Chapter 101: A Show of Force

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Amidst the salutes from everyone, Zhao Zongyong casually nodded and then stopped paying attention to the others, striding purposefully toward Cao Jinhua.

"Jinhua, come with me for a moment. I have something to say to you."

Excitement flickered in Zhao Zongyong’s eyes; he fully understood what Cao Jinhua represented. Yet, he was not a shallow man, and the smile in his eyes vanished in an instant. Even those watching him might have thought their eyes deceived them, for his expression was now serious as he fixed his gaze steadily on Cao Jinhua.

“Huh? Why can’t you say it here?” Cao Jinhua saw his seriousness and a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, forcing a smile. Whether it was running away from home or sneaking onto the prince’s boat, if pressed, these were no trivial matters.

“Here?” Zhao Zongyong scanned the surroundings before brusquely ordering Shen Shi, “Step aside. Jinhua and I need to talk alone.”

Though Zhao Zongyong did not show aggression outright, a woman’s intuition told her she was being encroached upon. Cao Jinhua immediately grabbed Shen Shi’s arm, frowning, “On what grounds do you ask him to step aside?”

Compared to Zhao Zongyong, Shen Shi gave her a sense of security.

“Who are you?” Zhao Zongyong’s face changed; he hadn’t expected someone by Cao Jinhua’s side. He turned to size up Shen Shi and frowned, “You wouldn’t happen to be that Shen Shi, would you?”

A young official, and here in Jinhua—he could think of no one else but Shen Shi.

“It’s me. What of it?” Shen Shi replied calmly.

“Heh, I’ve heard of you,” Zhao Zongyong said arrogantly. “They say you’re quite formidable—a rare talent from a general’s family.”

“But you must know, true masters never come from general households. This Mr. Jiang here is also a master.”

“Oh, really?” Shen Shi remained indifferent.

Zhao Zongyong sneered disdainfully, completely dismissing Shen Shi. A so-called master wouldn’t have delicate, refined features. Having seen countless fighters since childhood, he scrutinized Shen Shi and noticed not even a callus on his hands. He didn’t understand, but this was definitely a laughable matter.

Losing interest in the “master,” he turned back to Cao Jinhua and whispered, “Jinhua, come with me for a moment. I really have something to say.”

Then he reached out to grab Cao Jinhua’s arm.

Startled, she quickly recoiled, hiding behind Shen Shi, “Zhao Zongyong, what do you intend to do?”

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“Get lost!” Zhao Zongyong’s face darkened. Suddenly, he reached out to shove Shen Shi aside, but Shen Shi remained unmoved.

“Kid, do you know who I am?” Zhao Zongyong asked irritably, failing to push him away.

“Mr. Jiang, teach him a lesson,” Zhao Zongyong ordered.

“Haha, you’re finished. Mr. Jiang is a true master—even the imperial guard instructors are no match for him,” boasted Zhao’s lackey, Zhao Xueren.

“Why don’t you quickly kneel and beg the young prince for mercy?” he added with a mocking look at Shen Shi. “You may have trained in the womb, but how could you be a match for Mr. Jiang?”

“So what?” Shen Shi met his challenge without hesitation.

Shen Shi’s defiance instantly ignited the entire scene.

“Whose child is this? How dare he act like that?”

“Look at that, the youth is going head-to-head with the young prince.”

“See the young prince’s expression? It looks like he wants to kill the boy.”

Though Zhao Zongyong was only a prince of a commandery, he was still a prince after all. This wasn’t the Ming dynasty; in the Song dynasty, few dared to oppose a prince. Today, Shen Shi’s boldness in confronting a prince was seen as reckless.

Not only were people stunned, but they also believed Shen Shi was doomed.

Could he not be? After all, the young prince held high status, and Shen Shi was just a low-ranking official. To defy a prince was courting disaster.

Many sighed at Shen Shi’s impulsiveness, lamenting his ignorance of political circles.

Liu Yuanze shared the same thoughts. Though he spoke idly, his full attention was on Shen Shi.

Since aligning with the Prince of Runan’s mansion, everything had gone smoothly for Liu Yuanze, making him deeply aware of the mansion’s power.

If the Runan Prince’s mansion wanted to suppress Shen Shi, would Shen Shi still be so lucky?

Being suppressed constantly was far from pleasant for Liu Yuanze.

Though he did not show it, his resentment toward Shen Shi grew deeper, almost turning into hatred. If misfortune befell this “outsider,” he would only be pleased.

“Father! No need to use excessive force; this kid just took my daughter’s hand,” Jiang the Escort Captain said, finally stepping forward.

Unlike the experienced Jiang Escort Captain, young Jiang Cheng was hardly intimidated by a scholar. In fact, she believed that with just a stretch of her hand, she could easily capture him.

“Huh?”

But Jiang the Escort Captain, seasoned by years on the road, did not see it the same way. He observed every opponent carefully before acting. His scrutiny now made him emit a surprised murmur.

“What is it, Father?” Jiang Cheng asked curiously.

“Look closely at him. Notice anything different?”

Jiang the Escort Captain’s face grew serious.

“Different? ” Jiang Cheng frowned and kept watching, seeing nothing unusual.

“Pay attention to his breathing,” Jiang the Escort Captain advised.

Only then did Jiang Cheng realize that this scholar she had underestimated seemed to have a chest that rose and fell deeply with each breath, as if inhaling and exhaling like a giant vacuum. The air swirled around him, subtle but present. If not for their own practice of martial arts, it would be hard to notice.

“What is this?” Jiang Cheng’s brows furrowed.

“This is an extremely advanced internal cultivation technique. Some methods, when mastered, enable the practitioner to perform breathing exercises not only during training but at all times. That means while ordinary people may train for four hours, he can train constantly,” Jiang the Escort Captain explained deliberately. “I thought such supreme techniques did not exist in the world. I never expected to witness one in my lifetime, especially with such a young practitioner. It’s truly incredible.”

“Hmph,” Jiang Cheng scoffed in disbelief. “It’s just heavy breathing. What’s the big deal? Father, you’re overestimating him. Maybe he’s just pretending, there’s no such technique. He’s only putting on a show to scare you. We can’t do it, so why should he be able to?”

“You, you’re so ignorant,” Jiang the Escort Captain shook his head affectionately. “We can’t do it because we’re martial artists, but above martial artists are cultivators. It’s said cultivators can kill without moving a finger, simply with their breath.”