CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 196 【IT’S FATE, ACCEPT IT!】(LONG CHAPTER)

Chapter 196: It’s Fate, Accept It!

Liu Shiwei’s martial prowess was indeed much more profound. His combat experience also far surpassed that of Ding Jiaqiang from the previous match.

After the referee announced the start, Zhang Linsheng immediately retreated. He found that Liu Shiwei wasn’t rushing to attack but was instead steadily advancing, pressuring him.

Liu Shiwei’s steps were stable. He shifted left and right as he moved forward, patiently narrowing the space for Zhang Linsheng’s maneuvers.

This tactic was undoubtedly correct—under normal circumstances.

As far as Chen Nuo was concerned, he almost wanted to thank the guy! If you don’t attack, I don’t need to make him dodge. That also means Zhang Linsheng’s body bears less of a burden.

Finally, when Liu Shiwei successfully backed Zhang Linsheng into a corner of the ring, he suddenly intensified his attack!

Liu Shiwei, worthy of being Song Zhicun’s most prized disciple, showcased martial arts very much like his master’s. One hand formed a fist, the other a palm, and they struck together, whistling through the air as they aimed for Zhang Linsheng.

A strange glint flashed in Chen Nuo’s eyes.

Zhang Linsheng’s body swayed, nimbly dodging Liu Shiwei’s three punches and two palm strikes. Suddenly, Liu Shiwei executed an overhead axe kick!

Zhang Linsheng crossed his arms above his head. CRACK! Liu Shiwei’s leg struck the point where his arms met.

Using the force of the impact, Zhang Linsheng ducked, caught Liu Shiwei by the back of his knee, and executed a flip!

The move lifted Liu Shiwei completely off the ground!

Just as Liu Shiwei was about to be thrown out of the ring, while still mid-air, he hooked his feet powerfully onto the ring ropes. Simultaneously, his palms slapped the edge of the platform twice! His entire body flipped, and with a back somersault, he landed back in the center of the ring!

This reversal was incredibly spectacular, and the crowd below erupted into thunderous applause!

Liu Shiwei steadied himself, exhaled, and looking at Zhang Linsheng, he declared in a deep voice, "Clever tactics, kid! But tricks like that aren’t enough to beat me!"

Below the stage, Chen Nuo’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. This Liu Shiwei... his skills are truly formidable! He’s probably on par with that old fellow Song Zhicun. Against an opponent of this caliber, Zhang Linsheng has no chance of winning based on his own physical condition. And what’s more, with Zhang Linsheng standing on the stage, Chen Nuo could already sense that after forcibly blocking that axe kick, the arms beneath the sandbags had swollen badly! The bones were probably injured!

Liu Shiwei sneered, twisted his body, and advanced again. This time, however, he didn’t launch a frenzied attack. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity, his hands changing from fists and palms to claws! Each strike targeted Zhang Linsheng’s waist and lower body.

Zhang Linsheng dodged repeatedly, but then came a series of RIPS! Liu Shiwei’s sharp claws had caught the sandbags on his arms and legs. The leather tore, and sand instantly poured out, scattering everywhere!

"So, your tricks are useless now," Liu Shiwei sneered. "Your ability to take a hit is actually terrible, isn’t it? Without those sandbags, you probably can’t even take a single punch from me!"

Speaking, he twisted and lunged forward again. After three punches, he backed Zhang Linsheng into a corner. This time, as another punch descended, Zhang Linsheng could no longer dodge and had to block once more.

BANG! Zhang Linsheng’s body flew backward, crashing heavily against the ropes.

One of his arms trembled as he struggled for a few moments before barely managing to raise it again.

"Still resisting? I’ll shatter your bones!" Liu Shiwei snorted.

Zhang Linsheng slowly shook his head. "Why bother?"

"What?"

A strange smile appeared on Zhang Linsheng’s face, his tone equally peculiar. "I originally planned to just toss you out of the ring to win... but you wouldn’t cooperate. You just had to make things difficult for yourself."

