Chapter 289: Pride’s Folly
Razor Maiden condensation: 99.9…halted.
Core condensation has reached maximum viability, catalyst required to complete core condensation.
Scanning for catalyst…error!
Appropriate catalyst could not be detected.
Please input catalyst to complete core condensation.
The core condensation process will be halted until appropriate catalyst can be located.
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Zhen Li was silent as he slowly touched the growing warm spot on his right cheek.
‘I’m…bleeding?,’ Zhen Li asked himself in disbelief as he withdrew his fingers from the wound and stared at the blood coagulating on his finger tips.
Disbelief mixed with shock came over him as he stared at the blood…his blood.
Under Zhen Wang’s tutalage, Zhen Li had become used to the sight of blood, part of the deal on being his apprentice was having to regularly spill it from other people.
But that was the thing, it was always other people’s blood, never his own.
The sight of his own blood, a physical proof of shame and a wound against his pride caused something inside of Zhen Li to strain.
As Zhen Li replayed the last few minutes of the fight in his head, he soon came to a conclusion about the nature of this wound, or rather, about the one who inflicted it upon him.
They didn’t miss by accident, this wound was on purpose.
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Razor Maiden’s sword-leg was on a clear trajectory to pierce Zhen Li’s face right between his eyes and splatter his brains all over the arena.
However, at the very last minute, the last second, the Razor Maiden had ever so slightly jerked her left to the right and flattened it out that it wouldn’t pierce Zhen Li’s face or even his ear, rather simply cut his cheek ever so slightly to draw blood.
Not enough that it would gush out, but just enough to make it sting.
To any onlookers watching this encounter from afar, this would appear to have been a misstep, a miscalculation on the puppeteer’s part of missing the target and settling only for a glancing blow.
For those in the know, this was a feat of control only known to the highest of masters.
And for those in the receiving end of such treatment…it was utterly humiliating.
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‘Are…are they…looking down on me?,’ Zhen Li thought to himself as he stared at the retreating form of the Razor maiden, only for his eyes to refocus on the controller of the puppet, ‘no…not they…just him.’
Twice.
Twice this week, someone had attacked his pride and made him feel low.
The first person to do so was understandable, it was an Aether Overlord. In this dog eat dog world, respect for the strong even if they mock you is never a bad thing.
But the second person to do so…someone who should by the laws of nature be kneeling at his feet for mercy?
That was unacceptable.
And unlike the first instance, this time, he could do something about it.
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=Hmmm. Why not? It’s been a couple centuries since I made these announcements.=
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Zhen Liu was just about to recall Razor Maiden to her doll form and duck out of the arena, having fulfilled his goal of avenging his family’s wounded pride while snubbing the other guy, but then a certain voice popped into his head, one he wasn’t expecting, making an announcement that was always welcome.
=A strong desire has been identified. Beginning the consolidation process. Please stand by as the desire core condenses.=
‘Huh…alright, then.’
As Zhen Liu moved his left hand out of sight of everybody and began to wonder where this desire was coming from, he was soon given an answer in the form of some rather weird sounding laughter coming from a person standing before him, which was sounding more and more unhinged by the minute.
“Uhh…what’s up with the main branch guy? He didn’t get a concussion or anything, right?”
“From a scratch that shallow? No way.”
“Is it just me or is the aether around him starting to get distorted?”
[Oh? Does somebody want an encore?,] Razor Maiden mused as she turned towards the laughing Zhen Li, claws at the ready.
‘Hold up Razor Maiden, I think this is the part I’m supposed to get involved,’ Zhen Liu told the kaijin itching for a round two, ‘I think this is the part where he goes on some unhinged villain rant.’
[Oh?]
<
[Ah, that’s what you meant.]
‘No, that’s just the build-up. Give it a few more seconds…’
<
[Now can I…]
‘Wait…I think he’s about to do something stupid that’s gonna justify me punching his face in about…’
<> Zhen Li shouted as he rushed towards Zhen Liu and pushed his aether flow to peak Aether Master level. Exposing himself be damned, this transgression would not stand!
“Whoa! What the fuck?!”
“Was that guy an Aether Master the whole time?!”
“This bastard was holding back to humiliate us!”
“Wait…is it just me or is anyone else getting deja vu?”
The Zhen Clan branch members exclaimed in shock at the revelation that this main branch guy was actually an Aether Master. However, none of them were worried for the Fourth Young Master’s wellbeing in this moment…they were worried for Zhen Li’s.
At the sight of the raging Zhen Li, Zhen Liu did not react with anger towards the former’s insult…well not visibly anyways. Instead, he simply clenched his fist and gave Razor Maiden a very simple instruction.
‘Razor. Please get out of the way. I wish to greet this insult personally.’
[Of course, director,] Razor complied with a tone that was slightly more respectful than before.
The on-lookers wouldn’t know it, but the kaijin did, that as of this moment, Zhen Liu was absolutely livid.
‘I was gonna just let you rant and leave without replying…but I think I’d rather do this instead,’ Zhen Liu thought to himself as he began to channel just the smallest mote of [Chaos] in his fist.
