Taking Another Disciple

Shi Yintian paused for a moment, then immediately led the way. When they reached the edge of the training ground, the soldiers who had been watching made way for the Young General. Yue Qianchou stood silently beside Shi Yintian and looked at the makeshift wooden platform. What he saw made him gasp in shock.

Above, a shirtless man was bound hand and foot, with an executioner standing beside him. The man was tall, strong, and exceptionally robust; even bound, he exuded a palpable murderous aura, his eyes gleaming with Sha Qi —clearly a veteran of Yue Qianchou wasn't these physical attributes, but rather the fact that, aside from his face, his bare torso was covered in a dense network of mottled scars of various shapes and sizes, obviously the marks of countless weapons wounds. Several fresh cuts, still damp with blood, marked his chest and arms.

Damn it! This guy really crawled out of a pile of corpses; he probably plays with his scars like tattoos all the time. Yue Qianchou shook his head slightly. It was a real pity that such a fine warrior had been killed like this, but it wasn't his business. He glanced at Zhang Peng a few times, about to leave, when suddenly someone behind him whispered, "Leader, this man possesses Innate Spiritual Root."

Innate Spiritual Root? Yue Qianchou was taken aback. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was his subordinate speaking to him; others wouldn't call him leader. Yue Qianchou immediately focused his attention and looked closely at the person. Upon closer inspection, he was surprised again; it really was Innate Spiritual Root.

Anyone entering the Cultivation World must possess Spirit Root; Yue Qianchou is merely an exception. Spirit Root are also graded, with the so-called Innate Spiritual Root being the highest level of cultivation aptitude, rumored to bring twice the results with half the effort. It seems the Cultivation World hasn't seen someone like this for a long time; I never expected to encounter one. Yue Qianchou immediately turned his head, whispering into Shi Yintian's ear, "Spare his life; this person will be of great use to me."

Shi Yintian had actually heard what the person behind him said. Although he didn't understand what it meant, since Yue Qianchou had spoken, his father would definitely give him face, and Zhang Peng's life was in hope. So he whispered, "This order can only be canceled with my father's order. There's still some time before noon. Why don't you speak to my father, sir?"

"Let's go." Yue Qianchou said nothing more. Shi Yintian quickly led him toward the central military tent.

Upon entering the main tent, the other soldiers remained outside. After the two of them went in, Yue Qianchou smiled at the figure in the center who was holding a map and said, "General, how have you been?"

Shi Wenguang turned around, his face lit up with joy, and he shook off his tight cloak, took a few steps forward, and bowed, saying, "Sir, you've arrived."

Yue Qianchou smiled and nodded. His main purpose in coming here was to inform Shi Wenguang of the news from the capital, so that Shi Wenguang would know his family was safe and could focus on his rebellion. After the two sat down and he briefly recounted the events in the capital, Yue Qianchou smiled and said, "Great General, I have a favor to ask!"

Shi Wenguang waved his hand and laughed, "Sir, please don't joke. With your abilities, what need do you have for me? It is I who should be asking you for help."

Yue Qianchou stopped wasting words; if he continued, the Innate Spiritual Root outside would be beheaded. He immediately said solemnly, "I'm not joking. I just passed by outside and saw someone who was to be executed at noon. I hope the general will show mercy and give this person to me; I have a great use for him."

Shi Wenguang glanced at his son suspiciously, suspecting that it was his son who asked Yue Qianchou to speak up, with the aim of rescuing Zhang Peng. Shi Yintian waved his hand with a wry smile and said, "Father, don't doubt me, it really has nothing to do with me."

"General, please don't take it to heart." Yue Qianchou paused and said, "Let me put it this way! When I passed by the execution ground just now, I discovered that Zhang Peng is no ordinary person. He has excellent Spirit Root for cultivation. I wish to take him as my disciple, and I hope that you, General, can give me this honor."

"I see. Of course, we must give you face, sir." Shi Wenguang stood up, took a token from the document jar, and handed it to Shi Yintian, saying, "Pass on my order: Zhang Peng's execution is to be postponed. Bring him to the main tent to see me."

Shi Yintian's face lit up with joy. He accepted the token and respectfully Fate Dao, "This humble general obeys."

Yue Qianchou laughed heartily and continued his conversation with Shi Wenguang. Not long after, Zhang Peng, who was bound hand and foot, was brought in by Shi Yintian. Shi Wenguang then sat back down behind his desk, staring at the newcomer with a stern face.

"General Zhang Peng greets the General." Zhang Peng's voice was loud and clear. He knelt down with a thud. Yue Qianchou, who was sitting not far from him, could feel the fierce aura emanating from him.

