novelraw Chapter 163 : Extra Chapter - Post-War
Chapter 163 : Extra Chapter - Post-War
Muffled sounds of flesh hitting flesh emanated from the combat arena.
Seated on the long benches surrounding the combat arena, Chen Sui accepted a nutritional fluid passed from the side. Everyone moved in unison, tearing open the seal and gulping it down.
Zhang Yingjie, carrying a box of nutritional fluids, swept a helpless glance at the already seated crowd. The typically composed Ink Hills Commander adjusted his glasses and said irritably: "So, you had me bring nutritional fluids just to watch the show?"
Noya pointed toward the fighting: "Father-son dragon-tiger battle, isn't that worth watching?"
Zhang Yingjie sat down in an empty spot beside him, his gaze turning to the arena.
Xie Liuyun and Xie Chunshi weren't using mechas, fighting purely hand-to-hand, almost beating each other to death. One second Xie Chunshi was kicked away by his father, the next he exploded forward, landing a punch on Xie Liuyun's face.
Zhang Yingjie's expression was complex, difficult to evaluate.
Although their techniques showed traces of formal military close combat, for some reason, both men's auras gave him a sense of déjà vu of street thugs brawling.
Seemingly aware that he was critiquing two people—one his life-and-death comrade, the other a Star Alliance elder directing affairs—Zhang Yingjie closed his eyes, trying hard to dispel the impression from his mind.
However, he wasn't the only one thinking this way.
When encountering Xie Liuyun and hearing him say "let's talk" in a steady tone, Chen Sui instinctively looked at Xie Chunshi, expecting to witness a late-night father-son heart-to-heart.
She grabbed both Gu Qinxue and Zhou Chen's hands and gave Puluo a meaningful glance, perceptively preparing to give Xie Chunshi and Xie Liuyun space.
However, the Commander merely glanced at him from a distance, then raised his hand to flex his wrist, nodding with a stern expression.
At that time, Chen Sui didn't understand the purpose of his wrist flexing, but Noya seemed to notice something and poked her, asking softly: "Shall we go together?"
Chen Sui looked at Xie Chunshi, who lowered his gaze toward her, quietly reminding: "It might delay dinner."
But he didn't refuse, seemingly suggesting everyone should come along.
"We'll go together," Black Mamba turned his head from the front, looking at Noya.
Xie You thought that with this momentum, if he didn't follow, Xie Liuyun and Xie Chunshi might fight to the death.
The Saint Laurent Commander received his glance and raised his light brain to send a message: "Then I'll ask Zhang Yingjie to bring nutritional fluids."
But Chen Sui, behind him, saw him clearly open the chat with He Shuangmu first, sending a message [Gossip alert, come quick!] suffixed with a screen full of exclamation marks, before opening Zhang Yingjie's chat.
"You..."
She glanced at Noya, only to hear him ask: "Little Sister Sui, what flavor nutritional fluid do you want?"
So she changed her tone: "Well done."
Watching their Commander's drama? Such good things should be shared!
Chen Sui switched sides very quickly, but she didn't expect that with Noya's rallying cry, he would actually call all five school teams over. Fortunately, the combat arena stands were large enough.
"What deep grudge is this, fighting so fiercely?"
Chi Buyu craned his neck to watch the scene on the combat arena. At that moment, Xie Liuyun had just locked Xie Chunshi's right arm, slamming him to the ground from behind. Muscles and bones hit the hard floor of the combat arena, making a very crisp sound.
After hitting the ground, Xie Chunshi's long leg swept to the side, his waist and abdomen exerting force, his core strength exploding as he rose from the ground. Before Xie Liuyun could let go of him, Xie Chunshi's left arm locked his throat, throwing him forward.
Song Yuan glanced at the injuries on their bodies, exchanged a distant look with Xie You, saw his actions, and silently opened her light brain.
Good, the facts proved that even with people watching, this father-son pair wouldn't show any mercy. They needed to find someone who could control both of them. With the league match approaching, they couldn't allow a serious incident.
Hearing Chi Buyu's question, Xie You glanced at Song Yuan, saw her sending a message, and pressed his own light brain before explaining: "Not killing each other is already pretty good."
"Think about it. One sent the other into a high-level energy field with life-or-death responsibility, the other sent him to the Prison Tower for several years. Setting aside their father-son relationship, calling them enemies wouldn't be wrong," Lu Hang Jiu said quietly. His gaze burned as he watched the arena, showing some excited eagerness. "But honestly, I'd like to fight with Director Xie too. I heard that among that batch of Border Army back then, apart from Director Song, Director Xie and Colonel Lu were the best fighters!"
Lu Ting heard this from a distance. "You? You'd be down in a few moves. Save it."
Xie Yi strongly agreed, and they clinked their nutritional fluids together, indicating consensus.