Liu Shiwei froze. He clearly had the advantage. He’d seen through his opponent’s tricks. Especially when his opponent was dodging and blocking earlier, Liu Shiwei was sure he’d figured out the other guy’s true level—this opponent’s actual strength wasn’t high at all; in fact, it was quite weak! He was only winning because of those strange footwork techniques. That being the case, by suppressing his opponent with sheer strength, victory should be his. So why, when this opponent spoke in what Liu Shiwei considered an empty bluff, did he instinctively feel a prickle of danger?

Below the stage, Chen Nuo sighed internally. I only wanted to show off a little, but now... I have to go all out. How hard can it be, right?

On the stage, Zhang Linsheng’s entire demeanor suddenly changed.

He lowered his fists from their blocking stance, letting his arms hang loosely. He even shook his shoulders. Then, a cold smirk on his face, he slowly walked towards Liu Shiwei.

Liu Shiwei was dumbfounded.

Seeing Zhang Linsheng draw near, Liu Shiwei no longer hesitated, throwing a straight punch at his opponent’s chest.

Zhang Linsheng still wore that smile, seemingly not even looking at the incoming fist, showing no interest in blocking it.

Only Liu Shiwei himself felt it: as his punch flew out, halfway to its target, his mind suddenly went blank for an instant. His arm seemed to disobey him, freezing for half a second.

Though it was only half a second, Zhang Linsheng, who was walking towards Liu Shiwei, seemed to effortlessly twist his body, evading the punch and appearing right in front of him.

Liu Shiwei looked up at him...

SLAP!!

A resounding slap landed squarely on Liu Shiwei’s face.

Liu Shiwei staggered from the blow, his body lurching to the side.

Enraged, he roared and struck out with his left palm. But once again, his mind stuttered, and his arm stiffened for a moment.

Zhang Linsheng again sidestepped smoothly, appearing before Liu Shiwei, and raised his hand...

SLAP!

This time, the slap landed on Liu Shiwei’s forehead, coming down from above.

"..."

Liu Shiwei’s eyes turned red. Neither slap was heavy; he definitely wasn’t injured. But to be repeatedly slapped in the face on the stage, in front of so many elders from the Hong Kong martial arts community and such a large audience... This is an absolute, utter humiliation!!!

With a roar, Liu Shiwei punched at Zhang Linsheng’s face again.

This time, Liu Shiwei felt that as he threw the punch, he couldn’t generate any speed. The force seemed to be trapped in his knuckles, and he couldn’t exert any strength at all.

He watched helplessly as Zhang Linsheng simply caught his fist with one palm, then, with a light turn, was once again right in front of him.

SLAP!

Another slap!

"You?!"

SLAP!!

"What technique are you..."

SLAP!!

"Damn it..."

SLAP!!!

Seven or eight slaps in a row, all landed on Liu Shiwei’s face.

The crowd below was completely dumbfounded.

They watched as Zhang Linsheng easily dodged every punch and palm strike from Liu Shiwei. He didn’t retaliate with heavy blows; he just dodged, closed in, and delivered another slap.

After seven or eight slaps, Liu Shiwei’s square face had swollen so much he almost looked fat.

Blood streamed from the corners of his mouth and his nostrils.

Sharp-eyed spectators could even see that Liu Shiwei’s eyes on the stage were red, with a faint glint of moisture in them...

"Holy crap! Is Liu Shiwei being beaten to tears?"

"This is so embarrassing!"

"Getting slapped repeatedly in front of so many people..."

Liu Shiwei wasn’t actually crying. The slaps had grazed his eyes, triggering a physiological reflex that stimulated his tear glands.

But hearing these comments from the crowd, Liu Shiwei truly felt like crying from sheer anger and humiliation.

"Don’t hit my face..."

SLAP!

"Don’t..."

SLAP!

"Stop..."

SLAP!!!

Finally, Liu Shiwei roared, clutched his head with both hands, turned, and started to retreat. But Zhang Linsheng sneered, caught up in two steps, and kicked him squarely in the back of the knee.

