Letting Go and Being Unable to Let Go

I've always heard of pets refusing to eat or drink and following their owners to their graves after their deaths; who has ever heard of a pet refusing to eat or drink and following its owner to its grave after its death?

Perhaps I really should practice martial arts properly, so that at least when I encounter danger, I can escape on my own without having to ask others for help.

Thinking this to himself, Ren Junshuang replied, "From now on, I will try my best to learn self-respect and self-love."

"I'm relieved that you think that way. Okay, try to stand up and walk around. Walking shouldn't be a problem, but this is just an emergency measure. If you want to avoid any long-term health issues, you still need to go to the hospital for treatment."

Murong Zhe's technique was very skillful, and he completed the treatment in no time. Confucian School advocates that "if one cannot be a good prime minister, one should be a good doctor." Most great Confucian scholars are proficient in medicine, and he was no exception.

Ren Junshuang tried to stand up and found that although her heels still hurt a little, it wasn't unbearable. She nodded and said, "I'm fine now, thank you, teacher."

Murong Zhe approached Lu Yifa and said, "Stretch out your foot."

Ren Junshuang quickly reminded him, "Sit down! What are you standing for? Do you expect the teacher to bow down to you?"

Lu Yifa had originally intended to sit down, since standing was quite painful, but upon Ren Junshuang said, a stubborn streak arose within him.

I'm not going to sit down, I'm going to stand here. If you don't want to be treated, then don't do it. I didn't ask you to!

Although Lu Yifa would ultimately suffer if he angered Murong Zhe, when people are stubborn, their IQ is barely higher than that of an ox. He was completely unaware of this, like a turtle trying to eat a weight, determined to make things difficult for Murong Zhe.

Lu Yifa had expected the other party to give him a stern look and reprimand him, and he was even prepared to bear that nameless pressure. Unexpectedly, Murong Zhe did not criticize him at all. He just sighed helplessly, as if he were looking at a naughty child. Then he squatted down in front of him and held his foot to treat his injury.

Despite it being the result he had been dreaming of, Lu Yifa felt utterly defeated, as if he were throwing a punch at the sky—no matter how powerful he was, it was all in vain; his opponent didn't even consider him a worthy opponent.

He was immediately filled with anger at being looked down upon, but when he looked down, he saw his teacher, who had always been strict with him, squatting down in front of him, humbly tending to his wounds. A feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up inside him, and his anger vanished without a trace.

"Having backbone is a good thing, but you have to be careful who you target. Those who show backbone to their enemies are heroes, while those who show backbone to their parents are just immature children. Remember, the only people you can ever truly hurt are those who care about you."

"Shut up!"

As soon as Murong Zhe recovered from his injury, Lu Yifa quickly pulled his foot back, then sat on the ground and stretched out his other foot.

Ren Junshuang teased, "Isn't that quite obedient?"

Lu Yifa snorted, unusually not retaliating, but simply turned his head away, not daring to meet Murong Zhe's gaze.

Before long, Lu Yifa's other foot was also healed.

Murong Zhe stood up and said, "Let's leave. It's not safe here."

Lu Yifa stammered in a low voice, "Teacher, yes, no, no..."

"Hmm?"

He immediately changed his tune, saying, "It's nothing, I can leave on my own, I won't hold you back."

"Yes, you're the most self-reliant boy in the class, I've noticed that for a long time. It's a pity you're channeling your energy in the wrong way. If you could focus your efforts on your studies, I wouldn't have to worry about your future."

This was the first time Lu Yifa had heard such positive feedback from Murong Zhe, and he felt a sweet sensation in his heart, blurting out, "I won't let you down."

Murong Zhe nodded, said nothing more, and led the two away from the martial arts hall.

But just as the three stepped out of the martial arts hall, the ground suddenly rose up, and batches of thick trees burst from the soil, surrounding and squeezing the three of them inward.

"What's this?"

Ren Junshuang screamed in panic.

"Protect yourself and don't move around!"

Murong Zhe channeled his remaining True Qi and unleashed the Shoot the Heavenly Wolf from the Confucian School Six Arts Art. His fist shadows spread like a volley of arrows, causing air currents to scatter wildly. The tendons on his body were also so dense that they seemed to explode. Each punch produced a sonic boom, tearing apart large trees and sending wood chips flying everywhere.

However, even with Si Ming's divine power, he couldn't keep up with the growth rate of the trees. Murong Zhe, who was holding back, naturally couldn't escape by brute force. After realizing this, he quickly changed his tactics, switching to the spiraling force of "Command the Fierce Wind" to target a single direction and break through at a single point.

"Follow me!"

Lu Yifa and Ren Junshuang had never seen such bizarre changes in Divine Ability. Even the former, who prided himself on his courage, couldn't help but feel powerless and fearful in the face of the unknown. He quickly followed Murong Zhe and rushed off in one direction.

Dozens of seconds later, just as Murong Zhe's True Qi was about to run out, the pressure in front of him suddenly eased. He quickly threw another punch and finally broke through the wooden wall, and a ray of sunlight shone in through the gap.

The three of them quickly lunged forward, breaking through the last barrier and escaping to safety.

But before Murong Zhe could catch his breath, he saw a golden light flash in the distance, and a huge creature whose shape was indistinct shot out a golden beam of light, heading straight towards the three of them!

With Murong Zhe's cultivation level, he naturally had time to dodge, but he immediately realized that Lu Yifa and Ren Junshuang couldn't possibly have such a fast reaction speed. Once he dodged, the two of them would have no chance of survival.

At the critical moment, Murong Zhe decisively turned around, stretched out his palms, and slapped the two men, sending them flying far away.

Then, he was engulfed by the golden beam of light.

Chapter 155 Letting Go and Not Letting Go

"Teacher!"

Lu Yifa and Ren Junshuang only realized what had happened after they were pushed against the wall.

There was nothing the two of them could do but watch helplessly from the sidelines, praying that their worst fears wouldn't come true.

When the golden light dissipated, Murong Zhe's figure appeared. The two students immediately breathed a sigh of relief, because from their perspective, he was not seriously injured, but his expression was more solemn.

Ren Junshuang cried tears of joy, "Teacher, I'm so glad you're alright..."

"Don't come any closer!" Murong Zhe shouted, then said with great difficulty, "Go quickly, go as far away as possible... I can't hold on much longer."

When he turned around, Lu Yifa and Ren Junshuang realized that his back was a bloody mess, as if it had been stabbed by countless sharp blades or cut into pieces. Exposed bones and blood vessels were visible, and blood kept seeping from the wounds, forming a pool of blood at his feet.

"Waaah--"