A Punch Thrown Opens the Way

You defeated a LV8 enemy and gained 3 experience points.

You defeated a LV12 enemy and gained 10 experience points.

You defeated a LV18 enemy and gained 25 experience points.

A string of prompts flashed before Chen Ming's eyes. Defeating all fourteen people present only netted him a total of 78 experience points.

After reaching Level 20, fighting people in their teens yielded pitifully little experience. After defeating them a few times, it dropped to just 5 points.

He wondered how much experience he'd get from defeating a Level 20 opponent.

He was looking forward to it.

In the back courtyard, Chen Rui sat in a chair, eyes closed, feigning calm. But his hands, tightly gripping the armrests, betrayed his anxiety.

Wei Shi cradled their wailing daughter in her arms, soothing her softly while a flicker of unease showed in her eyes.

Six-year-old Chen Lide's little face was taut, staying glued to his mother and sister's side.

The air was thick with tension.

At that moment, they all understood one thing with crystal clarity: the entire Chen Family's honor and disgrace now rested on Chen Ming's shoulders.

If he shone, the whole family shone.

If he couldn't weather this storm, they'd all tumble into the abyss.

And there was nothing they could do to help.

Chen Rui felt a deep sense of helplessness. As the eldest son, when danger struck, he couldn't do a thing.

In the midst of this agonizing wait—

A voice rang out excitedly from outside. "He won... Second Young Master won!"

It was Xiao Hong, the maidservant.

Wei Shi had sent her out to gather news.

Hearing this, Chen Rui let out a sigh of relief and murmured to himself, "Ancestors protect us!" He tried to stand up to help clean up the mess, but found his body utterly drained.

For a moment, he couldn't get up.

"Thank goodness... thank goodness..."

Beside him, Wei Shi wept with joy, hugging her daughter and kissing her frantically.

Chen Lirong had no idea what was happening. Seeing her mother like this, she wailed even louder.

Chen Lide looked toward the door, his small face filled with admiration and longing. He wished he could grow up quickly and be like his Second Uncle—standing up when bad guys appeared, defeating them, and protecting the family.

Just then, Xiao Hong ran into the room, panting.

Chen Rui quickly asked, "Tell me everything that happened outside."

"Second Young Master... he took down all those bad guys in one go... I heard people say he's already an Eighth Rank."

"Eighth Rank?"

Chen Rui was stunned, his face full of disbelief.

He wasn't as ignorant as Xiao Hong. Though he'd never trained in martial arts, he knew the ranks of martial artists well and understood exactly what an Eighth Rank Martial Artist meant.

Besides, Erlang had only just entered Ninth Rank last year, after eight grueling years of training.

Now, just one year later, he'd broken through to Eighth Rank?

It was too unreal.

He'd never heard of any martial artist in Qingfeng City advancing a rank that quickly.

Breaking through a realm usually took years—three to five was fast. Seven or eight without progress was normal. Many spent over a decade stuck at Ninth Rank.

Could Erlang really be a Martial Prodigy?

When Chen Rui stepped outside and saw the group of men standing at the door as punishment, he couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. It was just like last year, when the people from Wanli Gambling House came to collect debts.

"Stand straight."

Old Li, the gatekeeper, held a bamboo switch in his hand, pointing at them and barking orders.

The dozen or so burly men were all taller than Old Li, yet none dared to lift their heads before him.

Two more lay on the ground, seemingly unconscious.

Erlang sat in a rattan chair, brewing tea. Behind him, Chunxiang and Xiaxiang fanned him with their fans.

"Brother, come sit."

After Chen Rui sat down, he picked up the tea his younger brother had poured for him and took a sip. There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn't know where to start.

Chen Ming spoke first. "I know that in business, harmony brings wealth. Brother, do you think I went too far by humiliating them like this?"

This remark struck a chord with Chen Rui, and he stopped holding back. "I've heard that the head of the Martial Hall Guild is Old Hallmaster Lei of Fenglei Martial Hall. He's a Seventh Rank cultivator, and his Wind and Thunder Saber Technique once swept the entire prefecture undefeated. I'm afraid he won't be easy to mess with."

Chen Ming gave a faint smile and said only, "He's old—over seventy—and still has to prop up the Martial Hall's reputation. That shows none of his disciples or descendants have amounted to much. This man is nothing to worry about."

"Brother, in the world of martial artists, being kind to others won't get you anywhere. It only makes people think you're an easy target. Then everyone will want to step on you to make a name for themselves, and that's when the real trouble starts. Only when you strike back hard against those who provoke you will others respect and yield to you. It's called: land one punch to fend off a hundred."

These words convinced Chen Rui completely. "Since you have a plan in mind, Erlang, I'm reassured. Go ahead and do as you see fit. Whatever the consequences, we brothers will face them together."

Inside the rear residence of Fenglei Martial Hall.

Lei Zhenguang sat in his study. His hair was still jet-black, but the deep wrinkles on his face betrayed the passage of time.

Lei Yucheng, just past thirty, stood before him, earnestly seeking guidance. "Grandfather, didn't Envoy Sun say not to harm Chen Ming's life? Then why send Li Xiangrong?"

Li Xiangrong had a fiery temper and acted tyrannically, often injuring others. If he went, he'd likely beat Chen Ming half to death.

Lei Zhenguang patiently instructed the grandson he held in high regard. "Do you think someone like Sun Shicai—young, already a Seventh Rank cultivator, and an envoy of Six Doors—would care about saving face for me?"

"Well..."

Lei Yucheng felt awkward, not daring to lie but reluctant to speak the truth.

Lei Zhenguang, however, was open-minded about it and laughed. "If it were me, I wouldn't take a decrepit old man seriously either. So why do you think he's willing to grant me this courtesy?"

Lei Yucheng suddenly understood. "He has a grudge against that Chen Ming!"

Lei Zhenguang nodded at first, then shook his head. "This Sun Shicai has no magnanimity—he's petty and ungrateful. He won't even protect his own sect brothers; that chills the heart. Yucheng, remember this: as long as someone is your fellow sect member, if you have the ability to protect them, you must do your utmost. That's how you win people's loyalty."

"Yes, Grandfather. Your grandson will heed your teachings." Lei Yucheng then asked, "What about Chen Ming? He's only twenty and already a martial artist—clearly gifted. Didn't you say that with people like him, if you can avoid offending them, you should?"

Lei Zhenguang spoke earnestly. "Yucheng, as a martial artist in this world, you can never be on good terms with everyone. The other eleven martial halls in Qingfeng City nominated us as the head of the Martial Hall Guild. When someone breaks the rules, you must act without mercy."

"Chen Ming is just a Ninth Rank martial artist. As long as Sun Shicai doesn't protect him, dealing with him will be easy. To avoid future trouble, it's best to cripple him. That's the purpose of men like Li Xiangrong."

Lei Yucheng looked at him with admiration. "Grandfather, your foresight is thorough. Your grandson is in awe."

Just then, an urgent voice came from outside. "Hallmaster, something terrible has happened!"

Lei Yucheng said irritably, "What's all the panic about?"

"Chen Ming refused to accept the guild's ruling and has detained Senior Brother Li and the others. He says... he says the guild must apologize."

"What?"

Lei Yucheng was startled. "Does Chen Ming have allies? Who would dare oppose our Martial Hall Guild?"

"No, he's alone."

"What did you say? How is that possible?" Lei Yucheng was both shocked and furious.

"They say... Chen Ming is already an Eighth Rank cultivator!"

Eighth Rank?

Lei Yucheng's shock was immense. He instinctively looked at his grandfather and saw that the old man's expression had also turned to utter astonishment.