I Only Stomp on Weaklings

"Who dares to be so bold as to seize someone from our Wind and Thunder Martial Arts Hall?"

At this moment, a fiery voice came through. With a bang, a bearded man stormed in, his face full of anger, and said, "Hall Master, you must give the order immediately. I’ll take people with me to destroy him. How dare an Eighth Grade Martial Artist act so outrageously!"

Lei Yucheng quickly reassured him, "Master Li, please calm down, this matter needs further discussion..."

"What is there to discuss? That kid is practically riding on our shoulders, and I won’t suffer this indignity."

Master Li snorted and glared, showing no respect.

Lei Yucheng saw that he was being completely disregarded, his face turning somewhat grim.

However, he also knew that Li Xiangrong was his most cherished nephew, and now that he was being held hostage, naturally, he was anxious.

At this moment, Lei Zhenguang, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up, rebuking, "Old Li, why do you still have such a fiery temper?"

Master Li dared not lose his temper in front of him and complained, "Old Hall Master, my nephew Li Ankun is my only nephew. If anything happens to him, how do I account for it to my deceased brother?"

Lei Zhenguang scolded, "Think before you speak. If you take people to attack, pushing him to a dead end, wouldn’t that be harming your nephew?"

Li Ankun shouted angrily, "He wouldn’t dare!"

"Humph, even a cornered rabbit will bite. More so for a young man who reached Eighth Grade cultivation at twenty."

"Then Old Hall Master, what do you suggest we do?"

"First, find out what’s going on. Yucheng, bring over the person who returned with the news."

"Yes."

...

Shortly, the person Chen Ming had released returned and recounted the entire process.

Li Ankun, not even finished listening, got angry again, "A mere Eighth Grade dares to demand an apology from us? Who does he think he is?"

After listening to the entire incident, Lei Zhenguang was certain that Chen Ming had truly broken through to the Eighth Grade.

A twenty-year-old Eighth Grade...

He pondered for a moment, shook his head and said, "Xiangrong acted recklessly."

With one sentence, he set the tone.

Li Ankun, hearing this, knew that his nephew would have to accept the loss this time and the Old Hall Master wouldn’t help regain his nephew’s dignity. This was a complete loss of face.

Although unwilling, due to Lei Zhenguang’s longstanding authority, he dared not object.

Lei Zhenguang continued, "Breaking a door is no different from ruining someone’s reputation. We are at fault here. Yucheng, send Yue Bin to repair Chen Mansion’s door and compensate them five hundred taels. Bring Xiangrong and the others back."

"Yes."

Lei Yucheng left immediately.

Li Ankun finally couldn’t hold back his complaints, "Old Hall Master, if we do this, where is the face of Wind and Thunder Martial Arts Hall? Those who don’t know might think the Old Hall Master is afraid of him."

"You always care about those meaningless pride conflicts. Such minor humiliation doesn’t matter. Our Wind and Thunder Martial Arts Hall is still the number one hall in Qingfeng City."

Seeing his face full of dissatisfaction, Lei Zhenguang knew he wouldn’t listen, so he waved him off.

...

Half an hour later, everything was arranged.

Only Lei Zhenguang and his grandson Lei Yucheng remained in the study.

"Grandfather, even if that Chen Ming is Eighth Grade, our Wind and Thunder Martial Arts Hall shouldn’t fear him, right? Why do you want to reconcile?" Lei Yucheng asked his lingering question once more.

In the Wind and Thunder Martial Arts Hall, there were three Eighth Grades. Not to mention his grandfather was a true Seventh Grade.

Lei Zhenguang asked him, "How long did it take you to break through from Ninth Grade to Eighth Grade?"

"Four years."

"This Chen Ming took only one year."

Lei Yucheng’s eyes glinted, "This person seemed ordinary under Huo Chengkun. Yet in the past year, he has improved rapidly, breaking through two grades. He must have secrets."

