ATPnovel Chapter 2 The Power of the First Palm
Chapter 2 The Power of the First Palm
Inside the main hall of the Chen family, the atmosphere was as heavy as a frozen pool.
At the head of the table sat an elderly man with white hair and beard, his face ashen, his gaze piercing, fixed on the uninvited guests below. The old man was none other than Chen Zhan, the current head of the Chen family and Chen Xuan's grandfather. Although he was advanced in years and dressed in a simple gray cloth robe, he exuded an imposing aura, like a dormant volcano.
"Old Master Chen, I heard that your grandson Chen Xuan had a mishap while practicing his martial arts a few days ago and is now bedridden. I am very concerned about him. My Black Wind Sect has some miraculous healing medicines that may be able to relieve this urgent problem."
The speaker was a middle-aged man in black robes, with fair skin but a cunning glint in his eyes. He was the leader of the Black Wind Sect who had come to "visit" the sick, and his surname was Liu. Although he spoke politely, he could not hide the condescending tone in his voice.
Chen Zhan didn't even lift his eyelids. He picked up the rough porcelain teacup beside him, slowly skimmed off the foam, and said in a calm and even voice, "No need to trouble yourself. Xuan'er is well taken care of by this old man. If there's nothing else, please excuse me for not seeing you off."
The dismissal was swift and decisive. The middle-aged man surnamed Liu's smile froze for a moment, then he plastered on even more feigned concern: "Old sir, you are mistaken. Young Master Chen Xuan is the only direct descendant of the Chen family. If anything were to happen to him, what would become of the Chen family's lineage? Besides..." He changed the subject, his tone lowering, yet becoming even colder, "Old sir, you are already advanced in years. You can protect him for a time, but can you protect him forever? That 'Azure Destiny Blade Manual' remaining in the Chen family is now probably more of a curse than a blessing, isn't it?"
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Chen Zhan slammed his teacup down on the table, spilling a few drops of tea. He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze shooting towards the other man like cold lightning: "I've said it before, the Chen family has no such 'Azure Nether Blade Manual.' Rumors stop with the wise. Master Liu, please leave."
Liu Xiangzhu's face darkened, and his fake smile vanished completely: "Old Master Chen, let's not beat around the bush. Your Chen family has guarded that sword manual for over ten years; it's time for it to change hands. You have to give it to us today, whether you like it or not..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, and several members of the Black Wind Sect beside him had already placed their hands on their weapons, causing the air in the hall to suddenly tense up.
Chen Zhan slowly stood up, an invisible aura emanating from him, causing his gray robes to flutter even without wind. He stared at Liu Xiangzhu and said, word by word, "If you won't give it to me, what are you going to do? Does the Black Wind Sect want to test the skill of my old hands today?"
The atmosphere instantly became tense!
Liu Xiangzhu's eye twitched. He knew all too well the former fame of "Iron Knife" Chen Zhan; even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. If a fight broke out, his side might not fare well. He was already calculating how to further pressure Chen Xuan by threatening his safety…
"Grandpa, do we have guests?"
A clear and calm voice suddenly came from the side door of the hall.
Everyone looked over at the sound and saw a young man in a blue robe standing there. He was tall and straight, with a ruddy complexion and clear eyes. He did not look like he was seriously injured and bedridden at all. It was Chen Xuan.
"Xuan'er?" Chen Zhan was taken aback at first, then his eyes flashed with barely suppressed joy. However, being mature and composed, he quickly suppressed his emotions and simply nodded slightly. "Why did you come out? Are you feeling much better?"
"Thank you for your concern, Grandpa. I'm fine now." Chen Xuan entered the hall, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere. His gaze calmly swept over Liu Xiangzhu and his group before finally addressing Chen Zhan, "Just now outside, I seemed to overhear some guests concerned about my injuries? They even mentioned something about... a sword manual?"
