Sum Ting crossed his hands and didn’t even budge from my words. In fact, he seemed to be expecting it.

“Punched in the face? Is that supposed to be a threat?” He smirked, seemingly not concerned with the danger I presented. Well, that was his mistake. “Do you even know who I am? My great grandfather is the Elder of the Law Enforcement.”

I paused. Oh… Oh, shit.

“If you wish to strike me, then do it, and see what happens.” Sum Ting grinned smugly as my expression soured. I knew very well what would happen if I attacked the grandson of the Law Enforcement Elder. Even without the knowledge of Cultivation novels, I knew it would end badly for me.

I grit my teeth in frustration. I couldn’t touch him. Fucking bullshit!

“Hahaha! That’s right, loser! Lower your head like the dog you are!”

I obviously didn’t listen to him and just continued staring at him hatefully.

“He said: Lower your head!” Ma shouted and at the same time delivered a fist to my gut.

[Uff!] I doubled over from the strike as a knee came up, meeting my face on its way down.

My head was jerked up and I felt a stinging sensation in my nose. Then, like lightning, I received a kick to my knee, and I finally lost balance, falling to the ground.

Everything happened so fast, before I knew it, I was laying on the ground with Ma and Sum Ting looming over me.

[Ugh… You ugly bitch… You punch like a girl!] I spat out.

“Hmm… Seems like he still didn’t learn his lesson…”

“I’m on it!”

Ma grinned and then stomped on my chest with all he had, before delivering another kick to my ribs. I curled up and moved my hands to protect my body and face as he continued kicking me all over, and soon I was spitting crimson blood.

“Alright, that’s enough.” I heard Sum Ting say. At his order, his thug stopped the assault.

“Yes, master Sum.”

Sum Ting then leaned over. “Had enough? Do you see what happens when you can’t follow a simple order? Huh, doggy? Let this be a lesson to you. Some people are simply higher than you on the totem pole. You can’t touch them. Hahaha-!”

“SUM TING, YOU UNFILIAL GRANDSON!”

The shout nearly pierced my eardrums and the ground shook, and after the fact, the world seemed to come to a standstill.

I rubbed my eyes and saw a figure quickly approaching down the mountain, gliding on the air. It seemed to be an Elder, and he was furious. I could feel his wild emotions even from afar, and his burning eyes mercilessly beamed down on one individual, who was shaking in fear.

Sum Ting’s face went pale, and his teeth were clattering so loud you would think he was playing a drum.

“Grandpa-”

“Don’t you grandpa me!” The Elder shouted as he landed, looming over the kid. With over three meters in height and broad shoulders, he was like a giant. His long eyebrows and mustaches fluttered in the wind produced by his Aura that I was pretty sure was contained, and yet I was having difficulties simply looking at him.

Sum Ting already lowered his head, and by then his servant Ma was already on the ground with his head touching the floor, shivering, and completely silent.

“I heard you went around bullying other kids again…” The Elder began in an angry voice.

“Grandpa, I… I was just joking….”

“Silence!” A slap followed the thunderous shout and landed on Sum Ting’s cheek, yet it had to be very restrained since the kid was still alive after it. “To dare use my name as a shield, and to bully those weaker than you no less! You are a disgrace to the Ting name!”

Sum Ting kept quiet, his head lowered and shoulders trembling. That was one hell of a grandpa he had. Even though his anger wasn’t directed at me, I was already sweating. I was so damn glad I made the right choice. I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of an Elder’s fury.

“It’s always the same… Every youngest child becomes a damn spoiled brat! You think you are so great just because you carry the surname Ting? Pathetic! I’ll have to speak with your father, it seems he went easy on you…”

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The Elder then stroked his beard as he looked at me, and his eyebrows jumped up a tiny bit, and his frown lessened, with even his lips forming a momentary smile as he gave a small nod.

“So it is like that…” I heard him murmur, and my blood ran cold. I quickly lowered my gaze to the ground.

The Elder then loudly hummed and turned his attention back to Sum Ting, his fury returning. “I have decided. Your punishment for dishonoring your family will be three months in the Crystal Purgatory!”

Sum Ting’s eyes went wide. “Crystal Purgatory?! No, please! I’m too young to die! Please!”

“Silence!” Another slap landed, this one on Sum Ting’s other cheek. “I will make sure you stay alive because I’ll also be the one to train you! I’ll make a man out of you yet.”

“Ah…” Sum Ting fell to his knees, his Soul seemingly leaving his body as his empty eyes stared at the ground.

“So I have decided!” The Elder said. “Let’s go now. Follow me.”

Obviously, Sum Ting was in too much shock to move or react, so the Elder grabbed him by the ear and began dragging him higher into the Sect.

“Ah! Elder grandpa… please! No, Elder Ting, please, it hurts! You are tearing my ear!”

“Ma Ting!” Elder ignored him and called without turning. “Are you coming, or should I drag you in as well?”

“I’m coming, esteemed Elder!” The guy immediately got to his feet and limped after him.