THUD!

Liu Shiwei collapsed, landing hard on both knees.

He frantically struggled to turn and get up, only to see another slap descending. Liu Shiwei roared, but at this moment, he couldn’t seem to muster any strength, as if invisible ropes bound his body tightly.

SLAP!!

After this slap, Liu Shiwei opened his mouth, and a tooth flew out.

At this moment, Liu Shiwei’s face was a mess of blood, snot, and tears. He curled into a ball, hugging his head as he lay on the ground, unable to even stand.

Only then did Zhang Linsheng lower his hand. He turned to look at the third person on the stage—the referee.

"He’s not getting up. So, what’s the call?"

The referee’s eyes bulged, staring at the young man as if he were looking at some kind of monster. What’s the call? What’s the call?! You’re asking *me* what the call is?! You’re actually bloody asking *me* what the call is?!! He glanced down at Liu Shiwei and sighed internally. This Liu Shiwei was once considered a formidable fighter in the Hong Kong martial arts scene. Song Zhicun hadn’t competed in years, and the Song Family’s prestige in recent times was largely maintained by Liu Shiwei’s efforts. Gradually, he’d even earned the nickname ’Little Invincible of Hong Kong.’ The guy fought hard and was ruthless, often breaking his opponents’ limbs. He always dominated his opponents with his imposing presence. But today, on this very stage, he’d been slapped countless times, beaten almost to the point of a breakdown! He’s finished. This guy is completely finished! Once he steps off this stage today, the reputation Liu Shiwei painstakingly built over years of tough fights will be utterly destroyed. From now on, whenever people mention Liu Shiwei, they’ll only remember him as the guy who was slapped to tears on stage by a young kid from the mainland!

While the referee was still stunned, Zhang Linsheng turned back, swatted away the arms Liu Shiwei was using to shield his head, and landed another slap on his face!

SLAP!

"...Stop!" The referee finally reacted and rushed forward. "Stop! Stop, stop, stop!!"

Glancing at Liu Shiwei, still clutching his head on the ground, the referee sighed. He looked at Zhang Linsheng, slowly walked over, took one of his hands, and raised it.

"The winner, Jinling... Jinling Brother Haonan."

Below the stage, Song Zhicun’s face was completely ashen.

He whipped his head around, his venomous gaze fixed on Old Jiang. In his mind, this was all a scheme by Old Jiang and his family! They had such a ghostly skilled master in their family, yet they hid him! Deliberately setting me up! Then they send the younger generation onto the stage to fight! To utterly smash the Song Family’s martial arts reputation, slap by slap!! Such vicious scheming!!!

However, just as Song Zhicun was angrily glaring at Old Jiang, he was surprised to see...

Old Jiang and his wife also had their eyes wide, staring at the stage with expressions of utter shock and dismay.

As for Song Zhicun, his mental state had completely shattered.

At some point, his disciples helped him back to his seat below the stage.

He didn’t hear a single word the referee on stage was saying.

His disciples nudged him several times, but Song Zhicun remained unresponsive, his eyes vacant and unfocused, staring blankly into the distance.

It seemed the referee on stage shouted for a while. Then Song Gaoyuan, the second son of the Song Family, went up and said something. After that, a representative of the martial arts elders observing the competition also went on stage to speak...

Song Zhicun didn’t hear any of it clearly.

He only felt the entire martial arts arena was in an uproar, and the world was spinning before his eyes.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before his senses gradually returned.

He blinked, looking around. A few of his disciples still surrounded him, but the martial arts arena was now a wreck.

The spectators in the stands had long since departed. Many signs and banners brought for support lay discarded on the ground, some of them torn.

Some chairs were also strewn about haphazardly, others violently smashed.

"Wh-what happened...?"

"Master, the audience was very angry when they left..." a disciple replied cautiously.

Song Zhicun said nothing. He took a deep breath and tried to stand, but he only made it halfway before his vision blurred. His disciples quickly rushed to support him.

"Th-the others?"

