Chapter 54: The Gap Between People is Even Greater Than That Between a Human and a Dog

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: The Gap Between People is Even Greater Than That Between a Human and a Dog

Seeing Prince Jing’s smug expression, as if smacking people with a brick was something to be proud of, Su Han curled his lip and turned to walk away.

Hah!

’Back in his youth, no one in the Imperial City could withstand a single brick from him.’

’He should ask his conscience if he even believes his own words before saying something like that.’

’As his son for sixteen years, how could I not know what he’s like?’

’Even if I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d heard my mother, the Princess Consort, say it countless times. Back when my father, the Prince, was young in the Imperial City, his very name was enough to make everyone—from the centuries-old clan elders of great families down to their month-old infants—gnash their teeth in fury.’

’As for smacking people with bricks, anyone who knew who he was wouldn’t have dared to cross him. And anyone who did dare to cross him wouldn’t have known who he was—and couldn’t have beaten him anyway.’

’As for brick-smacking becoming a Causality Technique... hehe, not a chance.’

’Forget becoming a Causality Technique like Blunt Stick; I even doubt, given how unreliable my father is, whether his "Divine Technique" of brick-smacking could even form a Skill Tree.’

He grumbled to himself as he walked away.

Walking.

Walking.

Su Han’s steps couldn’t help but falter slightly.

’But what if?’

’What if my father’s brick-smacking craft really could form a Skill Tree?’

’What if... it really is a Causality Technique?’

’What if...’

This series of "what ifs" made Su Han’s resolve begin to waver.

Take the Causality Technique: Blunt Stick, for example.

Even though he claimed to look down on it, and even though using it felt absurdly humiliating and beneath him, he had to admit that something as overpowered as a Causality Technique, be it Suiyuan Swordsmanship or Blunt Stick, was so absurdly effective that it was impossible to resist using.

So...

’Maybe... I should give it a try?’

He subconsciously shook his head, trying to fling the frightening thought from his mind. But once the idea took root, it was like a sickness in his bones, impossible to shake off.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

He turned back.

"Father..."

...

"So, that’s it?"

In the back garden, under the last surviving great tree planted by an ancestor’s own hand, Prince Jing tossed aside the brick he was holding and stared at Su Han, his face a mask of displeasure.

He had finally gotten a chance to show off his ultimate technique to his son and was really getting into it. He was even mimicking his Princess Consort by demonstrating some of the key movements as he lectured.

But... after only an hour, before he’d even had his fill of lecturing, his son told him that was enough—he’d already learned it.

’Hah... Learned it? Who does he think he’s fooling?’

’Did he think I didn’t notice? While I was explaining the key movements, the little rascal was completely distracted. His mind was off chasing who-knows-which girl.’

’Hmm... speaking of girls, other than that time he snuck off to Yunshui Pavilion with Su Xiao’Er at the age of eight, the boy has never seemed interested in any young lady.’

’So... could that incident have psychologically scarred him?’

’He’s already sixteen! Why, when I was sixteen, I’d almost won the heart of my Princess Consort!’

’This kid... why isn’t he in any hurry?’

’Speaking of wooing girls, that Miss Feng who came to the Prince’s Residence with Yan seems like a good catch. She’s beautiful, has an impressive cultivation level, and her background is obviously extraordinary. A perfect match for the son of me, Prince Jing.’

’Hmm... I’ll have to find a chance to sound the little rascal out about it later.’

His train of thought had, as usual, derailed. By the time Prince Jing had finished naming his future great-grandchildren, he suddenly snapped back to reality.

’Wait... that’s not right. Is the issue right now really about girls? No, the issue is that this little rascal was spacing out during my lecture!’

The thought of Su Han spacing out during his lecture on brick-smacking essentials made Prince Jing completely forget about the other issue that always worried him and his wife—that their sixteen-year-old son still hadn’t found a girl.

"Are you saying... you’ve already learned how to smack with a brick?"

Su Han glanced at the glowing golden Skill Tree and nodded. "You are an excellent teacher, Father. I have completely mastered the key movements you’ve taught me."

Prince Jing looked at him, his eyes filled with suspicion.

He looked at him again, his eyes filled with confusion.

He looked at him once more, his eyes filled with doubt.

"But... I wasn’t finished yet."

Su Han: "..."