I watched them leave, and slowly got up, dusting my clothes. That was one hell of an event. I looked back at where they disappeared from my view and noticed a girl giggling as she looked at me. I lifted an eyebrow at her, and she just grinned, before running away in the same direction Elder Ting and the others left.

What the fuck was that? I was so confused.

“Gerald!” Chity shouted and ran closer. “Are you alright?!”

[I’m fine.] I spat out some more blood and wiped my mouth. [Damn, this thing is disgusting.] I then cracked my back and stretched my limbs before rubbing my chest where I got kicked. [That guy sure knows how to kick. If it went on for any longer, I wouldn’t be able to resist.]

“Are you hurt? Did he break your ribs anywhere?” Chity questioned further, clearly concerned. But his worry was unnecessary.

[Ah? No, not at all. His kicks tickled me so much, I could barely hold back. He somehow managed to hit all my sensitive spots.] And it seemed he hurt his foot too. Served him right, the bastard. That’s what he gets for beating up innocent people.

“Ah?” He stared at me like a deer in headlights. “But the blood…”

[Not mine, obviously.] I grinned, showing a nearly empty blood vial. [No way those weaklings could hurt me.]

“Ah…”

[But, fuck me! I mistakenly picked a vial of Giant Rat blood. That stuff is vile!] I summoned some water to rinse my mouth and spat it back out. What a horrible aftertaste, I just couldn’t get rid of it.

“Ahahaha!” Chity began laughing like mad. “But of course! Hiding behind an Elder’s name, they had to be weak!”

[Yeaaah… Don’t take what those idiots said too personally. There actually isn’t much of a difference between the lowest levels. You will catch up to them soon enough.]

“Sure…”

He said so, but I could see some doubt in his eyes. I could encourage him, but I couldn’t remove the sense of inferiority from his heart. That’s something he would have to do on his own. Whether he would grow from the experience, or be stunted, was up to him.

But there was something else that worried me. I was pretty sure the Elder discovered my secret, but he didn’t react to it. I couldn’t decide if that was a good or a bad thing yet, but there was a big possibility he knew. Now, whether he would do anything about it was still to be seen. But hopefully, I wouldn’t have to worry about it for the following three months. Other than that, I had to be much more careful and low-key, and stop attracting attention. Why the heck did we even come here?

[Oh, right! The interview!] I almost forgot!

“The what?”

[The… examination for the hunting group! We’re going to be late! Let’s go!”]

“Ah, right!”

----------------------------------------

We came just in time. The previous candidates already had their turn, so I quickly entered while Chity waited outside.

A servant greeted me at the door, and after telling him my reason for coming, he led me to a private room. The place was a mix between a bar and a fancy lounge, illuminated by the soft light that came through tainted windows. The dark hardwood floor was covered with thick, intricate-looking rugs, and large leather chairs and a futon were spread around a lovely low wooden table, on which bottles of alcohol and plates of snacks waited for the hungry.

I noticed three people there, two men and one woman. They all wore similar light blue clothing commonly seen in the Sect, only the two guys had a thin leather armor over it, decorated with silver and gold. All of them wore bracelets and necklaces as well as leather vambraces that made them look regal and elegant.

I swallowed hard at the blatant display of wealth as they chatted and laughed among themselves, completely oblivious to my presence.

Well, this is it. Since I’m already here I might as well take a leap of fate...

I slowly took a deep breath to calm my nerves and took a step forward, loudly announcing my presence with a cupped fist and bow combo.

[Gerald Fireborn greets Seniors of the Predator’s Bane!]

“Hmm?” One of the men lifted his head and looked at me in surprise. “Who are you?”

[Um… I was supposed to meet you here for the evaluation to join your hunting group?]

The man blinked at me. “But… you are an Outer Disciple…?”

[Err… Yes.] What else could I say? I was clearly wearing the Outer Disciple’s robes. Or did he expect someone else?

“Hohoho!” The woman laughed and covered her mouth with a fan. “A Junior wants to join us… How interesting.”

The other guy sitting beside her on the sofa slowly swirled the wine in his cup as his eyes locked on me. “You just joined at the beginning of summer, right? What makes you think we would accept one such as you?”

His gaze was making me nervous, and the thick atmosphere of alcohol and incense didn’t help at calming my nerves. [Well… I was hoping to get an opportunity to learn. And the application didn’t mention any restrictions. It only asked for willing participants, so I didn’t think-]

“That’s right! You didn’t think! Nobody does around here these days!”

A fourth member jumped up from behind the sofa shouting, and nearly frightened me to death with his shout. Then he stumbled over it instead of going around and aggressively pulled out a sword.

“And now even a fucking outsider dares to mock me!” He loomed over me, and I suddenly felt as if the entire room expanded, with him appearing as a giant and me a tiny little flame, about to be snuffed out by his breath alone.

“For your crimes of mocking a superior, I, Tan Gong, leader of Predator’s Bane, sentence you to death! Die, infidel!”