When Liu Xiangzhu saw Chen Xuan appear unharmed, his heart sank. Chen Xuan was alright, so his plans had obviously failed, and he knew his scheme to use Chen Xuan's injuries to force a rebellion had fallen apart. Seeing Chen Xuan's composed demeanor, so different from the taciturn, mediocre youth of the rumors, he was even more astonished and uncertain. But he reacted quickly, forcing a smile, "So it's Young Master Chen. Hmph, it seems the rumors were wrong. In that case, we won't disturb you any longer..."
"Come and go as you please," Chen Xuan suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly interrupting him. "What do you take my Chen family for? A teahouse or a tavern?"
Liu Xiangzhu paused, his face turning completely grim. He turned to Chen Xuan, his tone now threatening: "Young Master Chen, what right do you have to interrupt when your elders are speaking? We are discussing important matters with your grandfather; how can we allow a mere child like you to be so insolent! Old Master Chen, is this how you discipline your grandson?"
Chen Zhan frowned slightly, about to speak. Chen Xuan stepped forward, blocking him by half a body length, so that they faced Liu Xiangzhu directly.
"Discuss important matters?" Chen Xuan's lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes held no mirth. "Are you discussing how to seize by force, or how to take advantage of a crisis? Whether my Chen family possesses a sword manual or not is none of your business."
"You!" Master Liu was momentarily speechless, then flew into a rage. He was already furious about the failed plan, and now being contradicted to his face by a junior, he could no longer hold back. "You brat, you don't know your place! Today, on behalf of your elders, I'll teach you a lesson!"
Confident in his status and martial arts skills, he thought dealing with a "sickly" youth would be a piece of cake. If he could capture Chen Xuan, he could still threaten Chen Zhan! Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he no longer hesitated. With a swift movement, his right hand formed a claw, bringing a gust of bloody wind as he struck Chen Xuan's Jianjing acupoint! This claw was swift and ruthless, clearly indicating that he was serious!
"Xuan'er, be careful!" Chen Zhan was both shocked and furious. He hadn't expected the other party to dare to attack a junior directly in the Chen family's hall, and he was even more surprised by his grandson's unusual "recklessness" today. He quickly circulated his inner energy and was about to intercept him.
However, Chen Xuan was faster than him.
Facing that fierce claw, Chen Xuan neither dodged nor avoided it. He simply turned his body slightly to avoid the strongest part of the claw's wind, and at the same time raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and pressed forward seemingly casually.
This press produced neither wind nor qi; it was as if they were just acquaintances casually waving to each other.
Seeing this, Liu Xiangzhu sneered even more, thinking to himself that the brat was courting death. He increased the strength of his claws by three points, determined to cripple the brat's arm in one fell swoop!
The next instant, their claws met.
There was no sound of bones cracking as expected, nor any intense clash of internal forces.
Liu Xiangzhu felt as if his claw, which had gathered seventy percent of its power, had grasped a divine mountain weighing billions of tons! No, not a divine mountain, but a much stranger feeling. The opponent's skin, flesh, tendons and bones were a unified whole, incredibly tough and dense, and there was an overwhelming, unstoppable, and extremely powerful force that naturally rebounded from the opponent's palm!
"What?!"
The sinister smile on Liu Xiangzhu's face instantly turned into boundless horror. He felt an irresistible force surging up his arm, and every joint in his arm bone was groaning under the strain. His internal organs were churning violently!
"Snap... Pfft!"
First came the sickening sound of bones cracking, then Liu Xiangzhu coughed up a mouthful of blood. He was sent flying back at an even faster speed than when he came, as if he had been hit by a charging elephant, and slammed hard into a hardwood pillar supporting the roof of the hall!
"boom!"
Splinters flew everywhere as he crashed into the sturdy wooden pillar, which required one person to encircle it, leaving a large dent and spiderweb-like cracks! Master Liu collapsed limply to the ground, his chest caved in, his eyes wide open, blood continuously gushing from his mouth and nose. His body convulsed a couple of times before falling silent again.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye; from Liu Xiangzhu's sudden attack to his death on the pillar, it was only a breath!
quiet!
Deathly silence!
