Having said his goodbyes to his teacher, Zhao Fan started to walk in the direction of his house. On the way, he flipped open the booklet for the Steel Gorilla's Fists technique and began reading. Although it was very simple and straightforward, Zhao Fan could not wait to try it since the only other technique he had ever used was Spirit Dash. The fist technique was also a body strengthening technique which was a type he hadn't seen anyone use.
Time passed by quickly and Zhao Fan found that he was standing right in front of the shabby wooden house he called home. Pushing the creaky door open, he walked in and saw that the house was empty.
"My father must still be at work" Zhao Fan thought to himself and walked back out to the street. Naturally, he knew where his father worked, it was a field owned by a member of the Sun clan. At this time of year when Golden Lettuce grew, there was plenty of work for freelancers like his father who could not secure a stable job.
The field was not far from his house and he got there in the time it takes to make tea. On the way there, he managed to finish reading the new technique and was eager to practice it. There were 3 levels to the technique, the first was able to increase his strength by 25 percent, the second by 50 percent and the third by 100 percent and at that level the fists would become as durable as steel. It was a very simple technique and he was able to understand how to do the first level right away, it was now only a matter of practice.
Tang Tang Tang
Before even seeing the field, Zhao Fan could already hear a cacophony of loud sounds. He could see dozens of workers who plowed the earth and it wasn't long before his eyes landed on a skinny figure which he instantly recognized. Seeing his father work, Zhao Fan felt emotional and entered the field.
"This is the last day my father will ever have to work" Zhao Fan swore to himself internally. He, who had risked his life in the forest so he and his father could have a chance at a better future, would finally reap the rewards. Walking up to his father, he gently patted him on the shoulder.
The bent over figure turned around and then dropped the plow in his hands "Fan'er you are finally back?" Seeing his son, he quickly recovered from his shock and embraced him. After a few moments, Zhao Fan pulled himself away.
"Father, I will make sure you live a comfortable life from now on.." Zhao Yang smiled. He looked at his son and felt proud.
"Fan'er no matter what, the fact that you returned already makes me very happy." Obviously, over the past week or so, Zhao Yang felt extremely worried for his son.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Let's leave the fields and get some good food to eat, after all I just got home." Zhao Fan excitedly pulled his father out of the field. Even though his father might not get paid for the day's work, how could he see him toiling any longer? Initially, Zhao Yang tried to resist, but the joy of seeing his son overtook him and they both stepped out of the field.
"Where do you think you can just leave without finishing your work?" An overseer who was sitting in a chair suddenly stood up and barked. Zhao Fan looked over in his direction and could tell that he was in the fourth rank of Qi Gathering.
"Senior, my father didn't take any money from you, even though he worked these fields for hours on end.." Zhao Fan calmly looked at this overseer.
"How dare you? You’ll be putting me behind schedule!" Seeing that this young brat didn't give him any face,he felt the need to teach him a lesson. He immediately charged at him.
Zhao Fan laughed "It seems like some old farts can still suffer from mental illnesses despite being cultivators”. He charged out as well and the two were about to meet. Zhao Yang who stood to the side took on a panicked expression "STOP! Senior we didn't mean to offend you, we can pay you for the damages we caus–."
BANG
His words were cut short as the two met. Their outstretched fists both collided, one shining brightly while the other looked normal. It was clear that the old man expelled his qi from his hands to boost his attack like Zhao Fan had once done while fighting the bear. However, the fist belonging to Zhao Fan exuded some ripples of qi but did not glow or produce any effects. Still, the completely normal fist instantly shattered the old man's hand and sent him flying across the field.
"Arghhhh!!" Lying on the ground, the old man could only moan in pain as he looked at his shattered hand. A distance away, Zhao Fan looked at his hands in shock. "Is the technique actually so easy?" Grabbing the hand of the open mouthed Zhao Yang, he pulled him away from the field. Even Zhao Fan did not expect that the technique he learned in a couple of minutes would be that powerful. Furthermore, as the one who used it he knew that it was not a difficult or advanced appliance of qi but a result of his powerful body and talent.
Very quickly the two made their way across the bustling city. Zhao Fan dragged his father into a restaurant near to their house. Although his father was unwilling, the taste of some good food after eating nothing but bland porridge everyday made him stop resisting. As the night grew deeper, both of them were filled to the brim when they finally left. On the way back home, Zhao Fan thought about how a single corpse of the wolf that he killed in a few blows managed to feed his family for a whole week.
Initially, his drive to join the tournament was to secure a better future for his father, however even if he stayed at the same level and hunted wolves or other wildlife his whole life, he would still be able to accomplish that goal. A trace of uncertainty appeared in his eyes. How nice would it be to just stop struggling and settle into an unremarkable yet comfortable life?
As he sat there staring at the starry sky deep in the night, he contemplated on his future path. Suddenly, his eyes filled with endless battle intent. The time he went into the forest and almost died multiple times would scare countless people away, but it instead filled him with motivation. When he killed the wolf and almost died in the process, he was filled with indescribable happiness. When he was lying like a broken kite after his fight with the bear he did not feel reluctance or regret, but an urge to become stronger. When he saw the difference between him and Liu Zhong, he did not feel hopeless, but he felt motivated and excited to fight him in the tournament. When he had shattered the hand of the overseer he felt great joy from dominating someone at a higher rank and a sense of freedom. It felt like the countless hours he put in to train were worth it and he finally was beginning to reap some rewards.
"Although this path might be difficult and filled with indescribable danger, I must do as my heart tells me and not something I would regret. Only when I reach the top will I have the power to control my destiny and become someone that countless people will look up to." Although it was a childish ambition, it was the goal of every cultivator. At that moment while sitting under the stars, Zhao Fan finally truly embarked on the path of cultivation.