Chapter 53

In Feiye City, those who can break through the Third Qi and Blood stage are all renowned experts with years of experience.

These experts are mostly in their thirties or forties, with very few being young.

This level is already the upper echelon of the three gangs and two sects, and it is not easy to break through.

No one mocked Jiang Su and Xiao Ran for their failure; instead, they thought it was only natural.

Especially Xiao Ran, who is only seventeen, still has three more years. With his talent, he has a good chance of breaking through the bottleneck and advancing to the next level.

As for Jiang Su, her Qi and Blood foundation was damaged, and it would take at least half a year to recover, and another half a year to reach perfection.

Back and forth, it would be more than a year. As she gets closer to twenty, her potential is...

Wei He has also seen Jiang Su in the courtyard frequently recently.

Her expression is increasingly resolute and cold, and she trains tirelessly, swallowing large amounts of medicinal supplements every day.

It's as if she's risking her life.

After Xiao Ran's failure, he occasionally comes to the boxing hall. His demeanor is much more composed, and the experience of failure has made him more mature, no longer as frivolous and arrogant as before.

But breaking through the Third Qi and Blood stage is not easy.

On the second floor of the Inner City's Hundred Flowers Tower.

Xiao Ran and Jiang Su sit facing each other. Jiang Yan is not there, and Cheng Shaojiu is also absent, leaving only the two of them.

After the servant girl pours them wine, she automatically retreats.

Xiao Ran looks at the somewhat deserted second floor of the Hundred Flowers Tower, recalling his recent failure, feeling a deep sense of frustration.

He picks up a cup of wine and drinks it in one gulp.

"Breaking through the Third Qi and Blood stage is much harder than I imagined. At the last moment, I felt that I still had a big step to take. Even though I have reached Qi and Blood perfection, I still feel a great distance."

Jiang Su, sitting opposite him, has a slightly pale face, clearly damaged from her previous attempt to break through the bottleneck.

Compared to Xiao Ran's talent and foundation, she is clearly far behind. One failed attempt has already damaged her foundation.

So, compared to Xiao Ran, she is even more frustrated.

"Xiao Ran, don't worry. You are still young and have several more chances, but I only have this one..." She pauses and continues.

"Those Third Qi and Blood experts are all renowned for years in the city, mostly holding important positions in major gangs and sects, stabilizing the situation, with no one daring to defy them. If we could break through so easily, wouldn't the Third Qi and Blood stage be too worthless?"

She consoles herself.

"That's true, but I can't help feeling frustrated. I still believe I have a chance and might be able to break through at this time." Xiao Ran nods.

"Also, think about it. If even we can't break through, who else in the academy can advance? If Cheng Shixiong were still here, there might be some hope, but the others? The senior brother who has been wasting time for years? The always relaxed Jiang Yan? Or Wei He, who struggles even to break through the Stone Skin stage?" Jiang Su's words carry a hint of pride.

"I heard that recently, the teacher has taken in a new student named Zhang Lu. He broke through the Stone Skin stage in just six days..." Xiao Ran sighs softly.

Jiang Su opens her mouth, wanting to console him, but no words come out.

"..." She picks up her wine glass and drinks it in one gulp.

Life is like this. If you don't move forward, it doesn't mean others will stop and wait for you.

Stopping means falling behind, and even moving forward slowly can lead to falling behind.

A sense of crisis rises in their hearts. If they can't break through, they will remain stagnant, wasting their potential. As time passes, the closer they get to twenty, the less potential they have.

And there are new people catching up from behind.

Especially Xiao Ran, who knows that his current treatment and everything else are due to everyone valuing his potential. If his potential is no longer unique and is surpassed by others, then... everything he has now, his status, treatment, and resources, will be greatly reduced.

He doesn't want that!

Cup after cup of wine is drunk.

As Xiao Ran drinks, his mood becomes increasingly gloomy, and suddenly his hand pauses on the wine glass.

He sees Jiang Su, her face as beautiful as a flower, her cheeks slightly flushed, her chest high and her curves exposed.

Unconsciously, his throat feels dry and his heart beats faster.

Both are feeling frustrated and depressed, especially Jiang Su, whose hope of breaking through has diminished with her damaged foundation. She drinks cup after cup, lost in a daze, not knowing how much she has had.

She only knows that Xiao Ran keeps ordering more wine.

But she doesn't notice that Xiao Ran drinks a lot at first, but later, when he pours wine for himself, he only fills the glass a little.

Most of the wine they drink is consumed by Jiang Su.

As they drink, Jiang Su feels increasingly dizzy and her consciousness becomes blurred.

"Senior Sister, you're drunk. Let me take you back." Xiao Ran stands up and says.

"I... I'm not drunk yet, I can still drink!" Jiang Su shakes her head, feeling that with the wine, her frustration is somewhat relieved.

Xiao Ran's eyes flash.

"Alright, then let's have one last cup each, and then we'll leave. Senior Sister, if you're drunk, drinking too much might cause trouble. It's better to be careful."

"Alright... the last... last cup." Although Jiang Su is somewhat drunk, as a martial artist, her Qi and Blood are strong, and she hasn't completely passed out.

For the last cup, Xiao Ran fills both their glasses to the brim.

