Chapter 20

Wei Shizhi and Qin Zhen stayed at Tian Du Peak for three days. The green wolf caught four old rats that had become spirits. Wei Shizhi, carrying his junior sister on his back, roasted them one by one and ate them, absorbing their essence to practice the techniques inscribed on the fragment of the beast skin, feeling the subtle differences in pain. He could distinguish that dull pain came from the energy of the Earth, sharp pain from the energy of Wood, cutting pain from the energy of Metal, and burning pain from the energy of Fire.

The essence in his Spirit Platform acupoint was greatly depleted, but the Shen Dao acupoint showed a slight loosening.

Qin Zhen followed her senior brother's arrangements, practicing the *Taiyi Foundation Building Scripture* by the Bitter Spring without haste or anxiety. Wei Shizhi, worried that his fellow disciples would be concerned, returned to the foot of Tian Du Peak with his junior sister at dusk, as the sunset illuminated the sky.

From a distance, they saw a group of men and women gathered in front of the stone room. A lean man had L Song Qi by the neck, lifting him high off the ground. Song Qi's feet dangled, his face turning red as he struggled to breathe. Song Ji rushed forward to grab the man's legs but was easily thrown to the ground, his head hitting a rock, blood streaming down his face.

Yue Zhi Lan knelt on the ground, humiliated, while a young man in brocade clothes strutted around, cursing and kicking him in the shoulder. Not satisfied with just one kick, he spat on Yue Zhi Lan's face.

A bearded Taoist and a yellow-robed Taoist nun stood to the side, watching coldly without intervening.

Clearly, the Taoist and the nun were the mentors of the trial disciples. Their non-intervention could be either to protect the young man in brocade or to deliberately avoid getting involved in the conflict. Wei Shizhi had several thoughts racing through his mind. He supported Qin Zhen's waist, gently setting her down, and whispered, "Stay here, don't go over."

Qin Zhen nodded obediently.

Wei Shizhi strode toward the crowd. His tall and long-legged figure exuded a fierce aura, and the crowd instinctively parted, not daring to block his path. Song Ji, rubbing his eyes, cried out, "Senior brother, senior brother, save Big Brother!"

The young man in brocade sneered, "Oh, hitting the little one brings out the big one..." Before he could finish, Wei Shizhi was already within three feet of him, and with a heavy step, the ground shook, and dust and stones rolled. He stopped abruptly, his knees slightly bent, his body forming a bow, his right fist drawn back, ready to strike.

The yellow-robed Taoist nun couldn't help but praise, "Earth energy, a punch as heavy as a mountain, Senior Brother Qi has a good disciple!" The bearded Taoist, however, frowned and took a few steps forward, ready to intervene at any moment.

The young man in brocade, not knowing the gravity of the situation, paid no attention, but the lean man's face changed. His opponent was using military combat techniques, and this punch aimed at vital points—neck, throat, chest, abdomen, and ribs—was clearly meant to be fatal. He shook off Song Qi, grabbed the young man in brocade by the collar, and with a twist of his waist, threw him behind him, then turned and struck with his elbow, but missed.

The young man in brocade, caught off guard, fell on his buttocks, his pride shattered. He shouted in anger, "Xin Laoyao, what the hell are you doing!"

Wei Shizhi had only assumed a fighting stance. He bypassed the kneeling Yue Zhi Lan, helped Song Qi and Song Ji to their feet, and asked, "What happened?"

Song Qi, rubbing his throat, couldn't speak for a while. Song Ji pointed at the young man in brocade and shouted, "He's a trial disciple from another branch. He came and took the Ying-numbered stone room, telling us to camp in the wild!"

Xin Laoyao helped the young man in brocade to his feet and whispered, "Young Master, that man is skilled in combat techniques, very formidable."

The young man in brocade pointed at Wei Shizhi, "Xin Laoyao, you damn coward, beat him up!"

Xin Laoyao, knowing his master's temper, which was domineering and never accepting advice, walked up to Wei Shizhi without a word, and said, "Please make your move!"

Wei Shizhi looked at the Taoist and the nun and asked, "Can we resolve this ourselves?"

The bearded Taoist nodded slightly, saying nothing.

"Will it be fine if I hurt him?"

The bearded Taoist thought for a moment and said, "It will be fine."

"Alright." Wei Shizhi stood firmly, his waist and hips exerting force, and he simply punched toward Xin Laoyao's chest. Before the punch landed, a sharp sound of air breaking was heard.

Xin Laoyao's eyes gleamed, and he countered with the same combat technique, also punching. Fist against fist, a powerful force surged, and Xin Laoyao grunted, his upper body muscles bulging, his clothes tearing, revealing a chest covered in black hair.

Wei Shizhi retracted his fist, turned around, and patted Yue Zhi Lan's shoulder, helping him up. Yue Zhi Lan wiped the spit from his face with his sleeve, his expression unchanged, and whispered, "Junior brother, be careful. The young man in brocade is Xu Li, the youngest son of the Northwest Border Army's Cavalry General, and his uncle is Deng Yuan Tong, an inner disciple of Xian Du."

Wei Shizhi nodded, thinking, "So he's a second-generation official."

Xu Li, seeing Xin Laoyao's punch, felt uneasy. Although he was arrogant, he wasn't completely foolish. Clearly, his subordinate had been at a disadvantage after the exchange. He pushed Xin Laoyao's shoulder and asked, "Laoyao, how are you?"

"Crack... crack..." Two light sounds were heard as Xin Laoyao's finger and arm bones broke. His body swayed, almost falling, but he endured the pain and said to Wei Shizhi, "Thank you for showing mercy." Then he turned to Xu Li and said, "Young Master, I am not his match."

The bearded Taoist nodded in satisfaction. This disciple of Senior Brother Qi had a good sense of measure. Minor injuries were inevitable in a confrontation among fellow disciples, and Xin Laoyao's injuries were only external, not serious. Although Xu Li had lost face, it might not be a bad thing for him.

Qin Zhen, seeing her senior brother win the fight, was overjoyed. She ran to his side and, seeing Song Ji's face covered in blood, took out a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to him. Song Ji thanked her repeatedly, took the handkerchief, and wiped the blood from his forehead, wincing in pain as he accidentally touched his wound.

Xu Li, as if struck by lightning, stared at Qin Zhen, his mind blank, with only one thought: "This little girl... this young lady... this beauty..."

Wei Shizhi rubbed Song Qi's head, just as he would the green wolf, and said, "He choked you, I broke his arm, we're even."

Song Qi, with a hoarse voice, said, "Yes, we're even. Thank you, senior brother!"

Wei Shizhi turned to look at Xu Li, seeing him staring at Qin Zhen, and thought, "This second-generation official is a lolicon..." He blocked his view, waved his hand in front of his eyes, and said, "Xu young man, do you still plan to drive us away?"

"Drive you away? No... no need... it was a misunderstanding..." Xu Li, as if waking from a dream, came to his senses and tried to make conversation, "Sis... sister, are you also a disciple of Daoist Crane?"

Qin Zhen, disgusted, hid behind Wei Shizhi and ignored him.

Wei Shizhi bowed to the bearded Taoist and the yellow-robed Taoist nun, and called his junior brother and sister back to the stone room. Yue Zhi Lan greeted Xu Li, but seeing him distracted, returned to follow the other disciples.

His face remained calm, showing no sign of embarrassment. He smiled and asked, "Junior brother, if Xin Laoyao hadn't held back Xu Li, would you have punched?"

Wei Shizhi smiled in return, remaining noncommittal.

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