Who dared hit my sister?

"Young clan chief, terrible news! Terrible news! The clan chief and the elders are holding a meeting to strip you of your position!"

A maid rushed into the room.

On the bed lay a pale-faced young man, propped halfway up.

He was Xia Yu, the young chief of the Xia clan.

Xia Yu slowly raised his head and said weakly, "If they want to strip me of it, let them."

"But Miss Xia went to argue with them, and they started fighting. It seems she... she was hit."

"What did you say? My sister was hit?"

"Y-yes."

"Who dared hit my sister?"

Xia Yu swung himself out of bed and rushed out in an instant.

In the Xia clan's main hall, Clan Chief Xia Hongji sat expressionlessly in the seat of honor.

The Great Elder sat to his left and the second elder to his right. The other elders, stewards, and members of the younger generation sat in order.

Only a young woman stood in the middle of the hall. Her left cheek was red and swollen, with five finger marks starkly visible.

Yet her gaze was unwavering as she stared back at the clan chief.

A long while passed...

Xia Hongji sighed and said, "Yao, why must you do this?"

"Xia Yu has indeed given much in his years of fighting for the Xia clan. But he received more cultivation resources than anyone else in his generation, practiced the best cultivation method our clan possessed, and was even made our young clan chief. Tell me, has the Xia clan ever treated him unfairly?"

"No!" Xia Yao said coldly.

"The Xia clan's rules are that the capable rise and the incapable step down. Every member of our bloodline is treated equally!"

"Now his dantian is damaged and his meridians are severed. He can never advance again in this lifetime. Under the Xia clan's rules, is there anything wrong with removing him from his position?"

"No." Xia Yao's gaze was icy. "But his dantian is damaged, not shattered. There are pills that can heal it."

Xia Hongji shook his head. "That would require at least a second-grade pill. There are none in Huai City, and even if there were, our clan couldn't afford one."

"I know," Xia Yao said calmly. "If Huai City has none, Lu Prefecture does. If Lu Prefecture has none, the Imperial Capital certainly does."

"I also know the Xia clan can't afford it. That's why I want the Sacred Martial Token Mother left behind when she went away."

"Xia Yao, you've gone too far! There is only one Sacred Martial Token, and it belongs to the Xia clan. Who do you think you are?"

Before the clan chief could speak, the Great Elder pointed at Xia Yao and barked coldly.

"My mother left it for us," Xia Yao replied without backing down.

"Nonsense!" the second elder said as well. "Your mother left it to the Xia clan back then, not to you two."

"Yao, stop making a fuss. Although Yu will no longer be able to cultivate, our Xia clan will make certain you both live safe, prosperous lives. Once his injuries heal, I'll make him a steward. How does that sound?"

Xia Hongji sighed again, trying earnestly to persuade her.

"I want the Sacred Martial Token my mother left me!" Xia Yao's voice was firm.

Xia Hongji's expression darkened. The Great Elder and the others looked equally displeased.

Suddenly, a young man stood up.

"Xia Yao, let me tell you something. I'm the young clan chief now, and the Sacred Martial Token is mine too. Stop dreaming!" Xia Longfei's expression was icy.

"Hmph! It seems that slap just now didn't teach you a lesson. Monkey, slap her! Keep hitting her until she can't speak. She used to have that useless bastard backing her up. Let's see who'll back her up now!"

"Yes, Young Clan Chief!"

A scrawny young man standing behind Xia Longfei answered and walked over, a grotesque grin plastered across his face.

Xia Longfei watched quietly, looking smug.

As a child, he had offended Xia Yao over some trivial matter and received a savage beating from Xia Yu. The memory was still fresh.

Back then, Xia Yu had already displayed his talent and become the young clan chief. Even as the current clan chief's son, Xia Longfei could only swallow it.

Now he would repay it tenfold, a hundredfold.

"Heh heh, Miss Xia Yao, don't blame this humble servant!"

Sneering, Monkey swung a vicious slap at Xia Yao with all his strength.

"You dare?"

Suddenly, a figure rushed forward and caught Monkey's hand.

His face murderous, Xia Yu drove his knee hard into Monkey's stomach.

Monkey instantly clutched his stomach and let out a howl.

"Sis, who hit you?"

Xia Yu looked at his sister. The next moment, his expression darkened, and an invisible surge of killing intent shot skyward.

"Why did you come? You're still recovering! Hurry back." Xia Yao's face was full of concern.

Xia Yu slowly turned his head, sweeping his cold, sinister gaze over everyone present.

Even Xia Hongji's heart shuddered at that moment.

"Who hit my sister?"

He spoke each word distinctly, his voice as chilling as if it had come from the Nine Hells.

He and his sister had depended on each other since childhood. When Xia Yao was seven and he was five, their mother had inexplicably left, leaving only the two of them behind.

From that day on, Xia Yao had cared for Xia Yu. Their lives had only improved somewhat after he became the young clan chief.

In his heart, his sister was his dragon's reverse scale-the one place no one could touch.

They could bully him, but bullying his sister was absolutely out of the question!

"Who hit my sister?"

Xia Yu asked again, enunciating every word.

"I had Monkey hit her. So what? As the young clan chief, I-"

Before Xia Longfei could finish, Xia Yu moved.

He raised his foot and stomped directly onto Monkey's right forearm.

Crack!

