Qiu'er stared at Jian Chen with eyes blazing with fury, like a ferocious beast ready to devour him whole.
"You little bastard! I'm gonna teach you a good lesson today!" Qiu'er roared.
He took two steps forward, closing in on Jian Chen, and lashed out with a fast kick aimed straight at Jian Chen's head. The kick was lightning-fast. A normal person hit in the head would be badly injured; for an ordinary child, it could be fatal.
Seeing the force behind Qiu'er's kick, the young servant in his twenties paled drastically and shouted, "Brother Qiu'er, stop!"
Jian Chen was still the Fourth Young Master of Changyang Mansion, the Patriarch's own son. Even if he was a useless cripple who could not cultivate, his status still stood. Mocking him was one thing, but actually attacking him would bring severe punishment—no amount of backing could save them.
Sensing the power in Qiu'er's leg, Jian Chen's expression shifted slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He twisted his body to the side and easily dodged the kick. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, closing in on Qiu'er. He hooked one arm under Qiu'er's outstretched leg, lifted his other thigh with his other hand, let out a low shout, and channeled all his Saint Power into his move.
Incredibly, his small frame lifted the hundred-jin Qiu'er clean off the ground.
Holding Qiu'er aloft, Jian Chen gave him no time to resist. He took several quick steps forward, using the momentum to hurl Qiu'er away.
Qiu'er flew five meters through the air before crashing down toward a large chopping board.
By sheer misfortune, right beneath where he fell lay a strange, spiked kitchen tool, covered in steel prongs like a hedgehog.
Qiu'er landed directly on it.
The inch-long steel spikes pierced easily into his body. He let out another bloodcurdling scream, his face twisting in agony.
Every servant in the kitchen stood frozen, staring in utter disbelief.
A seven-year-old child had not only lifted a hundred-jin man but had defeated a Level 3 Saint Power practitioner? No one in Changyang Mansion would believe such a thing if they heard it.
Jian Chen gave the screaming Qiu'er and the mocking young servant a cold glance.
He said nothing and left the kitchen without even taking the steamed buns.
Outside, Jian Chen sighed quietly.
To think that even the kitchen servants now dared to bully the Fourth Young Master of Changyang Mansion.
Shaking off his frustration, he wandered casually through the mansion on small feet.
Changyang Mansion was enormous—even after several years, Jian Chen had not seen every corner. The grounds were beautifully landscaped, with pavilions, terraces, several small lakes, and gardens filled with rare flowers and herbs that wafted a delicate fragrance.
As the Fourth Young Master, Jian Chen could go anywhere he pleased.
Along the way, he noticed powerful experts hidden near important paths and buildings. He had long grown used to this—Changyang Mansion was one of the four great clans of Lor City, a First-Class City, and held extremely high status.
Before he knew it, he had wandered into a beautiful garden.
In an open area, he spotted his Third Brother, Changyang Ke, practicing with a wooden axe.
To Jian Chen, a grandmaster of the sword, Changyang Ke's swings looked like random, clumsy slashes—completely without form or technique.
Though Jian Chen specialized in the sword, he had seen many experts wielding axes and other weapons in his past life, so he was familiar with all kinds of weapon styles. Changyang Ke's flailing left him speechless. This was not martial arts—it was just messing around.
Just as Jian Chen was about to turn and leave, Changyang Ke spotted him.
He stopped moving, a malicious grin spreading across his face.
"Fourth Brother, come here! Third Brother has candy for you!" Changyang Ke called out.
Jian Chen almost tripped.
That line might work on a three-year-old, he thought to himself. He did not seem to realize that, without his past-life experience, he was barely older than that.
Jian Chen ignored him and kept walking without turning back.
Seeing Jian Chen walk away, Changyang Ke's face darkened with anger. He threw his wooden axe aside and chased after him, blocking his path.
"Fourth Brother, did you not hear me calling you?" Changyang Ke puffed out his cheeks, looking furious.
"Something wrong?" Jian Chen asked calmly, his voice cold.
He felt nothing but dislike for his Third Brother. Over the years, Changyang Ke had constantly tried to bully him. After word spread that Jian Chen could not cultivate Saint Power, he had grown even more unreasonable. If Jian Chen had not stayed inside so often, the harassment would have been endless.
Yet Changyang Ke had never succeeded. Secretly, Jian Chen had gotten the better of him many times, leaving Changyang Ke bitter and eager for revenge.
"Third Brother wants to practice martial arts with you."
Without waiting for Jian Chen's agreement, Changyang Ke grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the training spot. Inside, he was overjoyed. He could not outsmart Jian Chen, but he was sure he could beat him in strength—after all, his little brother was a useless cripple. This was the perfect chance to bully him.
Soon, Jian Chen was dragged back.
Changyang Ke picked up his wooden axe from the ground and grinned evilly at Jian Chen. "Ready, Fourth Brother? I'm attacking!"
Seeing his malicious smile, Jian Chen's eyes flickered with amusement. He spread his hands. "Third Brother, you have a weapon. Are you going to fight me empty-handed?"
Changyang Ke blinked, looked at the axe, hesitated for a moment, then tossed it to Jian Chen. "You take the axe then. I'll fight you with my hands."
The axe, though wooden, weighed about ten jin—far too heavy for most children under ten to lift easily. Changyang Ke did this on purpose, wanting to see Jian Chen make a fool of himself.
Jian Chen caught the axe easily and examined it. It was crudely made, only axe-shaped, with no sharp edge. It could not kill, only cause pain.
Changyang Ke was surprised to see Jian Chen lift the ten-jin axe so effortlessly.
Jian Chen looked at him and smiled faintly. "Third Brother, you use the axe." He threw it back.
Changyang Ke caught it and frowned in confusion. "You're going to fight me without a weapon?"
Jian Chen chuckled and shook his head. He walked to a small tree, snapped a one-meter-long branch, stripped off the leaves, and returned holding the bare stick.
"This is my weapon." He waved the branch lightly.
Changyang Ke glanced at the thin, stick-like branch and grinned, not angry at all. To him, beating Jian Chen would now be even easier. He thrilled at the thought of finally getting back at the little brother who had humiliated him so many times.
Changyang Ke tightened his grip on the axe. "Fourth Brother, watch out! I'm coming!"
He charged forward, rushed up to Jian Chen, gripped the axe with both hands, and chopped down hard.
The wooden axe could not kill, so Changyang Ke held nothing back, striking with all his strength.
Jian Chen shifted his feet and dodged the axe with ease. He then thrust the branch forward quickly.
At that moment, his aura changed sharply, turning sharp and piercing like a unsheathed sword. The branch in his hand carried an irresistible momentum—as if the simple stick had transformed into a real divine blade.
The branch moved so fast that Changyang Ke did not even react.
Before he knew it, the stick was pressed firmly against his throat.
"Third Brother, you lose." Jian Chen looked at him playfully, his voice soft.
Changyang Ke stared blankly at the branch at his throat, his eyes wide with disbelief.
He had not seen it move at all. One second, everything was normal; the next, the stick was at his neck.
After a stunned moment, Changyang Ke snapped back to his senses. He slapped the branch away and broke it in two, shouting angrily, "That doesn't count! You cheated, Fourth Brother!"
Jian Chen smiled at his flustered, red-faced brother. "How did I cheat, Third Brother?"
"I… I…" Changyang Ke scratched his head, unable to come up with an excuse. Finally, he huffed. "That round just didn't count! Let's do it again!"
Jian Chen straightened the broken branch and smiled calmly. "Fine. Let's try again."
He slowly stepped back five meters.