Chu Si's expression suddenly turned foul.
Before he could even react, Zhao Feilong—a Tier Three Martial Artist—had already charged right up to him.
"Don't worry. I said I'd let you leave on your own two feet, and I'm a man of my word."
"Eat my fist!"
Zhao Feilong sneered viciously and slammed a heavy fist into Chu Si's gut, sending him crumpling to the stage floor.
Then, he ground his foot into Chu Si's face before kicking him across the stage until he slid to a stop at the very edge.
Having dealt with Chu Si so easily, Zhao Feilong's grin grew even more smug.
"Get off the stage, kid."
"Is the younger generation of Chu Family Village all trash? Or are you all just cowards, afraid to come up here?"
Zhao Feilong stood on the stage, shouting triumphantly.
Chu Si got off the stage, glared resentfully at Chu Qian, and turned to go home.
To be stomped on in the face, on a stage, in front of the entire village... The humiliation was immense.
And it was all Chu Qian's fault.
'If Chu Qian had just kept his mouth shut, I never would have gone up there and provoked Zhao Feilong.'
"Ahem, Zhao, your nephew Feilong... isn't he being a little excessive?"
Chu Qian said cautiously, standing beside Zhao Zhimo.
His spineless demeanor only made the people of Chu Family Village feel even more stifled and resentful.
"Excessive? Not at all. It's just kids having a bit of fun, nothing serious. But tell me, is there really no one left in your Chu Family Village?"
When Zhao Zhimo said this, everyone present understood immediately.
It was clear they were just using the wedding tournament as an excuse to flex their muscles and put on a show of force.
Soon enough, another person from Chu Family Village couldn't take it anymore and leaped onto the stage.
"That's Chu Ping! He's a Tier Three Martial Artist! He'll definitely be able to beat Zhao Feilong!"
"Chu Ping awakened his Martial Soul five years ago! Zhao Feilong is no match for him."
Everyone from Chu Family Village watched the man on the stage, their eyes full of hope.
"Chu Ping of Chu Family Village. I've come for a lesson."
Chu Ping said, cupping his fist as he stepped onto the stage.
"Chu Ping? I've heard of you. You can't even beat Chu Lie. You're no match for me."
"This time, you'll be leaving on a stretcher."
Zhao Feilong said with a light chuckle.
"Arrogant!"
Enraged, Chu Ping lunged at Zhao Feilong.
The two clashed in an instant.
Unfortunately, after a dozen moves, Zhao Feilong found an opening and landed a fist on Chu Ping's chest, defeating him.
After defeating Chu Ping, Zhao Feilong pressed his advantage mercilessly. He took the opportunity to break two of Chu Ping's ribs with a kick, sending him flying off the stage.
Though they were both Tier Three Martial Artists, Zhao Feilong had long been at the peak of his tier, just one step away from breaking through to the fourth.
The gap between him and Chu Ping was considerable.
Another one defeated, and a Tier Three Martial Artist at that. A silence fell over many of the villagers from Chu Family Village.
On the stage, Zhao Feilong shook his head and sighed. "Chu Family Village... you're really pathetic."
Hearing his taunts, the people of Chu Family Village wanted nothing more than to drag him off the stage and give him a savage beating.
But they all understood that it was impossible.
The might of the Zhao Family Castle was far beyond what the Chu Family Village could match.
"Look, the Village Chief is here!"
"It's not just the Village Chief! Several captains from the village guard are here too!"
"That's Chu Guangyuan! I heard he's been training directly under the Village Chief. Now we have a chance!"
Seeing the Village Chief and his entourage arrive, new hope sparked among the people of Chu Family Village.
At the Village Chief's arrival, Zhao Zhimo and his men no longer dared to act high and mighty. They all obediently dismounted and offered respectful, cupped-fist salutes.
After all, not even the Zhao Family Castle would dare to casually offend a Tier Nine Martial Artist.
"Village Chief Chu, you're as hale and hearty as ever."
Zhao Zhimo said with a smile.
The Village Chief shot him a look and said, "I'm getting old, losing my touch. Now even young pups like you dare to come to my Chu Family Village and throw your weight around."
Zhao Zhimo's heart skipped a beat. He quickly forced an apologetic smile and said, "Not at all, not at all! It's just the younger generation having a bit of fun."
Zhao Zhimo held Chu Qian in utter contempt.