The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Chen Zhan's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock. The other Black Wind Sect members were also frozen in place, their fierce expressions completely solidified into boundless fear. They stared blankly as their highly skilled sect leader was casually struck down by the seemingly frail youth, his bones broken and him dead on the spot, as if swatting a fly!
"Incense Master!!"
"You brat, prepare to die!!"
After a brief silence, a frenzied outburst erupted! The three Black Wind Sect members snapped out of their extreme shock, instantly consumed by a furious and ferocious rage born from fear! Their leader was dead; they knew they wouldn't survive even if they returned. Their only option was to fight to the death!
With bloodshot eyes, the three roared and simultaneously drew their steel knives from their waists. From three different directions, they charged at Chen Chen with a desperate and ferocious attack! The blades flashed, the wind howled, and all their attacks were aimed at vital points, leaving no room for retreat!
Chen Chen's eyes turned slightly cold. He had no intention of committing further killings, but the other party's killing intent was burning fiercely, determined to fight to the death.
He didn't move, but in the instant the three steel knives were about to strike him, his figure seemed to blur for a moment.
Immediately afterwards, three almost overlapping, dull, thuds, like the sound of leather being struck, echoed in the hall.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
There was no clanging of metal, no screams or wails.
The three Black Wind Sect members who rushed forward were struck in the chest as if by an invisible giant hammer, and were sent flying back at an even faster speed than when they rushed in!
"Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!"
The three men crashed into a wall, a door frame, and another beam, respectively, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible. Blood gushed from their mouths, mixed with fragments of internal organs, and their steel knives clattered to the ground. They slumped to the ground, their eyes losing their light, their bodies twitching a few times before falling silent.
The hall fell silent once more, except for the pungent smell of blood.
Chen Xuan slowly withdrew his hand, glanced at his palm, and seemed somewhat surprised by its power. Looking at the corpse on the ground, although it was the first time he had killed someone since his second life, he was surprisingly calm and had no ripples after killing anyone.
He was not a bloodthirsty person, but he knew the dangers of the martial world. To be merciful to one's enemies was to be cruel to oneself and one's loved ones. Since a deadly enmity had been formed, it was necessary to eliminate the threat completely and leave no future trouble.
Chen Zhan stared at the four corpses on the ground, then at Chen Chen, who stood with his palms closed and whose breathing was as steady as ever. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say. After a while, he suddenly came to his senses and rushed to Chen Xuan. He looked him up and down and said urgently, "Xuan'er, are you... are you alright? What was that just now..." His gaze fell on Chen Xuan's fair and slender hands, which seemed to be without any abnormality, and then he looked at the dented and cracked wooden pillar and the glaring bloodstain on the ground. Even though he was experienced, his heart was filled with shock at this moment.
Chen Xuan looked at the complex expression in his grandfather's eyes, a mixture of ecstasy, worry, and confusion, and felt a warmth in his heart. At the same time, he knew that a reasonable explanation was needed. Just as he was about to speak, the old steward Zhao Fu arrived with several guards after hearing the commotion. He was also shocked to see the mess in the hall.
"Clean this place up. Dispose of the body without leaving a trace. No one is to be told about what happened today; anyone who does so will be punished according to family rules!" Chen Zhan ordered in a deep voice, regaining the decisiveness of the head of the family.
"Yes, sir!" Although Zhao Fu had many doubts in his heart (when did the master do this? And what about these signs of damage...), he dared not ask any more questions and quickly led his men to clean up.
Only the grandfather and grandson remained in the waiting hall. Chen Zhan suddenly turned his head, staring intently at Chen Xuan, and lowered his voice, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth:
"Now, you brat, tell me properly, what exactly happened?!" He simply couldn't imagine what kind of technique could transform a severely injured and dying person into someone with such terrifying strength in just two days.
Chen Xuan met his grandfather's scrutinizing gaze with a calm expression, already having made up his mind. He took half a step forward and slowly said in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Grandpa, this is a long story. The other day, when I was seriously injured and unconscious, a... extraordinary person appeared in my dream and taught me a martial art. He used his supreme power to cleanse my marrow and change my meridians. What I used in my panic just now was exactly what I learned in my dream."
