Chapter 8

Wang Feizi carefully recounted the events. It turned out that during the day, an elder woman from the Lake Sea Sect had accidentally seen Wang Feizi and noticed that she had some foundation in cultivation. Surprised by the length of time she had been practicing, the elder woman offered to take her as a disciple. Wang Feizi did not accept the offer at the time, and the elder woman was not upset, giving her a day to consider it and to provide an answer by dawn.

"This is a good thing," Hengyi was very happy for Wang Feizi. Among their fellow disciples, those with better talent should not be buried, especially Wang Feizi, who was truly wasting her time as a servant.

"Senior Brother, we still consider ourselves members of the San Yuan Sect! Besides, the Deputy Sect Leader was killed by the Lake Sea Sect, and we all hate them. We just stay here because we can't fight them. If I accept, it will feel like I truly become a disciple of the Lake Sea Sect..." Wang Feizi expressed her hesitation, looking at Hengyi for advice.

Hengyi smiled and stroked Wang Feizi's hair, suddenly feeling that she seemed more like a child than himself. When they first arrived in the valley, Wang Feizi could do everything, except for cultivation, which she did better and faster than anyone else. She also knew a lot about the outside world, and Hengyi always thought of her as a big sister, often asking her about the outside world.

"Feizi, we have our reasons to hate, but hate can be right or wrong. Didn't you say that in the village, there was someone who, out of impulse, killed another person's wife and children? Li Hua killed the Second Master, but it wasn't the Lake Sea Sect's intention. Otherwise, they would have killed all of us in the valley. Hating the entire Lake Sea Sect because of one Li Hua is the wrong kind of hate. You also said that the senior sister who manages you is quite easy to get along with. Can you assume that other members of the Lake Sea Sect are different?"

The clouds in Wang Feizi's heart dissipated, and she smiled, nodding repeatedly. "Senior Brother, I understand. I will remember Li Hua, and we must take revenge when we have the chance!"

"Go back quickly. If those troublemakers see us, they'll say we're plotting something sinister." Hengyi resolved Wang Feizi's doubts and sent her off happily.

Hengyi felt that he should tell everyone about Li Hua in the future to avoid any trouble.

At dawn, the senior brother E Dog grumbled and urged them to get up.

"A bunch of lazy pigs! Get up and start working! If you don't get up, you won't eat today..."

Hengyi led a group of junior brothers to drink some porridge, then carried axes and collection knives into the forest.

The main material for the Lake Sea Sect's talismans is wood. The wood is pulped and mixed with other substances to create a paper that is very difficult to tear, which ordinary weapons without magical power cannot cut. The trees on the Immortal Mountain grow very quickly, and a tree cut down can grow back to the height of two people and the thickness of two arms in just seven days.

Cutting trees is a daily task.

Hengyi led the stronger junior brothers to cut trees. Among them were a few who had cultivated true qi, making them strong and enduring. They could cut enough wood for the day in half a day, then help collect herbs and clean their assigned area.

These days, they always finished their work early, and E Dog himself became more relaxed. He should have been happy to have such capable junior brothers, but he hated Hengyi and his group, being a person full of complaints and resentment.

While moving the wood, one of Hengyi's junior brothers slipped, and a thick log rolled down the slope.

E Dog jumped to his side and kicked him, making him sit on the ground. "You San Yuan Sect beggars! The Lake Sea Sect kindly took you in, and you don't work hard enough! Watch how I deal with you—" He then kicked the thirteen-year-old boy in the face. The boy, being an ordinary person, was too scared to speak, and his nature was timid, so he didn't even know how to beg for mercy.

Just as the kick was about to land, E Dog's vision blurred, and his leg was caught by Hengyi, who had moved in front of him. E Dog never thought that these beggars, whom he insulted daily, would dare to resist. He tried to pull his leg back but couldn't, and in anger, he stood on one leg, waving his fists and cursing, "You damn beggar! You dare to fight back? If I get angry, I can cast a spell and send you all flying... Let go, let go! If you don't let go, I'll kill you!"

E Dog's punches couldn't reach Hengyi, who watched him swing wildly with no expression. Suddenly, Hengyi let go and gently pushed, causing E Dog to stumble and sit on the ground. "You, you—" E Dog tried to stand up and attack again, but when he saw Hengyi stomp his foot and shatter a rock, he was too scared to move. E Dog was the least talented in the sect, with no hope of breaking through to the Human Venerable realm, and he lacked diligence and enthusiasm, so he had no real skills.

"Senior Brother E, you can scold us as a senior, but the sect rules don't say that seniors can beat juniors. If the wood falls, we can pick it up; it won't delay our work today."

