Chapter 10: The Weight of a Chopstick

“This is the little child you wanted us to observe? So spineless, truly a pushover!” the female Ji Wushuang scoffed, her voice laced with disdain.

“Quiet, and keep watching. There’s something off about that child’s eyes; this isn’t over yet!”

Ji Wushuang retorted impatiently, chiding his impetuous twin sister. His eyesight was exceptional, and the fleeting hint of ruthlessness in the child’s eyes had not escaped his notice.

He found that look utterly captivating. It was fiercely wild and brimming with a nascent killing intent, stirring something profound within him.

“The Sect Master is right,” Elder Mu concurred, nodding subtly and murmuring his agreement.

The group ceased their conversation, their attention returning to the unfolding situation in the mess hall. Just then, Black Tiger reached out, his hand extending toward Shui Jingxuan’s rice bowl, his face etched with smug satisfaction.

Shui Jingxuan’s lips curved into a faint smile as he caught sight of the hand encroaching upon his space. In a sudden, swift motion, his right hand, still gripping his chopsticks, shot up.

An instant later, Black Tiger let out a bloodcurdling scream that pierced the very heavens. Everyone stared, aghast, as they saw his hand pinned to the table, impaled by a pair of bamboo chopsticks.

The chopsticks had violently pierced through Black Tiger’s palm and into the wooden tabletop, such was the ferocity of the strike, and blood spurted forth.

Shui Jingxuan’s attack had been faster than lightning itself; not a single person in the mess hall had perceived his movements, and Black Tiger hadn’t even managed to flinch.

The onlookers were utterly horrified, some so stunned they didn’t even notice their own bowls and chopsticks clattering to the floor.

True to his formidable reputation, Black Tiger quickly recovered from his shriek. He rose, then swung his left fist in a brutal arc, aiming squarely for Shui Jingxuan.

Shui Jingxuan’s lips curled slightly. His right hand executed a graceful, intricate maneuver, deftly evading Black Tiger’s punch, but his fingers clamped around Black Tiger’s wrist.

With a gentle twist downwards, a bone-chilling snap echoed through the hall. Black Tiger’s wrist had been brutally broken, and he shrieked once more.

Shui Jingxuan frowned, clearly annoyed by the incessant screams. He seized Black Tiger by the hair with his left hand and forcefully slammed his head into the rice bowl piled high with meat in front of him.

The impact shattered the rice bowl, sending ceramic shards embedding into Black Tiger’s forehead and cheek. Blood, mixed with rice grains and bits of food, smeared his face, leaving him utterly disheveled.

The violent blow to his head left Black Tiger dizzy and disoriented, his breaths shallow and ragged. He was too weak even to scream.

Collapsing onto the long table, his body was covered in blood, his chest rising and falling weakly, one hand still pinned. He looked utterly on the verge of death.

The disciples were stunned into silence by Shui Jingxuan’s ruthless display, holding their breath, motionless as cicadas in winter. The mess hall was so quiet that a dropped pin would have been audible.

Consequently, Shui Jingxuan’s subsequent words carried with chilling clarity.

“Don’t you love eating meat? Are you full now?” The slender child rose and gazed down at Black Tiger’s bloodied, shard-riddled face, asking with a sweet, smiling voice.

His voice was clear and soft, still tinged with a childlike lilt, which should have been pleasant, yet it sent an inexplicable chill down the spines of all who heard it.

Black Tiger shivered uncontrollably, unable to speak. He could only blink continuously, his eyes pleading.

Shui Jingxuan nodded contentedly, then spoke in a cool, admonishing tone. “If I choose to bestow it upon you, you may take it freely.

If I do not, you must not take it without asking. That is blatant robbery. And I detest nothing more than someone stealing from me. If there is a next time, my hand will not be so light. Have you understood?”

Black Tiger’s head lay weakly on the tabletop, and he nodded almost imperceptibly, his eyes wide with terror. *This* was considered a light touch? What would a heavier hand entail? He dared not contemplate further.

The inner disciples in the mess hall, who had previously regarded Shui Jingxuan with disdain, now looked at him with entirely different expressions: fear, respect, and even admiration.

The sheer power required to subdue Black Tiger in an instant far exceeded their expectations, earning their complete submission.

They now deeply etched Shui Jingxuan’s warning into their minds. From this day forward, they would approach him with utmost reverence, daring not to show the slightest disrespect.

“I’m not full yet. May I have another bowl of food?” While the onlookers were still reeling from the shock, Shui Jingxuan, as if nothing had happened, raised his empty meat bowl and addressed the disciple distributing food.

The disciple nodded stiffly, personally bringing a fresh serving of food and placing it before him. Meanwhile, Black Tiger’s sworn brothers quickly converged, swiftly freeing Black Tiger’s palm from the bamboo chopsticks.

One of them, understanding Shui Jingxuan’s aversion to noise, resourcefully covered Black Tiger’s mouth to prevent him from screaming and further enraging the living Yama before them.

