Fighting Zhang Chen
The Zhang manor training grounds. A twenty five square meters square stage was built in the center. Two kids about fifteen years old could be seen fighting on the stage. The stage was surrounded by spectators on the four sides. The north side had the elders, the old generation of the family seated on a raised platform. The east had the current decision makers of the family, the middle generation which included Zhang Wuji's parents and his uncles. The west had the young generation participating in the competition. The people standing on the south were either family members not carrying the bloodline but given the Zhang name or normal civilians of the city.
Guests, depending on their status, were seated on either the north or the east side. Zhang Wuji, much to his father's disappointment, was not participating and was thus seated on the east side together with his parents. Zhang Yuxi was seated right next to him along with his eldest uncle, his wife and their son.
He was required to show up for every event and was thus spectating this boring little competition.
'Zhang Chen should be fighting in the next group. Let's see how much improvement he made.'
The competition was held in nine age groups, from twelve to twenty. All youngsters of the same age fought among themselves to determine who among them would be getting the most resources next year. Zhang Chen was in the fifteenth and he was in the sixteenth.
'Old Zhang Wuji only participated once when he was 12. How could he still be disappointed with me not participating!' Zhang Wuji was really puzzled with his father's behaviour. By now he must be used to his son's character.
Soon the fourteenth group winner was determined. Not long after the fifteenth winner was also determined. It was not Zhang Chen. He did not even participate.
'Don't tell me he's gonna jump age groups. He is in the sixth level which is a bottleneck and therefore people of different age groups could be found on that level. An average cultivator would breakthrough sixth at around sixteen and stay there for two years.
'As for the Zhang family, there are no high stage body refinement realm cultivators even in the nineteen years age group. There is four more years of combat experience and martial arts proficiency that would make them a difficult target.
'If he's gonna jump I think it will be to the sixteen years or seventeen years age group only. If he aims too high, he might end up with nothing.
'Wait is he gonna go for sixteen years age group and challenge me? But I'm not even participating, no it is possible. I gotta be careful.'
The competition was very fast paced. There were few that joined a sect or some other higher level power. Those that didn't had no chance to win against those that did join. There weren't more than five in any age group. Sometimes there were none, giving an opportunity for those that did not make it into a higher level power which unfortunately is snatched by those in the lower age group.
In the sixteen years age group, Zhang Chen did participate and as he had feared, it was to cause trouble for him.
Zhang Chen beat everyone in the group and as he was about to be declared the winner of the group,
"Zhang Wuji, your father spends a great portion of the family's income to nurture you. How about you come and show what makes you worth all that."
"Zhang Chen, that is third uncle's own money not the family's income, and how he spends it is none of your business. You on the other hand are heavily nurtured by the family yet I don't see any great improvement in you. I do not think you are worth all that." Zhang Yuxi retorted not giving Zhang Wuji a chance to speak.
'Big sis, keep it up. I really don't want to entertain him and then end up fighting.' He was happy to stay silent.
"Yuxi behave yourself! We decided on nurturing Zhang Chen after great consideration. Are you questioning the family's decision? Sit down and stay quiet!" Eldest uncle did not let her continue and ordered sternly.
"Cousin Yuxi how could you say that, I'm the youngest sixth level body refinement realm cultivator in the whole family while cousin Wuji is still in the fifth level despite all the resources put into him."
"When I was your age, not only was I in the sixth level, I also had reached completion in Autumn Sword Art. So do not ignorantly brag infront of me."
"YUXI!!" Her father shouted angrily at her.
"Hmph." She snorted and sat back down.
"Okay forget about that. Cousin Wuji would you mind telling us for what reason have you been spending tens of silver on useless relics? Silver, that could help someone from our family take a step further in their cultivation." Zhang Chen knew she would interfere and thus started with the previous argument to make sure she wouldn't mess with his present one. His father had already discussed with eldest uncle to control her.
'Zhang Wuji how dare you get your friends to beat me. I'll make sure to humiliate you to death today.'
"Mind your own business." Being stared at by so many people, he couldn't just stay silent and ignore him.
"Oh, but it is my business. As the future head of the family, I need to make sure that every copper the family makes is spent wisely. And here you are wasting money on useless collectibles! I need to address that. Third uncle is given his salary to grow and give back to the family not let his son squander it. As the head he needs to be responsible."
'Oi oi father character what's with the indifference? You let a youngster call you, the head, irresponsible in front of the whole family! Where's your pride where's your face?' Zhang Wuji looked at his father expecting him to say something.
'Unfilial son! Someone is calling your father irresponsible because of you, go to the stage and fight! Doesn't matter if you are beaten, atleast have the guts to fight!' Zhang Han looked back at his son and thought.