But when he pours for Jiang Su, a small amount of light green powder falls from his sleeve.

It's a pleasure powder he prepared in the past for fun. Once a woman takes it, she becomes dazed, weak, and burning with desire, unable to control herself.

He quietly mixes the powder into Jiang Su's wine and shakes it gently to dissolve it.

"Here!"

"Cheers!"

They lightly clink their glasses and drink the last cup in one go.

After the last cup, Jiang Su stands up, says a few more words, and plans to leave with Xiao Ran.

But the drug is strong, and the warm wine enhances its effects. She takes a few steps and feels a strong heat in her body.

She realizes something is wrong.

She is often drunk and familiar with the feeling of intoxication. Although she drank a lot this time, she shouldn't feel this way.

The heat in her body becomes more intense, turning into a burning sensation.

Jiang Su realizes something is wrong and looks back at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran's face is calm, but there is a slight smile on his lips.

He reaches out to support her.

"Senior Sister is drunk. Let me help you back."

"Xiao Ran... you...!" Jiang Su has a sense of foreboding. She feels increasingly hot, her legs rubbing together, and a strange sensation rising in her heart.

Realizing the danger, she turns and runs down the stairs.

Although she is drunk, as a martial artist, her endurance is strong, especially since she has broken through the Second Qi and Blood stage. The surge of Qi and Blood temporarily suppresses the drug's effects and the intoxication, and she runs away.

"Senior Sister! Wait for me." Xiao Ran, seeing the situation, quickly follows.

If things go well tonight, he can threaten Jiang Su not to tell anyone. But if they don't, it could be troublesome.

Jiang Su runs down the wine tower, dodging passersby, and quickly heads toward the outer city.

She knows Xiao Ran. Once he decides to act, he will do it decisively and thoroughly.

Although she has feelings for Xiao Ran, she never thought of giving herself to him under these circumstances. If she does, her reputation will be ruined.

Her only option now is to go back to the Huishan Boxing Hall and seek help from the teacher!

Xiao Ran is strong, the strongest in the inner academy. It's already late, and a single or two fellow students can't stop him. Only Teacher Zheng can!

Jiang Su runs as fast as she can, but unfortunately, she overestimates her endurance. She reaches the stone bridge town, and her pace slows down, her body overheating.

Before she reaches the Huishan Boxing Hall, she feels a surge of heat, her body burning, and she can barely hold on.

Soon, Xiao Ran catches up, supporting her, maintaining a distance, and showing no signs of aggression.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong? What's happening?" Xiao Ran asks, feigning concern.

Jiang Su, seeing this, becomes suspicious.

'Could it be that he didn't drug me?' She starts to doubt.

'Could I have wronged him?'

"Are you okay, Senior Sister?" Xiao Ran holds her arm, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor, his concern seeming genuine.

"Xiao Shixiong, Jiang Shijie, why are you still here?" A group of junior students from Huishan Boxing Hall pass by and greet them.

It's already late, and this street is close to the Huishan Boxing Hall. Some students have just finished practicing and are heading home.

"We had some wine, and I'm taking Jiang Shijie back." Xiao Ran explains casually.

The others don't suspect anything. After all, Jiang Su's circle is exclusive, and they are always close. They often see them together.

The junior students, seeing Jiang Su not objecting, wave and leave.

But Jiang Su isn't objecting because her consciousness is becoming increasingly blurred, and her body is burning, making her want to tear off her clothes.

Her vision is blurry, and her mind is hazy.

Xiao Ran supports her, walking toward the Jiang family's direction. They encounter several fellow students on the way, and he greets them naturally.

He has already planned to find a place to take care of Jiang Su once they are out of sight.

He plans to have his way with her, releasing the frustration from months of abstinence.

Although losing her virginity might affect her future Qi and Blood breakthrough.

But since Jiang Su's foundation is already damaged, her potential is even smaller, and her chances of breaking through are slim. A little more damage doesn't matter.

It might as well be for him. After he releases his frustration, he might feel better and break through.

After he breaks through, he can give her some compensation.

Xiao Ran's heart is filled with a burning desire, smelling the faint fragrance of Jiang Su's body, making him even more restless.

He hasn't touched a woman in half a year due to his training, and now, with the release, he can't control himself.

After supporting Jiang Su and dealing with two more junior students, Xiao Ran reaches a street by the river. Jiang Su has lost consciousness, only humming and staggering along.

Xiao Ran looks at the dry grass by the riverbank, ready to take her there.

Suddenly, as he parts the grass, he senses something and turns around.

At the door of a small courtyard, a person stands straight.

The person's eyes are bright, reflecting the moonlight, staring at him intently.

It's Wei He!

"Wei Shixiong..." Xiao Ran laughs nervously, slowly lowering the grass. His mind races, trying to come up with an excuse.

Wei He looks at him and Jiang Su.

Actually, he encountered them on his way back and noticed something was wrong with Jiang Su.

But he has no good feelings toward either of them, so he didn't intend to interfere.

The problem is, Xiao Ran didn't go far or near, but chose to do this right here.

"Xiao Shixiong... what do you plan to do in the grass by the river in front of my house?" Wei He asks seriously, word by word.

Xiao Ran: "......"

Wei He: "......"

The two stand in silence.