Chapter 9: Strength Exposed

Qiu Er glared at Jianchen with eyes full of anger, his gaze like that of a fierce beast, as if he wanted to swallow Jianchen whole. "You little brat, today I will give you a good lesson." Qiu Er roared in fury, taking two steps to approach Jianchen and swiftly kicking out with his leg, aiming directly at Jianchen's head. The speed of this kick was very fast; if it truly hit the head, it would definitely cause significant harm to an ordinary person, and if it hit an ordinary child, it would certainly be fatal.

Feeling the force of Qiu Er's kick, the young man in his twenties who had mocked Jianchen earlier suddenly turned pale, shouting loudly, "Brother Qiu Er, stop!" Jianchen, after all, was the fourth young master of the Changyang Manor, the biological child of the manor's head. Although he was not valued by the family due to his inability to cultivate Holy Power, his status was still there. Mocking him a few times was nothing, but if they laid a hand on the fourth young master of Changyang Manor, they would definitely face severe punishment. Even if they had someone backing them, it wouldn't change anything.

Noticing the force in Qiu Er's kick, Jianchen's expression changed slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He then slightly sidestepped, easily dodging Qiu Er's kick. Instead of retreating, Jianchen advanced, quickly approaching Qiu Er. He used one arm to lock Qiu Er's leg that had not yet retracted, and with the other hand, he lifted Qiu Er's other thigh. With a low shout, he bent his waist and exerted all his strength, mobilizing all the Holy Power within his body. Surprisingly, with his small and weak body, he managed to lift Qiu Er's body, which weighed over a hundred pounds.

Holding Qiu Er, Jianchen did not give him time to resist. He took several steps, running on the ground, and with the momentum of his forward rush, threw Qiu Er out. Qiu Er's body flew through the air for about five meters before landing on a large chopping board. Coincidentally, the spot where Qiu Er landed had a strange kitchen tool covered in steel spikes, resembling a hedgehog.

Qiu Er's body landed directly on this strange kitchen tool, and the steel spikes, over an inch long, easily pierced his body. Immediately, Qiu Er let out a pig-like scream, the intense pain causing his facial muscles to contort.

All the kitchen helpers were stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief. A seven-year-old child, not only able to lift a person weighing over a hundred pounds, but also defeat someone with three layers of Holy Power. If this were told to anyone in Changyang Manor, no one would believe it.

Jianchen looked coldly at the continuously screaming Qiu Er and the other young man who had mocked him, said nothing, and left the kitchen without even taking a steamed bun.

Outside, Jianchen sighed inwardly. He never thought that, as the fourth young master of Changyang Manor, he would be bullied by the kitchen staff.

Putting aside his frustration, Jianchen strolled around Changyang Manor with small steps. The manor was very large, and in the past few years, Jianchen had never finished exploring it. The scenery within the manor was also very beautiful, with pavilions and terraces everywhere, several small lakes, and a garden filled with various rare flowers and plants, emitting a faint fragrance.

As the fourth young master of Changyang Manor, Jianchen could wander around freely. Along the way, he noticed that there were skilled people hidden in important roads and buildings within the manor. Jianchen was no longer surprised by this, as he had understood over the years that Changyang Manor was one of the four major families in Luer City, a first-tier city, and held a very high status.

As he walked, Jianchen found himself in a beautiful garden. In an open area, he saw his third brother, Changyang Ke, practicing with a wooden axe. However, the way Changyang Ke swung the axe looked like random chopping to Jianchen, the sword master, with no discernible technique.

Although Jianchen specialized in swordsmanship, he had seen many experts using axes and various weapons in his previous life, so he was somewhat familiar with the techniques of different weapons. Changyang Ke's random chopping made Jianchen feel quite speechless. This was not practicing at all.

Just as Jianchen was about to turn and leave, Changyang Ke suddenly noticed him, stopping his movements and revealing a sinister smile.

"Fourth brother, come over, I have candy for you," Changyang Ke called out to Jianchen.

Hearing this, Jianchen almost fell over. He thought to himself, "This line might work to trick a three-year-old." However, Jianchen did not realize that, without his past life's experience, he was not much older than a three-year-old.

Ignoring Changyang Ke, Jianchen continued walking without looking back.

Seeing Jianchen walking further away, Changyang Ke's face turned angry. He threw the wooden axe to the side and immediately chased after Jianchen, blocking his path.