"Zhang Wuji come up on the stage and prove yourself worthy of all the resources poured into you or stop squandering the family's money and let others have a chance to grow." Zhang Chen continued with exaggerated gestures. 'Trash Wuji, even your father wants to see you beaten to a pulp. There is no one to save you today.'
By now the spectators also joined in, shouting at Zhang Wuji to make him fight.
'Alright calm down now. I got nothing to do with this family. Once I get my cheat, I might never look at their faces again. There is no need to get riled up. Ignore him.' Zhang Wuji closed his eyes and tried his best to ignore the sounds around when he felt something smash on his face, releasing sticky liquid.
He opened his eyes, touched his face and removed and eggshell. He was immediately filled with rage. He did not check who threw it, did not care about the elders present and lunged towards Zhang Chen spewing profanities.
The referee hurriedly got out of the way. Zhang Chen gave a victorious smile and easily dodged to the side. Zhang Wuji stopped his forward momentum and lunged back again at him.
He kept dodging and Zhang Wuji kept getting angrier at missing his target and looking at his smile. Zhang Chen was clearly playing with him. As he was at a level higher, he would definitely win in a head-on collision, but he just dodged. The crowd was going crazy laughing at Zhang Wuji's blind bull-like charges.
Zhang Wuji's anger peaked and he stopped. He took a defensive stance and waited, eyeing his prey. He was gonna rip his throat out. He didn't care for the consequences. He just wanted to rip his head off and throw it as far away as he could.
Zhang Chen realising that he couldn't play with him anymore, clawed at him. Zhang Wuji reached a whole new level of concentration and dodged all attacks sent towards him by a hair's breadth.
Zhang Chen slightly irritated by all the misses, clawed at a wide angle leaving him full of openings. Zhang Wuji stepped towards him, held his arm and threw him forcefully at the ground.
*Crack*
There was the sound of bone cracking followed by silence as the crowd quietened down. Zhang Chen's father's eyes went wide and Zhang Han's eyes were filled with excitement before they went back to normal.
Zhang Chen hurriedly got up, clutching his shoulder a d distanced himself. He glared at Zhang Wuji with rage filled eyes.
Zhang Wuji did not follow up with an attack and went back to his defensive stance and patiently waited.
"Trash I'll KILL YOU!!!" Though he was on the losing end, he knew it was just a mistake. He was careless. If he were to be serious, he could definitely beat the shit out of that trash.
He lunged forward and clawed. Though he was not as comfortable with his left hand and there were some problems with the form as his right shoulder was broken, it was enough to deal with a fifth level trash.
Zhang Wuji used the same tactic as before. But Zhang Chen was prepared this time and was careful to not repeat the se mistake. All his attacks were compact and in control, making it difficult to take advantage of.
Even with the injury Zhang Wuji couldn't fight head on with a sixth leveler. After a while, he was sure Zhang Chen wouldn't be impulsive and if he dragged this on, he couldn't guarantee he himself wouldn't slip up.
So he slammed into Zhang Chen and tripped down along with him. No move no nothing. This broke his flow. Now both were in a vulnerable position but he could recover faster as he had reached completion.
From an awkward position mid-fall, he grabbed at his right shoulder and tightly pressed. Zhang Chen was momentarily immobilised due to the pain. That moment was all he needed.
He flipped him around while holding his right arm mid-fall and made him cushion his fall while he rode on his back, twisting his arm.
"Aarghgh!!" Zhang Chen couldn't take the pain and screamed while slapping the ground with his left hand violently and repeatedly.
His scream was the only sound remaining in the training ground.
"YOU BASTARD! RELEASE HIM!" Zhang Chen's father violently stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Zhang Wuji did not even look at him. He looked his father in the eye. His eyes were still red from his rage. His father was looking right back at him. No expression visible on his face. It lasted for a long moment before he twisted the arm in an unnatural angle and broke it.
"Aaaaaaaarrrgh" A miserable scream like a pig getting slaughtered escaped Zhang Chen's mouth as Zhang Wuji got off him and walked away intending to leave the stage.
Second uncle immediately came to help his son up and screamed at the top of his lungs "WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING BRAT!!!"
Zhang Wuji turned towards him with a pounding heart. He knew, this time he messed up bad.
'What the fuck! I was just minding my own business! He messed with me, it was just an egg!! There was no need to get so angry! I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed!
'Aw fuck! What did I just do! Who twists arms like that! I can't even look at it without getting a tingling feeling in my arm!
'Oi Zhang Chen I'm real sorry. Oh My God I can even see bone! I think I'm gonna vomit.'
Zhang Chen's screams made his heart shudder. He just couldn't believe that he did something like that!
He looked at his second uncle's eyes and was scared.
'This fellow is gonna kill me. The elders don't look like they are on my side. Stupid father character this is all your fault, you deal with it. Man this sucks!'