The disciple replied in a low voice, "They’ve all left... Our junior brothers took Eldest Senior Brother Liu Shiwei to the hospital. Second Master Song Gaoyuan and Third Master Song Chengye escorted some of the martial arts school masters home. And... and the members of the second branch of the family were also sent home by car by Third Master."

Just then, Song Zhicun saw his third younger brother, Song Chengye, walk in from outside the arena.

Song Chengye slowly walked towards his eldest brother. He deliberately paused midway to right an overturned chair and pick up a banner torn by angry spectators.

The banner clearly read "Invincible of Hong Kong"—but it was ripped in half.

Song Chengye gently brushed a footprint off it, then rolled up the banner and held it in his hand as he walked up to Song Zhicun.

Song Zhicun stared intently at his third brother, his eyes now crimson, like a pair of will-o’-the-wisps.

"Third Brother! Was it... was it you who rigged something? This match must have been rigged! Was it you? WAS IT YOU?!?!"

Song Chengye looked at his eldest brother’s contorted face, sighed softly, and shook his head. "Eldest Brother, it wasn’t me. I truly didn’t rig anything. I might have wanted to stop this match, but whether you won or lost, I stood to gain nothing."

"Then who was it?! Second Brother! It must have been Second Brother! He’s the one who wants me to lose the most!!"

Song Chengye frowned and said in a low voice, "Eldest Brother, let’s go home."

"Go... go home?"

"Father already knows the results from here. He called me just now and told me to inform you to return home immediately to see him."

"..."

Song Zhicun stood there trembling. Finally, he suddenly threw his head back, and a spray of blood erupted from his mouth.

「 」

"OW! OUCH, OUCH, OUCH! Holy crap! It HUUUURTS!!!!!"

In the room, Zhang Linsheng was howling like a pig being slaughtered.

Back in their suite, Zhang Linsheng no longer had to pretend to be tough and was wailing at the top of his lungs.

Chen Nuo sat beside him, holding one of his arms, his Telekinesis seeping into it strand by strand.

Brother Haonan’s arms were swollen like pig’s trotters. From elbow to wrist, they were a mass of bruises, a mottled black, red, and purple.

The soft tissue bruising was due to blocked, damaged capillaries and the resulting accumulation of clotted blood.

Chen Nuo was carefully using his Telekinesis to slowly help Zhang Linsheng disperse the clotted blood and clear the damaged capillaries.

Beneath the soft tissue, Zhang Linsheng’s bones had also suffered trauma.

Fortunately, there were no fractures—the sandbags Chen Nuo had prepared had done their job splendidly.

However... there were at least seven or eight hairline fractures, clearly revealed under the examination of Chen Nuo’s spiritual power.

Chen Nuo carefully directed his Telekinesis, strand by strand, to mend the hairline fractures.

Such injuries would take an ordinary person several months to recover from.

Even with Chen Nuo’s help, Brother Haonan would likely need a month or two to recuperate.

In the room, Brother Lei and Zhu Dazhi hovered around them, curiously asking about the day’s competition.

Xiao Yezi was the most considerate, even pouring Zhang Linsheng a cup of hot water.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Brother Lei ran to open the door, revealing Old Jiang and Song Qiaoyun.

Chen Nuo immediately stood up and smiled. "Master, Mistress, you’re here! Master, how’s your injury?"

Old Jiang wore a complex expression and didn’t speak. Song Qiaoyun spoke first, "Your master is fine. He’s already used the medicinal balm we brought."

Chen Nuo nodded, relieved. Old Jiang’s unique medicinal balm was very effective.

Song Qiaoyun glanced at Zhang Linsheng, who was struggling to stand. She sighed softly, took out a packet of medicinal balm, and slowly walked over. She helped Zhang Linsheng sit back down, then examined his arms and calves...

Seeing the large bruises, Song Qiaoyun’s expression grew even more complex.

"Mistress, I’m fine. No bones are broken, it’s just bruising," Zhang Linsheng said, his voice a bit wooden.