Lu Hang Jiu felt underestimated and stood up, wanting to defend himself, but was pushed back down by Jing Yao beside him: "Don't go causing trouble."
After speaking, he looked at Song Yuan, asking: "Should we call someone? A few days in the medical pod would be fine, but injuries to tendons and bones aren't good. The competition is coming up soon. If Xie Chunshi is seriously injured, Director Xie will again be labeled as harming military students."
The mention of harming military students immediately brought to mind the Gu family.
With Chen Sui's artificial eye incident as a starting point, the Gu family was under strict investigation by the entire council. If something happened now, they might turn around and bite the Xie and Song families.
Song Yuan's face showed some fatigue as she raised her hand to rub her temples, clearly not expecting that Xie Chunshi, usually so calm, would be this wild: "I've messaged my teacher. She's on her way."
Her teacher, naturally, was Song Baining.
Chen Sui curiously looked at Song Yuan, who opened her light brain interface, revealing a concise line of text in Song Baining's dialog box.
[Ten minutes.]
Everyone present felt reassured, but listening to the fighting sounds from the combat arena, neither man had let out a single groan. Chen Sui gained a new understanding of Xie Chunshi's character.
Honestly, the way Commander Xie had looked downstairs, he really seemed ready to rush up and punch Xie Liuyun.
It was rare for him to display emotions so openly.
"So, how did father and son end up like this?" The Ink Hills analyst found this very puzzling. He extended one hand toward He Chigui. The shy analyst took out a nutritional fluid from his side and handed it to him. Hearing his question, he didn't know how to answer, mumbling a few times before closing his mouth.
Wuwu, he didn't dare speak ill of others behind their backs.
Jiang Zhongyu didn't need his answer; it was just his habitual muttering, but it received agreement from Chen Sui in the distance.
When Song Baining said ten minutes, it was ten minutes. Just as Xie Liuyun's hand locked Xie Chunshi's head, pressing him down on the combat arena floor, one hand raised high in a fist about to smash into his face, the door made a beep sound. A young woman in a neat uniform walked in, her sharp gaze falling directly on the combat arena. Seeing this scene, she immediately reprimanded: "Xie Liuyun!"
The man on the combat arena paused.
"If you dare hit Little Chun one more time today, tomorrow I'll fight you on the combat arena."
Xie Liuyun completely stopped his movements. The aggressive aura around him, stirred up by Xie Chunshi, instantly disappeared. He transformed faster than melting ice and snow, returning to a pure and harmless appearance.
Chen Sui saw him immediately stand straight, smoothing his clothes with his palm, even raising his hand to tidy his hair.
But as he released his force, allowing Xie Chunshi to escape the restraint, the young man immediately sprang from the ground and landed a punch.
"Smack!"
It directly turned Xie Liuyun's face to the side.
Having just taken a punch when trying to maintain his image, the council chairman's eyes remained calm. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze sweeping over Xie Chunshi as he spoke neutrally: "Tsk, you think you can get away with this, kid..."
"Little Chun!"
Song Baining strode over, first noticing Chen Sui among the crowd. Seeing her expression of watching the show while drinking nutritional fluid, she momentarily felt her vision darken, but her aura remained imposing. She nodded to the group of military students, then activated the combat arena's forced match termination mode.
The interception net around the combat arena disappeared. Standing outside, she ordered the two: "Both of you, get out here."
Xie Chunshi and Xie Liuyun stopped their actions and walked toward the steps together. Just before descending from the combat arena, Xie Chunshi deliberately cut in front of the person ahead.
Xie Liuyun, having his path taken, clenched his fist, gritting his teeth without taking action, only cursing under his breath: "Brat, don't you understand respecting elders?"
"Do you deserve my respect?"
Xie Chunshi turned back, avoiding the crowd as he coldly laughed in reply.
He quickly came down from the combat arena, not speaking to Song Baining either, passing her to stand before the Zhu Jing Fu members, instinctively stopping in front of Chen Sui.
The analyst looked up at him and discovered his face bore numerous injuries—his temple from being slammed against the combat arena by Xie Liuyun, and his mouth corner from being punched. It wasn't enough to ruin his appearance; rather, Chen Sui rarely saw him in such an undignified state. It forcibly added a touch of wildness to the usually gentle Commander.
Seeing Xie Chunshi's black eyes fixed on her, Chen Sui raised her hand, offering him a nutritional fluid: "Commander, want some?"
Xie Chunshi accepted it with a tug of his lips, hearing an affected voice from behind. He turned back with a fierce glare.
Xie Liuyun seemed to transform into a different person as soon as he came down, his speed of changing faces shocking the military students.
One hand covering his cheek that had just been punched by Xie Chunshi, he looked at Song Baining with watery eyes: "Sister."
Hearing his address, Song Baining felt a blockage in her chest, but her expression hadn't softened, still maintaining a cold face.
