SWNOVELS Chapter 68: Do You Think You Deserve The Position?
Goddamn it, Dempsey's face took on a ghastly expression as things started to get worse.
He immediately raised another arm and threw a punch that was aiming for Bernice's face, sending supersonic shockwave rippling through the air as a result.
'How dare this wretched woman hurt me', he furiously thought to himself, his tenderness and compassion for her had dissipated completely.
"Oh shoo! Get out of there!" The spectators below the performing stage shouted and prompted her to dodge the incoming hit. They had witnessed how Bernice had averted Dempsey's punch miraculously just a while ago and she had even managed to give him a heavy blow. However, the tables looked like they were about to turn now, and all their hearts had leapt into their throat before glee could even manifest in their spirit.
Everyone could see that this solid blow by Dempsey would be extremely powerful and they could not imagine the impact to her if it was dealt directly to her physiognomy. The force would mostly likely lead her to have a brain concussion, or her face would be ruined even if she was not dead from the impact.
"Don't avoid it! Strike his Renying Acupoint from the bottom with an uppercut!"
Dempsey's impending punch had caught her by surprise and she instantly wanted to retreat from it. However, upon hearing the voice that had called out to her, Bernice subconsciously decided to believe it. She did not fall back but went directly to Dempsey's Renying Acupoint instead in the face of his imminent blow.
The audience was soon in a fret over her foolish bravery. They could not apprehend why she did not turn tail but instead had went up against his punch decisively.
It was apparent that her skill was not up to his level after the previous spar.
"This foolish girl!" Cornell watched in consternation as Bernice was the most talented one among the new and upcoming generation, and he could not allow anything to happen to her.
Just when he had wanted to break off the fight by getting himself involved, a voice hit him from the right side there and then, "Don't you dare!"
Cornell detected two strokes of imposing and formidable aura that were on par with his own locking on him straight away, making him froze on the spot and unable to act rashly. Dempsey, who was on the stage, smiled grimly and announced at that moment, "This is what you deserve for not wanting to be my woman and hurting me, Bernice!"
He growled fiercely in a manner as though he had already foreseen his violent smash finishing her off. What a real shame, his heart bewailed at the great pity of losing such a beauty. You really shouldn't have harmed me, as you have lost the opportunity and the privilege to become the future matriarch of the Shaw family, Dempsey thought with pitying rue. However, the ensuing moment of the fight had astounded everyone in the crowd. All of them gaped at the two on the stage with utter disbelief clearly displaying in their eyes. Dempsey's eyes bulged with extreme incredulity as he could not believe what was happening to him.
His fist was only an inch away from reaching Bernice's delicate nose bridge, but he was unable to advance further anymore.
On top of that, his body had stumbled a few steps backward. His face was flushed with crimson while he grasped his throat tightly, his eyeballs almost protruding from his eye skulls due to the extreme pain. How was that possible? How did Bernice strike a blow to his Renying Acupoint unexpectedly?
The Renying Acupoint was located just 1.5 inches away from the laryngeal prominence of the throat, and it served as one of the vital acupoint of the human's body to deal a deathblow to in order to take someone down.
If not for her feeble strength, Dempsey would have been dead now from this strike.
Both of their backs burst out in cold sweat after a heated face-off. Bernice could not bear to think about the consequences if there were any slight hesitance and doubt in her move just now...
The most crucial part was she managed to deliver the hit. She had only act on instinct after hearing the voice that had guided her just now.
"Yes!"
"Give that arrogant and unruly brat a brutal thrashing so that he will not go rampant again, Bernice!"
Cheers erupted from the floor as the crowd was elated by the result of the fight. All the disciples of the Shaw family looked at Bernice with eyes full of exhilaration and fervour as they had gone into a frenzy of ecstasy.
Approval and contentment could be seen emitting from Cornell's gaze on her as the realization that this grandchild of him had a natural flair for combat that were way beyond his hope hit him. Her valiant fighting spirit and ability to seize opportunities exceeded his expectations.
There were little to none in the Shaw family who would be able to not deter and advance in a cool-headed manner when faced with such a menacing blow from Dempsey. It required the ability to analyse and attack the enemy's vulnerable point in an opportune moment to give him the fatal blow.
Bancroft Shaw, whom was seated on Cornell's right, shot her an extremely hostile and penetrating glance. He could not come to grips with the notion that his son, whom was conceived late and hence was the same age as Cornell's granddaughter, was hurt twice by that damned woman.
Seeing that Dempsey had not given up and still wanted to carry on with the battle, Bancroft opened his mouth to call for him, "Come back this instant, Dempsey."
Dempsey was in luck since Bernice's force was not strong enough when she had assaulted his Renying Acupoint, if not he would have been sent to his doom on the spot. Despite that, he was injured badly and based on her skills showcased earlier, it was certain that he would lose to her if the fight continued.
