Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Please Whip Me Hard

Before long, Chen Xuan returned to his residence.

The moment he was back, he saw a young woman sitting quietly on a stone bench in the courtyard.

The swelling on her face still hadn’t gone down; it was a mess of black and blue. She was wrapped up like a mummy, both her arms also heavily bandaged, her gaze fixed on the courtyard gate.

When she saw Chen Xuan approaching, Su Qingliu seemed to summon all her courage, abruptly standing up and striding quickly toward him.

To Chen Xuan’s utter astonishment, she suddenly gave him a deep bow.

"Squad Leader Chen, I’m sorry. My previous actions were impulsive. I hope you can forgive me!"

"Hm?"

Chen Xuan’s eyes glinted.

’She’s really apologizing?’

’This woman has a good mindset. She can take a loss and move on.’

"Squad Leader Chen, I’ve carefully investigated everything that’s happened since you joined the gang. While you did indeed strike people, without exception, they were the ones who provoked you first. This was true for Fang Li, Liu Zifeng, and Zhou Yang. I was wrong to try and attack you without getting the facts straight!"

Su Qingliu pursed her swollen lips and spoke again.

"Good, as long as you understand,"

Chen Xuan said.

’Since she’s showing this kind of attitude, what else can I say? It’s not like I’m a petty person.’

"Squad Leader Su, since that’s the case, let’s bury the hatchet. I won’t hold this against you, and I hope you won’t hold anything against me in the future. You may go now!"

Chen Xuan said.

"Wait a moment!"

Su Qingliu quickly waved her hand, but the movement pulled at her wounds. She let out another muffled groan as beads of cold sweat trickled down her skin.

"There’s one more thing."

"What is it?"

Chen Xuan asked.

"It’s about the Qingshui Sect."

Su Qingliu said immediately, "Our Qingshui Sect is a newly established branch. Our purpose is to fight for control of the docks’ profits. There’s a spot in the Qingshui River that is rich in spirit fish.

"These spirit fish are extremely beneficial for a Martial Artist’s cultivation and recovery from injuries. Right now, that fishing ground is jointly occupied by our Red Sand Gang and the Giant Whale Gang. A negotiation is scheduled for tomorrow to decide its ownership. I hope you can go in person."

"I don’t know anything about that. I only know how to fight."

Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

’Negotiations and all that... they’d be better off finding some armchair strategist.’

"It *is* about fighting!"

Su Qingliu nodded firmly. "They call it a negotiation, but tomorrow, it’s bound to come down to a fight to decide the outcome. In my current state..."

She glanced at her body, heavily wrapped in bandages, and pursed her lips, saying no more.

"I see. No problem, then."

Chen Xuan replied, "Who are they sending? How strong are they?"

"The Giant Whale Gang’s side is also led by a squad leader, a man named Zhang Lie. He was originally an outlaw nicknamed ’Muscle-Splitting Hand.’ He committed countless murders and joined the Giant Whale Gang because he had nowhere else to run.

"After joining the Giant Whale Gang, he surrounded himself with a group of lowlifes, masters of thievery, swindling, and kidnapping. Many of them engage in horrific torture—kidnapping children from all over, breaking their limbs, and raising them in jars for their own amusement. It’s utterly inhuman!"

Su Qingliu’s tone was ice-cold.

Although she too was part of the martial underworld, she couldn’t help but grit her teeth at the mention of Zhang Lie.

"That much of an animal?"

Chen Xuan frowned.

"Yes, but his cultivation is at the Dark Force Fifth Layer. He’s exceptionally difficult to deal with, so you must be careful!"

Su Qingliu nodded.

"Dark Force Fifth Layer?"

Chen Xuan repeated.

’That would have been trouble before! But I’ve already reached the Dark Force Third Layer and mastered Blast Palm, which doubles my strength. It’s still up in the air who will come out on top!’

"When tomorrow?"

"First thing in the morning,"

Su Qingliu replied.

"Alright. Are you coming with me?"

Chen Xuan looked at her.

"Me?"

Su Qingliu subconsciously touched the heavy bandages on her face and looked down. "Why not have Jia Gui accompany you? Or I could summon a few other experts from the gang overnight!"

In her current state, it was really not a good idea for her to go out.

Even if she went, she wouldn’t be much help.

"No need. I’ll go by myself,"

Chen Xuan said flatly.

’Bringing people from the gang would only hinder my performance.’

"Alright then. By the way, have you started cultivating that manual I gave you? Do you want me to teach you?"

Su Qingliu asked.

"No need, I’m already practicing it."

"You’re already practicing it?"

Su Qingliu was taken aback.