Song Qiaoyun opened the medicine packet, revealing a dark balm. She scooped out a dollop with two fingers and spread it evenly on Zhang Linsheng’s arm. Then she glanced at Chen Nuo. "Do you have any gauze?"

"Yes, yes." Chen Nuo immediately picked up a package of gauze from the sofa.

Song Qiaoyun sighed. "You had all this prepared already?"

Chen Nuo smiled but didn’t say anything.

"You two planned all along to go on stage today, didn’t you?" Song Qiaoyun looked at Chen Nuo holding the gauze, shook her head, and said no more. She unwrapped it and began to treat Zhang Linsheng’s injuries.

She first applied the balm, then wrapped it with gauze. Soon, Zhang Linsheng’s arms and legs were bandaged, and the air in the room was thick with the scent of medicine.

Song Qiaoyun’s technique was very skilled. After finishing the bandaging, she trimmed the gauze with scissors and said softly, "There. When your master was young and got injured, I always treated him. Our family’s medicinal balm is very good. As long as no bones are broken, apply our balm, change it every three days, and after three applications, the injury will mostly be healed.

"However, even if it looks healed on the surface, it still needs time to recover fully to avoid any lingering problems."

Chen Nuo grinned. "Thank you, Mistress."

Song Qiaoyun silently stood up and sat down beside Old Jiang.

Although Old Jiang’s face was still pale, his breathing was much smoother than it had been at the martial arts arena. He simply looked at his two disciples with a complex gaze, focusing mainly on Zhang Linsheng.

"You two, don’t you have anything to say to me?" Old Jiang asked in a grave voice.

Zhang Linsheng blinked and then instinctively glanced at Chen Nuo.

Chen Nuo spread his hands. "Master, look, the facts are obvious."

"What facts?" Old Jiang’s eyelids twitched.

"The fact is, my senior brother, Zhang Linsheng, is a peerless master! Congratulations, Master! You’ve trained a peerless master!"

Old Jiang’s first instinct was to take off his shoe and smack this little brat with the sole! However, he restrained himself. He couldn’t help his anger, though, and gritted his teeth. "A peerless master? I don’t have the ability to train such a peerless master!"

He paused, glared fiercely at Chen Nuo, then turned to Zhang Linsheng and said slowly, "Lin Sheng, tell me, what really happened? I don’t believe a single word your junior brother says. You’re an honest kid, you tell me."

"Uh..." Zhang Linsheng stammered. "Master... what should I say?"

"Where did these skills of yours come from?"

"You taught me," Zhang Linsheng said, his face mournful.

"...Tell the truth!"

"It is the truth! You taught me everything."

"..." Old Jiang’s eyes nearly popped out. "I taught you? That ghost-like movement technique you used on the stage—even I can’t do that! I taught you?!"

"It really was you who taught me," Zhang Linsheng said with an innocent expression.

"How did your Inner Breath become so strong? That series of steps and dodges—without strong Inner Breath to support them, your rhythm would have been broken long ago!"

"Uh..." Zhang Linsheng blinked, but his tone was very serious. "Master, what if I told you that one night, I woke up from sleep, and suddenly all my meridians had cleared on their own... and then I became stronger. Um, if I said that, would you believe me?"

Old Jiang and Song Qiaoyun: "..."

Beside them, Chen Nuo said with a solemn tone, "Master! I believe him!"

"...I’ll bloody well smack you, believe it or not!" Old Jiang felt his high blood pressure about to flare up.

Asking further yielded nothing.

Zhang Linsheng wasn’t good at lying—but he was tight-lipped! He trusted Chen Nuo implicitly and just kept repeating the story Chen Nuo had fed him. Don’t ask. If you ask, the answer is: I woke up one day, and my Governor and Conception Vessels were suddenly clear! You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask? It just happened while I was sleeping!

Although Old Jiang didn’t believe such an absurd story, after carefully examining Zhang Linsheng, he discovered a fact.