"Fourth brother, didn't you hear me calling you?" Changyang Ke asked, his face red with anger.

"Is there something you need?" Jianchen asked calmly, his tone cold. He had no good feelings towards his third brother. Over the past two years, Changyang Ke had always found ways to bully him. Since the news of Jianchen's inability to cultivate Holy Power spread, Changyang Ke's actions had become increasingly excessive. If Jianchen went out less, Changyang Ke would have bullied him even more, but Changyang Ke had never succeeded. Instead, he had been bullied by Jianchen in secret, which left Changyang Ke harboring resentment and always looking for a chance to retaliate.

"Fourth brother, come practice with me," Changyang Ke said, not waiting for Jianchen's agreement, and forcibly pulled him towards the place where he had been practicing. In his mind, Changyang Ke was excited. He knew he couldn't outsmart Jianchen intellectually, but he didn't believe he was weaker physically. After all, his fourth brother was a martial arts waste, unable to cultivate Holy Power. This was a good opportunity to bully Jianchen.

Soon, Jianchen was forcibly pulled to the place where Changyang Ke had been practicing. Changyang Ke picked up the wooden axe from the ground, looked at Jianchen with a wicked smile, and said, "Fourth brother, are you ready? I'm about to attack."

Seeing the sinister smile on Changyang Ke's face, Jianchen's eyes showed a hint of mockery. He spread his hands and said, "Third brother, you have a weapon. Do you want me to fight you unarmed?"

Hearing this, Changyang Ke was taken aback. He looked at the wooden axe in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then threw it to Jianchen, saying, "Then you take the axe, and I'll fight you unarmed." The axe, though made of wood, weighed about ten pounds. For a child under ten years old, it would be difficult to lift, and Changyang Ke was eager to see Jianchen make a fool of himself.

Jianchen caught the wooden axe, examined it, and found it very crude, with only the shape of an axe. The blade was not sharp, so it wouldn't cause serious harm, just some pain.

Seeing Jianchen easily lift the ten-pound axe, Changyang Ke was surprised. This was unexpected.

Jianchen looked at Changyang Ke, a faint smile on his face, and said, "Third brother, you should use the axe." He then threw the axe back to Changyang Ke.

Catching the axe, Changyang Ke asked, puzzled, "Fourth brother, are you going to fight me without a weapon?"

Jianchen chuckled, shook his head, and walked to a small tree, breaking off a branch about a meter long, stripping off the leaves, and returning to his original position with a bare branch.

"This is my weapon!" Jianchen said, waving the branch and chuckling.

Changyang Ke glanced at the thin branch in Jianchen's hand, not angry but smiling happily. He thought it would be easier to defeat Jianchen today. The thought of finally being able to bully his fourth brother, who had caused him many secret losses, made Changyang Ke excited.

Changyang Ke tightened his grip on the axe and said, "Fourth brother, be careful. I'm attacking." He then rushed forward, running to Jianchen, gripping the axe tightly with both hands, and slashing at Jianchen with great force.

The wooden axe couldn't kill anyone, so Changyang Ke didn't hold back, striking with full force.

Jianchen easily dodged Changyang Ke's axe with a quick step, then quickly thrust the branch in his hand. At the moment the branch was thrust out, Jianchen's aura suddenly changed, becoming as sharp as a sword. The branch he thrust out carried a momentum of relentless advance, transforming into a true sword in his hands.

The speed of Jianchen's thrust was extremely fast, so fast that Changyang Ke didn't even notice it. The branch stopped steadily in front of Changyang Ke's throat.

"Third brother, you lose!" Jianchen said with a mocking smile, looking at Changyang Ke, who had not yet retracted his axe.

Changyang Ke stared at the branch in front of his throat, his eyes filled with disbelief. He didn't see how the branch had reached his throat; he only saw a blur, and the branch was already there.

After a moment of shock, Changyang Ke came to his senses, broke the branch in front of his throat into two pieces, and said loudly, "That doesn't count. Fourth brother, you cheated."

Jianchen looked at Changyang Ke, who was slightly red-faced, and said with a strange tone, "Third brother, how did I cheat?"

"This... this..." Changyang Ke scratched his head, stammering, and finally said, "Anyway, that doesn't count. Let's do it again."

Jianchen straightened the broken branch and said with a smile, "Alright, let's do it again." He then slowly retreated to five meters away.

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(End of the chapter)