"You wait! Beggar leader, don't think you're something just because you've practiced for a few days and dared to fight back! You wait, I'll find people to teach you a lesson—" E Dog got up and ran, shouting all the way. "The San Yuan Sect brats are rebelling, rebelling!"

"Senior Brother, it's all my fault. I don't know why I felt a bit dizzy today, and I wasn't careful just now..."

"It's fine, keep working. Let him shout. If we really stop, others will take it seriously." Hengyi called the other junior brothers to continue working, picked up the log himself, and called a junior brother who was collecting herbs. "He's not feeling well today. You'll have to carry the wood for him."

"Sure thing!" The junior brother carried the wood without a word, and the one who was not feeling well quickly went into the forest, still shouting, "Senior Brother, next time I won't pretend to be tough. If I'm not feeling well, I'll tell you early."

"That's the right attitude." Hengyi replied and continued to receive the logs cut by the other junior brothers, placing them on the shoulders of those waiting.

E Dog shouted and called eight familiar Lake Sea Sect disciples. Seeing that the group was still busy, he angrily pushed one of the people moving wood, kicking the log down the slope, and shouted at Hengyi, "Beggar leader, get over here!"

Hengyi caught the log, called a junior brother to take over his work, and let the others continue working. He stood in front of E Dog alone.

The eight people E Dog called looked at Hengyi with disdain. They didn't take him seriously. E Dog was mediocre and lazy, with only the strength of a Human Venerable, which was the level a diligent and average Lake Sea Sect disciple could reach in three to five years. Dealing with E Dog was no big deal. "You San Yuan Sect brats are rebelling, right? Do you think the Lake Sea Sect is a joke? Our Senior Brother Li Hua could easily kill your Deputy Sect Leader. You little punk, do you want to cause trouble on the Immortal Mountain? Kneel and apologize, and Senior Brother E will forgive you. Otherwise—break your legs!"

"A junior brother accidentally made the log roll, and Senior Brother E beat him without asking. I helped block it. Please, Senior Brothers, judge fairly." Hengyi's calm and composed demeanor was seen as arrogance by the others. One of them immediately stepped forward and kicked Hengyi in the face. "Brat, still trying to argue..."

Hengyi didn't move, just slightly turned his head, and the kick missed. He took two steps forward, and the attacker's leg was caught on his shoulder. He had to jump a few steps to stabilize himself, almost falling. "You dare to fight back?" The attacker spun around, infused his fist with true qi, and swung it at Hengyi's left face.

Hengyi quickly moved half a step forward, turned his head, and the attacker's arm hit his forehead.

The true qi on the fist immediately dissipated, and the arm felt as if it was about to break, causing intense pain.

The attacker, holding his arm, instinctively took three steps back, cursing, "Cheap bones are really hard! Everyone, attack, beat him to death!"

Eight people rushed forward, and E Dog, seeing this, also gained courage and followed, wanting to kick and punch to vent his anger.

Hengyi remained calm, using his body movements to deflect the attacks, using his elbows, arms, and knees to hit the soft spots of his attackers. It looked like he didn't counterattack with punches or kicks, but soon, the Lake Sea Sect disciples surrounding him were gasping, rubbing and holding their painful body parts, and stepping back.

E Dog, holding his arm, screamed like a pig, feeling that his arm was broken.

"Senior Brothers, if you're done, I'll go back to work." Hengyi said without any particular emotion, seeing that the group was no longer willing to attack, and turned to leave.

"Brat! Don't get cocky, this isn't over!" The leader of the group left angrily, and E Dog, fearing a loss, quickly followed, shouting threats as he ran, "Beggar leader, wait! If you hit us, Senior Brother Chen Shao won't let you off—"

The San Yuan Sect junior brothers listened and were uneasy.

"Senior Brother, I've heard that Chen Shao is very powerful. What should we do?"

"Keep working. We're not in the wrong, so we don't have to fear even if it goes to the Grand Elder of Rewards and Punishments." Hengyi's words made them feel a bit more reassured, but they were still worried.

"Senior Brother, the Lake Sea Sect will definitely help their disciples bully us!"

"They are all Lake Sea Sect disciples, and we do the menial work, but our status is the same as E Dog. He looks down on us, but others may not see it as a reason to ignore the sect rules."

"Yes, Senior Brother, you're right!" The junior brothers felt relieved, understanding that E Dog was not a significant figure in the Lake Sea Sect.

Hengyi thought that someone like Chen Shao, who had a reputation in the sect, wouldn't come to their trouble for E Dog's sake, as it wouldn't look good if it became public.

Sure enough, nothing happened that day, and E Dog didn't return.

At dinner time, Da Yuan came.

