Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Smack Down on Little Junior Sister, Feels Great!

Xiao Yang never expected Little Junior Sister Jiang Ting would actually challenge him.

At this moment, the entire venue was stunned into silence.

Who gave her the courage to directly challenge Xiao Yang, the Sect Holy Son, right here in front of everyone during the sect’s grand competition?

Just last night, Jiang Ting had the audacity to threaten him with the jade pendant he gave her, just to get some water spirit elixir.

She knew how precious that jade pendant was to him.

It was a family heirloom from his late grandfather!

How could she dare?

The scene from last night replayed in Xiao Yang’s mind.

Did Jiang Ting really think that just because she had feelings for him, she could do whatever she wanted?

In his previous life, he might have tolerated her antics.

But what did all that compromising, all that patience, and all that indulgence earn him?

A sword through the heart!

Now that he had a second chance at life, he vowed to never again compromise, tolerate, or indulge her, and he certainly wouldn’t care about her feelings anymore.

In this new life, Xiao Yang wouldn’t live humbly or be submissive anymore.

It was time for Jiang Ting to face reality.

He stepped forward, crossing the void, landing on the Sword Comparison Platform, and walked with purpose to stand opposite Jiang Ting.

“Senior Brother, thank you!” Jiang Ting exclaimed with excitement.

“Thank me for what?” Xiao Yang forced down his anger, his tone distant.

“Uh… Thank you for fulfilling my challenge, Senior Brother!” Jiang Ting paused, sensing something was off but couldn’t quite place it.

“Hmm, Little Junior Sister is specifically calling me out to challenge the Sect Holy Son. How could I let you down?” Xiao Yang replied coldly, staring at Jiang Ting.

Below the platform, everyone was holding their breath, watching Xiao Yang and Jiang Ting.

Nobody could have predicted a showdown between Senior Brother and Little Junior Sister on the last day of the sect’s competition.

Sect Leader Jiang Qitian was furious but chose not to intervene.

The five elders watched with great interest, knowing full well how Xiao Yang felt about Jiang Ting.

They had grown up together, childhood friends.

Everyone was curious.

Would Xiao Yang go easy on her? Would he intentionally lose?

If Xiao Yang were to show favoritism in public and lose to Jiang Ting, he would embarrass their Sect Leader beyond compare.

This was more than just a match.

“Haha, this is entertaining! Holy Son, what are you waiting for? Knock her off the platform!” Lin Wangchuan laughed, figuring Xiao Yang’s cultivation was more than enough to easily send Jiang Ting flying.

“Senior Brother…” Third Junior Brother Song Qiang said with concern, looking at Xiao Yang on the platform.

He worried that Xiao Yang might soften and allow Little Junior Sister to win.

This was the sect’s grand competition, after all.

If Xiao Yang were to lose to Jiang Ting in front of everyone, it would be utterly humiliating.

He was the Sect Holy Son, a swordsmanship genius.

For Little Junior Sister, he might actually sacrifice his own face and dignity.

That would wipe out all the prestige Xiao Yang had built, and he’d become the laughingstock of the sect.

Wang Ao, Zheng Fan, and the others were reveling in the drama. They were fed up with Xiao Yang, the Senior Brother who devoted all his attention to Little Junior Sister Jiang Ting, offering her resources while ignoring the rest of them.

Qin Fei saw this and intentionally befriended Zheng Fan and Wang Ao, isolating Xiao Yang.

…

“Haha… Xiao Yang, Little Junior Sister is your Achilles’ heel. As long as I have her, you won’t escape my grasp,” Qin Fei’s mocking laughter echoed in his training area.

He lounged on his bed, holding a bronze mirror reflecting the confrontation between Xiao Yang and Jiang Ting on the Sword Comparison Platform.

This was the Void Mirror, capable of revealing scenes up to a hundred miles away.

With pairs of mirrors, the sights reflected could be transmitted to each other.

“Ha, this Void Mirror is top-notch! Xiao Yang, you never thought the treasure you worked hard to obtain would be given to me so easily!” Qin Fei sneered at the reflection.

With a minor ploy, Jiang Ting had asked Xiao Yang for his side of the Void Mirror and promptly handed it to him.

A strange shadow loomed before him.

“Master, how do you plan to deal with Xiao Yang?” the shadow’s voice was chilling, echoing as if from the depths of the abyss.

“Hmph, after they leave the mountain, I have many ways to deal with them,” Qin Fei replied maliciously, glaring at the figure in the mirror.

“Master, your injury…”

The shadow hesitated, glancing below.

“It’s fine. It’s just a matter of a Revitalization Dan,” Qin Fei dismissed it.

He intended to use his injury to manipulate Jiang Ting.

“You should leave now. If someone discovers your presence, it’ll be troublesome,” Qin Fei warned coldly.

“Understood, Master!” The mysterious figure vanished as if it never existed.

“Xiao Yang, just let Little Junior Sister defeat you, haha…!”

Qin Fei looked at the confrontation in the bronze mirror, unable to hold back a laugh.

This was his plan after all, and he was quite pleased with himself.

Meanwhile, at the peak of Qingyang Mountain, on the Sword Comparison Platform…

“Senior Brother, please give me guidance!” Jiang Ting called out, raising her palms upwards, summoning countless water droplets around her.

“Spring breeze transforms into rain, rain becomes sword…”

Jiang Ting’s move drew on the surrounding water spiritual energy.

She executed her sword technique, unleashing a powerful wave of sword qi that transformed the water droplets into azure sword shadows, charging at Xiao Yang.

