What initially I think to be a punch with some force applied to it, soon becomes one hell of a surprise as the air around my fist flows forward with almost no wind resistance.
After my arm reaches it’s fullest extension I hear my fist make a whip-like noise and the air compression leaves at high speed towards the wall of the little shack.
With an incredulous look, I watch as the wall in front of me is opened with a hole created solely by the sonic boom that came out of my fist. I turn around to watch Yao’s reaction, but the only thing I can focus on is his dead fish eyes and his quivering lip.
Turning to look me with a fairly fast movement for a person of his weight, he grabs my neck and squeezes while muttering.
“You ungrateful bastard. First, last weekend you lost at mahjong and asked me for a loan, then the following day you had the nerve to ask me for even more money. I was going to let it go because of the quest you were supposed to be doing, but instead, I had to take care of you and even after all of this you have the nerve of poking a hole wide enough for a child to go through in my wall?”
Unable to breathe I see my face turn blue in the reflection of Yao’s eyes, I try to open my mouth to defend myself but only a squeal comes out. After having experienced how cruel and gruesome death is like, fear installs itself in my body and I blindly throw a punch in desperation at Yao's face.
I feel my knuckles collide with the chubby face and he is sent flying towards the other exterior wall, he easily breaks the thin wooden plank with his body. Trying to maintain a standing position, I head towards him in a hurry while heavily gasping for air.
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But before I can reach his body through the dust and debris, I see Yao emerge while blood flows from his eyes while he makes an exasperated face.
“I-i am sorry Yao, I didn’t mean to use so much strength.”
Face distorting in a maddening laugh Yao can only slowly get up while resentment substitutes his previously dead fish eyes.
“Li Xiao Nu, I curse you and your family for eight generation, even after all I’ve done for you, you’ve only repaid me with continuous face slapping over the years, I thought we were friends but I was never more wrong about anything!”
“Wait, Yao Chen, let’s not fight anymore, please. I’m heavily injured and didn’t measure my strength right so please bear with me.”
“Out! Get out of my shack!”
Shacking my head and standing my ground I forcefully say.
“Please Yao, reconsider, you’re my only friend in the Heavenly Fire Sect and without you, I will be dead in a week!”
Yao Chen who is an outer Sect disciple and a loser just like me gives me a snort of disdain while looking haughtily at me and says.
“Look at you, you’re trash even here among the trash. Senior Yi should have let you die in the forest. Be gone, I do not want to see you nor hear from you henceforth.”
Realizing that he is to mad to be persuaded I concede.
“Very well, if that is how you feel, I won't pester you again.”
Lowering my head in defeat I leave the shack that looks as if it’s about to collapse and head for my own little shack forwards down the mountain while I try not to plummet to my own death in the narrow corridors of the rocky path.
Feeling the Qi circulate through me I realize that the amount is twice as larger than before, and not only so, it is purer. Not by much, but compared to the muddy river filled with debris from before, now it feels like just muddy water.