Changyang Ke gripped the axe tightly, eyeing Jian Chen cautiously. After his earlier defeat, he no longer dared underestimate his fourth brother and was far more vigilant this time.
Jian Chen wore a faint smile, his gaze carrying a hint of mockery that Changyang Ke could not understand. "Third Brother, are you ready to attack?"
Changyang Ke tightened his hold on the axe, channeling all his Saint Power into his body. He charged toward Jian Chen once more, his speed noticeably greater than before.
Jian Chen waved the half-meter-long branch casually in his hand. A strange feeling suddenly welled up within him—as if his spirit had formed a faint, hidden connection with the branch. Unconsciously, the scene from his past life flashed through his mind: the moment he had comprehended **Controlling the Sword with Spirit** on the brink of death, and how his sword had flown a hundred meters to pierce Dugu Qiubai's throat under the command of his will.
At that thought, Jian Chen's mind stirred, and he instinctively willed the branch in his hand to thrust toward Changyang Ke.
Whoosh!
The instant the thought formed, the branch came alive as if it had a will of its own. It flew out of Jian Chen's hand toward Changyang Ke at incredible speed, wrapped in a faint white glow. Wispy, sharp sword aura radiated from it, moving like a bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Changyang Ke's chest.
Jian Chen was horrified by the branch's speed and the sudden sword aura surrounding it. He immediately willed it to stop. He had no doubt that the branch, moving at such speed with that sharp aura, could easily pierce straight through Changyang Ke's body—at the very least, wounding him severely. If that happened, he would be in deep trouble.
The branch finally halted just as it reached Changyang Ke's chest. Even so, its tip had pierced his skin, though only shallowly. If Jian Chen had reacted even a split second later, Changyang Ke would have been run through, with unthinkable consequences.
Jian Chen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Through the faint connection between his spirit and the branch, he sensed that Changyang Ke was only lightly injured, with no real harm done. Only then did he relax.
The sharp pain in his chest turned Changyang Ke's plump little face pale. When he looked down and saw the blood, his expression changed. He immediately burst into loud wails, tears streaming down his face.
"Blood… blood! I'm bleeding! Waaah… Fourth Brother… you hit me… Waaah… Mother… Mother! I'm telling Mother! Fourth Brother hit me!"
In that moment, Changyang Ke was nothing more than a crying, spoiled child. He threw his wooden axe aside and ran crying out of the garden. After all, he was still under ten years old, raised in the comfort and safety of the clan.
Jian Chen watched his fleeing figure, shook his head helplessly, and walked back toward his own room. He knew he was about to face a severe scolding.
...
"What? Uncle Chang, you can't be serious!"
In the study, Changyang Ba, Patriarch of Changyang Mansion, shot up from his chair, staring in shock at the elderly man standing before him.
The elder was Uncle Chang, the mansion's steward.
Uncle Chang nodded firmly, his expression grave. "Patriarch, I would not joke about this. Dozens of servants in the kitchen saw it clearly: the Fourth Young Master beat and injured a kitchen worker. He even lifted the hundred-jin man and threw him five meters through the air. Most importantly, that worker is a Level 3 Saint Power practitioner."
Changyang Ba's shock deepened, mixed with utter disbelief.
Uncle Chang hesitated for a moment, then added, "Patriarch, I have just received another report: the Fourth Young Master sparred with the Third Young Master in the garden and injured him… using only a branch."
"What? Xiang'er fought Ke and injured him?" Changyang Ba exclaimed, still stunned.
"Yes, Patriarch. The Fourth Young Master used only a branch, while the Third Young Master had a wooden axe," Uncle Chang clarified.
"That's impossible!" Changyang Ba stood up again. "Xiang'er cannot cultivate Saint Power at all! Ke is three years older, has reached Level 3 Saint Power, and trains every day. How could Xiang'er, who knows no martial arts, possibly defeat him?"
Just then, Uncle Chang held up a half-meter-long branch. "Patriarch, this is the branch the Fourth Young Master used."
