Sying smirked.
He casually swayed his head out of the way and was inches away from ripping out Lei Zhi's throat with his stellar ranked martial art. The look on Lei Zhi's face was not shaken in the slightest. As if the beastly claws of Sying were nothing but the claws of an unruly kitten. His face still held the calm and gentle appearance they had since the start of the fight. Although with a slight sadness tinged to it.
"I got you now!" Syring exclaimed with villainous glee.
But just before his talons reached around Lei Zhi's neck, his body came to an abrupt stop. He couldn't shorten the distance between his hand and Lei Zhi's exposed windpipe. His face scrunched up in confusion and anger. Why couldn't he move!?
His question was soon answered as his body began flying backwards and away from Lei Zhi at fast speeds. His bewildered screams were the only noises heard from him as his body was launched into the air. Lei Zhi expertly controlled his fishing line to cause Sying to fly uncontrollably through the sky. It turns out that Lei Zhi didn't miss his attack in the first place! He wasn't aiming to skewer Sying with his fishing hook but actually capture the youth before he could harm him!
Sying was somehow unable to resist against the pull of the fishing rod as it took him on a wild ride through the sky. His stomach was all over the place and his brain was smashing against his skull several times. The humiliation and suffering he's going through by the hands of this old blind trash was seeping into his blood, bones, and soul. Even if he couldn't form a single coherent thought as he was toyed with, he will never forget this experience. Even if he has to humiliate himself in front of his older brother, he will get his revenge.
After 10 minutes or so, Lei Zhi figured that the boy has had enough discipline shown to him. If he went on any longer than this, he's sure that some irreparable damage might happen to the misguided young man. Unaware that the irreparable damage has already happened in another manner.
The followers of Sying have already fled once they saw Sying being flown around like a r.e.t.a.r.ded kite by the blind grandpa. If Sying couldn't deal with him, then they sure as h.e.l.l couldn't do anything. Even if they might have to be tortured as punishment for leaving, it's better than the torture that Sying was going through. If their eyes weren't mistaken, they were sure that Sying even p.i.s.sed himself!
Lei Zhi gently placed Sying back on the ground. Sying couldn't even stand! His legs were like jelly once they touched the earth. He instantly collapsed to the ground and started puking his guts out. Lei Zhi watched as the young man puked for 10 seconds straight and then recovered for a few moments before going back to puking again. It would take him around a minute and some before Sying would stop vomiting.
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he slowly turned his head and met eyes with Lei Zhi. Even if Lei Zhi wasn't blind, he was sure he'd still be able to see the seething hatred in that glare. It seems this manner of doing things turned out to be ill found. Humiliation is not the way to humble youths but instead fire them up.
"You-----!" Sying quickly covered his mouth as he felt the bile rising to his throat once more.
With a sickening audible gulp, he resigned to just glaring at Lei Zhi before running away. Lei Zhi was troubled. Without a doubt, he just made things worse for himself. Didn't he mention a brother and uncle? The only other uncles besides him are without a doubt are the sect elders. Another sigh escaped from his lips.
"Well. This is the path I chose. Even if the first step was met with failure, it doesn't mean that I am wrong in trying to guide today's cultivators into better humans. It only means that I need to try harder and do better next time." Lei Zhi encouraged himself before walking away from the pond and to his home.
______________________________________________
Two figures were walking together. One round while the other attractive and carrying a large object behind her. Their pace was quite slow but the looks on their faces were positive. It seems that something good must have happened for the both of them.
"I guess people weren't kidding when they said those two were geniuses. It has only been a few weeks since they got here but their progress in cultivation has soared." Ying commented.
"I'd say. They were only 5 and 7th rank when we were taking the recruitment test but now, they are already about to breach through the Qi Gathering realm. With Tang Wuying at the 7th stage and Gong Jun knocking at the door of the 9th rank. The gifted are truly enviable." Bing sighed.
Ying rolled her eyes.
"Hmph. Being jealous of them only makes you look pathetic. There's nothing in life you can't take with enough effort and determination." Ying said with confidence.
