Chapter 9: Introduction (1/2)

Chapter 9: Introduction

Translator: IreneEditor: Lis

Shi Xue Man gazed at her body in the mirror. The fair, flawless body she had once been proud of now had five faint, yet eye-catching, finger marks above her left breast. A few days had passed but the bruises still hadn’t disappeared, causing her to believe her opponent had used substantial force.

A baleful look appeared in her eyes. She did not want to recall what happened that day,but every time she bathed she could see the finger marks on her body. It made it difficult to restrain the anger.

Luckily the marks on her neck were gone, since school was reopening today.

She dressed, the usual confidence returning to her face.

In the dining hall outside, food had already been prepared. As she entered, her grandfather gazed at her with a gentle smile. “Come, have your breakfast.”

“Grandfather,” she called out sweetly before sitting down beside him. With her mother’s early passing and her father’s busy work schedule, her grandfather had been the one to raise her. Therefore every morning, she accompanied him during breakfast.

A servant delivered a bowl of hot soup to the table. She trained regularly and so all her meals were specially prepared to replenish her elemental energy and nourish her body.

Sip by sip, she drank her soup that had been brewed meticulously with expensive ingredients. Not only did it benefit her training but it also tasted fresh and delicious. Today, however, she was somewhat in a daze.

The grandfather had raised her since young and so knew her very well. He asked warmly, “Why? Are you still thinking about that incident?”

WIthin the family clan, his granddaughter possessed unmatched talent. Always sensible and never pretentious, she was in fact more hard-working than others. Since childhood, she displayed excellent skills that surpassed even her father’s and was regarded by the clan as the next generation’s leader. The whole clan was pleased with her and all the seniors adored her greatly.

The old man was deeply proud of his granddaughter’s achievements. In his eyes, she was perfect, but the only thing that worried him was her pride. Like her father, she had never experienced any setbacks.

But the old man had plenty of experience. He understood that there were many hidden talents in this world, and there would always be a higher mountain. No matter how outstanding his granddaughter, someone out there would be better.

And this was exactly what happened.

When he saw the marks on his granddaughter’s neck that day, he received a shock and a fear that still lingered. If her opponent used just a little more strength, she would have died on the spot. Then, he quickly realized that her expression was somewhat off.

This setback must have been far greater for her than he had expected.

To him it was nothing, but he knew Shi Xueman needed more time to process since her life had been smooth-sailing so far.

If he knew the truth of the matter, he would have ripped Ai Hui into pieces.

“No.” Shi Xueman lowered her head and continued eating.

Seeing her like that, the old man could not help but laugh. “Why do you think you lost?”

He knew from experience that avoiding the problem wouldn’t benefit the youngsters.

Shi Xueman paused, still holding on to the spoon. She was stumped by his question. Three days had passed yet she was still deeply ashamed and resentful. All she could think of was how to find that damned fellow and dismember his body into a million pieces.

Although she was no fool, her anger had blinded her. Hearing her grandfather’s reminder, she immediately addressed what she neglected so far.

“The opponent was very familiar with blind battling.”

As the details from that battle replayed in her mind, Shi Xueman’s expression became solemn. Since the incident, this was her first time recalling it without falling into a blind rage.

老人无声笑了，循循善诱：“还有呢？”

The old man laughed silently, guiding her along. “What else?”

“Rich battle experience, fast reflexes, unfeeling, knew how to utilize his advantage...” Once Shi Xueman regained her cool, she displayed powerful insights. She mumbled to herself, “Come to think of it, he must have sensed my presence and location right from the start unlike me who couldn’t detect his movements. He was an expert in blind battling, able to fight well in the dark. He chose a close quarters combat style which in the darkness was ideal. It forced me into a passive position without space to maneuver at all. By doing so, I couldn’t display my numerous techniques while he could unleash his full powers.”

The old man listened carefully knowing that he only needed to hear her out.

“He deliberately allowed me to struggle to expedite my energy consumption. Cunning. His elemental energy doesn’t seem very strong since he didn’t engage it from start to finish, so I had no way of confirming his level.”

Listening to her, the old man responded, “If he defeated you without engaging his elemental energy, he is definitely skillful.”

“Very. Also, like me, he must have been wearing a Suppression Bracelet.” Shi Xueman didn’t refute his statement. She thought for a bit before adding, “When he was locking me in, I utilized [Arching Fish Back] but could not break free.”

For the first time, the old man lost his composure. “He blocked your [Arching Fish Back] without using elemental energy? Was he old?”

[Arching Fish Back] was an ingenious technique used to struggle free. It emulated a fish’s reaction when startled—full of explosive strength. The old man was quite shocked by the fact that the opponent actually managed to suppress her [Arching Fish Back] without using elemental energy.