Chapter 8: A Wager

"Falling Star Fist, huh..." Watching that punch crash in like a meteor, Lucian Lawes didn't panic. He smiled, unhurried. *Once I deal with this idiot, how big of a mess will it stir up? And that woman... will she finally look at me differently?* The thought made his blood hum. *I'm looking forward to it...* Lucian had to admit it. What Skylar Yare thought of him mattered more than he wanted to acknowledge. "That kid really is trash. Under Zane's Falling Star Fist, he's scared stupid." Lucian only chuckled at the jeers. Then he lifted his gaze to Zane Yare. "Falling Star Fist? I understand it ten thousand times better than you do!" Fierce Tiger Fist against Fierce Tiger Fist. Falling Star Fist against Falling Star Fist. Lucian meant to crush Zane completely, body and spirit alike. From that day on, Lucian would become the shadow in Zane's heart, a nightmare he could never escape. A brighter, more dazzling starlight erupted around Lucian. With the Stellar Battle Body roaring to life, his Falling Star Fist burst with a power it had never shown before. His punch slammed into Zane's head-on. The impact stole everyone's breath. Zane spat blood as he was blasted backward. He hit the ground with a heavy thud. Lucian surged after him and seized him by the collar one-handed, hauling him up like dead weight. The Yare family's younger disciples recoiled at the feral light in Lucian's eyes. Their faces stayed frozen in disbelief. "He beat Zane, who's at the Fourth Level Dragon Pulse Realm, with Falling Star Fist? That's impossible..." "Zane's combat power is monstrous. How could this bastard do it? We didn't see clearly. He must've used some dirty trick!" "Wait... he's going to kill Zane!" Hearts pounding, they stared as Lucian held Zane aloft with one hand. His other hand clenched into a fist. He watched Zane with a chill that cut deeper than steel. Zane's mouth was smeared with blood. His eyes drifted, unfocused. He was badly hurt, but he still had consciousness. "See that?" Lucian's voice stayed light, almost amused. "I'm stronger than you. That 'trash' title of yours, you can take it back. But Zane, the humiliation you put me through wasn't just a little. The next half of your life is for paying it back. And it'll get worse every time, so you'd better brace yourself..." "Animal..." Zane gagged and vomited another mouthful of blood. He met Lucian's smiling gaze, and beneath that smile, he felt the knife-edge cruelty. Only then did Zane realize the truth. The man in front of him was no longer the pathetic worm he used to bully at will. Fear rose from his gut, cold and absolute. It made his scalp prickle. "Trembling already?" Lucian asked softly. That was exactly what he wanted. But his hatred didn't vanish because of one Falling Star Fist. The pain Zane had inflicted over the years couldn't be settled with something so small. Lucian let out a low laugh, ready to land a few more hits to vent the rest of it, when a sharp shout cut through the air. "Stop!" Lucian didn't even need to look to know who it was. Second among the younger generation of the Yare family, First Uncle's treasured daughter, proud to the bone. Luna Yare. She rushed in at full speed. Two young men followed close behind her. One was the same young powerhouse who had gone out with her that day. The other was a boy around Lucian's age, his features similar to the powerhouse's. They were both sons of Zander Balam. Lucian's attention lingered briefly on Zander Balam's younger son. The guy was Seth Balam, a regular at Jadeite Tower. He had used his strength as a Martial Artist to bully Lucian more than once. The moment Seth saw Lucian defeat Zane, his face went pale. He immediately shrank behind the other young man, his older brother. "Coward," Lucian mocked, then turned his eyes to Luna. *Looking at me like that... she'd probably like to kill me,* Lucian thought, sneering inwardly. Luna was about to charge when Lucian's right hand moved. With a jolt of force, every last scrap of clothing on Zane's body shattered into tatters. A heartbeat later, Zane was naked. Lucian tossed him like a sack of meat, sending him flying straight toward Luna. The women screamed one after another and spun away in a panic. Luna watched that pale, bare body crash toward her, and her face drained of color. Her legs went weak. She didn't have the strength to chase Lucian anymore, let alone kill him. Fortunately, the young powerhouse behind her narrowed his eyes. A cold glint flashed. He darted forward and caught Zane in one motion. He was about to throw his outer coat over him, but Zane finally understood what had happened. He let out a shriek so miserable it made people flinch, then bolted. His bare backside bounced as he ran, a truly spectacular sight. Zane was tall and broad, but who would've thought his ass would be that soft and pink? Congratulations. At this rate, even if he quit martial arts, he could still find himself a decent living." Lucian threw his head back and laughed. The crowd flushed red with shame and anger, cursing him for being shameless. As for Luna's usual dignified, untouchable image, Lucian had ripped it to pieces. She had nearly fallen earlier. When she refocused on him, her beautiful eyes brimmed with killing intent. "Lucian Yare!" Luna snapped. "You broke clan rules, assaulted your own brother, and then did something so vile it's beyond words. Today, I'll discipline you on behalf of your parents!" It was hard to imagine the mysterious, commanding "big sister" Luna losing control like this. Even the two men behind her couldn't hold her back. *This was just a spar,* Lucian thought, fury rising like a tide. *Yet they act like I committed some unforgivable crime. Day after day, these so-called Yare family disciples beat me, humiliate me, treat me like I'm not even human, and no one ever stood up for me.* A savage glare flared in his eyes. He met Luna head-on, refusing to yield. *Dad was right,* he told himself. *A man without strength is a dog.