They then fled like their lives depended on it, carrying Black Tiger away.

Shui Jingxuan paid no attention to the frantic activity opposite him. He calmly lowered his head and ate, completely ignoring the bloody mess on the table. His appetite remained entirely unaffected.

Having witnessed countless gruesome, putrid zombies in his previous life, he had long forgotten what disgust or horror felt like.

Azhuang gained a deeper understanding of his brother’s combat prowess and felt even more certain he had chosen the right person to follow. His mood was exceptionally good.

He, too, immediately buried his head in his food. His nerves were thicker than his arms, and he knew that following Shui Jingxuan promised a very bright future.

***

Outside the mess hall, through the window lattice, Ji Wushuang watched Shui Jingxuan, his eyes flashing with keen interest and a hint of appreciation.

Just then, Shui Jingxuan abruptly stopped eating and turned his head to look directly at the corner where Ji Wushuang stood.

Ji Wushuang froze, then swiftly retreated into a blind spot. Elder Mu, reacting too slowly, could only crouch down, attempting to conceal his presence.

Seeing no one at the window, Shui Jingxuan withdrew his gaze, inwardly chastising himself for being overly cautious, and continued his unhurried meal.

Elder Mu, still crouching, shuffled step by step to the corner of the wall. When he finally stood up, his expression was one of profound embarrassment. He couldn’t comprehend why he had instinctively crouched to hide.

Perhaps the child’s piercing gaze had been too dangerous, prompting his body to react automatically. He marveled inwardly, ‘I never imagined the child’s senses would be so sharp, detecting even the gazes of the Sect Master and myself!’

Ji Wushuang glanced at the crimson-faced Elder Mu, then raised a hand. “Let’s go.”

Elder Mu assented, trailing obediently behind the Sect Master, his head bowed low. He dared not look directly at the Sect Master’s back, for a living person was still fused to it.

This person, his twin sister, was currently moving backward in sync with her brother’s steps, her expression dark and her eyes chillingly cold, sending shivers down Elder Mu’s spine.

Their conjoined state was eerily frightening, and within the sect, only Wolf Girl dared to meet the Sect Master’s gaze.

“Sect Master, what do you make of that child?” After walking for a while, Elder Mu finally couldn’t resist asking.

“At first glance, I thought that child was merely a beautiful doll carved from jade, fragile enough to shatter at a touch,” Ji Wushuang mused, a flicker of interest in his ink-dark eyes as he slowly continued.

“But upon closer inspection, they are a fierce beast, ready to devour anyone who crosses their path. To possess such domineering ruthlessness at such a young age, coupled with nimble skills and extraordinary senses, is truly fascinating!”

“So, the Sect Master is quite taken with that child?” Elder Mu probed cautiously.

Ji Wushuang was about to nod, but his twin sister preempted him, speaking with a sinister tone. “Whether he’s taken or not, we’ll see after tomorrow’s competition. Don’t jump to conclusions too soon.”

She harbored a possessive, almost pathological, attachment to her twin brother, unwilling for his gaze to linger on anyone else. This was hardly surprising; destined to be conjoined with Ji Wushuang for life, she had long considered him her private property.

Wolf Girl had already consumed her with jealousy by capturing Ji Wushuang’s attention, and now another child threatened to do the same. She felt a furious urge to kill.

As she considered Ji Wushuang’s undisguised admiration and affection for the child, her eyes narrowed, leaking a hint of murderous intent.

“You’d best not harbor any designs on that child. If properly nurtured, they and Wolf Girl will be our greatest weapons against the Eight Great Sects and the Tartars.

Everything I do is for the future of the Demonic Sect,” Ji Wushuang warned the person behind him in a cold voice, after dismissing Elder Mu and tilting his head slightly.

As conjoined twins, Ji Wushuang quickly sensed the malicious intent radiating from his sister.

“For the Demonic Sect? How noble that sounds! Dare you deny that you’re raising Wolf Girl as your own woman? Little brother, you are too naive.

Even if she isn’t afraid of our condition, once she grows up and understands things, she will absolutely not be interested in you.

We are different from ordinary people; we are destined for solitude, destined to only have each other for life,” the female Ji Wushuang advised earnestly.

“Enough. My feelings for Wolf Girl are none of your concern; stay out of it. And don’t touch the child either. Their talent is extraordinary, and they will surely not remain confined to a small pond in the future. I am determined to nurture them properly!” Ji Wushuang stiffly cut off his sister’s admonition, a wave of melancholy washing over him.

Seeing that her words had soured his mood, the female Ji Wushuang ultimately felt a pang of heartache and said no more. She merely suppressed her deep-seated jealousy towards Wolf Girl, careful not to let him detect it.

As for the other child, despite their delicate and adorable appearance, in her little brother’s eyes, they surely couldn’t compare to even a single finger of Wolf Girl’s.

Moreover, being a boy, they posed no threat to her, and so, for now, she cast them aside from her thoughts.