Chapter 18

Su Chen’s words echoed through the hall.

Wang Ping collapsed to the ground, trembling like a sieve, his crotch soaked with warm urine—he had literally pissed himself in terror.

The retainers he had brought fled in panic, abandoning their armor and weapons, crawling and scrambling out of the Su family compound.

Wang Ping wanted to run too, but his legs felt leaden, utterly unable to rise.

In the end, two retainers turned back and half-dragged, half-carried him out.

Su Wen and Su Yue ran to Su Chen’s side, their eyes sparkling with awe.

“Second Uncle, you’re so amazing!” Su Wen said with pure admiration.

“Second Uncle, was that divine magic you just used? Why did that bad man kneel down all by himself?” Su Yue asked curiously.

Su Chen patted both children’s heads, a faint smile on his face.

He looked at his parents and elder brother and sister-in-law, still stunned, and said softly, “Father, Mother, Elder Brother, Sister-in-law, I’m sorry you were frightened.”

“What you just saw was merely trivial trickery, meant to punish petty villains. Don’t worry— from now on, they’ll never dare disturb us again.”

Only then did the others snap out of their shock.

They stared at Su Chen, their eyes complex: joy, pride, and a trace of awe.

Their son (younger brother) had become a figure like a celestial immortal.

This should have been a glorious honor for the family, yet they knew Su Chen was drifting farther and farther away from them.

That night, at the Wang household.

Department Magistrate Wang Tong, staring at his son—hollow-eyed, reeking of urine—after hearing his disjointed account, flew into a rage and swept the entire tea set off the table with one slap.

“Worthless! You’re utterly worthless!” Wang Tong roared, “Scared witless by some random street Daoist! You’ve shamed the entire Wang family!”

“Father! It’s true! He’s not human—he uses demonic magic!” Wang Ping cried out, “The staff broke on its own, I didn’t know why I knelt, and that fire—”

“Enough!” Wang Tong cut him off.

Though he cursed aloud, inwardly he already believed seven or eight parts of it.

He knew his son—though useless, he wouldn’t fabricate such an absurd lie to deceive him.

“What else did he say?” Wang Tong asked his son.

“He also said that before sunset tomorrow, you must return everything the Wang family has seized from the Su family—principal and interest, all of it.”

“And he told me to tell you,” Wang Ping stammered, “that Su Chen has returned.”

“Su Chen? So it was him!” Wang Tong suddenly understood.

He quickly calmed himself, pacing back and forth in the hall, his mind racing.

He had investigated the Su family before daring to move against them.

He knew the Su family had once held firm in the imperial capital thanks to their vanished second son.

He never imagined it was him who had returned.

This matter would be difficult to resolve.

According to what he knew, thirteen years ago, that Su second son had already been the top figure in Jiang State.

Judging by his son’s description, that man was now even more unfathomable.

The only solution seemed to be… to yield.

But for a Department Magistrate like him to kneel and beg pardon from a merchant family? It was worse than death.

Just as he wrestled with this inner turmoil, a cold voice sounded without warning beside his ear.

“It seems you still haven’t decided.”

Wang Tong froze, whirling around—only to see a man had appeared atop the main seat of the hall.

It was Su Chen.

He sat there quietly; not a single one of the Wang household’s dozens of guards had noticed his arrival.

“Who are you?” Wang Tong cried out, startled and furious, instinctively reaching for his waist sword.

Su Chen ignored him, merely flicked a finger.

“Hum—”

Wang Tong’s waist sword let out a mournful cry, then leapt from its scabbard, hovering midair before spinning its tip to point directly at Wang Tong’s forehead.

The icy blade hovered less than half an inch from his skin.

Wang Tong dared not move a muscle; cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

“I already gave you a chance,” Su Chen’s voice remained calm, “but you clearly don’t value it.”

“Spare my life!” Wang Tong finally broke, collapsing to his knees, his dignity as Department Magistrate utterly gone, “Your humble servant had no idea who you were! I offended a great immortal! Please, great immortal, forgive this ignorant worm’s life!”

Beside him, Wang Ping pounded his head against the floor like a mortar pestle, too terrified to speak.

Su Chen looked at the father and son, groveling in disgrace, his eyes utterly expressionless.

To him, these people were no different from ants—if not for his family, a single thought could erase the entire Wang household from existence.

“I can spare your life,” Su Chen said slowly, “but death may be forgiven, punishment cannot.”

As soon as he spoke, the sword hovering above Wang Tong’s forehead flashed like a streak of frost, circling him once.

“Ahh!”

Wang Tong screamed as his left pinky finger dropped to the floor, blood spurting out.

The agony nearly knocked him unconscious, yet he clenched his teeth, not daring to groan again.

“This is punishment for allowing your son to commit violence,” Su Chen stood up. “My words from earlier still stand. Before sunset tomorrow, I expect to see something satisfactory. Otherwise, next time, I won’t just cut off your finger.”

With that, his figure gradually faded, like a reflection dissolving in water, vanishing from the spot.

Only the reek of blood remained, and two mortals plunged into utter despair.

Early the next morning, the people of Mianshui County witnessed a sight unseen in a hundred years.

Department Magistrate Wang Tong, face as pale as paper, personally led a dozen carts laden with gold, silver, and silk, supported by his son Wang Ping, walking step by step to the Su family gate.

Then, before the astonished eyes of all onlookers, father and son knelt together and bowed three deep, resonant kowtows to the Su family’s front door.

“I, Wang Tong, failed to raise my son properly, allowing my wicked child to oppress the Su family—I deserve to die! I now return all seized property and compensate five thousand taels of silver. I beg Lord Su to show mercy and forgive my father and son!”

The news of Wang family’s kneeling apology spread through all of Mianshui County.

Department Magistrate Wang Tong had long ruled this small town with tyranny.

Now, he knelt and begged pardon at the Su family gate.

In an instant, the threshold of the Su household was nearly worn down by visitors.

Wealthy landowners and merchants arrived in droves, bearing gifts, faces plastered with humble smiles, praising Lord Su’s exemplary parenting—yet every one of their glances secretly scanned for the legendary second son of the Su family.

Su Yuanshan and Su Feng were overwhelmed, juggling these fickle opportunists while feeling a surreal, dreamlike disorientation.

Just days ago, gloom had hung heavy; today, guests flooded in.

This earth-shattering transformation had all been sparked by one man.

Yet that very man showed not the slightest interest in any of it.