Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 21 Human Nature

His forbearance did not make Su Chang feel grateful; instead, he felt that Shen Wenxing was playing with and insulting him.

While Su Chang was furious, he was also secretly surprised.

The last time... was more than ten days ago during a sparring session, when he had just given Shen Wenxing a severe beating.

Only ten days have passed, how come this kid has suddenly become so much stronger?
With a sense of doubt, Su Chang sat back down in his seat.

On the surface, the two appeared to be evenly matched, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Shen Wenxing's strength had surpassed his.

If the two are of similar age and family background, it wouldn't be so strange.

The key issue is that he is older than Shen Wenxing and comes from a better family. More importantly, being mocked in front of his fiancée makes Su Chang feel very embarrassed.

With the pearl already in front of them, the subsequent pairings and exchanges became somewhat dull.

After a day of training, many disciples left the training ground.

Only Shen Wenxing stayed behind; he wanted to continue his cultivation.

His calm and composed personality is one of his strengths. The sudden surge of power within him a few days ago greatly increased his strength. Other children his age might have become arrogant by now.

Shen Wenxing did not.

He always felt that the sudden power within him was the result of his hard work, which was more than that of ordinary people, so he worked even harder than before.

After finishing her training in the backyard of the martial arts school, Huang Lingxiu couldn't wait to run back to the backyard and tell Huang Qingzhou about the competition that day.

“Father, Junior Brother Stone is a fool. He could have easily defeated Su Chang and avenged the humiliation he suffered, but he chose to endure it.”

"If it were me, I would beat him so badly that even his own parents wouldn't recognize him!"

Huang Lingxiu said angrily.

She simply couldn't understand why Shen Wenxing didn't seize the opportunity to take revenge when he clearly had it.

Seeing her daughter's sullen expression, Huang Qingzhou shook her head slightly.

"Let's go check on that kid."

The father and daughter arrived at the training ground in the front yard and saw that Shen Wenxing was indeed still cultivating. Huang Qingzhou said in a low voice, "See? Shi Tou is already very strong, but he is still working hard."

"In terms of talent, you are no less than a stone; in terms of resources, you far surpass him."

"If you can work as hard as him, you will have a chance to break through to become a martial artist after you come of age."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingxiu slightly pursed her lips.

She knew that hard work would definitely pay off, but the thought of the tedium and pain of cultivation immediately dampened her spirits.

"Father, let's go over there."

Not wanting to discuss this topic with her father, Huang Lingxiu quickly pulled him to the training ground.

Shen Wenxing caught sight of the two arriving, slowly stopped his stance training, and came forward to greet them with a cupped hand: "Uncle, Senior Sister."

Huang Qingzhou nodded slightly and asked, "Lingxiu said you fought with Su Chang today?"

Shen Wenxing nodded.

"Why keep yielding when you clearly have a chance to win?"

"In a duel between martial artists, the key is to defeat the enemy with one move; being soft-hearted will only put you in danger."

Shen Wenxing was slightly taken aback. Seeing that there was no blame on Huang Qingzhou's face, he immediately cupped his hands and said, "Uncle, I can easily defeat Senior Brother Su Chang, but I cannot do so."

"Why?" Huang Lingxiu asked, puzzled.

Shen Wenxing smiled wryly: "Senior sister should know that my family is just an ordinary farming household in Jinliu Village, while Su Chang's uncle is the county magistrate of our Anyang County."

“That’s the sky over Anyang County. If I were to defeat him in public just to vent my anger and humiliate him, it would inevitably arouse his resentment.”

"It's one thing if he wants revenge on me, but what if it affects my family..."

"Judging by the time, Mother should be giving birth soon. Father has a hard time supporting the whole family on his own, and I can't add to their burden."

Upon hearing these words, Huang Lingxiu fell silent.

In fact, she was three years older than Shen Wenxing, but she didn't think that much about it at all.

In her eyes, if she got into trouble, her father would take the blame, and if all else failed, her uncle in the military would step in.

Within the small territory of Anyang County, nothing is a big deal unless it's a serious violation of the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty.

I never imagined there would be so many hidden dangers. Huang Qingzhou's eyes were full of admiration.

She felt a pang of envy for Shen Yuan.

At such a young age, he is calm, tactful, and thoughtful; he is sure to achieve great things in the future.

With such a son, how could one not prosper?
Unfortunately, he only had two daughters. His eldest daughter left her hometown after breaking through to the Acquired Martial Realm in her early years. In recent years, she would only occasionally send a letter to let him know that she was safe and sound, and he did not know where she had gone.

“Your concerns are valid, but there’s one thing you’ve overlooked.”

Huang Qingzhou's expression suddenly turned serious.

Shen Wenxing was puzzled and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Please enlighten me, Uncle."

“You’ve overlooked human nature,” Huang Qingzhou sighed, his hands behind his back. “Human nature is the most complex thing.”

"You think that not defeating Su Chang in public was saving face for him."

"But Su Chang might not think that way. Given his personality, he would only feel that you are making fun of him and humiliating him."

"This is far more unacceptable than defeating him."

"That's how people get along. If you're a little better than him, he'll be jealous of you and try every means to scheme against you."

"But if you are much stronger than him, so much stronger that he can hardly reach you, he will only admire you and fear you."

"While concealing the edge is good, excessive concealment will only make people think that your sword is not sharp enough to kill."

"Only you can figure out and control the degree of this."

Huang Qingzhou's teachings clearly conflicted with his father Shen Yuan's words, leaving Shen Wenxing somewhat confused.

His father told him to be humble and low-key, but Huang Qingzhou told him to show his strength when the time was right.

"Alright, let's not disturb Stone's cultivation, let's go."

Huang Qingzhou said something and then left with his daughter.

Shen Wenxing stood alone in the training ground for a long time, lost in thought, and then suddenly smiled.

Whether one chooses to keep a low profile or to unleash their power at the right time, ultimately it's up to them to control the situation.

Ultimately, it is one's own strength that determines everything.

Strength is your greatest source of confidence. With strength, you can choose freely; without strength, you have no right to choose.

Having figured these things out, he continued his cultivation.

The next day, it was time to go home again.

Early in the morning, Shen Yuan drove his oxcart to the entrance of the martial arts school.

Shen Wenxing bid farewell to the martial arts masters, boarded the oxcart, and followed Shen Yuanchao to Jinliu Village.

"Father, has Mother given birth?"

Mentioning this, Shen Yuan, who was driving the carriage ahead, turned around and couldn't help but laugh, "Guess if it's a younger brother or a younger sister?"

Shen Wenxing tilted his head and thought for a while: "If it's a younger brother, I can teach him martial arts in the future. If it's a younger sister, she will definitely be as beautiful as Mother."

"Hey!" Shen Yuan turned around and laughed, "You brat, who taught you to talk so well?"

Shen Wenxing chuckled and scratched his head: "Senior Sister Lingxiu said that martial artists are not brutes, and they cannot be illiterate and not read books. During my year at the martial arts school, I would ask Senior Sister Lingxiu for advice in my spare time and borrow some books from my uncle to read."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan patted his head with satisfaction.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that his son had grown up quite a bit.

"Your mother gave birth to a younger brother and a younger sister."

"Ah!?" Shen Wenxing's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Clearly, based on his understanding, he didn't quite grasp how a person could give birth to two children at once.

"Your younger sister is named Shen Wenping, and your younger brother is named Shen Wen'an."

Upon receiving confirmation once again, Shen Wenxing was overjoyed.

At this moment, his heart had already flown back to Jinliu Village, and he couldn't wait to see his younger brother and sister.

(End of this chapter)