"That’s right. I forgot to tell you—I’m a genius, too!"

Chen Xuan glanced at her, brimming with confidence, and casually slapped the air.

BOOM!

The air exploded with a thunderous roar.

A unique shockwave created by Blast Palm instantly billowed outwards.

Waves of Qi Energy, as dense and powerful as steel needles, shot out.

Su Qingliu’s pupils contracted.

’This is...’

"You’ve mastered it?"

she blurted out, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Not quite mastered. Just Minor Success,"

Chen Xuan replied calmly.

Su Qingliu took a deep breath, her mind reeling in utter shock.

’A genius!’

’He’s a true genius!’

’Minor Success in Blast Palm in just one day!’

’That speed is simply unbelievable!’

"Squad Leader Chen, thank you for knocking some sense into me. I never imagined you were such a prodigy. I hope you’ll really whip me into shape in the future! I’m willing to improve alongside you!"

Su Qingliu said earnestly.

"I’m a crude man. I don’t know what ’whip into shape’ means. I only know how to whip people. You want a taste?"

Chen Xuan glanced at her.

"Whip? Then I hope you can whip me mercilessly!"

Su Qingliu said again.

"Tsk! To think you can say something so lewd. You’ve really got some nerve,"

Chen Xuan scoffed.

"Lewd?"

Su Qingliu froze, seemingly not understanding what he meant. But a moment later, her swollen cheeks flushed crimson as it dawned on her, a look of deep shame and anger appearing on her face.

"Alright, hurry back now. I need to rest!"

Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

"Okay, I’ll take my leave."

Su Qingliu bowed again, then turned and left.

Chen Xuan opened his panel and looked at it.

Name: Chen Xuan

Heart Method: None

Martial Arts: Blast Palm (Minor Success), Black Evil Palm (Perfection), Thunderbolt Step (Perfection), Tongbei Fist (Major Success)

Cultivation: Dark Force Third Layer

Talent: Innate Divine Strength (Each time your renown increases by one level, you can unlock a new talent. Current Renown: Obscure)

Retribution Points: 15 (Can be used to deduce Martial Arts)

...

’I wonder how many retribution points I can rack up this time!’ he thought to himself.

He then walked over to the stone locks and stone mills in the courtyard. With a single grab, he effortlessly lifted a stone mill weighing over five hundred pounds, tossing it around in his hands as if it were nothing, the air whistling with its movement.

...

The night passed quickly.

Early the next morning, more than thirty members of the sect had already gathered in front of Chen Xuan’s door.

Each one of them was burly and powerfully built.

"Squad Leader, everyone is here!"

Jia Gui, dressed in a black shirt, was bowing with a grin plastered across his face, looking for all the world like a sycophant.

"Mm, let’s set out then!"

Chen Xuan said calmly.

"Move out!"

Jia Gui waved his hand.

The Giant Whale Gang’s branch sect was about seventeen or eighteen li from their location.

If you were to ask what the most chaotic place along the Qingshui River was, this would definitely be it.

Far from the city and close to the wilderness, it was a gathering place for countless hooligans and members of the martial underworld.

Adding to that was Zhang Lie, who had roamed the martial underworld in his early years and had many friends on the wrong side of the law. Countless people had heard of him and flocked to join, turning the area into a completely lawless land.

For the Red Sand Gang to try and snatch a piece of the pie from the Giant Whale Gang’s mouth, a tough battle was inevitable.

「Before long.」

Chen Xuan’s carriage arrived at the Giant Whale Gang’s branch sect.

The moment he arrived, he heard the faint sounds of screams and crying from all around, and smelled a scorching stench in the air.

Chen Xuan couldn’t help but frown slightly as he leaped down from the carriage and looked around.

The environment was utter chaos.

Small wooden huts dotted the area.

All sorts of cries echoed incessantly from within the huts.

Some people were even putting on live, lewd spectacles in broad daylight.

There was also a group of ’jar people,’ placed by the roadside to be bought and sold.

These so-called ’jar people’ were individuals whose bodies were raised inside jars, with only their heads sticking out. Without exception, they were all children.

Not far away, a burly man wielded a thick whip, viciously lashing an old man. The man wailed continuously, his flesh torn and bloody, on the verge of death.

Behind the old man was a child in ragged clothes, tears streaming down his face as he cried wretchedly, looking as if he were the man’s grandson.

"Animals. They’re all a bunch of animals!"

Chen Xuan’s brow furrowed. "Even if I killed every last one of them, not one would be innocent!"

"Squad Leader Chen, you can’t just say things like that here."

Jia Gui jumped in fright and whispered hurriedly, "Be careful they don’t hear you. It could cause unnecessary trouble."