Chapter 29: Paying for a Beating
Xiao Hongchen was so furious that he nearly passed out on the hospital bed.
He had lost again.
And this time, it wasn't just a simple loss—it was a humiliating beating.
Even worse, he had paid 12.3 million gold soul coins for that beating!
Not only did he fail to restore his confidence, but he also became the joke of the century. Who could possibly endure this kind of disgrace?
Covering his swollen, bruised face, Xiao Hongchen recalled his own bold claims before the match:
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"I am a dignified four-ring Soul Master, the number one genius in the Sun Moon Empire! Even if I were just an average four-ring Soul Master, I wouldn't be defeated so easily!"
And now? Here he was, lying in a hospital bed—courtesy of the very boy he underestimated: Xiao Qiang.
He had forked out a fortune for a rematch, and all he got in return was a solid thrashing. One could only imagine the psychological trauma he was experiencing at this moment.
Just then, a voice teased him from the doorway.
"Xiao, I heard you paid to get beat up?"
"Damn it! Shut up! Don't say another word… Grandpa… Grandpa!"
Jing Hongchen stepped into the ward, followed by a Soul Saint from the Soul Guidance Healing Department. At Jing Hongchen's gesture, the healer quickly began treating Xiao Hongchen's injuries.
Once the treatment was complete, Jing Hongchen looked at his grandson with a serious expression.
"Now, tell me what happened."
Xiao Hongchen lowered his head slightly and began:
"Well… after losing to Xiao Qiang the first time, I reflected deeply. I realized I had underestimated my opponent. Even if someone seems weaker, I shouldn't be careless."
Jing Hongchen nodded approvingly. That was exactly the lesson he had hoped Xiao Hongchen would learn. Failure had finally made him listen.
"I understand now, Grandpa. But…"
Xiao Hongchen's fists clenched tightly as his voice grew firm.
"As the number one genius of the Sun Moon Empire, I can't accept being defeated so easily by a three-ring Soul Master. Even if it was an accident, I must defeat him to prove myself!"
"So I challenged him again. At first, he refused, but once I offered to pay him at the auction—well, you know what happened next."
From behind Jing Hongchen, a familiar voice piped up.
"So that's how you ended up paying for a beating, huh, Brother?"
"Meng, shut up."
Xiao Hongchen glared at his sister, Meng Hongchen, who giggled without remorse. Her teasing tone stung more than his bruises.
Jing Hongchen ignored the sibling bickering and got straight to the point.
"There's no need to go out of your way like that. The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament is less than a year away. You, Meng, and Xiao Qiang are all part of the lineup I'm preparing."
"When you join the training with the main team in a few days, there will be plenty of sparring. You'll have another chance to fight Xiao Qiang then."
"Really, Grandpa?!" Xiao Hongchen's eyes lit up with excitement. "I swear I won't lose again!"
"Pfft… Brother, your eyes sparkle like you're in love with Xiao Qiang," Meng Hongchen muttered playfully.
"You little brat!" Xiao Hongchen snapped. "What kind of weird things are you imagining?!"
He was utterly speechless. When did his little sister become such a troll?
But Jing Hongchen remained serious.
"Don't underestimate him. Even though he only has three soul rings, he's my disciple. His talent is extraordinary, and he possesses a top-tier spirit of the spiritual system. If his spiritual power isn't restrained, anyone not at least two rings above him will fall under his control."
"Two rings higher?" Xiao Hongchen's face darkened. "Are you saying I need to be six rings to beat him? Then what kind of genius am I?"
"That's why I'm mentioning this now. His abilities can be countered with spiritual defense-type Soul Guidance Devices. However, even the simplest ones start at level seven, and no one has ever successfully created a lower-level version."
"A spiritual defense soul guide, huh? Grandpa, teach me how to make one. I have to learn it. I must defeat him!"
Jing Hongchen finally smiled.
"Alright. If you're willing to work hard, that's good enough for me. Whether it's as a Soul Master or Soul Engineer—if you commit yourself, you'll grow."
At the same time, while Xiao Hongchen was determined to learn and grow just to defeat him, Xiao Qiang was completely unaware.
He was busy dealing with another matter.
The items he had prepared for Bai Qingshan, the vice president of Donghai Junior Soul Guide Academy and his sponsor, had to be delivered. Xiao Qiang chose to entrust the task to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guide Transport Group.
This organization functioned similarly to a postal service from his previous life… except with much worse service. As a transport division run under the monarchy, their reliability was… questionable, at best.
Upon entering the facility, Xiao Qiang was greeted by a bold sign on the wall:
"It is not allowed to beat customers without reason. If there is a reason, beating them to death or disabling them is not allowed."
Xiao Qiang stared at the sign in stunned silence.
"…What kind of establishment is this?"
This slogan reminded him of the weird rules from the supply-and-demand co-ops of his previous life.
In what kind of normal business would you need to specify that you can't beat customers to death?
He looked around. Of the eight reception windows, seven were filled with workers either yelling at customers or being cursed at in return. The eighth window was oddly peaceful—because the clerk there was fast asleep, and no one dared disturb him.
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Qiang decided to approach the sleeping man.
As he walked up, the clerk—Zhang Zhao—opened one eye lazily and glanced at him. He compared Xiao Qiang's face to the prominent young masters he knew and quickly determined:
Not the child of a noble. Not an illegitimate son of a big shot. Just a nobody.
Zhang Zhao rolled over and muttered with disdain.
"Get lost. I'm not in the mood to deal with you today."
He gave off the unmistakable energy of a state-owned employee with lifetime job security.
Zhang Zhao wasn't just lazy—he had backing. He was a Soul Master himself and came from a powerful family. Most of the transport requests they received were from commoners or low-tier individuals—never from the aristocracy, who had private means of transport.
Which is why, upon seeing Xiao Qiang, Zhang Zhao instantly lost interest and turned to sleep again.
But Xiao Qiang wasn't about to line up in one of those cursing queues. He had no intention of being screamed at or waiting endlessly. So he stood firm and said plainly:
"I need something delivered."
Zhang Zhao slammed the table and barked:
"You looking for a beating? Do you know who my father is?! My father is the Chief Censor and the Junior Minister of Rites—Zhang…"
"My mentor is Jing Hongchen."
Zhang Zhao froze mid-rant.
"…"
His mouth hung open. He stared at Xiao Qiang, and the words he was about to yell evaporated instantly.
This… was not someone he could afford to offend.