His explanation was half true and half false. He attributed the Yi Jin Jing, which the system had imparted to him, to a “divine instruction from a strange person in a dream.” In this martial arts world full of strange tales and theories, although it was bizarre, it was not entirely unacceptable. It was better than exposing the “system,” which was a completely incomprehensible existence.
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhan's pupils contracted slightly as he stared intently into his grandson's eyes, seemingly trying to find a flaw. However, Chen Xuan's gaze was clear and unwavering, and the incredible power of that palm strike was undeniable, leaving him no choice but to believe it. After a long silence, Chen Zhan finally exhaled a long breath, the sternness in his eyes gradually replaced by a complex and inscrutable emotion—a mixture of relief, lingering fear, and deep doubt.
"A strange man in a dream... the Yi Jing marrow cleansing..." He murmured, repeating it over and over, his eyes filled with even greater shock. He had traveled the martial world for many years and heard countless tales of extraordinary encounters, but such a mystical event happening to his grandson still seemed unbelievable. However, Chen Xuan's inconceivable martial arts skills, and his calm demeanor so different from the past, forced him to believe it. This was definitely not something that could be achieved through ordinary martial arts.
After a long while, Chen Zhan let out a long breath, then patted Chen Xuan's shoulder heavily, with a bit too much force, "Good! Good! No matter what kind of opportunity it is, you are safe and sound, and... and you have the ability to protect yourself, which is a great thing! Now that you have this opportunity, you must not be complacent, and you must not bully the weak. You must guard your true self. In the path of martial arts, strength is important, but character is even more fundamental."
He paused, glanced around the chaotic hall, and frowned again: "Killing just one of the Black Wind Sect's leaders won't end this peacefully. That Black Wind Sect leader, 'Black-Hearted Old Man,' is a vengeful person..."
"Grandpa, there's no need to worry too much," Chen Xuan said calmly. "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Now that I've had this opportunity, I will naturally share your burdens and protect the Chen family."
Looking at his grandson's calm face and his eyes that had become deep and determined, Chen Zhan was filled with emotion. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh, which contained a hint of relief and a faint expectation.
The grandfather and grandson spoke in hushed tones for a while. Chen Chen added a few details to his prepared explanation about the vague image of the "strange person in the dream" and the process of his teaching. Although Chen Zhan still had doubts, he believed his grandson's sincerity and undeniable strength, and was filled with joy and anticipation.
"Let's go back to our rooms and rest first. We need to discuss today's events more thoroughly." Chen Zhan waved his hand, his gaze returning to the dented pillar, his eyes still filled with shock.
Chen Xuan bowed and took his leave as instructed. As he turned to walk towards his own courtyard, he could feel his grandfather's persistent, inquisitive, and worried gaze behind him.
Back in his quiet and tidy courtyard, after closing the door, Chen Xuan's composure faded slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.
He walked into the courtyard, stood under the old locust tree, and closed his eyes to concentrate. Within his body, the mellow, gentle, yet vast and powerful energy refined from the Yi Jin Jing flowed slowly like the Yangtze River, constantly nourishing and strengthening his body and meridians. Just now, he hadn't even used his full strength; it was merely an instinctive reaction and a slight release of power, yet it possessed such power.
"This power is stronger than I expected," he murmured to himself. "I just wonder how it compares to the true masters of this world?"
The Black Wind Gate... is just the beginning.
He walked to the window, pushed open the wooden pane, and looked up at the gloomy sky. A storm was brewing.
"System..." he murmured to himself. However, the cold voice that had brought about all the changes had been silent ever since it first appeared, as if it had never existed.
Chen Xuan slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles making a slight cracking sound, but he controlled it perfectly so that it didn't escape the room.
Regardless, now that Chen Xuan has come here and inherited this identity and karma, he must carve out a bright and peaceful world for himself in this martial arts world!