Chapter 7. When 50 consecutive push-ups without rest were completed,

The shards of the wine bottle flew in all directions.

Banyun, seemingly unsatisfied with just that, overturned the table with a loud shout.

As he roared and kicked the table and chairs, other customers were startled and backed away, and some even went down to the lower floor.

However, not everyone shrank back.

A muscular giant who was sitting against the wall in the distance stood up.

"Hey, young man! If you're going to drink, do it properly, not cause a ruckus!"

The giant reached out from behind. It was a rough and large hand.

Just as he grabbed Banyun's shoulder and was about to swing a punch,

"What do you think you're doing!"

Banyun spun his body and struck the giant's jaw with his elbow. Before the giant, who had his head tilted back, could straighten up, Banyun punched him in the chest.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

The giant clutched his stomach and fell to his knees.

Thump.

It was a quick and clean move. People only realized what had happened when the giant's massive body fell forward. In an instant, the commotion drew the attention of the inn staff and other patrons, who gathered and buzzed in surprise.

Among them were the two brothers' bodyguards from the lower floor.

The bodyguard's expression was unremarkable.

Such incidents were common.

He didn't feel any sense of danger.

Because a couple of thugs were no match for Young Master Banyun. For the bodyguard, his job was just to clean up afterward.

Meanwhile, Banyun's face contorted.

Despite the fight and the overturned table, his brother was still sitting in a daze.

Just as he was about to burst into anger, Bumong looked up and spoke.

"Brother, how long do you plan to keep running?"

"What?"

"Aren't you scared? Scared of the eldest brother. You can't even go near him, so stop pretending to be tough. You're just getting by day by day with alcohol and gambling."

"You little brat!"

Banyun grabbed Bumong by the collar and raised his fist.

Bumong looked at him without blinking.

"Damn, this is making me sick!"

Banyun let go of the collar and cursed, then picked up a chair and slammed it on the floor, cursing repeatedly.

"Do you think I'm afraid of that guy? That guy? Fine. I'll show you. I'll tear off his mask!"

**

After returning to the Tianhua Library, Banyun did not go back to his quarters.

In the night wind, he headed to a certain place with a fierce look.

At that time, Hou Gong was in the backyard of the hall, in the middle of his physical training.

His physical strength had improved significantly, and recently, the duration and difficulty had increased sharply.

He was now on par with an average person.

Fifty consecutive push-ups without rest.

Fifty consecutive sit-ups without rest.

Fifty consecutive squats without rest.

And maintaining a horse stance for half an hour.

Compared to when he could barely walk after the soul transmigration, it was a world of difference. Moving his body as he wished was no longer a problem.

However, his current strength was still not satisfactory, so today he was trying something new.

High jump.

Recently, Songhua had transformed into an enthusiastic assistant, providing various help. Songhua seemed delighted, and her expression was noticeably brighter than before.

"Master, let's try a higher one."

"Let's do it."

Songhua swept the ground with a long pole.

Hou Gong leaped over it without touching it. At first, it was around ankle height, but soon he could jump over it even when it was at knee height without touching it.

Swish, swish, swoosh—

"Seven, eight, nine...!"

As the pole moved from left to right and then right to left, and Hou Gong easily cleared it, Songhua smiled.

"Master, how can you be so good at this? Let's do ten more, twice."

"Ten, just once."

"Are you going to split your legs too?"

"I'm also going to try a handstand."

"Okay."

Splitting his legs had also made significant progress.

His legs, which seemed like they would never split, were now at a considerable angle. It wouldn't be long before his crotch touched the ground.

After finishing the leg splits, he immediately did a handstand.

Songhua held his raised legs, and Hou Gong supported his weight with his two arms.

As time passed, his arms began to tremble from the strain.

"Songhua."

"Master, if you're tired, take a break."

"It's not that. Someone is coming."

"Huh?"

With his head down, Hou Gong could see someone running through the wind.

"Ugh!"

Hou Gong stopped the handstand.

As he lowered his legs to stand up, he suddenly felt dizzy and stumbled. Songhua quickly caught him.

"Be careful, Master."

"Thank you."

The one who ran over was Banyun.

Upon seeing the two, Yun burst out in surprise.

"Hey... Two people being all cozy in the middle of the night. You, are you really doing a handstand now, you crazy bastard? What the hell is this all about!"

'That's Yun, then.'

Hou Gong recognized him immediately, even though it was their first meeting.

Who else could be a young man who could curse the eldest son of the Tianhua Library and still be unharmed?

Moreover, his cousin brother Bumong, who had been visiting every morning, was watching from a distance with a worried look.

'Good.'

He had already been annoyed and was planning to teach him a lesson, and now he appeared right in front of him.

Songhua whispered from the side.

"Master, that's the second son."

Hou Gong pretended to be surprised.

"What? My brother? But why are you drinking and cursing at me like a hooligan?"

"Hooligan?"

Banyun flared up.

Hou Gong clicked his tongue.

"Look at your behavior. If that's not a hooligan, what is? They say every place has a hooligan. Pathetic."

"I'm pathetic?"

Yun laughed in disbelief.

