Chapter 81: "Striking It Rich"

Impossible, absolutely impossible! He must simply be gritting his teeth and bearing it. Fine, if two lashes can’t bring him down, then three lashes, four, five… I’ll keep whipping him until his mental defenses collapse!

This time, the Butcher gave Luo Chen no chance to close the distance, always keeping a gap between them as his whip lashed out again and again. With outstanding skill and cunning attacks, the whip struck Luo Chen repeatedly, each blow powered by the full force of a level-four adept.

No one knew how many lashes it took before Luo Chen finally grunted, then, like Xia Zuo before him, rolled onto the ground and let out a loud, pained howl.

Ellie and Joanna both went pale with shock, while the other trainees cheered gleefully. Who told Luo Chen to have such a rotten reputation? He wasn’t worthy of sympathy at all.

“Don’t hold back, Instructor Butcher, whip him to death!”

“A scoundrel like him deserves a lesson!”

The Butcher’s face twisted into a sinister grin. He’d tormented countless trainees during military drills, but this was the first time anyone had cheered him on—his spirits soared, and his whip cracked down, one strike after another.

Ellie and Joanna could no longer bear to watch. Just as they were about to turn away, unable to witness Luo Chen’s torment any longer, something changed. The Luo Chen who had been rolling and wailing on the ground suddenly sprang up.

With a sweeping motion, he made a grab for the whip, catching it mid-air as it was being drawn back—too quickly for the Butcher to change direction. The agony on Luo Chen’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by a faint smile.

All that apparent suffering had been an act. The instructor had been careful, never letting him get close or seize the whip, so Luo Chen had feigned defeat, hoping to lull the instructor into carelessness and create an opening for himself.

If I can endure reliving my parents’ deaths every day, what is a little physical pain to me?

Even the Butcher was stunned by Luo Chen’s resilience. In all his years, he had never met a trainee mad enough to endure his most excruciating techniques and play dead just to seize an opportunity.

Damn it, is this kid some sort of cockroach that can’t be killed?

The Butcher quickly tried his old trick, channeling his energy to make the whip slip from Luo Chen’s grip like an eel.

But Luo Chen shouted, his left hand swinging out and growing several times larger—Double Palm Strike!

This time, there was no escape. The whip, not yet free, was seized firmly in both Luo Chen’s hands.

The whip was stretched taut, one end in the Butcher’s grip, the other in Luo Chen’s, leaving them locked in a stalemate.

Luo Chen grinned triumphantly. “Heh, you can’t escape this time, Instructor Butcher. Sorry, but I’m taking your whip. That means you’ll have to face me directly—and you’re bound to lose!”

Furious at having fallen for Luo Chen’s ploy, the Butcher retorted coldly, “So what? We’re both level four. Do you think you’re stronger than me? Don’t forget, I have the handle, which is much easier to leverage!”

“That’s not necessarily true!” Luo Chen’s eyes narrowed with cunning.

Vortex Overdrive—eighty percent!

The compressed spirit energy in his core surged into his palms. Under one hundred and eighty percent energy output, Luo Chen felt power flood his body, impossible to suppress. He yanked hard on the whip.

A tremendous force traveled through the whip. The Butcher, refusing to let go, was actually pulled off his feet, flying towards Luo Chen like a kite.

Did I see that right? The Butcher got yanked into the air like a kite!

None of the trainees could believe their eyes. In a contest of strength, the Butcher was utterly outmatched. Both were level four, the Butcher could even draw on top-tier power, and he was holding the advantageous handle—how could Luo Chen overpower him?

Even the Butcher was in shock. The force behind Luo Chen’s pull was far beyond level four—perhaps even at level six!

As Luo Chen continued to pull, he taunted shamelessly, “Come here, my sweet little gold coins—into my pocket you go!”

His words only added fuel to the fire. The Butcher, fuming, retorted, “Don’t get ahead of yourself, kid!”

Abandoning the whip, he used the momentum to fly toward Luo Chen, spinning his whip handle to strike.

Level Two Combat Technique—Sun Finger!

A veteran indeed, he turned defense into attack with remarkable skill. Though he didn’t understand how Luo Chen’s strength had surged, the Butcher was certain it couldn’t last. If he could survive this crisis, he’d soon regain control.

Luo Chen released his right hand, drawing his fist back—yet just before colliding with the whip handle, he abruptly withdrew his hand, letting the handle strike him squarely in the chest.

It looked like suicide, but the Butcher suddenly realized Luo Chen’s intent—he was willing to take a hit if it meant getting close.

The Butcher tried to leap back, but it was too late. Luo Chen kicked out, his foot landing on the Butcher’s waist.

The result was not mutual injury—only one was hurt. Luo Chen, struck by Sun Finger, was sent flying and landed heavily. The Butcher, meanwhile, took just two steps back—not because he’d unleashed higher-level power, but because Luo Chen’s kick was weak. After the overdrive, Luo Chen’s energy had temporarily waned and the kick lacked force.

In a formal martial arts bout, a professional judge would have declared the Butcher the winner. Yet the Butcher’s face darkened, for he had publicly declared that even if Luo Chen merely touched his clothes, it would count as a victory.

Now, Luo Chen had not only touched his clothes, he’d landed a kick. By the Butcher’s own rules, Luo Chen had won—and won beautifully.

Every spectator, including the instructors from other groups, was dumbfounded. Luo Chen had actually won!

“Cough… cough…”

Luo Chen climbed to his feet, his chest still aching, his lungs slightly injured, coughing uncontrollably—but he was overjoyed. All those glittering gold coins! There were plenty—he’d struck it rich!

The Butcher’s face was ashen. He pulled a pouch from his coat and tossed it to Luo Chen. “Here, kid—yours!”

With that, he left the field without a backward glance, leaving behind a crowd buzzing with chatter.

“How could this happen? Even Xia Zuo couldn’t fight back at all earlier!”

“Right, the Butcher’s technique had people rolling in agony, but that guy acted like nothing happened. Did the Butcher hold back and not use his special move?”

“No way. With the Butcher’s personality, would he ever go easy on that guy?”

“And what about Luo Chen’s pull when he grabbed the whip—he actually dragged the Butcher into the air! What kind of technique was that?”

Luo Chen was lost in bliss. The pouch was heavy—at least a dozen gold coins. With this, he wouldn’t have to worry about living expenses at Blue Emperor Academy for months! He clutched the pouch tightly, afraid to let go, a happy smile on his lips. How could he not be happy? It was the largest windfall of his life—absolutely amazing!