Authors note: Hey guys, sorry about the weird breaks in-between chapters. My goal was to release at least one chapter a week, but I'm still hitting my stride as a writer and sometimes I just get stuck when I'm working on a chapter. In any case, here's chapter fifteen. Thank you for your patience!
“Wha-?!” Sophia’s intervention was completely unexpected, and for a moment the rich boy didn’t know how to deal with it. Eventually, he snorted and waved his hand dismissively. “Mind your own damn business!” he shouted. However, just as he was turning away he felt a hand clamp down on his wrist with an iron grip.
“Perhaps you didn’t hear me. I said, that’s enough.”
The crowd gasped. They never would have imagined that someone would actually be willing to offend the rich boy for the sake of a couple commoners, even if one of them was a genius.
“Who is that girl?”
“Do you think she’s a noble?”
“She has to be. That guy’s father is the head of a major trading conglomerate. Only an idiot would pick a fight with him without some kind of backing!”
The members of the audience whispered amongst themselves. Speculating, mocking, praising, each of them had their own reaction, but Sophia didn’t notice. She didn’t have any use for the mumbling of the peanut gallery.
“You!” If the rich boy was surprised before, now he was completely stunned. Sophia’s strength was well beyond what a child who had just awakened her Spirit Realm should be capable of. Even more terrifying though was the creeping chill that slowly permeated his body.
Although she had only been practicing it for a few days, the Illusory Snow Dance was a truly profound training method, and Sophia’s chi had already begun to assume a potent cold attribute.
“Fuck!” The rich boy could feel his chi becoming sluggish and lashed out in panic. Of course, there was no way that his half assed punch would be able to land on Sophia. With a single fluid motion she took control of his weight distribution, threw him off balance, and sent him sprawling like a drunken sailor.
The crowd went completely silent. From the day they learn to walk, the children of major clans and organizations would receive martial arts training and vast amounts of cultivation resources. This way, even if they never learn a single spell, they’ll be able to defeat commoners through physical cultivation alone. This was an advantage that talent just couldn’t compensate for, and yet…
“Damn it!” The rich boy jumped to his feet and lunged again, only for Sophia to sidestep and send him sprawling with a simple push. At that point, whatever martial arts training he might have had all went out the window. He charged and swung at Sophia again and again, but each time she defeated him effortlessly.
No, defeated isn’t the right word. It implies that there was actually a fight taking place. Sophia never even struck the boy. She only evaded with the least possible movement and let him trip over his own two feet. Although… she sometimes gave him a nudge in the right direction.
“You should really stop. You’re just embarrassing yourself.” Normally, Sophia would be filled with glee at the prospect of taking an arrogant prick down a few pegs, but right now she just wasn’t in the mood. The rich boy’s attitude was so disgusting that she wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
“Fuck!” The rich boy looked like he was losing his mind. He was so enraged that spittle was actually beginning to fly from his mouth like a mad beast. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!”
There it was, the last clichéd cry of the entitled and desperate. Sophia wished that she could properly savor the moment.
Oh well, I doubt that he’ll be the last to utter those words to me during this lifetime, she thought.
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“No, I don’t,” Sophia sighed, “and to be perfectly honest, I really don’t care.”
“Wha-!” The rich boy gaped at her, as if unable to believe his own ears. Although his own talent was mediocre at best, given his family’s wealth, even nobles would have to give him at least a little face.
“You bitch! How dare you! Just you wait until I-
The rich boy suddenly fell silent as a powerful killing intent washed over him. This aura had little to do with Spiritual Power and could only be obtained by true warriors after undergoing life or death struggles.
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!” With a scream, the rich boy pissed himself and scrambled away, eventually disappearing into the crowd. The audience turned to watch him go, confusion plastered all over their faces. They hadn’t been able to feel Sophia’s killing intent, so to them, it looked like the rich boy had simply lost his mind.
“Hmph! Useless side character!” After literally dying in battle, these kinds of childish squabbles could barely serve as a distraction for Sophia.
“Are you ok?” she asked, turning to the siblings. The girl seemed fine, if a bit shaken, but the boy had thoroughly gotten the crap kicked out of him. Unfortunately, she didn’t know any healing spells, but by activating Mysterious Jade Power and channeling it into the boy’s body she could at least stabilize his injuries.
“I’m fine.” The boy didn’t seem particularly grateful. On the contrary, he seemed to resent the fact that he needed rescue.
“Elliot! Don’t be rude!” his sister berated, “my lady, I’m very sorry for my brother’s behavior! Please don’t take offence!” The girl bowed somewhat awkwardly as she apologized.
Sophia was horrified and quickly pulled the girl into a standing position. “Please, don’t worry about it. I’m actually a commoner, just like you.”
“What! But that boy was from a powerful family! Aren’t you worried that they’ll come after you?!”
“Not particularly,” Sophia laughed. “Once I become an inner disciple, even nobles won’t be able to do anything to me, much less some merchant with an overinflated ego.”
Hearing this, Elliot could only smile bitterly. In the end money and titles didn’t really amount to much. Only magic could guaranty real power. People like Sophia and his sister had that power, so they could afford to disregard a noble’s face. In fact, in a few years they’d probably have noble titles of their own. People like Elliot, on the other hand, could only swallow their pride and keep their heads down.
Fuck! He cursed inwardly. He was supposed to be his sister’s protector. Instead, he had become a liability.
Not noticing Elliot’s internal crisis, Sophia held out her hand to introduce herself. “I’m Sophia by the way.”
“My name’s Olivia,” the girl said, taking Sophia’s outstretched hand, “and this is my little brother Elliot.”
Sophia was surprised. She never would have expected Olivia to be the older sibling. She was just so tiny that anyone would have thought that she was Elliot’s younger sister.
“Well Olivia, it was nice to meet you. I hope that we can be friends from now-
“SOPHIA!” Suddenly, she was cut off by a familiar, and very angry, voice. Slowly turning her head she noticed a blond-haired boy standing there with crossed arms and a bulging vein on his forehead.
“…Crap.”