Zhang Linsheng’s Inner Breath was indeed very strong. The pulsing of his meridians and the flow of Inner Breath throughout his body couldn’t escape the notice of a master like Old Jiang.

However, compared to his powerful Inner Breath, Zhang Linsheng’s physical conditioning was far from adequate to match it.

His body hadn’t undergone the standard martial artist’s foundational training of tempering muscles and bones. Its strength, hardness, and resilience were only slightly better than an ordinary person’s.

Take the Song Family’s two disciples, Ding Jiaqiang and Liu Shiwei, for example. They could break a wooden stake with a punch without injuring their own flesh. If it were Zhang Linsheng, he’d probably break his own bones trying that. This was because his muscles and bones weren’t strong enough.

Those others had soaked in medicinal baths since childhood, supplemented their diets with tonics, and trained daily by hitting sandbags and lifting wooden stakes to hone their bodies and flesh, thereby developing physiques as tough as bronze and iron. Zhang Linsheng, of course, had not.

The only thing truly strong about him was his Inner Breath. The strength of his Inner Breath even surprised Old Jiang.

Therefore, when Zhang Linsheng adamantly stuck to his story—that he’d simply woken up one day with his Inner Breath naturally flowing freely—Old Jiang had little choice but to accept it, whether he believed it or not. Besides, asking more questions really wouldn’t yield any different answers. Especially with that little rascal Chen Nuo constantly interjecting, his remarks were enough to give Old Jiang a stroke from sheer anger.

Seeing her husband’s complexion worsening, Song Qiaoyun gently pressed the back of his hand and then looked at the two disciples.

"Very good. You are both good children." Song Qiaoyun’s tone was very gentle. "Both good children. For Old Jiang to have you two as disciples in this lifetime is truly a great blessing. Don’t blame your master for being so anxious with his questions right now. He was startled by today’s events and hasn’t quite processed it all yet. Having you two good children is Old Jiang’s blessing, and also a blessing for our Song Family. In fact, I should be the one thanking you both."

Chen Nuo could be cheeky with Old Jiang, but he wouldn’t dare be disrespectful towards Mistress Song. He quickly stood up straight and said with a wry smile, "Mistress, please don’t say that... If you’re so formal, Lin Sheng and I will have no choice but to kneel before you and Master."

Song Qiaoyun walked over to Chen Nuo, gently touched his face, then went to pat Zhang Linsheng’s shoulder. She said softly, "We owe it all to you two good children."

Afterward, Song Qiaoyun took Old Jiang’s arm, and they bid farewell to go rest.

Old Jiang seemed reluctant to leave. Once they were outside the door, he looked at his wife and frowned. "Why did you pull me out? Those two are clearly hiding something from us. Lin Sheng’s skills—do you really believe he just woke up with them one day?"

Song Qiaoyun smiled and held her husband’s hand, whispering, "Alright now. The children don’t want to say, and they still respect us so much; that’s already commendable. Thanks to those two stepping forward today, they helped you save face and also helped my father preserve his dignity. If they’re willing to talk about it, we can ask them slowly when we get home. If they don’t want to, then don’t press them further."

「 」

After Song Zhicun returned home, he knelt continuously in the courtyard of the Song Family Mansion.

Patriarch Song hadn’t summoned him or allowed him entry, so Song Zhicun could only continue kneeling in the courtyard outside the main doors.

He knelt like that for an entire night.

Song Family disciples and servants came and went, but no one dared to approach him or say a word.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Song Chengye slowly entered from outside. Seeing his eldest brother still kneeling rigidly in the courtyard, he walked over and gently patted his back.

"Eldest Brother. Father still refuses to see you?"

"..." Song Zhicun shook his head.

"You vomited blood yesterday. You can’t keep kneeling like this. I’ll go in and speak to Father."

"I won’t die." Song Zhicun sighed, a bitter smile on his face. "This punishment is light. I alone have ruined the Song Family’s dignity this time."

Suddenly, his gaze fell on the hands Song Chengye was holding behind his back.

"What are you holding?"