"If you say so Yue." Bing responded carelessly.
This weak answer displeased Ying. She casually shot her fist towards his ribs. Bing's eyes widened in terror. He quickly brought up his shield and was sent sliding back some distance from her.
"Please Martial Sister Yue! Spare my poor life and control your temper!" Bing pleaded as he saw the smallest imprint of a dent on the surface of his shield.
"I don't want to hear any cowardly words like that if you're gonna be around me. Seeing how you managed to react to my attack, you're not as bad as you think you are. Be more confident or I'm going to beat you to death until you do." Ying threatened with a playful smile.
"I don't think I could change my att.i.tude if I'm dead Martial Sister." Bing pointed out before standing next to her again with his shield slowly fixing the small dent on itself.
Ying reared her fist back at this smart comment. Bing hid behind his shield like a frightened turtle.
"Don't think that shield will protect you forever Bing. We'll find out one of these days which is stronger between my sword and your shield." Ying promised.
"One day, I hope that never comes..." Bing muttered.
The two eventually reached Jing's home and Ying knocked on the door. Ying and Bing heard a disgruntled masculine voice from inside and were promptly confused. Did they come to the wrong shack? Jing's shack is indistinguishable from all the other lower ranked disciples so it is possible that they come have come to the wrong place.
The answer to their festering questions was soon answered as a shirtless young man opened up the door with an annoyed look on his face.
"What the f.u.c.k do you two weaklings want?" Hu Tao asked.
Hu Tao's unbelievably handsome face and muscular lean body was the first to greet the two. The large wild wavy white colored hair that reached to the middle of his back was one of his defining traits in the sect. The thing that was new with him was that his body was wrapped in black chains. From around his neck to all the way down to his feet. A metal ball twice the size of someone's head could be seen being dragged behind his feet that was attached to the metal chains.
To respond to his rude greeting Ying punched straight out towards Hu Tao's face. Bing would've been surprised if he had not just spent the entire day with this beautiful young girl with a predisposition for violence. If anyone slighted her, she was sure to pay them back double. No matter the difference in strength. If she couldn't defeat them, she was sure to cause some sort of pain no matter how little.
Hu Tao easily caught her fist but was also pushed back a little.
"Ooh. You aren't as weak as I thought. Are you a body cultivator? Your strength doesn't match your realm." Hu Tao said nonchalantly.
"I'll show you just how weak I really am." She threatened as her orange eyes blazed with a fighting intent.
Ying grabbed her blade and slowly hoisted it high in the air, ready to completely cleave Hu Tao in two. The ends of Hu Tao's lips started to stretch upwards. The chains around his wrists began to spin rapidly as he reared his fists back.
"Hoo!" A majestic white owl screeched before kicking Ying's blade into the ground and flying in between the two.
Li Li looked no different than when he first arrived at the sect along with Jing. But in the two weeks that have pa.s.sed he has changed in another manner. He was already at the 9th stage of the Qi Gathering realm. Not even the most ancient of beast cubs could ever match Li Li's cultivation speed. Unless they were being fed creatures higher than their own rank on the regular for 3 meals every day. The little owlet no matter what bloodline he had or how much dilution was absent it would normally allow him to progress so quickly yet, this baby owl had something that no one else in the world has the pleasure of owning. A mother called Jing!
Jing created some martial techniques exclusively for Li Li with SCP- 914! She went all out for her little son and gave him a full set of martial arts. Fighting, cultivation, movement, body, and auxiliary. And since his entire being was refined to something nearly on par with Jing's, gaining mastery in all of those skills was nothing but a breeze for the baby. Jing would even say that he's stronger than her, seeing that she still hasn't made herself a movement, body, and auxiliary art yet.
"Li Li?" Ying questioned before looking behind Hu Tao and seeing Jing staring at the three. "I guess we did find the right house."
"Come in." Jing told them.
Hu Tao grinned at Ying as she and Bing walked inside. She attempted to throw a quick jab as she was pa.s.sing by but missed just barely as Hu Tao dodged with a teasing smile.