"If you think this way, won’t others think so too?"

"Grandfather, you mean?"

"Qingfeng City hides many talents. There are many stronger than your grandfather. When a secret is known to everyone, do you think it will come to us?"

Lei Yucheng was taken aback, then a wry smile appeared on his face as he sighed, "I understand now, grandfather."

Lei Zhenguang spoke with some relief, "I didn’t misjudge you. To live long in this world, one must control their greed."

"Grandfather, what about moving forward? How do we deal with this Chen Ming?"

"Follow the rules. If he wants to continue, he needs to pass the test."

...

On Xiushui Street, in a large mansion separated from Chen Mansion by two lanes.

A young girl was embroidering in a pavilion in the backyard, wearing a tender yellow ruqun, her features delicate, at the tender age of sixteen or seventeen.

She was embroidering a mandarin duck playing in water piece, used when a girl gets married.

"Miss, miss, I heard a fight broke out outside." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Oh."

Zhang Xinyi wasn’t interested, continuing her embroidery.

But her personal maid, hearing some excitement, chattered on the side.

"I heard it’s a newly moved-in family..."

"Surname Chen..."

"They opened a pharmacy..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xinyi suddenly lost focus, pricked her finger with a needle, causing a blood pearl to form and drop onto the embroidery, quickly spreading.

The maid suddenly realized, scolding the other maid beside her, "I told you not to speak, now you’ve ruined the young miss’s half-month embroidery."

Zhang Xinyi couldn’t help but think of the person she once knew.

The other maid was confused, not knowing where she had gone wrong.

Zhang Xinyi suddenly asked, "Why did they fight?"

The maid looked from her to the other maid, uncertain whether to speak.

The personal maid angrily hit her, "Miss is asking you, speak up."

Finally, the maid said, "It seems like it was against a Martial Arts Hall Association, seeking to hold someone accountable..." and vividly recounted the incident.

Upon hearing how those from the Martial Arts Hall Association arrogantly declared how they would handle Chen Family’s second son, Zhang Xinyi grew anxious, asking worriedly, "Is he... alright?"

"He?"

The maid, not knowing who the miss was asking about, looked puzzled.

The personal maid kicked her angrily, "Miss means that Chen Family’s second son."

Only then did the maid realize, "He’s perfectly fine. Miss, you don’t know how formidable he is, taking down a dozen people at once."

Zhang Xinyi was stunned, "He was always this powerful?"

"Definitely powerful, I heard he’s an Eighth Grade Martial Artist, incredibly formidable."

Eighth Grade?

Zhang Xinyi was surprised.

Even if she was uninterested in martial arts matters, she knew the weight of an Eighth Grade Martial Artist.

Could it not be him?

Her former fiancé was rumored to be of average talent and had even given up on martial arts once. Had he been slightly more talented, her family wouldn’t have thought of breaking the engagement.

She remembered him not even being a Martial Artist.

Zhang Xinyi hadn’t heard any news about him in a long time, knowing nothing of his current situation. Only once had she accidentally overheard her brother say the Chen Family Pharmacy’s business was flourishing.

The personal maid also found it strange, "What’s the name of this Chen Family second son you mentioned?"

"That I’m unsure of."

"Go find out."

"Yes."

After a while, the maid returned with a face full of regret. Upon learning that the Chen Family’s second son was indeed him, she realized why the miss had been acting so strangely.

To think it was the Chen Family’s second son whom the miss had once broken off an engagement with!

In the past, no one referred to Chen Ming this way.

The master had strictly forbidden any mention of him in front of the young miss. She had committed a significant error unintentionally.

The personal maid impatiently asked, "Is it him?"

The maid hesitated but said, "Yes."

It truly was him?

Zhang Xinyi’s emotions surged, unable to calm down for a long time.

Suddenly, she recalled words spoken by Huo Qianqian.

A thought involuntarily surfaced in her mind, "Is my uncle and father regretting it now?"