"Uh... Father asked me to go out and buy these. Eldest Brother, don’t look."

Song Zhicun’s expression changed. He ordered in a low voice, "Give them to me!"

Song Chengye sighed and slowly extended his hands. He was holding several local magazines and tabloids.

The one on top was a well-known gossip tabloid.

The front-page headline blared:

"Jinling’s Brother Haonan Wreaks Havoc in Hong Kong! Local Invincible Beaten to a Snotty, Tearful Mess!"

The accompanying photo vividly showed Zhang Linsheng on the stage, his hand raised by the referee in victory. At his feet lay Liu Shiwei, curled up and crying his eyes out.

"..."

Song Zhicun’s fingers, gripping the magazine, trembled violently. It had to be said, these Hong Kong tabloids were vicious with their headlines and photos! These bastards had even taken his money before, promising they would report favorably on the match! And now they were kicking him while he was down! Using such insulting headlines and photos!! This completely shredded the Song Family’s reputation!!! But then again... It was no surprise. These paparazzi tabloids in Hong Kong had no integrity to speak of.

Just as his hands were crumpling the magazine into a ball, he heard footsteps approaching.

Song Zhicun looked up to see his second younger brother, Song Gaoyuan, walking out of the main house.

The tall and imposing Song Gaoyuan walked up to Song Zhicun, stood before him, and looked down at his elder brother.

Song Zhicun looked up, meeting the gaze of the brother who had contended with him for the position of heir for many years. He said in a low voice, "If you have something to say, say it."

Song Gaoyuan’s expression was cold. "Father has given his orders. Song Zhicun, starting today, you are to go to the ancestral hall to reflect on your misdeeds. You are not to come out without Father’s permission."

Song Zhicun gave a miserable smile. "Father... can’t even be bothered to see me, to scold me even once?"

Song Gaoyuan shook his head, his tone still indifferent. "Father only issued this one order. Eldest Brother, you should comply."

Song Zhicun slowly rose from the ground. He glanced towards the main Song Family residence, then turned his head to stare at Song Gaoyuan.

"Second Brother! Yesterday’s match—was it you who rigged it?!"

Song Gaoyuan narrowed his eyes. "Eldest Brother, even if I said it wasn’t me, you wouldn’t believe it. But I’ll say it anyway: it really wasn’t me."

Song Zhicun laughed miserably. "Then did I see a ghost?! Old Jiang’s two disciples, who’ve been training for less than half a year, and one of them suddenly becomes an expert?! Did I see a ghost?!"

"You were careless and got outplayed. Don’t blame others for your own mistakes." Song Gaoyuan shook his head. "Alright, go to the ancestral hall and accept your punishment."

"..." Song Zhicun finally lowered his head.

Watching Song Zhicun turn and stagger away, Song Gaoyuan withdrew his gaze and turned to Song Chengye.

"Second Brother, congratulations," Song Chengye said with a faint smile. "Father must have let you temporarily take over the businesses Eldest Brother was previously responsible for."

Song Gaoyuan stared at his youngest brother for a long moment before retracting his intense gaze. "Father has a task for you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Go and deliver an invitation to that family. Father is hosting a family banquet for them at home in two days."

Song Chengye pondered for a moment, then, as if having figured something crucial out, he smiled. "Understood... Father is Father, after all. He immediately grasped the key to this matter. At this time, only this approach can even begin to salvage the Song Family’s reputation."

With that, Song Chengye turned to leave.

Song Gaoyuan watched his retreating back with a complex expression, then suddenly called out, "Third Brother."

"Second Brother, is there something else?"

Song Gaoyuan took a few steps closer, leaned into Song Chengye’s ear, and said in a low, serious voice, "Listen, I know you’re not convinced, and I know you want to contend. But, as your elder brother, I advise you: it’s time to stop. The overall situation is already decided. You’re smart and capable, but you were born a dozen years too late. That’s a gap you can’t bridge with petty tricks. Third Brother, sometimes you have to understand that many things are simply fate. And if it’s fate, you have to accept it!"