’You... weren’t finished?’

’If you weren’t finished, then how did this Skill Tree form?’

"I am exceptionally talented and quick on the uptake. You taught me a portion, Father, and I was able to grasp the rest and integrate it all."

Prince Jing nodded and handed the brick to Su Han.

Su Han stared at the brick in his hand, a little dumbfounded.

"You said you learned it, didn’t you? Show me a demonstration. Let your father see if you’ve learned it correctly."

Su Han: "..."

’A demonstration? I haven’t even unlocked anything on the Skill Tree yet.’

’Uh... you’ve been demonstrating for so long, you must be tired and thirsty, right? Why don’t you go get a drink and rest? I’ll come give you a demonstration after I... uh... go burn a tree?’

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Su Han’s brain quickly spun up an excuse.

"This... wouldn’t be appropriate."

Prince Jing retorted, "How is it not appropriate?"

"With this brick-smacking business, you can only really see how well someone has mastered the art by, well, smacking someone on the head with the brick.

I... I can’t just take this brick and smack you with it, can I?

Even if you didn’t mind, I couldn’t bring myself to do it."

Prince Jing’s eyes widened, and he nearly gave Su Han a beating. "Couldn’t bring yourself to do it? You were actually thinking of smacking me?"

Su Han quickly denied it, saying he wouldn’t dare. Prince Jing’s gaze fell on Su Xiao’Er, who had been standing silently to the side the entire time, awaiting instructions.

"Isn’t there a ready-made one right here? Just use Su Xiao’Er to test your skill."

Su Han: "..."

Su Xiao’Er: "...???"

’Who am I?’

’Where am I?’

’What am I doing?’

Looking at the dumbfounded Su Han and the even more dumbfounded Su Xiao’Er, Prince Jing spoke up to console them,

"Don’t worry, with Su Xiao’Er’s cultivation level, as long as you control your strength, you won’t hurt him."

Su Xiao’Er: "..."

’Control his strength?’

’What if he can’t control his strength?’

’My Prince, are you really just throwing me to the wolves?’

Forcing a smile that was uglier than a crying face, Su Xiao’Er looked helplessly at Su Han. "Crown Prince, please go easy on me."

Su Han looked at Su Xiao’Er, then at the brick in his hand, and nodded.

He activated the Causality Technique: Blunt Stick.

Holding the brick as if it were a club, Su Han changed the smacking motion to a tapping one, bringing it down on the back of Su Xiao’Er’s head.

In that instant, Su Xiao’Er’s mind went blank, as if his senses had been completely stripped away for a moment.

A moment later, everything returned to normal. Aside from the brick still resting against the back of his head, it was as if nothing had happened.

"I... I’m okay?"

Recalling the experience of that instant, Su Xiao’Er muttered to himself in a daze, his hands patting his face and head.

Su Han withdrew the brick and turned to look at his father.

"What do you think?"

Prince Jing: "..."

Even though his son hadn’t mastered many of the key movements, and even though he held the brick as if it were a club...

...he had to admit that when it came to the art of brick-smacking, his son had already surpassed him.

The moment the brick moved, even as a spectator, Prince Jing had an inexplicable feeling.

If that brick had been aimed at him, he had the strange feeling that even with his cultivation at the late-stage Divine Sea Realm, he would have been completely unable to dodge it.

The corners of his mouth twitched a few times. Prince Jing gave a thumbs-up. "Good."

After forcing out that single word, Prince Jing turned and walked out of the garden, his departing figure looking strangely forlorn.

’Brick-smacking!’

’He, Prince Jing, had never considered himself inferior to anyone. The two greatest sources of his confidence were, first, winning the heart of his Princess Consort, and second, elevating the craft of brick-smacking into an art form.’

’And yet, he no longer had the right to even boast about these two points of pride in front of his own son.’

’The Princess Consort he had moved heaven and earth to win over simply became "Mom" the moment his son was born.’

’His Divine Technique of brick-smacking, honed over decades and who-knows-how-many hundreds or thousands of cracked heads, had been surpassed by his son after a single hour of instruction.’

Inexplicably, Prince Jing, who had also once considered himself a genius, felt a pang of loneliness in his heart—

’In this world, the gap between one genius and another can sometimes be greater than the gap between a genius and a dog!’