"Jiang Fan, how did you become an early-stage martial apprentice?"
Jiang Fan turned around and said indifferently, "Family Head Jiang, this doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, does it?"
Seeing the complete reversal in Jiang Fan's attitude, Jiang Qifeng's face darkened like thick ink that would not dissolve.
"Your qi and blood stopped being 19N a long time ago, didn't it? You've been hiding your strength all along, haven't you?"
Jiang Fan remained as cold as ever. "Think whatever you like."
Jiang Qifeng choked, the fists hanging at his sides clenching with audible cracks.
"Why on earth did you do this?!"
If he had known that Jiang Fan was an early-stage martial apprentice, he would not have thrown him out of the family.
That would have given their family two candidates in the special training class.
Jiang Fan narrowed his chilly eyes. "Would you believe me if I told you?"
"Obviously!" Jiang Qifeng said through gritted teeth.
"Heh." Jiang Fan scoffed. "I think you're the one talking nonsense. Search your own conscience. When have you ever believed anything I said? I said Jiang Youtian jumped off the overpass himself, and you didn't believe me. I said Jiang Youtian was the one who stole Eldest Sister's necklace, and you didn't believe me. I said Jiang Youtian was also the one who broke the antique at home, and you still didn't believe me. There were countless things like that. I explained them all, but you never believed me once. So even if I'd told you I was an early-stage martial apprentice, you wouldn't have believed me."
Those words left Jiang Qifeng choking again, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long while.
Finally, he suppressed his anger and said, "Let's leave the past aside for now. Come back to the Jiang Family with me."
Mockery lingered in Jiang Fan's eyes. "Family Head Jiang, didn't you livestream it before? You've already thrown me out of the family. From then on, you were you and I was me, bridges to bridges and roads to roads. Now you're actually telling me to return to the Jiang Family with you. If word of this gets out, aren't you afraid of a slap to that old face of yours?"
Jiang Qifeng thought for a moment before saying, "I've thought it over. Come back with me first. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm acknowledging you again. That depends on whether you can get into a martial arts school. As long as you get in, I'll livestream again and publicly acknowledge you as my son. But if you don't, hmph! Pack your things and get out immediately!"
The mockery on Jiang Fan's face deepened. "I've truly never seen anyone so utterly shameless!"
With that, Jiang Fan's expression abruptly turned cold and stern, his gaze on Jiang Qifeng seeming to shoot out icy swords.
"Jiang Qifeng, listen carefully. I, Jiang Fan, have long since had nothing to do with you. Don't bother me again! Also, Jiang Youtian still hasn't kowtowed and apologized to me. He owes me that. I said I'd settle that debt sooner or later!"
"You-"
"Enough with the 'you.' Hurry up and take your precious son home to celebrate. Your son is a member of the special training class now, after all. As for me, I'm going home with my real dad to celebrate with my family. Goodbye!"
With that, Jiang Fan turned and walked away without looking back, leaving only his aloof, solitary figure behind.
Jiang Qifeng's face turned red, then purple. What angered him most were the comments drifting into his ears from time to time.
"Boss Jiang really is muddleheaded. How could he throw his own flesh-and-blood son out of the family?"
"Exactly. Now that Jiang Fan has joined the special training class and has the guidance of a second-rank martial artist, his chances of getting into a martial arts school this year are pretty good."
"Yes, even if he can't get into a second-tier martial arts university, he still has a very good shot at a third-tier one."
"It's just a shame Family Head Jiang has already thrown Jiang Fan out. And from the looks of it, the two are as incompatible as fire and water. Otherwise, the Jiang Family might have had two people get into martial arts school this year."
Jiang Qifeng could not bear to listen any longer. He abruptly turned toward Jiang Youtian. "Youtian, let's go."
"Okay, Dad."
Knowing that Jiang Qifeng was in a fury, Jiang Youtian did not dare say much. He followed silently behind Jiang Qifeng while constantly cursing Jiang Fan in his heart.
He cursed Jiang Fan's strength to stop here, never to break through again. That way, Jiang Fan would be no more than a flower that bloomed for a single night, forever unable to compete with him.
Tong Shuyao was also staring at Jiang Fan's retreating figure. She gripped her clothes tightly in both hands, biting her red lips until they turned pale. Her heart held nothing but resentment and an unwillingness to accept it.
Just then, Wei Qi appeared behind him.
"This Jiang Fan really is surprising. He hid it for so long just to shock everyone. But this is as far as he'll go. His qi and blood is only 81N, barely at the level of an early-stage martial apprentice. Never mind catching up with me-even raising it to 100N within these three months would be as hard as ascending to heaven, if you ask me."
Increasing his qi and blood by 19N in three months meant averaging at least 6N a month. The odds of that were vanishingly small.
Even if he absorbed one Qi and Blood Raw Stone a month and gained 5N in the first month, the effects of consuming the second and third would be far inferior to the first, with each increase slower than the last.
Besides, Jiang Fan now lived in the slums. Where would he get so many Qi and Blood Raw Stones to cultivate with?
Not only that, going from 99N to 100N of qi and blood, breaking through from early-stage to middle-stage martial apprentice, was not merely an increase of 1N. There was also a small hurdle involved.
Although that small hurdle was not as hard as ascending to heaven, it was not something one could break through easily either.
As Tong Shuyao listened to Wei Qi, her resentment and unwillingness steadily dissipated.
Yes, although Jiang Fan was now an early-stage martial apprentice, that was as far as he would go. Her own qi and blood was already at 80N. What did she have to feel aggrieved about over Jiang Fan?
That was what she thought, but looking at his profile against the setting sun, so handsome it made her blush and her heart race, Tong Shuyao still felt uncomfortable, as though she had lost something very, very important that she could never recover.
News of Jiang Fan also reached Xue Ping and the four sisters who were fanatical about protecting their younger brother. Dinner that evening should have been a very happy affair because of Jiang Youtian, yet now everyone wore a long face, and the atmosphere was oppressive.
Finally, Jiang Hongyuan spoke.
"Dad, Mom, let's not be like this. Jiang Fan has been thrown out of the family. Although we don't know how he became an early-stage martial apprentice, with that awful character of his, he definitely won't amount to much. There's no need to let something like this ruin our mood."
Jiang Lüyuan chimed in, "Yes, Eldest Sister is right. We've already thrown Jiang Fan out of the family. Whether he lives or dies, falls on hard times or enjoys wealth and honor, he has absolutely nothing to do with our Jiang Family anymore."
Hearing their words, Jiang Qifeng pressed his lips together. "You're right. What does Jiang Fan amount to? As if he's worthy of affecting our mood. Whether he lives or dies from now on has nothing whatsoever to do with me, Jiang Qifeng, or my Jiang Family. Come, let's celebrate for Youtian. Compared with Jiang Fan, who's only just reached early-stage martial apprentice, our Youtian is a genuine middle-stage martial apprentice. His admission to a martial arts school is already nailed to the board."