"This is just a sparring match. How could you strike so heavily?"

Xinhang Martial University had brought seven students in total. At most, they were mid-level warriors, and Chu Wen had determined their strength with a single glance.

Ignoring their questions, Chu Wen merely stood there and said coolly, "Who is Xu Wenliang? Step forward."

"Didn't you say you could take down Chen Dai in two moves? I'll give you two moves. If you can touch me, I'll count it as my loss."

Chu Wen swept his gaze over them, his eyes ice-cold.

The questioning and curses were forcibly swallowed back down.

What a joke. He had kicked a mid-level warrior flying with one kick, and that student still had not gotten back up after so long. His injuries had to be serious!

They had not even seen how he had made his move!

"What? Either one person lies down for a month, or the six of you left can all lie down for a month together."

As soon as he said that, five of them tacitly took a step back.

Cold sweat immediately poured down Xu Wenliang's face. "You can't hit me. My family is the Xu Family, a martial arts family..."

Bang!

With just one punch, Xu Wenliang dropped to his knees, convulsing all over. His face turned deathly pale as he dry-heaved without stopping.

Chu Wen slowly crouched down, grabbed the man by the hair, and said coldly, "Go on. What other backers do you have?"

"Otherwise, one month in bed won't be enough."

"After all, there are seven of you. You should at least spend seven months lying down."

Tears streamed down Xu Wenliang's face. His mouth hung open, but no sound came out. His features twisted, and his mind was left with nothing but pain!

"Ugh... ugh..."

"What? Nothing to say now? Your bones are pretty hard."

Bang!

Xu Wenliang's body was sent flying. He rolled several times across the ground before passing out.

The remaining five did not even dare breathe loudly.

"What? Take them to the infirmary. Hurry up, or if you're too late, they might be crippled for life."

Chu Wen merely glanced at them before ignoring them and turning to the group from the Jiangnan Martial Faction.

There were only twenty-three students and one female teacher.

"Why are there so few of you? Weren't there over a hundred students from Jiangnan Martial University?"

"They all went out on missions. Martial universities have more mission resources..." Chen Dai explained.

A few of those who recognized Chu Wen shouted, "Some of them were lured into traps and captured. The ones who didn't come are staying in the regular dormitory district! They aren't in the old dormitory district."

Chu Wen nodded slightly. "Liu Changshou, lead the way."

Only then did Liu Changshou emerge from behind a stone pillar, his face lifeless. "Th-this... Brother, that was a little too..."

"It's fine. They won't die." Chu Wen pointed at Chen Dai. "Let's go. We can't let our own people be bullied."

The regular dormitory district was located in a remote corner of Xinhang Martial University.

Most of those living here were first-year students, along with some independent martial artists sent by other factions to study. It was a mixed bag of all sorts.

First-year students could move out and live in the lower-grade dormitory district only after breaking through from martial artist to warrior.

The regular dormitories were not single rooms, but rooms shared by eight people.

The moment Chu Wen entered, he could feel the air of the streets and marketplaces. Many independent martial artists had set up stalls here.

Inside a dim classroom in the dormitory district.

Several dozen male students crouched on the ground in terror, their hands clasped over their heads and their faces pale. Those too weak to hold themselves up swayed unsteadily, yet did not dare move an inch.

"You lost, so hand over your money and valuables obediently."

"I didn't force you onto the arena. What, you lost everything, so now you'll pay with yourselves? What's the big deal? Just offer up the resources your division gives you in the future."

"Scurrying about with your heads down like rats—that's what you homeless dogs from Jiangnan Base City ought to be doing."

"Useless trash. You couldn't even defend your own base city, yet you still dared come here to snatch meat from us."

"What? You're the face of Jiangnan Martial University, aren't you? You don't even live in those abandoned old dorms, yet this is all the strength you have?"

"Brother Liang, p-please let us go. We won't live in the regular dormitory district anymore... We'll go to the abandoned dormitory district..."

"Oh? You came here, and now you want to leave? No chance."

"Weren't you all so high and mighty a few days ago? What, after fighting on the arena for a few days and losing your entire fortunes, you want to sneak away?"

"You can leave if you want. Just leave your dominant hand behind."

"Can't bear to part with that useless hand of yours? Then sign it. Once you sign, I'll let you go."

A total of thirty-six contracts were laid before them. Written on them were the amounts of money and resources they were voluntarily giving away—nearly the sum of all the resources they could obtain throughout their years at the martial university.

Brother Liang had not pushed them too hard. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if the matter reached the school administration. This amount was just right.

"What? Brother Liang is already being kind. Over at the other places, you might not even get to keep your lives. Brother Liang will at most humiliate you a little."

One of the lackeys tossed several sets of clothes over. "We're not so heartless as to make you go out naked."

But there were only six sets of clothes for thirty-six people!

"Hahahahaha!"

The group burst into laughter, looking at these defeated stray dogs who had lost everything.

Bang!

The sturdy iron door at the distant staircase instantly dented inward.

The mocking laughter came to an abrupt stop, and everyone suddenly looked toward the dented door.

Boom!

A beam of light shone down as the iron door shattered into pieces.

Chu Wen slowly walked down from the high staircase, looking at his classmates crouching on the ground and covering themselves in shame.

Then he cast a cold glance at a man seated in the open space.

"Xinhang Martial University. I never thought it would be no different from a gang. Seems I misjudged it."

"Who are you? You dare barge into Brother Liang's territory?"

Beside Chu Wen, Liu Changshou reluctantly walked in. "Brother Liang, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sell you out. This is the strongest person in the Jiangnan Martial Division... Please don't..."

The man called Brother Liang stretched his arms and cut him off. "So it's someone here to stand up for them? Since you can't even afford to live in the regular dormitory district, join them."

"I'd really like to see how pathetic you'll look after you lose everything."

The moment Brother Liang saw Chu Wen, he felt intensely displeased. He hated that sort of look most of all. Who did this guy think he was?

He took a powerful step forward, cracking the floor beneath his feet! Force winds howled, and the air throughout the room surged!

Chu Wen merely shifted his body slightly, and Brother Liang lunged forward and fell flat on his face, smashing himself into the ground.

Chu Wen stomped down, and the sound of bones breaking rang out.

Shrill and piercing.

Brother Liang did not even let out a cry before he fainted.

"When he wakes up, tell him that if he wants to reconcile with me, he can squat by the roadside like this too."

Chu Wen glanced at Brother Liang's lackeys and did not strike again.

"Xinhang Martial University has raised nothing but trash."

Following behind, Liu Changshou raised his voice. "Where are the clothes? If there aren't any, strip off what you're wearing!"

After a bout of commotion, Chen Dai finally led the students away. Each of them kept their heads lowered, as though too ashamed to face anyone.

Chen Dai's voice was hoarse. "Where is the courage you had when you covered the base city's retreat? Are you worthy of the teachers and classmates who died?!"

"Lift your heads!"