Xiao Yang stood with his hands behind his back, indifferently observing Jiang Ting’s performance.

At this moment, everyone was on edge, anxiously awaiting to see if the Senior Brother would go easy on her.

“You’re going to enjoy being rubbed in the dirt by Little Junior Sister soon!”

At Qin Fei’s place, he stared intensely at the bronze mirror, a savage grin on his face.

Little Junior Sister was so easy to deceive, foolish and naive!

…

“Go!”

On the platform, Jiang Ting’s right hand pointed at Xiao Yang.

In an instant, the air filled with razor-sharp sword qi that sliced through the space, the sword shadows hovering around Jiang Ting surged toward Xiao Yang.

If the Senior Brother went easy and let Little Junior Sister defeat him, he would truly be disgraced today.

As the sword shadows advanced, Xiao Yang simply waved his hand.

The incoming sword shadows shattered in the void, scattering like water droplets that splashed everywhere around the platform.

The spectators below were instantly soaked.

“…”

The crowd erupted into chaos.

“What the…”

Jiang Ting was startled, her sword qi form was destroyed by the Senior Brother so easily?

Just as she was about to attack again, Xiao Yang had already closed the gap and appeared right in front of her.

Xiao Yang flashed a smile at Jiang Ting.

“Senior Brother…”

Jiang Ting froze.

In the next moment, Xiao Yang raised his hand and delivered a fierce slap to Jiang Ting’s face.

“Smack!”

The loud sound echoed in everyone’s ears, leaving them in shock.

The Senior Brother actually slapped Little Junior Sister?

How is that possible?

Everyone in the sect knew how much the Senior Brother adored Little Junior Sister.

He wouldn’t even dare to touch her gently!

“Rebellious disciple…”

Sect Leader Jiang Qitian stood up, glaring at Xiao Yang with fury.

That was his precious daughter he just slapped.

Though Jiang Ting was spoiled by him, daring to cause chaos in the grand competition was unimaginable.

But seeing his daughter publicly slapped by Xiao Yang filled him with heartache.

The five elders were stunned as well.

Every single person present was incredulous at what they had just witnessed.

Xiao Yang actually… slapped Little Junior Sister.

Qin Fei, watching through the Void Mirror, nearly dropped it in shock.

“What the…”

Qin Fei rubbed his eyes in disbelief, thinking he was hallucinating.

There’s no way Xiao Yang would slap Jiang Ting!

“No way… absolutely no way!”

Qin Fei murmured.

At this moment, on the Sword Comparison Platform…

Jiang Ting looked utterly dumbfounded.

The Senior Brother actually hit her.

“Senior Brother, you hit me?”

Jiang Ting slowly raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, her cheeks swelling.

The one who had never even touched a finger on her now slapped her publicly.

“Why?” she stammered.

“Because you deserved it!”

“Smack!”

Xiao Yang slapped her again, and this one was even faster and harder.

The sharp crack of the slap reverberated through the crowd.

Under the force of Xiao Yang’s palm, Jiang Ting had no chance to evade.

She fell to the ground, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth, the other cheek now swelling.

Stunned, she gazed up at Xiao Yang, still unable to comprehend what was happening.

Why was the person she’d wanted to marry since childhood now hitting her, and not just once but twice in front of everyone?

She just couldn’t understand.

She still believed she was in the right.

“Is this level of cultivation enough to challenge me? Do you think you can trample my pride underfoot? Who do you think you are?”

Xiao Yang stood firm, his chest heaving with rage, his eyes filled with a mix of satisfaction and complex emotions.

He knew these two slaps were not just a response to her disrespect but also a definitive farewell to his past feelings.

Everything around them seemed to freeze in time.

Everyone was utterly dumbfounded.

Jiang Ting was completely shocked, standing there blankly with her mind a void, forgetting her next move.

The Senior Brother actually hit her, actually scolded her.

He had never done this before!

Xiao Yang cast a cold glance at the crumpled Jiang Ting, then leaped upward, a flying sword appearing beneath his feet.

He stepped onto the flying sword, tossed his sleeve without a trace of nostalgia, and took off toward the Back Mountain, leaving behind a crowd of stunned disciples.

At that moment, he felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

Wow!

He should have done this long ago.

Because Jiang Ting truly deserved it.

Jiang Ting sat slumped on the Sword Comparison Platform.

She could hardly believe that the Senior Brother, who had loved her dearly, could treat her this way.

“Ah…”

Jiang Ting let out a furious scream, on the verge of insanity.

“Senior Brother, you will regret this!”

Jiang Ting glared at Xiao Yang’s retreating figure, hatred blazing in her eyes.

“This time, even if you come groveling like a dog, pleading for my forgiveness, I won’t forgive you.”

Jiang Ting yelled at Xiao Yang’s departing back.

“Psh, regret? Me beg her like a dog? Don’t make me laugh.”

Xiao Yang heard Jiang Ting’s enraged shout from behind and chuckled coldly, his flying sword accelerating as he zoomed away.

“Xiao Yang…”

Qin Fei, watching the scene through the bronze mirror, gritted his teeth.

He never expected Xiao Yang would actually hit Jiang Ting.

No one understood Xiao Yang’s feelings for Jiang Ting better than he did.

As long as he had Jiang Ting under control, he had Xiao Yang under his thumb.

But now, things had spiraled out of control.

“Xiao Yang, just you wait! Once you leave the mountain, I’ll make sure you wish you were dead!”

Qin Fei clenched his fists tightly, muttering fiercely.