* *She dares to spit on me like this because she thinks I'm still weak. But if I can beat Zane today, I can beat her someday.* He took a few steps back and said coldly, "Luna, are you blind? Zane came looking for trouble at dawn. He humiliated me in front of everyone. That's common knowledge. I just happened to have made progress in cultivation, so he lost. I didn't even kill him. Yet you pin every charge on me. What's that supposed to mean? You're the eldest sister, and all you know is reckless favoritism and settling personal grudges?" Lucian's words forced Luna to slow. The rage in her expression eased, replaced by a hard, controlled chill. She drew a deep breath, remembering the guests behind her, and forced her emotions down. She stepped up to Lucian and stared at him. Lucian was only sixteen, but he still stood noticeably taller than Luna. "Lucian," she said, voice icy, "I never thought much of you. I didn't expect you to hide so deeply, only revealing your strength after reaching the Fourth Level Dragon Pulse Realm. We're both Yare family. Why hide your power unless you had ulterior motives?" She continued, "Fine. You injured Zane and humiliated him like this. Third Uncle and Aunt won't let you off. Even if I don't punish you, you won't escape severe discipline today." Lucian smiled. "Then I'm really looking forward to it. We'll see." He tilted his chin toward the two men behind her. "But you should hurry up and get lost. Your two lovers are still waiting for you." He said it loudly, in front of everyone, and it was vicious. It was common knowledge that the young powerhouse had feelings for Luna. The other boy was the man's younger brother, but with both of them following her around, Lucian's "two lovers" line invited all kinds of ugly imagination. It was a pointed insult, painting Luna as fickle and shameless. Even with the best temper, Luna couldn't take that. Rage exploded in her chest. She reached for Lucian's throat. The aura of the Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm burst out like a mountain slamming down. Lucian's breathing hitched. Even with the Stellar Battle Body, his skin stung all over, as if invisible blades were scraping him. *She hasn't even hit me and it already hurts like this,* Lucian thought, alarm flickering. *Luna's strength is beyond what I imagined. Right now, I don't have the slightest chance against her.* At that moment, a hand shot out and blocked Luna, forcing her back. Lucian had expected to get beaten senseless. He hadn't expected anyone to protect him. He lowered his eyes. Standing in front of him was Lydia Yare. He had just injured her brother, and she was saving him anyway. The world really was strange. Lydia wore her hair in a high ponytail. Dressed in a green Martial Artist outfit, she looked sharp and spirited. Her beauty didn't lose to Luna's in the slightest. Seeing it was Lydia, Luna snapped, "Lydia, what are you doing? He just hurt your brother. I'm about to teach him a lesson!" Lydia's expression tightened with apology. "Luna, I know. But my father and First Uncle told me to bring him to see them. I had to step in first. Sorry." Luna's gaze cut back to Lucian. "Your retribution is coming. I hope you can walk out alive. You've offended me, and I won't make it easy for you!" Lucian wrinkled his nose. "You've got plenty of time to waste on someone like me. I don't." His eyes narrowed. "I've got a proposal. One clean solution. What do you say?" Luna frowned. "What are you plotting?" "The family assembly is in half a month. I'll be there too. We settle everything then. Half a month. Do you dare give me that?" The moment Lucian said it, the crowd erupted. "Is he joking? Third Level Dragon Pulse Realm, and he thinks he can beat Big Sister Luna in half a month? What a delusional idiot." "No, this has to be a scheme. He's stalling for time. In half a month, he'll probably be hiding in some hole no one can find!" Luna studied Lucian with suspicion. Then she smiled. "You've improved quickly, so you've gotten arrogant," she said. "The path of cultivation is brutally hard. I trained for ten years to reach my level. You think you can catch up to me in half a month?" Her smile sharpened. "Fine. I'll let you enjoy another half month of freedom. At the family assembly, I'll crush your stupid dream in front of everyone." With that, she turned and left. But the agreement between Lucian and Luna spread through the Yare family at astonishing speed. Lucian's "delusion" became the joke of the day. On the road back, Lydia kept shooting Lucian uncertain looks. Finally, she couldn't hold it in. "Hey. How did you do it?" Lucian glanced at her. "Do what?" Lydia stared at him, still suspicious. "I knew you were at the Second Level Dragon Pulse Realm before. How did you beat my brother?" The secret of the Mysterious Dragon Jade couldn't be spoken. Julian Lawes had warned him. So Lucian said, "I was never only at the Second Level Dragon Pulse Realm. You just didn't see it clearly." "Is that so?" Lydia only half believed him. She turned her head, studying his calm face. The more she looked, the more he felt like a riddle she couldn't solve. Her brain started to hurt, so she stopped thinking about it. They arrived in no time. Lydia hesitated, worry flickering in her eyes. "My dad and First Uncle are inside. They might punish you. I can't help you, so I won't go in. Take care of yourself." Lucian nodded. "Lydia, thanks for saving me today." Lydia snorted. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You hurt my brother. I didn't want to save you." Then she looked him up and down, as if he'd grown a second head. "You're ridiculous. Luna is at the Sixth Level Dragon Pulse Realm. With your strength, you're not even fit to shine her shoes, and you still said you'd beat her in half a month. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?" Lucian only smiled and said nothing.