Changyang Ba took the thin branch, little thicker than a finger. At one end, tiny specks of dried blood were visible.
His expression turned solemn as he spotted the blood. "Uncle Chang, is Ke alright?"
"The Third Young Master is fine—only a light scratch," Uncle Chang replied.
Changyang Ba nodded, slightly relieved. He examined the branch again and again, his confusion growing. "Uncle Chang, this is just an ordinary branch. The tip is smooth. With Xiang'er's strength, he shouldn't have been able to hurt Ke with this."
Uncle Chang nodded, a sharp light flickering in his eyes. "Patriarch, I have a bold suspicion: the Fourth Young Master is not actually a cripple who cannot cultivate Saint Power. From his actions today, he has clearly already cultivated Saint Power—at least Level 4. Otherwise, he could never have defeated Qiu'er, a Level 3 practitioner."
Changyang Ba's face lit up with joy and excitement. This fourth son, once a genius but seemingly unable to cultivate, had always been his greatest regret.
"Uncle Chang, you mean Xiang'er *can* cultivate… and he's a genius?" Changyang Ba's voice trembled with emotion.
To reach Level 4 Saint Power at only seven years old was an extraordinary talent on the Tianyuan Continent. Under normal circumstances, children only reached Level 4 around the age of twelve.
Uncle Chang nodded. "I have watched the Fourth Young Master grow up. I saw his extraordinary talent clearly, and I always held high hopes for him. I secretly believed he would surpass me one day."
Changyang Ba's body trembled slightly at those words, his face filled with disbelief and ecstasy.
Uncle Chang continued, "When I first heard he was unable to cultivate, I found it strange. Something felt wrong, though I could not say what. But after today's incidents, I am certain my suspicion was correct. The Fourth Young Master is not a cripple—he is a cultivation genius."
Changyang Ba took a deep breath, calming his racing heart. Before he could speak, a servant rushed in and bowed respectfully. "Patriarch! The Third Young Master is injured. The Third Madam asks for you."
"Understood. You may leave," Changyang Ba said, waving him off.
"Yes, sir!" The servant bowed and retreated.
Changyang Ba turned to Uncle Chang and smiled faintly. "Shall we go and see? It's time we paid more attention to Xiang'er. We have neglected him long enough."
He paused, his tone turning cold. "Uncle Chang, see to it that those two kitchen servants who bullied Xiang'er are expelled from the mansion. How dare two servants lay hands on my son?"
Uncle Chang smiled. "Patriarch, I have already expelled them. One was introduced by the First Madam, and the other is the guard captain's younger brother—but if they dare bully the Fourth Young Master, they have no place here. The reputation of Changyang Mansion must be upheld."
...
In a large, luxuriously decorated room, the injured Changyang Ke lay in bed, his face slightly pale. The wound on his chest had been carefully bandaged.
Beside the bed, his mother Yu Fengyan stared at her son with heartache. Nearby stood Jian Chen and his mother Bi Yuntian, as well as First Aunt Linglong, Second Aunt Bai Yushuang, and Second Sister Changyang Mingyue.
Yu Fengyan spun around, glaring furiously at Bi Yuntian, her voice icy. "Fourth Sister, your precious son has grown far too bold! He wounded Ke with a weapon! Thankfully, Ke is lucky and only lightly injured. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable!"
Jian Chen frowned and retorted, "That's not my fault. Third Brother was the one who challenged me to a spar. Minor injuries are unavoidable in a fight. And I didn't use a weapon—just a branch. If anyone is to blame, it's Third Brother for his poor skill."
Yu Fengyan turned livid with anger, yet Jian Chen's words were logical, leaving her speechless.
Fuming at being out-argued by a young child, Yu Fengyan burned with silent rage—especially at Jian Chen's last comment, which openly implied her son was inferior to a so-called cultivation cripple.
Bi Yuntian and Bai Yushuang had to stifle their laughter. Only First Aunt Linglong remained expressionless.