Chapter 45

Hao Qi and Zhang Heng walked forward, and before long, they had already arrived at the underground cave. When they entered the passage leading to the cave, both Zhang Heng and Hao Qi took a deep breath. They looked at each other, then slowly walked towards the underground square.

The closer they got, the slower Zhang Heng walked. Especially when they reached a corner that led to the square, Zhang Heng stopped in his tracks. Hao Qi looked at him and noticed that Zhang Heng was trembling all over, and the trembling was getting more intense. Zhang Heng took a few more steps, but finally couldn't hold it in and squatted down.

Hao Qi walked to Zhang Heng's side and said nothing, just standing there silently waiting. Zhang Heng clenched his fists and pounded the ground, one punch after another, creating small dents. His fists were pierced by sharp rocks, and after more than ten punches, he suddenly stood up and walked towards the underground square.

Hao Qi silently followed Zhang Heng. They entered the square and walked towards a corner. After a few dozen seconds, the scene before them shocked both of them.

Most of the blue grass was still alive, but a part of it was slowly withering, not completely dead, but visibly withering. A mist, visible to the naked eye, was spreading among the blue grass, floating in the air. All the mist was moving towards a central pillar, where a single blue grass was growing.

Both of them focused on this central blue grass. It was abnormally large, about twice the size of ordinary blue grass. More surprisingly, the blue marks on its leaves were very pale, turning red. This was a... mature red-blue grass!

Zhang Heng stared at the red-blue grass on the pillar, tears streaming down his face. Gradually, he knelt down, covering his face and sobbing. Hao Qi could faintly hear him muttering about his father and injustice, which only fueled the anger in Hao Qi's heart.

Zhang Heng suddenly turned to Hao Qi and shouted, "Hao Qi! My father was innocent! He really discovered the method to cultivate red-blue grass! He was innocent!"

Hao Qi nodded silently and said softly, "I know."

"...He never revealed the cultivation method, even under torture. He was protecting me! If he had said anything, not only would he have died, but I would have died too!"

"I know."

"...My father was imprisoned and endured countless tortures and interrogations, but he never said a word. My father... committed suicide, not because he was forced to, but because he reached his limit under torture!"

"I know."

"...For twenty years, for twenty years, during these twenty years, I..."

Hao Qi suddenly grabbed Zhang Heng's shoulders and shouted, "I know!"

As Hao Qi shouted, footsteps echoed from the entrance of the underground square. Zhang Heng quickly looked over and was stunned. At the entrance stood Scholar Sid, Scholar Li Yu, and Scholar Tian Shuwen, the three Inner Force scholars of the Hundred Grasses Kingdom Medical University. Apart from the university president, all three Inner Force scholars were present. Behind them were at least twenty top students from the three major departments, people Zhang Heng had seen countless times over the past twenty years, who had always looked down on him.

As soon as Scholar Sid entered the square, his eyes showed a look of realization. Seeing the blue grass growing in the corner, his eyes lit up with surprise. The same expression appeared on the faces of the two Inner Force scholars behind him. Scholar Sid immediately clapped his hands and said, "Well, well, well. I never thought that twenty years ago, after your father stole my research notes, I took pity on you and raised you, and twenty years later, you would still be like your father, trying to steal my decades of research. Today, you secretly entered my field laboratory to steal my nearly successful cultivation technique for rare herbs. I must have been blind to have spared you back then. Thanks to Mr. Hao Qi's warning, or you might have succeeded."

Before he finished speaking, the other top students started shouting insults. Hao Qi even recognized two familiar faces: the young man who had been shouting in the VIP train car and Xu Haoming, whom he had met once. These two had become top students in the three major departments of the medical university.

Zhang Heng's face turned pale, and he stumbled back several steps, almost leaning against the rock wall. He looked at Hao Qi in disbelief, his mouth trembling, unable to speak, only his eyes showing a mix of pleading and despair.

Hao Qi looked at Zhang Heng seriously and said, "Yes, I left a message for them to come."

Zhang Heng closed his eyes in despair, all hope lost, standing there in a daze, supported only by his last bit of dignity, preventing him from collapsing.

But Hao Qi didn't explain anything or look at him again. He walked step by step towards Scholar Sid and the others, who became slightly more cautious. Although they didn't believe Hao Qi would challenge all three of them alone, they were all experienced and wouldn't show any weakness, only becoming more cautious towards Hao Qi.

But Hao Qi ignored them, even ignoring the young man and Xu Haoming, and walked past them towards the entrance of the square. Seeing this, the three Inner Force scholars relaxed. Scholar Sid even used his Inner Force to transmit a message, "Mr. Hao Qi, our agreement still stands. A check worth fifty billion from the Hundred Grasses Kingdom, and a ten percent share of the cultivation quota for a hundred years. I hope our cooperation is pleasant."

Hao Qi's face remained expressionless, and he just waved his hand. Scholar Sid felt disdain but showed gratitude on his face, then turned to Zhang Heng, focusing more on the red-blue grass that represented endless wealth. Just as he and the two Inner Force scholars were about to do something, a loud explosion came from behind. They turned around to see Hao Qi's fist smashing into the entrance of the square, rocks shattering and collapsing, blocking the entrance. Although only a small section had collapsed, it would take at least a few hours to clear.

Before Scholar Sid could speak, the youngest of the three Inner Force scholars, Scholar Li Yu, shouted, "Mr. Hao Qi! What are you planning to do!?"

Hao Qi ignored him and turned to look at everyone present. Apart from the three Inner Force scholars, the others felt a sharp pain in their eyes and couldn't meet Hao Qi's gaze. After looking around, Hao Qi shouted to Zhang Heng, "Zhang Heng! I can't think of any way to clear your father's name, unless the entire Hundred Grasses Kingdom collapses. This kind of injustice, carried out by the state and its own political system, is unsolvable!"

"I remember a saying that comes to mind. When I talk to you about reason, you play the thug. When I play the thug, you talk about the law. When I talk about the law, you play the power game. When I play the power game, you talk about reason... Before I started my journey, I thought I would need to use my fists to defend my path. The reason is simple: without power, there is no justice, especially when the majority oppresses the minority. The right to speak, the law, and so-called fairness are all in the hands of the majority. Where does justice come from!?"

"From the fists! Zhang Heng, remember this! There is something called justice, and justice requires strong martial arts!"

After saying this, Hao Qi let out a long roar, the sound like thunder, echoing throughout the cave square. Apart from the three scholars, the other top students, being closer, all covered their ears in pain. After the roar, Hao Qi tore his clothes, then stomped his foot, shooting towards the three scholars like an arrow, with Scholar Sid as his first target.

A loud explosion sounded as Hao Qi's fist hit the tip of Scholar Sid's foot. Both of them were pushed back, but Scholar Sid retreated nearly ten steps, while Hao Qi only took two or three steps.

Without hesitation, Hao Qi stomped his foot again, not needing to recover his strength, and faced Scholar Li Yu, who had just shouted. He raised his fist and struck again...

Yes, I don't know how to clear your father's name, and I don't know how to restore his honor, but I know one thing...

Violence can't solve everything, but violence can eliminate your enemies!