"Hiss-whew... ow, ow, ow..."
It was past noon, and an assortment of dishes had been laid out in the dining room at the back of the Hua Residence. Green Pearl was helping arrange the plates at the table.
Hua Qingzhi sat in her wheelchair beside the tea couch, watching her father twitch from time to time with distress in her eyes. She wanted to lend a hand but did not know how to help.
Hua Junchen leaned against the tea couch, already changed into casual clothes, though his sleeves and trouser legs were rolled up. There were dozens of red marks on his arms and legs. As the eldest legitimate son of an aristocratic family, he could safely say that in fifty years of martial training, this was the first time he had suffered such grievous injuries.
Ye Jingtang sat before him with medicinal liniment in his hand, dutifully helping apply it. Since he had struck rather hard, he feared Uncle Hua might take it to heart and offered some comfort:
"I remember back in Red River Town, when my adoptive father taught me saber techniques, he really was ruthless. He always held a wooden stick two fingers thick, and if I so much as wavered, he hit me. Getting a move wrong was even worse. Most nights I could only sleep on my stomach.
"I really did resent it quite a bit back then, but my adoptive father said, 'In front of your father, you can make countless mistakes. In front of an opponent, you only get to make one in your entire life.' Looking back now, I'm truly grateful. If my adoptive father had spoiled me even a little back then, I could never have come this far..."
Hua Junchen had practiced martial arts since childhood and naturally