Shi Wenguang said in a deep voice, "Zhang Peng, you have violated military regulations and should be executed according to the law. However, today a master has pleaded with me to take you as his disciple. If you agree to become that master's disciple, I may consider sparing your life."

Yue Qianchou stared at Zhang Peng with a smile, thinking to himself, "I'm definitely taking him as my disciple. Who wouldn't want to live?" Unexpectedly, Zhang Peng looked around, paused on him, and then replied, "I wonder which master wishes to take me as his disciple? Please enlighten me, General."

Shi Wenguang pointed, Yue Qianchou stood up and smiled, "It's me."

"I'd rather die than submit." Zhang Peng glanced at him, and said nothing more. Everyone in the tent was stunned. Yue Qianchou asked suspiciously, "What's wrong with becoming my disciple? You'd rather die than obey?"

Zhang Peng knelt there, looked him up and down, and sneered, "Judging from your age, you are not even older than me. What virtue or ability do you have to be my master? If I were to follow you, wouldn't that be a great disgrace to me? How dare I follow you?"

"Insolence!" Shi Wenguang immediately shouted, "It's your good fortune that the master accepted you as a disciple. You really don't know what's good for you. Guards, drag him away and behead him."

"Wait a minute!" Yue Qianchou smiled and waved his hand, stopping the Great General from displaying his military might. He circled Zhang Peng twice and said, "What virtue or ability do I possess to deserve being your master?"

"I possess the strength to lift a thousand pounds and the courage to be the best in the army. If you can defeat me, I will become your disciple," Zhang Peng said proudly.

Damn it! You're showing your true colors. If it weren't for your Innate Spiritual Root, I wouldn't care whether you live or die. How dare a mere mortal try to fight me. Yue Qianchou sneered, "Your strength is like an ant in my eyes, and your courage is nothing but the courage of a common man. You overestimate yourself. Defeating you is as easy as using a single finger."

As he finished speaking, a strange red light flashed from the tip of one finger, and with a swift movement, the ropes binding Zhang Peng snapped in unison. Yue Qianchou shouted, "Get up! Show me what you've got! I want to see what you're capable of!"

Zhang Peng stared blankly at the neatly severed rope on his chest for a moment, then shook it off, stood up and stretched, his bones cracking all over. He clasped his hands in a fist and shouted, "Excuse me, take this!" A fist came whistling down.

"Damn it! He's really not holding back." Yue Qianchou circulated his True Essence, extending a finger to meet the fist. Fist and finger collided, Yue Qianchou wore a cold smile, while Zhang Peng's expression twitched; he felt the side of his body that had thrown the punch go numb, completely unable to move. The difference in skill was immediately apparent. The Shi family father and son exchanged glances, secretly thinking, "Wow, impressive!"

Yue Qianchou withdrew his finger and said expressionlessly, "If you're not Qi Ingestion, you can try again."

It took Zhang Peng a long time to recover. He moved around without making a sound, walked openly to the weapon rack on one side of the tent, pulled out a long steel spear as thick as a baby's arm, and shouted, "Again!"

A powerful figure lunged forward, Chang Shuo striking Yue Qianchou's chest like lightning. Yue Qianchou sneered, a strange red light emanating from his index finger as he pointed at the tip of Chang Shuo's spear once more.

A sizzling sound rang out as the long spear hurtled towards Zhang Peng. From the tip all the way to the end in Zhang Peng's hand, it melted into molten iron and fell to the ground. Zhang Peng felt the part he held burning hot and quickly threw away the piece. Still unwilling to give up, he threw another punch at his opponent's face while still in mid-air.

"Hmph!" Yue Qianchou snorted coldly, determined to teach him a lesson. The red light on his finger faded, and he deflected Zhang Peng's heavy fist with one finger, then quickly pointed it at Zhang Peng's chest. Zhang Peng immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying by that finger. He tumbled several times in the air and crashed to the ground, looking like he was on the verge of death.

The Shi father and son were shocked once again, exchanging a speechless glance. Yue Qianchou stared expressionlessly at the groaning man on the ground and said coldly, "What strength to lift a thousand pounds, what bravery to be the best in the army? You can't even compare to one of my fingers. How dare you say that? Is that all you've got? You really don't know your place. If you're not Qi Ingestion and still have the strength, you might as well try again."

Zhang Peng clutched the spot on his chest where the finger had struck him, feeling utterly exhausted. His face was deathly pale. He staggered to his feet, swayed to Yue Qianchou's side, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "Zhang Peng is completely convinced and pays his respects to Master."

.