Chapter 61: A Little Genius Shock for Hong Ming

Chapter 61: A Little Genius Shock for Hong Ming

"Ten times!"

Su Chen muttered to himself, recording the results of his latest test.

When activating Dual Force, his Vital Force could only sustain five attacks at the second layer of Iron Shirt. However, at the third layer, the capacity doubled to ten activations. This was great news for him.

Other than the increased endurance, there weren’t significant changes to his other abilities.

After assessing his progress, Su Chen returned indoors. He hadn’t slept since the previous night’s activities.

As his head hit the pillow, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile, in Lanye Town...

A headless corpse was carried into a courtyard and laid out on the ground.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a tall, bearded man entered the courtyard. He lifted the white cloth covering the body, then grabbed the arm of the deceased. Seeing the scar on the limb, his expression darkened.

"Who did this?" he demanded, turning to Wei Jie’s subordinates.

One of them stepped forward and recounted the previous night’s events. After listening, the man murmured, "One-armed... Yang Guo."

"Bring me everything you have on this person", he ordered moments later.

Soon, two intelligence reports lay before him.

The first detailed Su Chen’s involvement in assisting the Fang Clan to kill the Third Chief of Lianyun Fortress.

The second documented Wei Jie’s investigation into Su Chen’s role in killing Chu Ming on behalf of the City Authorities.

The man slammed his fist on the table, roaring, "Yang Guo! You dare challenge the Pure Land Sect so brazenly!"

Killing the Third Chief of Lianyun Fortress was already a provocation, but slaying Wei Jie was outright defiance of the sect’s authority.

Yet...

After his initial fury, the man’s sharp eyes narrowed as he reread the first report.

"This person isn’t just bold—they’re cunning. They specialize in Concealed Strength. Wei Jie should’ve known better than to fall for it. Yet he lost his life, and his head, to an ambush."

Piecing together the details, he realized Su Chen had deliberately hidden his prosthetic arm. While Wei Jie’s death might’ve been understandable had he been unaware, the fact that he knew about the False Arm Sheath and still fell victim raised troubling questions.

"Wei Jie’s Strength Cultivation was nearly perfected. Decades of practice brought him to the brink of full Martial Cultivation Mastery. His leg techniques could rival even seasoned masters. Could this Su Chen have already achieved full Mastery? Since when has White Stone City harbored such a threat?"

He pondered in silence, unable to recall any figure in the city matching Su Chen’s description.

"Regardless of your strength", he finally growled, "daring to kill my sect’s disciples means blood for blood."

He summoned a subordinate. "Spread the word that Yang Guo has been slain by this Guardian Lawkeeper."

"As you command!"

The subordinate hesitated before asking, "Will the City Authorities believe this?"

"Whether they believe it matters not. I aim to draw Yang Guo out", Sun Hufa replied curtly. "Issue orders to evacuate Lanye Town tonight. Inform Zhu Hu and the others to proceed with the plan as scheduled."

"Understood!"

---

The next day, Su Chen slept until noon, awakened only by the growling of his empty stomach.

After washing up, he headed to a tavern for a hearty meal. Sated, he made his way to the Martial Arts Institute instead of home.

It had been a month since his last visit. Time to check in.

Before entering, he overheard excited chatter from inside:

"Senior Brother Qin Hao was incredible! He defeated countless disciples in one go!"

"Unbelievable! If I hadn’t entered with him myself, I’d never believe he reached such heights in less than half a year!"

"Qin Hao brought our Institute so much honor! You should’ve seen Master’s face—his wrinkles practically vanished from smiling so much!"

"Of course! Who wouldn’t be thrilled to have a prodigy like Qin Hao as a disciple?"

The crowd fell silent as Su Chen stepped through the door. After a brief pause, they greeted him in unison: "Senior Brother Su!"

Su Chen, preoccupied with how to face Hong Ming, merely nodded before moving on.

As soon as he left, the murmurs resumed.

"Did you notice? Senior Brother Su seemed... unhappy."

"They’ve always been rivals. Now that Qin Hao’s in the spotlight, Su Chen must feel overshadowed."

"Exactly! All the major factions are courting Qin Hao lately. He’s drowning in invitations. Compared to that, Su Chen’s been practically invisible."

---

Entering the inner courtyard, Su Chen nearly collided with Li Mo, who was exiting.

Li Mo froze upon seeing him, then pulled him aside.

"You actually showed up?" Li Mo hissed, glancing back to ensure Hong Ming hadn’t noticed.

Su Chen scratched his head awkwardly. "Senior Sibling Li Mo... how’s Master?"

"He’s practically fuming!" Li Mo snapped, clearly aware of Su Chen’s promise to Hong Ming.

Su Chen winced.

"You promised Master you’d attend the Exchange Assembly", Li Mo continued. "He waited half the day for you! Sent me searching—no luck! Can you imagine his frustration?"

Li Mo paused, then smirked. "Luckily for you, Qin Hao stepped in. He dazzled the elders and salvaged Master’s pride. Otherwise, you’d be facing his wrath."

Su Chen exhaled in relief. "So... I can go in now?"

"You can", Li Mo shrugged, "but Master’s still angry. Brace yourself."

Before Su Chen could step forward, Li Mo grabbed his arm. "You’re seriously going in? Don’t you fear his scolding?"

Su Chen halted, shaking his head with a faint smile. "I’ll be fine."

Li Mo blinked in disbelief but followed him inside.

As Su Chen entered, Qin Hao, mid-training, spotted him and stiffened.

Hong Ming, previously slouched, suddenly sat upright, his gaze sharpening.

Li Mo’s heart sank.

Qin Hao caught Hong Ming’s shift in demeanor and allowed himself the ghost of a smile.

Before Hong Ming could speak, Su Chen beat him to it, declaring boldly:

"Master, I’ve broken through in cultivation!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end