But he wouldn't dare show the slightest disrespect to the Village Chief of Chu Family Village.
"'Fine. 'Having fun,' you say. Chu Guangyuan, you get up there. Go and 'play' with our guests from the Zhao Family Castle."
the Village Chief said to a man behind him.
The man nodded. Without a word, he silently walked onto the stage.
"So you're the strongest of Chu Family Village's younger generation?"
"You don't look like much. Forget it, I'll just beat you quickly. Fighting a bunch of nobodies on this stage is getting boring."
Zhao Feilong sneered as he saw Chu Guangyuan take the stage.
"Then I ask for your guidance, Zhao."
Chu Guangyuan said calmly, his face an emotionless mask.
'He wasn't provoked?'
A trace of surprise showed in Zhao Feilong's eyes.
Watching the composed Chu Guangyuan on the stage, Zhao Zhimo, who stood below, nodded as well. "This young man has talent," he said.
The Village Chief stroked his beard and also smiled.
He had always been very pleased with Chu Guangyuan, often keeping the young man by his side for personal instruction.
On the stage, the two began to fight.
Chu Guangyuan's Martial Soul was a Tier One Martial Soul, the Pangolin.
And his Soul Techniques were primarily defensive in nature.
Thus, the fight appeared to be a relentless assault from Zhao Feilong, with Chu Guangyuan calmly defending, only occasionally striking back.
Ultimately, however, Chu Guangyuan's strength was still a cut below Zhao Feilong's.
After more than fifty exchanges, he slowly began to lose ground.
After a hundred moves, his defense gradually crumbled.
Finally, Zhao Feilong found an opening and sent him flying off the stage with a punch to the shoulder.
Chu Guangyuan, too, was defeated.
Everyone in Chu Family Village fell into silence.
Even the faces of the Village Chief and his guard captains darkened.
"Is Chu Family Village out of people? Everyone you've sent up has been useless!"
Zhao Feilong sneered from his position on the stage.
Having defeated three opponents in a row, including the highly-touted Chu Guangyuan, his confidence swelled to incredible heights.
The people of Chu Family Village were speechless. They could only lower their heads in silence, allowing the members of the Zhao Family Castle to lord their victory over them.
The world of a Martial Artist was just that cruel. In the end, strength was the only thing that mattered.
If the younger generation of Chu Family Village had an expert who could go up there and break Zhao Feilong's legs, the Zhao Family Castle wouldn't be able to say a word.
But they had no one, so they could only swallow their pride and endure.
"Zhao Feilong, what are you so smug about? You're only a Tier Three Martial Artist. Zhao Yishui and Zhao Huang haven't even made a move!"
Zhao Zhimo deliberately put on a stern face and chided Zhao Feilong.
But his face and eyes were brimming with amusement; there was no trace of a real reprimand in his voice.
He only said it to emphasize that the one from their Zhao Family Castle who had been fighting was merely a Tier Three Martial Artist, while their two Tier Four Martial Artists had yet to step forward.
Instantly, a profound sense of helplessness washed over everyone in Chu Family Village, from the elders to the youngest child.
The gap in strength between the younger generations of the two villages was simply too vast.
"Ahem, let's end the tournament here. Spring Orchid, go call Xiaocui out. It's time to fetch the bride, time to fetch the bride."
Chu Qian said, stepping forward.
With Village Chief Chu present, Zhao Zhimo couldn't very well make any more trouble. Besides, he had already achieved his objective. So he nodded and said, "Let's fetch the bride. Have your daughter come out quickly."
Chu Qian nodded and bowed obsequiously in response, then went inside to prepare.
This scene made the surrounding people of Chu Family Village feel utterly suffocated with frustration.
Normally, during a wedding procession, it was the bride's family that gave the groom's side a hard time. But now, the roles were reversed. It was as if Chu Qian's family were paying to marry their daughter off.
But there was nothing to be done. What could they do when they were the weaker party?
Soon, Chu Xiaocui walked out, her head covered by a red wedding veil.
She had, of course, seen everything that had just transpired.
But she wasn't the least bit angry. In fact, she was quite happy. 'Once I'm married,' she thought, 'I'll be one of the Zhao Family Castle.'
Seeing Chu Xiaocui emerge, Chu Qingyun pushed his way out of the crowd.
"Chu Xiaocui. So you're finally willing to come out."