Xie Liuyun used his finger to hook her hanging hand, his voice hoarse with strange pauses: "It hurts so much, sister."
Xie Chunshi watched Song Baining sigh, seeing her fingers respond to Xie Liuyun. Inwardly, he wanted to curse "damn green tea."
Chen Sui saw him turn his head and followed his gaze, witnessing this scene between the elders. Her face instantly reddened, as if she'd seen something inappropriate for minors. She hurriedly tugged at Xie Chunshi: "Um... are you alright? Should we go to the Medical Ward to check?"
The Zhu Jing Fu members stood up together, while others looked toward them. Though their gazes fell on Xie Chunshi and their words were directed at him, their peripheral vision repeatedly swept over to Xie Liuyun and Song Baining's position.
"No way, Commander Xie, you guys are fighting like strangers..."
"Holy crap, is Director Xie like this in private?"
He Shuangmu's last sentence was very quiet, but still reached the ears of the Zhu Jing Fu members.
Xie Chunshi looked at the sleeve Chen Sui was tugging to divert his attention, a flash of light seemingly passing through his eyes. He seemed to understand something.
Just as Xie You was about to say something to him, he saw his always strong, calm, and mature brother raise his hand to press against the wounds on his face, pushing his tongue against the inside of his cheek, saying in a very low voice: "It hurts a bit."
His tone differed from usual, instead showing a hint of vulnerability.
Chen Sui initially didn't think much of it, after all, getting injured on the combat arena was perfectly normal. They had fought even more fiercely before.
Therefore, she had watched it all like a spectator, just waiting to take Xie Chunshi to the medical pod in the end.
But unexpectedly, she heard Xie Chunshi say it hurt.
Chen Sui paused for a second, then reacted by looking at the distant Xie Liuyun. He was already 'weakly' leaning against Song Baining, seemingly being supported, almost clinging to her.
Was it that serious?
Chen Sui thought about it. From what she had seen, they both seemed fine, right?
"W-where does it hurt?"
Chen Sui looked at Xie Chunshi suspiciously, scanning him from top to bottom, recalling the entire fighting process in her mind, unable to find where an internal injury could have occurred.
Xie Chunshi withdrew his peripheral vision from his parents, radiating a sense of having learned a lesson. Hearing Chen Sui's words, his eyes immediately changed, but he lowered his hand, pretending nothing was wrong. Yet his eyes contained restraint. He looked up at Chen Sui, squeezed his palm, and shook his head: "It's nothing."
"Not serious," Xie Chunshi added, yet his expression revealed some pain.
Seeing him like this, Zhou Chen's attitude, originally as unconcerned as Chen Sui's, suddenly changed, along with a rise in his voice: "Huh? Commander, don't scare me, where are you hurt?"
This commotion caught the attention of Xie Liuyun, who was busy playing the victim to Song Baining. The man narrowed his eyes, observing Xie Chunshi's expression, and immediately snorted with derision.
"Shit."
Song Baining raised the hand he was clinging to. Xie Liuyun's body instinctively leaned toward her, but Song Baining dodged to the side. Xie Liuyun barely maintained his balance thanks to his strong equilibrium, only to receive a hard slap on his back from his partner.
"Stop cursing, especially in front of students."
Song Baining glared at him.
Xie Liuyun looked at her innocently, about to call her sister, but on the other side, the Zhu Jing Fu members were in a panic over Xie Chunshi's expression, eager to take him to the Medical Ward immediately. Zhou Chen, with no filter on his mouth, blurted out without controlling his volume: "No way, Director Xie hit you that hard?"
Hearing this from a distance, Xie Liuyun's face instantly darkened as he replied through gritted teeth: "I did not!"
Damn brat, he had been very measured. The kid was just smearing dirt on him!
However, Song Baining responded with another slap, causing Xie Liuyun to grunt. Before he could speak, the woman grabbed his bruised jaw. Song Baining's eyes warned him: "Did you not hear what I said?"
Xie Liuyun swallowed and raised both hands: "I was wrong, sister. I promise not to curse anymore."
"Ouch... it really hurts," he said pitifully.
Only then did Song Baining release him, looking toward Xie Chunshi who was surrounded by people. The father-son pair's identical pretense made her forehead throb with pain.
Xie Chunshi met her gaze and immediately felt guilty.
"Ahem."
He coughed a few times to cover up.
However, Zhou Chen, deeply affected by his performance, became greatly alarmed and hurried forward, carefully supporting Xie Chunshi who was about to lean on Chen Sui, asking anxiously: "Commander, could it be a lung injury? Not pneumothorax, right?"
Xie Chunshi looked at Zhou Chen who had inserted himself between them, his eyes dark, his face instantly blackening.
Ghost of an air.
I think you're going to be the death of me.