Chapter 29: That Crazy Bitch!

"Back to the courtyard. Practice with me."

Xu Mu turned and walked into the manor. Watching his thin back, Xu Shuanyi followed him inside. Once they reached the courtyard where Xu Mu resided, the two stood facing each other.

Xu Shuanyi was a mid-stage Minor Master, while Xu Mu was only at the initial stage of Body Tempering—a gap of three entire major realms. Asking Xu Shuanyi to spar with him was like putting a professional player against a novice. It was bound to be incredibly boring for her.

However, a thought crossed Xu Shuanyi's mind. In the few days she had spent with him, she had already witnessed Xu Mu’s many facets: dark-bellied, arrogant, insidious, and even shameless. Although he treated her well, she still desperately wanted to teach him a lesson. And now, hadn't the perfect opportunity arrived? Since he had requested a sparring match, she could vent her frustrations under the guise of legitimate practice.

"Are you sure you want me to practice with you?" Xu Shuanyi asked.

"Suppress your cultivation to the mid-stage of Body Tempering. No weapons, bare hands. Come on."

For once, Xu Shuanyi flashed a smile at Xu Mu, then darted toward him like a nimble hare.

In the Great Xia Dynasty, official rank was paramount. The nation was built on martial prowess, and its people held martial virtue in high regard; warriors held a higher status than scholars. There were no age limits for the civil service examinations, but the martial examinations were different. If one failed to earn the title of Martial Scholar by the age of twenty-two, it was nearly impossible to pursue a martial career for the rest of one's life.

Xu Mu was already twenty-one. He had to take the Martial Scholar examination next spring, essentially catching the last train. With less than three months left, he needed to reach the pinnacle of the Body Tempering stage as quickly as possible. If he could break through to the Qi Refining stage, that would be even better.

...

Su Hanwei arrived at the gate of the Liang residence, a short blade hidden in her sleeve. She smoothed out her disheveled hair, forced a smile, and entered.

Seeing Liang Shucheng, Su Hanwei’s body trembled violently. It was this man who had snatched her away from Xu Mu, leading to the ruin of his family.

"Shu... Shucheng-gege."

Seeing Su Hanwei looking like a ghost of her former self, Liang Shucheng felt a surge of disdain. "Why... why are you here?" he asked, feeling a pang of guilt. He had originally intended to marry her to secure his connection to Su Tong, but he had since sent Su Tong to prison with his own hands.

"Shucheng-gege, I’ve been so wronged. Grandfather scolds me every day, forcing me to side with Xu Mu. But I don't want to. I only want to be with you. I... I don't want to go home," Su Hanwei stammered.

Liang Shucheng was startled. Could it be that she hadn't returned home yet and didn't know what had happened to her family?

"I see. Come in, then."

"Shucheng-gege, will you protect me?"

"Of course I will. Come here."

Just as Liang Shucheng reached out to embrace her, the trap was sprung. Su Hanwei pulled the short blade from her sleeve and thrust it toward his waist.

"Hiss!"

Liang Shucheng felt a sharp sting in his abdomen and recoiled instinctively. He looked down and saw, to his relief, that the blade had only pierced his skin—it wasn't a deep wound. He looked back at Su Hanwei and saw her features twisted into a mask of pure, monstrous hatred. She gripped the short blade with both hands, her entire body shaking violently.

"Die! Just die!" She lunged at him again.

"Damn you!" Liang Shucheng roared in fury, kicking her squarely in the chest and sending her sprawling to the ground. So, she did know what had happened to her family and had come to kill him for revenge? Since the truth was out, there was no need to keep up the charade.

"You bitch, you dare hurt me? I’ll beat you to death!"

Liang Shucheng stepped forward and began to stomp on her face. "I don't know where you get the nerve. Even if I stood here and let you try, do you think you could kill me? You’re just a discarded plaything, a piece of trash. Do you really think I loved you? If it weren't for your looks and the fact that your grandfather was the Prefect of Liangzhou, do you think I’d give you the time of day? You, a shameless slut who plays around behind my back, think you can act like a fawning dog and win my love? Do you even deserve it? You cheap, rotten, filthy thing, I’ll stomp you into the dirt!"

He cursed her with every kick. Soon, Su Hanwei’s face was covered in blood. She didn't offer any resistance, letting him beat and berate her. She felt so useless. She had been so close, she had landed the strike, yet she had only managed to scratch his skin. She finally realized that Liang Shucheng had only ever been after her beauty and her status; he had never loved her. The sheer irony of it tore at her heart like a blade.

The agony in her heart far outweighed the pain on her face. She was not reconciled. It was Liang Shucheng who deserved to die; why was she the one being trampled into the ground?

"Ahhh!"

Su Hanwei suddenly let out a roar. Summoning strength from nowhere, she grabbed Liang Shucheng's ankle and bit down hard on his ankle bone.

"Aaaah!" Now it was Liang Shucheng’s turn to howl like a dog, his screams echoing through the courtyard. Su Hanwei bit down with a death grip, and no matter how hard he shook his leg, he couldn't shake her off.

"Let go! Let go!"

Liang Shucheng raised his other leg and kicked her face repeatedly. Her already disfigured face became a bloody mess, but she refused to loosen her jaw.

"Let go! If you don't, I’ll kill you!"

Liang Shucheng, completely unhinged, grabbed the short blade from the ground and prepared to plunge it into her. Just then, his parents rushed over, one pulling him back while the other struggled to pry Su Hanwei away. They finally managed to separate them.

"Quick, throw her out!" his mother urged.

His father dragged Su Hanwei out and tossed her through the gate, slamming it shut with a heavy thud.

"What were you doing? Are you trying to commit murder?"

Liang Shucheng had truly intended to kill her. If his parents hadn't intervened, he would have run her through. Now that he had calmed down, a cold shiver of fear ran down his spine. With Su Tong freshly arrested, Su Hanwei was the talk of the city. If she died at his hands, he would certainly be executed for it.

He looked down and realized that Su Hanwei had actually bitten a chunk of flesh right off his ankle.

"That crazy bitch!"

Fury surged through him again. He grabbed a wooden club and started toward the gate, determined to beat her further—anything less wouldn't satisfy his rage.

"Where are you going? Get back here! If you beat her to death, are you going to go to the magistrate and pay with your own life?" his father shouted, blocking his path.

"That's right, she’s clearly lost her mind. Don't provoke her anymore," his mother added.

Liang Shucheng took a few deep breaths and threw the club down with a heavy thud.

"Pah! Filthy bitch!"