Ever since I had come here, there was always a thought at the back of my mind that I would meet someone unreasonable. But just like those videos on YouTube where people acted crazy. Meeting such people was quite rare.
People usually restrained their basic desires, thoughts, or instincts of lashing out... Even if, for one moment, someone felt like wanting to kill someone, they would usually not do so.
Now flip that on its head. What if someone were strong enough to do whatever you wanted? They were powerful, and there were no restraints on their behavior.
The laws that were stopping the average crazy guy from acting out were gone in an instant.
It was only a matter of time before I would meet a young master like this. Ironically, it was someone supposed to protect me. Shan Sha was right. If I wanted peace, I would have to fight for it. Not only this once, but for the rest of my life.
"How troublesome," I muttered under my breath.
"That's how life always is, brat," the old man smiled.
Why did I get the feeling he was enjoying this way too much?
Fighting with superpowers sounded amazing on paper and something I could enjoy. But whenever I thought of that, my mind wandered toward the moment when I killed that young man. It was gruesome. I could recall that feeling like it was yesterday.
“What would be the chances I would get into a lot of trouble if I killed him?” I asked the librarian.
At least I needed to know what I was getting into. If I was fighting someone this arrogant, it would be stupid to hold back. He looked like the kind of guy who would kill me and act like it was an accident.
No, he was more likely to proudly claim something like this.
“That would be a troublesome situation,” the librarian stated.
“Though the chances of that happening are slim to none,” the old man chuckled. “Who do you think you are, young man? This is no minor stage difference of a star or two. This is a whole other stage, where the cultivator's understanding of Qi itself develops. So it is arrogant of you to even think you can win.”
“I just like to be prepared, and I know my chances,” I reassured the old man, but he still looked unhappy for some reason.
“Whatever. You can't stay holed up in the library and let your opponent come up with plans on how to deal with you,” the old man snorted and pointed at the guy outside. “Even someone as dumb as he looks can come up with a plan given enough time… probably will need a lot of time for this one. But that works in your favor.”
He was right. No matter how I looked at it, there was no other way.
“What do you think would stop him from coming back?” I asked the old man.
“Just make sure to show him that you are not easy pickings and no matter what happens he will only end up in a world of pain,” the old man reassured me. “Just go out there and show the world what you're made of. Stop dawdling already.”
I had many more questions, but there was no more time to think. Now was the time for action!
Putting Speedy on the counter, I walked out. "Take care of the little guy for me."
******
Xin Ma stared at the back of the young man walking out and turned toward the goat-like old man, Shan Sha.
"What are you planning? Why send the kid to a battle he can't win and make it sound like he has a chance," Xin Ma came out with it and said it as soon as Liu Feng was out of earshot.
"Some lessons are better learned on broken bones than a missing head," the old man huffed. "Clearly, the inner sect is in some turmoil of some kind, and this rule to keep an eye on the ex-prisoners was just a political move meant for the children of the elders who went outside. But they had to extend the policy to everyone to save face."
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Shan Sha used his pinky to pick his nose and looked nonchalant, "Liu Feng meeting someone like this was just pure bad luck... Although maybe the elders tried to send their own people to keep an eye on the ex-prisoners, he was bound to end up with someone who grew up with a silver spoon and always saw the outer disciples as trash. So maybe it was more common than one might think for something like this to happen."
Xin Ma didn't respond to such a lengthy explanation, which to him sounded more like an excuse. It was clear as day that the old man wanted to help Liu Feng, but he didn't exactly have all the time in the world to do that.
While Xin Ma would have stayed by the sidelines and observed the situation, Shan Sha didn't have the luxury. Who knew how much time he had left to teach the kid about life.
"I think you're just pushing him needlessly," Xin Ma said.
"Tch, what do you know about raising someone? Even though the young brat acts all cordial and nonchalant, even a blind man can tell Liu Feng doesn't have the stomach for certain things. He doesn't like fighting-"
"There's no need for a lengthy explanation that somehow turns into an excuse," Xin Ma intervened before Shan Sha could go into another one of his rants.
Whatever had happened to Shan Sha in the past, maybe in his younger years. It was affecting him now. Only the notion that Xin Ma could read the old goat so easily was a testament to how much this had affected Shan Sha despite how little he tried to show it.
"I'm just trying to prepare the kid for the world out there," Shan Sha said, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than anyone else. "Kids die too easily. He should fight here where we can keep an eye on him than out there. He almost died last time."
Last time? Did he mean for the battle he had outside? Xin Ma had read the files reported to him and had asked around a bit. But everything was a bit convoluted when it came to those reports.
It seemed like Shan Sha was letting his emotions get the better of him. Maybe it was for the best this way. Xin Ma would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in the fight. Liu Feng had come quite a long way in arrays and barriers.
However, it was hard to tell whether the kid had a talent for arrays or it was just his pure stubborn passion. But he was doing better than average, which could give him an edge in this fight.
******
With each step I took outside, it felt like my feet grew heavier. The inner disciple had a furious look in his eyes and looked like he was ready to rip me apart. But his gaze kept wandering behind me, where the librarian and the old guy likely were.
It seemed like the memory with the librarian was still a bit too fresh for him to act recklessly.
But as my steps grew heavier the closer I got, my mind also grew lighter at the same time. Thoughts were moving faster. Not everything was so clogged with what I should study next, array, exercise plan, worries about what would happen after all this, etc.
Maybe there was some choice out there I hadn't seen. Perhaps I could have called some officials or something. No, who was I kidding? This was a cultivation and martial arts sect. Fighting between two students wasn't forbidden.
I had little to no chance of beating him, and almost every part of me was terrified. Even though all I had to show him was that I was no easy pickings.
My heart thrummed in my ears, and a part... A very small part of myself was curious about this fight. I wanted to test how well my strength would hold up against someone stronger than me.
Would my techniques work at all? How much progress had I made?
Despite getting closer, the inner disciple's rage grew and veins crawled on his forehead like worms, but he still didn't attack.
Many things were brewing in the background that I was not aware of. So to me, this guy was like someone who came out of nowhere. I held no hate for the young man, so I asked one last time, "Is there any way we can solve this peacefully?"
The man's features softened, and for a split second I had some hope before he said, "Kowtow to me a hundred times, and take ten slaps from me until your cheeks swell up like a bunny."
Oh, I was getting the protagonist treatment but without any of the benefits.
There was no doubt in my mind that even if I were to follow his commands, he wouldn't stop humiliating me. Probably push me around in public too.
"How annoying, everything nowadays has become so troublesome," I muttered under my breath.
Of course, I was overreacting a bit with 'everything' being wrong as weeks had passed with nothing happening.
Without much to say, the wind around the man shifted and he threw a slap my way. I leaned back and dodged the lackluster attack.
"Oh? You dare dodge this young master's move?!" He looked annoyed.
Man, this guy was so annoying. Even hearing him talk was like listening to a screeching chalkboard.
Without warning, I lashed out and slammed my fist on his chin. It was a picture-perfect hit where it would cause someone's brain to rattle in their skull, and knock them out.
The inner disciple's head leaned to the side, and a smile made its way onto his face as he turned back to face me.
"Is that it?"
There was not even an injury on him.