Chapter 29: Ruthless Means

Pei Hu, the official in charge of the review, stood among the onlookers. While those around him claimed Chu Chen was destined to fail, he held a different view. Though Pei Hu lacked an understanding of spiritual energy, cultivation techniques, and combat maneuvers, he could see that Chu Chen’s eyes were sharp and focused, his mind clearly at work amidst the fray. This was not the demeanor of a loser.

"Xiao Kui, shall we make a wager?"

"As you wish, sir. What shall we wager on?"

"Who do you think will emerge victorious in this battle?"

Xiao Kui glanced at the courtyard, where Chu Chen was rolling and scrambling on the ground to dodge the spider demon’s barrage, looking utterly helpless against the beast. She replied, "I bet on the demon beast."

"And I bet on Chu Chen."

As soon as the words left his lips, the members of the Demon Suppression Division turned to look at Magistrate Pei. As an organization subject to review, they naturally harbored resentment toward the examiners. Here was a civil official who knew nothing of cultivation, yet he dared to place a bet on the fight—and on the side clearly at a disadvantage, no less. It was laughable.

"Sir, I would like to place a bet with you as well," one of the division members said.

"Certainly. Are you betting on Chu Chen to win?" Pei Hu asked.

"No, I bet on his defeat."

Pei Hu immediately asked, "What is your wager?"

The man rummaged through his sleeves for a long moment before producing all the silver he had on him. "Twenty-two taels and three mace."

"Sir, may I participate in the betting?" another member asked.

"Of course."

More and more people joined the wager. The crowd stopped watching the battle in the courtyard and instead gathered around the betting pool, oblivious to the fight, merely caught up in the excitement. Word had spread that the chief examiner was betting on Chu Chen, and to them, it felt like free money.

In this world, there are two paths to cultivation. The first is the golden road: joining a sect. Sects are notoriously strict in their selection, accepting only a dozen or so disciples a year. The Great Ning Dynasty is young and its geographical position is precarious, to say the least; its population is less than a tenth of larger nations. Consequently, very few from Great Ning ever make it into a sect. To this day, not a single person from this dynasty has passed the sect selection.

The second path is to join the Demon Suppression Division. The Division is not picky; as long as one’s meridians are open, it suffices. It doesn't matter if those meridians are cluttered or of poor quality; as long as you can store spiritual energy and put up a fight against a demon, you are in. It is a numbers game—they don't fear casualties, as there are always plenty more waiting in line to join.

Therefore, the members of the Demon Suppression Division were always in need of silver. Whether to support their families or save for retirement, everyone was short on cash. Opportunities to make money were rare, and winning money from a chief examiner of the Ministry of Personnel was an opportunity not to be missed.

The wagers grew, and the total amount involved reached eight hundred seventy-two taels and five mace. Xiao Kui could not help but ask, "Sir, do you intend to sell the title deeds to your family home?"

Pei Hu replied languidly, "Even if I sold them, I wouldn't have enough to cover this amount."

"Then why not stop while you can?"

"Who said I was going to lose?" Pei Hu retorted, adding, "I have a keen eye for people. This boy, Chu Chen, will not lose."

"I don't think so."

"Are you looking to increase your bet?" Pei Hu asked with a smile.

"I wouldn't want to add insult to injury, sir."

A dull thud echoed from the courtyard, drawing everyone’s attention back to the fight. Just as they looked, they saw Chu Chen collapse, with a spiderweb pinning him down from above.

"Oh dear..."

The crowd sighed in unison. It seemed the spider demon was about to win, but yet again, Chu Chen had slipped away. While everyone focused on the spiderweb, no one noticed that when Chu Chen scrambled to his feet, he grabbed a handful of pebbles and stuffed them into his tunic.

He wasn't called a young hero of the Demon Suppression Division for nothing, and he finally understood: without using his Coiling Snake Sword or the Profound Thunder Sword Technique, he could never defeat the spider demon. Fortunately, with the silver-thread armor he wore, the demon couldn't easily harm him. To win, he had to try something else.

He couldn't rely on his ill-tempered master to intervene unless his life was on the line. And he had no desire to risk that—who knew how thin the line between life and death really was? If he ended up permanently crippled, what then? He had to find a way to win, even if the methods were a bit underhanded.

Every time Chu Chen dodged the spider’s shots, he would roll on the ground, seizing the opportunity to scoop up more stones. The onlookers in the distance didn't understand what was happening; they only judged that Chu Chen’s spiritual energy was nearly exhausted. To Chu Chen, the spiritual energy stored in his meridians was like a battery from before he traveled to this world. Those at different levels had different battery capacities. His hot-tempered master, having reached the Small Heavenly Cycle realm, was like a solar battery that never needed a plug. Once a cultivator exhausted their energy, they had to resort to hand-to-hand combat. With spiritual protection, nobody would normally be rolling around on the ground.

"Sir, it seems you are going to lose," Xiao Kui laughed.

Though Pei Hu was a mere mortal, his eyes were sharp. He saw the details others missed, though he still couldn't fathom why the boy was grabbing stones. Chu Chen felt his midsection; he had at least several dozen pebbles.

Ammunition loaded, he began his counterattack.

He slammed on the brakes, drifting around a sharp corner on the ground. He threw a punch near the dirt, utilizing the third stance: Dragon Soars, Phoenix Dances. The fist of spiritual energy didn't move in a straight line; it twisted and surged toward the spider demon. The pebbles on the ground were swept up by the gust, unwillingly hurtling toward the beast.

The spider demon, bored by this monotonous attack, simply tilted its rear upward.

"Now!"

"Insight Technique!"

Chu Chen’s vision zoomed in, so sharp he could see the textures on the pebbles.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The pebbles flew from his hands. *Damn it, I knew you were an unprincipled spider demon. You can actually predict my movements? Let's see you predict this—I've predicted your prediction.*

"Snap!"

The pebbles collided, making a crisp sound. Their trajectories shifted, flying directly into the opening from which the spider demon fired its webs.

"Pfft!" One pebble went into the pocket.

"Pfft!" A second pebble went into the pocket.

The spider silk firing from the demon’s now-obstructed hole became erratic. It was like a man who had just finished his business—even with a hole the size of a toilet bowl, he could still spray everywhere. It wasn't that he couldn't aim; it was that no one knew where the spray would end up.

"Pfft!" A strand of spider silk severed one of the demon’s legs.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Chu Chen seized the moment, launching a dozen more pebbles, all finding their mark. If he ever had the chance to travel back, his name would certainly be etched in the history of snooker.

The spider demon, in a frantic rage, switched to rapid-fire mode.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat-tat!"

Spider silk and pebbles sprayed out together, flying wildly in every direction. The onlookers scrambled to draw their swords or duck for cover; the scene was utter chaos. A strand of spider silk pierced through the spider demon’s jaw and emerged from the top of its head. Chu Chen seized the opening, lunged forward, and smashed it to the ground with a single punch.