Bancroft would definitely settle with her after this, and he could send her to Dempsey's bed if he really fancied her. Otherwise, he would just get rid of her.
Dempsey did not disobey his father's command which carried the weight of a Virtuoso-to-be. He glared furiously at her and snarled, "Just you wait and see, you will surely pay for hurting me! I'm going to make you suffer in bed!"
"Do you have a death wish!?" Bernice exclaimed with outrage as anger had clouded her face upon hearing his vulgar and derogatory remark. Just when she was about to charge towards him, an overbearing and domineering aura had engulfed her whole body and made her shudder to the extent that she dared not move any further.
In the next instant, another mighty air presence immediately dispersed the oppressive constraint on her body, and she felt light all over right away.
Bernice turned to look at Cornell who was sitting at the head seat with gratitude in her eyes.
She thought it was her grandfather who had saved her life by relaying his guidance through the air. It was only possible for her grandfather, whom was the Virtuoso-to-be, to possess and to be able to effectuate such an inscrutable tactic among all the people in their family.
Bernice could not come up with a second candidate in her mind as she believed only someone who was a Virtuoso-to-be was capable of giving her the necessary pointers in that situation.
As for the abnormality of the tone colour which did not sound anything like her grandfather's, she had dismissed any notion of suspicion as she recalled his preaching that after the attainment of profound internal power, one could transmit his/her voice through the air. However, this method would result in the voice timbre being amended.
After leaping down from the stage, Dempsey marched towards his father and mumbled softly beside his ear, "Look father, this is a Reinforcing Panacea!"
"What?" Bancroft thought he had misheard his son.
Dempsey handed the small-sized bottle of elixir over to his father at once. A burst of vivid and overflowing medicinal smell ambushed Bancroft's nose as soon as he opened the bottle, and he instantaneously poured out the elixir.
What landed on his palm was an extremely exquisite pill which had a crystal clear appearance, and the rich medicinal smell exuding from it was immensely tantalizing to the senses and mind invigorating. This... This was really the Reinforcing Panacea!
Bancroft's breath started to tremble even though he was usually collected and composed as the Virtuoso-to-be of the clan.
"Let me have a look!" An old man sitting beside him whom had a washed-out face said casually.
Despite his face dropping, Bancroft still passed the Panacea over to the man beside him.
The old man started to scrutinize the Panacea in his hand and after giving it a sniffing, he nonchalantly uttered, "I will take this pill as an extra reward."
Bancroft's face darkened with menace flashing through his eyes, but he had managed to hide and suppress it completely.
"It is my honour to offer it to the one and only Mr. Clifford if you favour it!" he announced.
Dempsey stayed silent even though his heart was bleeding in regret and grief for giving away the pill, which was in contrary to his usual pompous temperament.
The old man who was being called by his father as Mr. Clifford was someone who was so powerful that even his own father could not afford to offend as he used to be a Virtuoso five years ago. It was due to his injury that his Virtuoso Phase had fallen, and he was subsequently stripped of his title. It was rumoured that even though he may not be a proper Virtuoso anymore, it would be an ease for him to slaughter ordinary Virtuoso-to-be.
This was the reason his father would made solemn promises to Clifford and invited him over today. With his presence, the plan to oust the current head of the Shaw family and snatch the position would be infallible.
No one could defeat the Virtuoso if he showed up.
Clifford was very contended with Bancroft's attitude, and an appallingly harrowing smile broke out on his ghastly face.
Of course they would have to get ready to be butchered by him if they had decided to plead for his help. Clifford even aspired to return to the Virtuoso Phase and was determined to procure something else from the Shaw residence after he had helped Bancroft to seize the title of the head of the family.
"Now that the younger generation's battle had come to an end, let's talk about who should inherit the title of the head of the family once you have renounced it, Cornell." Bancroft glared at him whom was sitting on the apex with rapacity tainted in his eyes. That position would become his sooner or later, he thought to himself.
"The head of the family could be succeeded by Eugene, or he could release the position and hand it over to whoever that is capable and competent enough to carry the whole Shaw family on his shoulder." Cornell gave Bancroft a cold glance and sneered, "However, do you think you will qualify for the responsibility and position given that you were expelled from the Shaw family as a scum for making your lewd and immoral move on the woman in our family?"
Bancroft's face suddenly darkened with rage as Cornell had dug up his mortified past to abash him.
"Who are you to say that I don't qualified for it now that I am a Virtuoso-to-be?" His overpowering Virtuoso-to-be demeanour exploded in a fury as he scowled, "You better ask your son, Eugene Shaw, to step down from the spot, if not I will massacre the whole Shaw village with my own hand!"
As soon as Bancroft finished his sentences, Darnell, whom was sitting beside him, also released an ominous and crushing pressure that bore down on the whole Shaw family. Everyone in the Shaw family was reduced to silence and had slowly gotten out-of-breath as if there were thousands of kilos of weight sitting on the top of their shoulders!☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