"Someone who tries to die every chance he gets, making the Grim Reaper come and go, and now even becoming friends with him, calling me pathetic? You must have been lying to Bumong all this time."

"..."

"How long do you plan to pretend to have lost your memory? Don't waste your effort. Everyone knows. They know you've just changed the method of your death."

"..."

"Do you know what everyone hopes for? They hope you die quickly, alone, and quietly. Got it, you mental case?"

"..."

"What's that look? Are you hurt?"

"You haven't heard yet, I see."

"What are you talking about!"

"Who I am."

"Who are you?"

Hou Gong, without taking his eyes off Yun, ordered.

"Songhua, bring the pole."

"Huh?"

Songhua looked at him blankly.

Was there someone else? And why did he want the pole? Songhua couldn't understand and just blinked. But when the eldest son frowned, she flinched and quickly brought the pole.

Hou Gong swung the pole in the air a few times.

Swish, swish~

He immediately got the feel of it, even without further practice.

Although it was just a wooden pole, in the hands of the greatest person in the world, it could be a famous sword or a steel club.

He had already reached the stage of doing fifty consecutive push-ups without rest. With the ability to perform martial arts techniques and footwork, hitting a dog with a club was no big deal.

"Crazy. You're going to hit me with that?"

Banyun's eyes turned fierce.

Hou Gong looked at him calmly.

Their eyes met in the air.

The two sons of a genius family.

The air grew heavy with the strong aura of the two geniuses, and time seemed to stand still.

Just then, a gust of night wind blew toward Hou Gong, making his hair and clothes flutter mysteriously.

But the wind was strong.

"Achoo!"

He stumbled from the violent sneeze.

Songhua tried to stop him.

"Master, that's enough. The second son isn't just good at studies."

Songhua, who had been worried, approached and whispered.

"Step back."

Hou Gong sternly said and also called out to the darkness on the right.

"Listen well, the four bodyguards hiding. No one is to interfere in this fight. Even if you are my bodyguards, if you intervene, I will not forgive you..."

"Master, it's on the left."

Songhua quickly whispered.

Hou Gong flinched and turned his head to the left.

"Whatever, don't interfere!"

Banyun became reckless.

"You're a crazy bastard, aren't you? Fine. If you can hit me even once with that club, I'll call you brother. But be prepared for your face to turn into a bloody mess before that."

Banyun sneered.

As he rubbed his fists, the bone-cracking sound was loud.

A moment later!

Banyun's face turned into a bloody mess.

Thud, thud, thud!

The club relentlessly beat down on Yun.

Yun, clutching his head, rolled on the ground, unable to think straight. He couldn't even say a word to make him stop, only screaming in pain.

Songhua, watching from the side, stomped her feet.

"Master, he's going to die."

"Let go, I need to kill this disrespectful brat today."

Thud, thud— thud—

"Brother! Brother! Please spare me, I was wrong. Brother!"

Finally, Yun, realizing he had to live, called out "Brother" and surrendered.

It was inevitable for Yun.

Songhua, who could have stopped him, was only pretending to try, so he thought he would be beaten to death if this continued. It wasn't a situation to argue about a man's word.

Hou Gong finally stopped the beating.

"What were you thinking! How dare you be so disrespectful to me, who am I?"

"Brother, I know! I know!"

"Who am I!"

"Brother is... the greatest person in the world!"

Banyun remembered what his grandfather had said a while ago. His grandfather had said the eldest son was strange, seemed to have gone mad, and had repeatedly instructed to treat him specially.

Hou Gong burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, you must be crazy. Let's hit you some more."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Another moment later.

Yun was now kneeling quietly.

His clothes were covered in dirt, his eyes were swollen, and his lips were bleeding.

Hou Gong squatted in front of him.

He tapped Banyun's shoulder with the pole.

"Who am I?"

"Brother. And the eldest son of the family."

"What do you plan to do from now on?"

"I will pull myself together."

"What about alcohol?"

"I will quit."

"It won't be easy."

"I can do it. Please believe me."

"Do you plan to live properly from today?"

"Yes, Brother."

Banyun's answer was spirited.

The scene was being watched by everyone.

From the family head Fan Tian to the doctor, scholars, swordsmen, and maids, they rubbed their eyes, wondering if it was a dream or reality.

Who was lecturing whom to live properly? It was hard to believe even when they saw it.

And why did the lecturer's posture look so natural?

"Good. Then lie down."

"Huh?"

It seemed the ordeal wasn't over.

Banyun was bewildered, and those watching were also wondering why.

"Lie down."

"Okay."

"How many times?"

"Huh? Five times, I'll take five."

"Let's do seven. Remember it in your heart as you take them."

Swish!

The pole, swung with the strength of fifty consecutive push-ups, struck Banyun's buttocks.

Smack!

"Aaaaaah!"

Banyun's pain-filled scream echoed through the Tianhua Library.

Everyone was speechless.

"..."

"..."

"..."

That night.

The eldest son, who had only wished to die, was disciplining someone.

It shouldn't have been like this, but why did it feel so heartwarming?

Some even shed tears.

The old family head's eyes were also moist.