The bones and tendons in Monkey's right forearm snapped at once. Ghastly white bone pierced his skin, dripping with blood.

Without pausing, Xia Yu charged straight at Xia Longfei.

"Insolence!"

Xia Hongji and the Great Elder roared in unison.

But Xia Yu had already reached Xia Longfei and hurled a punch.

His face full of disdain, Xia Longfei threw a punch of his own to meet it.

Thud!

A dull impact sounded.

Xia Yu did not retreat a single step, while Xia Longfei staggered back three.

"You worthless bastard! You dared touch my sister!"

Xia Yu stepped forward and lashed out with a full-force kick.

The kick went straight for Xia Longfei's dantian. If it landed, he would likely be crippled.

"How dare you!"

The Great Elder roared, flashed in front of Xia Yu, and slammed a fist into his chest.

Boom...

Xia Yu flew backward and crashed to the ground.

"Pfft!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

He stared coldly at the Great Elder, his gaze bristling with murderous intent.

That punch had seemingly struck his chest, but a concealed force had actually slammed into his dantian.

His already damaged dantian shattered completely under the blow.

He was utterly crippled now. There was no hope left.

"Hmph! You dared attack the young clan chief in front of the clan chief and all the elders. You deserve death!"

An inexplicable tremor ran through the Great Elder's heart. His expression darkened as he shouted and brought his palm down toward Xia Yu's head.

Kill him.

Cut down the weeds and pull out the roots!

"Stop!"

Beside them, Xia Yao's face drained of color. She hurriedly shouted, "If you kill my brother, how will you answer to my mother when she returns?"

The Great Elder seemed to remember something. He froze, his hand stopping three inches above Xia Yu's head.

He looked at Clan Chief Xia Hongji, who shook his head slightly.

"Clan Chief, my brother broke the clan's rules, but his crime doesn't warrant death! According to the rules, what punishment should he receive?"

"According to the clan's rules, defying a superior warrants fifty strokes, and injuring a fellow clansman warrants fifty strokes. The two offenses combined warrant one hundred strokes," Xia Hongji said expressionlessly.

"Guards, drag him out and give him one hundred strokes."

The Great Elder immediately spoke up. Let's see you survive a hundred strokes.

"Wait!" Xia Yao continued. "According to the clan's rules, a great contribution can offset a crime. Is that correct?"

"Yes." Xia Hongji nodded.

"I'll offer the Sacred Martial Token to the Xia clan to atone for my brother's offenses!" Xia Yao said coldly. "Otherwise, when Mother returns, I'll tell her exactly what happened."

Xia Hongji's expression darkened. After a moment's consideration, he said, "Very well."

"Yu, let's go."

Xia Yao supported Xia Yu as they walked out.

Xia Yu remained silent, his fists clenched tightly.

At that moment, the Great Elder approached the clan chief and said quietly, "If we don't eliminate this boy, he'll become a serious threat."

"There are too many eyes and ears here. That woman hasn't returned in over a decade, but what will we do if she does?" Xia Hongji said mildly.

"You've thought this through, Clan Chief. I shattered his dantian just now. He's completely crippled. Even a second-grade pill would be useless. He won't be able to pull any tricks."

The Great Elder sneered.

Xia Hongji glanced at the Great Elder and said softly, "Secretly find someone to dispose of both siblings. Leave no one the wiser."

"A brilliant plan, Clan Chief."

"Longfei will be lonely going to the Martial Saint Academy by himself. Let Longxiang go with him."

"Thank you, Clan Chief." The Great Elder nodded. Xia Longxiang was his eldest grandson.

Xia Yao helped Xia Yu lie down on the bed.

"Yu, how are you feeling? Nothing can happen to you. How would I answer to Mom?"

Xia Yao's eyes reddened, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Sis, I'm fine. I really am." Xia Yu hurried to comfort her.

But as soon as he spoke, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"You call this fine? I'll get you some pills." Xia Yao immediately stood up.

"Sis, I'm fine, really. There's no need."

Xia Yu knew that with his dantian shattered, no pill would help.

Xia Yao ignored him, fetched some pills, and made Xia Yu take them.

"Yu, don't worry. Whatever it takes, I'll find a Spirit Pill that can repair your dantian."

Xia Yao wiped away her tears, her expression resolute.

Xia Yu forced a faint smile. "Sis, I'm really fine. Could you let me be alone for a while?"

Xia Yao nodded. "All right. Get some rest. I'll go stew something nourishing for you."

Watching his sister leave, Xia Yu clenched his fists tightly.

His dantian was shattered. He was utterly crippled.

He could imagine what their lives would be like from now on.

Not only was his sister Xia Yao unable to cultivate, but she also suffered from a chronic illness. Every night at midnight, her entire body alternated between cold and heat, leaving her in unbearable agony.

She relied entirely on the spiritual energy he transferred into her every day to suppress it and ease her suffering.

Now that his dantian was shattered, what could he do?

At that moment, his heart ached beyond measure.

He slammed a fist hard into his own chest. He was too useless.

Suddenly, a surge of intense pain erupted from his dantian.

At the same time, a majestic voice rang out in his mind.

"Make the body a furnace, and all things can be refined!"

"Make the Dao a furnace, and heaven and earth can be refined!"

The sudden voice gave Xia Yu a terrible fright.

He hurriedly focused his mind inward and examined his dantian, only to be stunned by what he saw.