"Did you manage to do what I asked of you?" Jing asked.
"Yes. We managed to find out where they stay. According to rumors, they don't go out much and usually have everything delivered to them by servants. They have been training intensively for the upcoming duel in a few days and both have improved greatly. Tang reaching the 7th stage and Jun reaching peak 8th stage." Bing relayed.
A smile fitting that of a wicked queen appeared on Jing's face.
"Well done you two. I'll handle the rest. You are free to do whatever you please until I call for you again." Jing told them before throwing two storage rings towards them.
They caught the rings and looked inside to see around 20 mortal-ranked spirit stones. Ying's eyes turned into pink hearts as she looked at her new found tool for increasing her cultivation. Bing's expression was not so different in the way he greedily gazed at the stones within the ring. With this many spirit stones, he may be able to deal with the Huan group within the outer court faster.
"Who is this guy by the way?" Ying asked pointed towards Hu Tao who was picking his nose without a care in the world.
"Your new teammate." Jing answered.
Jing saw that Ying wasn't happy with that answer. Her pretty face scrunched up as she saw him mocking her. She was having a hard time controlling herself from crushing him into the ground.
"You wanna go princess? If you're anything like her, I'll even consider marrying ya." Hu Tao said while pointing at Jing.
"How did you know I was of n.o.ble birth?" Ying asked.
"I didn't. You just seem like a spoiled brat." He laughed.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Ying needed to punch this jerk in the face. His stupid handsome face deserved some punishment with such a cra.s.s mouth. She sent a straight punch towards Hu Tao's face and he continued laughing as the chains on his body formed a net in front of his face and caught her fist.
"Try taking me on once you aren't so weak. The difference between our ranks isn't little Princess. Even if you used that strange blade, you wouldn't be able to cut a single thing on me."
"You wanna bet a.s.shole?" She spat.
Jing watched with an amused smile on her face but she couldn't have these two fighting inside her house. Nor did she want them showing off their strength in public so soon but for some reason she didn't believe that she could hide their power for long. Their personalities aren't suited for a task like that. Especially Hu Tao. The wild mutt can't go 2 seconds without trying to annoy someone into fighting him.
She needs a way of contacting them without putting her ident.i.ty at risk. So, that means not having Li Li sending them letters nor having them all meet at her shack. She'll have to figure something out when she's on her way to meet Wuying.
"Hu Tao, save it later. Ying, understand your limits. Bing, go increase your cultivation."
"Whatever..." Hu Tao responded.
"But he! I... Understood..." She responded like a reprimanded child.
"Yes Empress."
"Now all of you get out of my house. If I need you, you'll find out."
The trio left Jing's door and stood in front of her yard together.
"So, what's up with you two? How did you meet her?" Hu Tao asked.
"None of your business." Ying responded coldly.
"I guess you can say she saved my life in a way...." Bing answered.
"I look forward to fighting you two in the future. Don't make me wait too long though. I hate teases." He said with a special look toward Bing.
Bing's entire body shivered from that gaze. It was as if he was being stared at as nothing more than just a piece of meat.
'Weird....'
"See you later then weaklings. With all these spirit stones, breaking into the Qi Consolidation stage will be a piece of cake." He laughed while throwing a storage ring up in the air and catching it repeatedly.
"That guy's such an a.s.s." Ying shared.
"He is... something..." Bing agreed.
She wasn't satisfied with his answer but decided not to argue with him about it. It's been a long day. They said their goodbyes and went along their way back to their own homes.
"Tiger Boomerang..." Jing muttered as she spun the sharp hand sized boomerang around her finger.
She inserted the boomerang into her hand and refined it on Very Fine. This little thing will be her bargaining chip against Tang Wuying. Once he gets a taste of this baby, he won't be able to live without it. Especially with his face on the line in this upcoming duel. The last time she's seen Tang Wuying it seemed like he cared a lot about face. Jing's planning on using that to her advantage tonight.
