Reincarnation of the Strongest Sword Maniac

They Insulted My Family, So I Challenged Their Young Master!

Three days later, Alexander returned to the Blackwood Family residence for the gathering. The main hall had been decorated with red lanterns, and servants hurried between tables carrying food and wine. Several allied families had arrived, bringing gifts and their most promising young cultivators.

Alexander entered wearing simple black robes, with Blackstar secured at his waist. Emily spotted him immediately.

“Brother!” She hurried over, smiling. “You actually came early!”

“I was afraid Father would send someone to drag me here.”

Emily giggled. “He considered it.”

Alexander sighed. “Betrayal. In my own family.”

Before she could respond, William approached. “Alexander, come with me. I’ll introduce you to our guests.”

Alexander followed his father into the main hall. Several family heads greeted William politely. Some were sincere, while others looked at Alexander with undisguised curiosity. Word of his recent achievements had spread throughout the region. A young man with the Supreme Sword Heart who had defeated a Spirit Core expert despite having almost no cultivation was bound to attract attention.

Unfortunately, rumors also attracted people who wanted to test whether they were true. One of them arrived shortly afterward.

“Patriarch William!”

A middle-aged man entered the hall, accompanied by several younger cultivators. He wore golden robes embroidered with a mountain emblem. The Golden Mountain Sect’s affiliated Hawthorne Family had arrived.

William greeted him politely. “Patriarch Hawthorne. Welcome.”

The man smiled, but his eyes soon settled on Alexander. “So this is the young genius everyone has been talking about?”

Alexander nodded. “I’m Alexander.”

“I’m aware.” Patriarch Hawthorne chuckled. “I heard you defeated one of our sect’s disciples recently. Chen Wei, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“How impressive. Though I suspect Chen Wei was careless.”

Alexander picked up a cup of tea. “Perhaps.”

Patriarch Hawthorne seemed disappointed that Alexander hadn’t taken the bait. He turned toward his son. “This is my eldest son, Victor Hawthorne. He has reached Meridian Opening Level Nine and is preparing to enter Qi Gathering.”

Victor stepped forward with a confident smile. “I’ve heard you’re talented, Brother Alexander. Perhaps we can exchange pointers sometime.”

Alexander looked at him. “Perhaps.”

Victor’s smile tightened. He had expected Alexander to accept immediately, giving him an opportunity to establish his superiority. Instead, Alexander returned his attention to his tea.

Victor’s younger brother, Adrian, snickered. “Perhaps our young genius is afraid of losing.”

The nearby guests quieted. William’s expression darkened. “Adrian, mind your manners.”

“What? I’m only curious. Everyone praises Alexander, but his cultivation is barely at Body Tempering Level Three. How can someone like him represent the Blackwood Family?”

Alexander slowly placed his cup down. Emily, standing nearby, looked furious. “Don’t talk about my brother like that!”

Adrian laughed. “What will you do about it, little girl?”

Alexander’s expression changed. It was subtle, but the amusement vanished from his eyes. “Apologize to my sister.”

Adrian sneered. “Or what?”

Alexander stood. “Or you’ll discover that your brother isn’t the only person in your family who needs a lesson.”

The hall fell silent. Victor stepped forward. “Brother Alexander, there’s no need to threaten my family. If you wish to settle this, let’s have a friendly match.”

Alexander looked at him. “Fine.”

Victor smiled. He had finally obtained what he wanted.

The match was arranged in the courtyard outside the main hall. Guests gathered around the training platform, eager to watch. Victor drew his sword and adopted a confident stance. “Don’t worry, Brother Alexander. I’ll be careful not to injure you.”

Alexander picked up a training sword. “That’s considerate. I’ll try not to embarrass you too badly.”

Victor’s smile disappeared.

The match began. Victor attacked with a powerful sword thrust, his spiritual energy gathering around the blade. Alexander stepped aside. The sword passed his shoulder. Victor immediately followed with two sweeping strikes, attempting to force Alexander toward the edge of the platform. Alexander blocked the first and avoided the second. He didn’t counterattack. He was studying Victor’s movements.

*Too much force. Too much confidence. He relies on his cultivation to overwhelm weaker opponents.*

Victor grew impatient. “Stop running!”

Alexander raised an eyebrow. “I’m standing right here.”

Victor roared and launched another attack. This time, Alexander moved forward instead of retreating. His wooden sword struck Victor’s wrist, then tapped the side of his knee. Victor’s balance collapsed. Before he could recover, Alexander placed the wooden blade against his chest. “Dead.”

The match had lasted less than ten exchanges. Victor stared at the wooden sword in disbelief. The crowd erupted into whispers.

“How did he do that?”

“Victor is at Meridian Opening Level Nine!”

“Alexander’s cultivation is only Body Tempering Level Three!”

Patriarch Hawthorne’s expression darkened. Victor stepped backward, his face burning. “You tricked me!”

Alexander lowered his sword. “You attacked me. I defended myself. What exactly was the trick?”

Victor clenched his fists. “Fight me again!”

“No.”

“Are you afraid?”

Alexander looked at him as though he had asked whether the sky was green. “You lost. Why would I give you another opportunity to lose?”

Several guests laughed. Victor’s humiliation deepened.

Patriarch Hawthorne stood abruptly. “This is enough! Alexander, you may have won through technique, but cultivation is what truly determines a cultivator’s future.”

Alexander nodded. “Then Victor should focus on cultivating instead of insulting people.”

The laughter grew louder. William covered his mouth, pretending to cough. He was proud of his son. More importantly, Alexander had defended his sister without turning the gathering into a serious conflict. That was exactly the kind of strength the Blackwood Family needed.

After the match, Alexander returned to the hall. Emily hurried over and grabbed his sleeve. “Brother, you were amazing!”

“Of course.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can’t you be humble?”

“I can. But why waste a perfectly good opportunity?”

Emily laughed.

William approached them. “You handled that well.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“However, you’ve made an enemy of the Hawthorne Family.”

Alexander shrugged. “They were already looking for a reason to look down on us.”

William fell silent. His son was right. The Hawthorne Family had arrived intending to measure the Blackwood Family’s strength. Their insults had merely revealed their intentions.

“Be careful,” William warned. “Not everyone will challenge you openly.”

Alexander’s expression became serious. “I understand.” He remembered the assassins who had attacked his family in his previous life. He wouldn’t allow history to repeat itself. Not while he still had the strength to prevent it.

As the gathering continued, Alexander glanced toward Emily, who was happily chatting with the other young women. Then he looked at his father. For the first time, the family hall felt like a place he could protect rather than a memory he was doomed to lose.

He would grow stronger. He would protect his family. And if anyone tried to take them from him again, they would learn why the name Alexander Blackwood had once been feared throughout the Nine Heavens.