He called Hengyi to a secluded place, frowned, and asked, "Did you kill Li Hua?"

"Yes." Hengyi didn't dare to hide it from Da Yuan and wasn't worried about his master's judgment.

Da Yuan's eyes welled up with tears, his expression agitated, and he nodded repeatedly. "Good, good... Hengyi, you've done right by the Second Master! The master originally planned to tell you to kill him when the opportunity arose, but was afraid you wouldn't be a match for him and would die in vain. It's great... You did well! Li Hua feared that others would know about his bribery, so no one else knows about his actions against us. No one will suspect us!"

"Yes, disciple also thought so at the time, feeling it was a rare opportunity to act." Hengyi believed that as long as Chen Zizai didn't reveal it, Li Hua would be considered a mysterious disappearance.

"Good! We've taken the first step! Hengyi, trust your master. One day, I will make the Lake Sea Sect regret ever provoking the San Yuan Sect!" Da Yuan's eyes burned with hatred, and Hengyi was momentarily stunned. "Master, you, you want to kill all the Lake Sea Sect members?"

"Is that wrong?" Da Yuan was surprised by Hengyi's strange question.

"Master, I feel that the Second Master's revenge has been achieved. Killing the Second Master was not an order from the Lake Sea Sect but a personal act by Li Hua. I don't think we should hate the entire Lake Sea Sect. I remember Master always said that one should be clear about grievances and not generalize, and often criticized the Second Master and Third Master for not doing so..."

Da Yuan listened in silence, then after a while, his tone softened. "Hengyi, what about the hatred of the sect's destruction?"

"Everyone is living well, and the hatred of the sect's destruction is the same. It definitely shouldn't be resolved by killing all the Lake Sea Sect members." Hengyi still held his ground, and Da Yuan wanted to slap himself for teaching Hengyi to be so principled. But after careful thought, he found the logic in Hengyi's words and calmed down, nodding. "Good, then the master will turn the Lake Sea Sect into the San Yuan Sect!"

Hengyi was stunned, never expecting his master to have such a bold and ambitious plan... Although so, he felt that his master's way of revenge made sense and quickly bowed, saying, "Disciple will do my best!"

"That's enough! Hengyi, don't act impulsively. A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years. We must be careful now. I heard you hit some Lake Sea Sect members today. If it causes trouble, the Lake Sea Sect will demand your punishment! What will the master have to look forward to then?" Da Yuan sighed deeply, knowing that the San Yuan Sect's abilities were limited and could not help much. His grand revenge plan, if it were to be realized, depended on himself and Hengyi, his talented disciple.

"Master, I don't know if what I did was right. But I feel that we are now disciples of the Lake Sea Sect, and even if we are careful, we can't be too..."

Hengyi didn't finish, fearing he would hurt Da Yuan's feelings. He was no longer as ignorant as before, though he still had much to learn. He understood that some words could hurt people and that his master cared deeply about his image.

Da Yuan, of course, understood Hengyi's meaning and smiled bitterly. "Hengyi, your situation is different from mine. You are young, and your talent and cultivation will surely be discovered and recognized! Most disciples start cultivation at a young age. At my age, with only the third level of the Law Venerable realm, what am I in the eyes of the sect? I have to deceive others to gain their trust... I know your character; you can't stand to see your junior brothers being bullied and always judge things by principles. This is not your fault, but my fault for being too naive in the past, teaching you these naive principles! I was only concerned with my own image, teaching you all this... Hengyi, protect yourself carefully. You are the master's only hope, the only hope for the revival of the San Yuan Sect. If anything happens to you, the master will have no hope and probably won't be able to live on... The Second Master died tragically, and the San Yuan Sect, which we worked hard to establish, was destroyed, causing great pain..."

Da Yuan tried hard to hold back his tears, but they still flowed uncontrollably, and he frequently wiped them, looking around to avoid being seen.

Hengyi, seeing this, felt deep pain in his heart. Da Yuan had always been full of ambition and very mindful of his image as a master. In the past, he never showed any signs of sadness or despair, but now he was so unable to control himself. It was clear how much he had suffered, not daring to reveal his true feelings to those around him, suppressing them with no outlet.

"Master, I promise you, I will think more, and think even more!" Hengyi knelt and bowed, making a solemn promise.

Da Yuan shed silent tears for a while, finally composing himself, and patted Hengyi's shoulder, instructing him, "Actually, the master trusts you. You are cautious and often more thoughtful than the master. Hengyi, protect yourself, but when you have the chance to shine, don't miss it. Don't be afraid to blind the eyes of the Lake Sea Sect's dogs! When you have the chance, you must stand out. Remember, when you stand out, others won't dare to bully your junior brothers!"

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