No Grudge, No Hate, Where Does the Malice Come From

The stench of rotten flesh and decaying wood filled the air, a nauseating smell that assaulted Zhou You.

A gust of wind, generated by Fang Guiqi, whipped across his face like a razor.

Zhou You knew he was on the brink of life and death.

As Fang Guiqi's roommate, he would inevitably be implicated afterward and needed to prove his innocence publicly.

This was why, while other disciples retreated and scrambled to escape, he could not.

On the contrary, Zhou You had to risk his life to stop Fang Guiqi.

"Hoo hoo hoo."

Zhou You gasped for air, with no time to think of anything else as his internal force condensed into a single point.

A violent wind erupted from the ground, and a tiger-like mottled shadow of light surged from his feet.

Zhou You leaped into the air, rising from the ground amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, and directly confronted Fang Guiqi.

"Internal Force."

Lu Qiang, who was rushing over, twitched his eyelids twice upon seeing this.

How could he not see that the astonishing power erupting from Zhou You's move was the result of mastering Internal Force?

He remembered this child, the one who liked practicing Imperial Strike Hand and Square Step. How had he succeeded so quietly?

As fast as lightning!

Zhou You's fists collided with Fang Guiqi's body. He felt his pores stand on end, and an overwhelming force made his joints creak.

A ferocious, distorted face was inches away, its breath thick with a pungent stench.

It was not a living person, nor even a living creature with flesh and blood.

"Black Tiger Steals Heart."

Zhou You unleashed his peak state at 20 attribute points, unleashing a punch that gathered strength, speed, and defense, hitting Fang Guiqi squarely in the chest.

The two figures locked in mid-air instantly separated.

Fang Guiqi's plan to break through the crowd had failed. He was knocked back to the center of the arena by Zhou You's desperate attack, rolling several times on the ground.

And Zhou You?

As his fist connected with Fang Guiqi, he felt a few drops of slippery, cold liquid splash onto his face, like water splashed when skipping stones.

An ensuing chill swept through his entire body, rendering him immobile.

"Just a lowly Phantom, daring to infiltrate my Jianxiong Martial Arts School. You're seeking death."

Lu Qiang's body glowed with iron-gray patterns. He grabbed Fang Guiqi and tore him in half.

A gust of wind dispersed the thick, foul odor. The corpse fell to the ground like a common body, with black liquid flowing everywhere.

Inside the outer courtyard, a deathly silence fell. No one dared to move or speak.

The head of the martial arts school, Wang Jianxiong, coughed, breaking the silence. He pointed at Zhou You and asked, "This child risked his life to stop the Phantom. What's his name?"

"Replying to Master, his name is Zhou You. He's a young man from the city who recently joined our ranks."

Lu Qiang paused as he answered, explaining, "Perhaps he just mastered Internal Force and hasn't had time to apply for official registration yet."

Suddenly, a young disciple behind Wang Jianxiong spoke up.

"Master, I heard Zhou You lived in the same room as the Phantom disguised as Fang Guiqi. He can't escape suspicion."

"Why don't we lock him up in the dungeon in the back courtyard?"

Hearing this, Zhou You's heart sank. The worst-case scenario had indeed happened.

In Jianxiong Martial Arts School, the headmaster was supreme and had the power of life and death over disciples like them.

If Wang Jianxiong harbored any suspicion and imprisoned him in the dungeon, he might never see the light of day again.

His parents were honest, upright folk. How could they save him?

"Master, I disagree with Zhong Shaoying's assessment."

The one who voiced his opposition was a refined young gentleman. Zhou You recognized him as the Senior Disciple Brother Shen, who had distributed four sets of clothes to each disciple.

At the same time, this Senior Disciple Brother Shen was also the young master of Old Man Zhou's trading firm.

"Zhou You joined the martial arts school later. Before him, several other disciples had occupied Fang Guiqi's room, and not the slightest abnormality occurred."

"Phantoms are cunning and deceitful. If they infiltrate a martial arts school by disguising their identity, they will certainly not reveal any flaws. Even living in the same room, it would be impossible to discover them."

"I see Zhou You as brave and skilled, having mastered Internal Force. He is a talent."

From the moment Senior Disciple Brother Shen spoke, Zhou You knew he had a chance.

As expected...

Lu Qiang summoned several disciples and sent them to various places to gather information. Shortly after, reports began to come back.

"Master, Fang Guiqi's brother-in-law's family died a long time ago. The cause of death was their internal organs and bone marrow being hollowed out."

Upon hearing this, everyone was in an uproar. It was too brutal. Not only did they disguise their identity, but they didn't even spare the original owner's relatives.

Wang Jianxiong remained noncommittal, "It's the usual trick of phantom creatures, nothing surprising."

"Song Fugui, Liu Bing, and..."

Zhou You's heart skipped a beat. These were his former roommates. They had actually investigated them too.

Lu Qiang explained that these individuals were currently fine, and their families were safe.

"Zhou You's parents are alive and well, and there's nothing amiss."

Zhou You's heart skipped a beat. They had even investigated his home. This Senior Disciple Brother was truly meticulous.

According to the investigation results, Zhou You's suspicion had been greatly reduced.

It was Zhong Shaoying again who objected, "Don't you think it's strange, Master?"

"Fang Guiqi applied for regularization just before Zhou You was exposed for cultivating Internal Force. Isn't that too coincidental?"

"There must be a connection between the two."

Zhou You looked at Zhong Shaoying. He was certain he had never seen this person before today.

Why did the other party harbor such great malice and target him at every turn?

Zhong Shaoying's words were all fatal accusations. If they were proven true, Zhou You would be utterly destroyed.

At the critical moment, Senior Disciple Brother Shen spoke up, "Master, it's just a coincidence."

"Zhou You has been in the school for over two months. It's normal for him to have cultivated Internal Force at this time."

"You yourself said that the Internal Force disguised by phantom creatures is different from that of normal people."

Wang Jianxiong coughed twice, "Sijing is right."

So, Senior Disciple Brother Shen's full name was Shen Sijing.

He glanced at Zhou You, "I just took a look. His Internal Force is pure and flawless. It's a skill gained from practicing the introductory level of Tiger Subduing Fist."

Finally, Lu Qiang stepped forward to speak a fair word.

"Master, phantom creatures, fearing exposure, always kept to themselves in the outer court and never got close to anyone."

"This child Zhou You also diligently practiced his skills and had no prior interaction with them. As everyone just witnessed, he truly risked his life to block the phantom creature."

Wang Jianxiong nodded, delivering the final verdict on the matter.

"Indeed, all of you listen carefully. Fang Guiqi was a disguised phantom creature, and it has nothing to do with anyone else."

"Cultivate with peace of mind, as usual. Don't go out spreading rumors."

"Also..."

Wang Jianxiong glanced at Zhou You, "He was injured by the phantom creature just now, and there might be lingering consequences. I shall grant him half a Mountain Lord Life-Replacing Pill."

"Master, he's just an apprentice. How can he be worthy of a spiritual pill?"

It was Zhong Shaoying who spoke to dissuade him.

Wang Jianxiong waved his hand, signaling him to say no more.

"Farewell, Master."

With the disciples watching with understanding eyes, Wang Jianxiong, along with his trusted disciples, returned to the inner court.

"Someone come and help Zhou You back to his room."

Lu Qiang took out a medicine bottle from his embrace, used his fingernail to split half a pill, and put it into Zhou You's mouth.

"You've also benefited from misfortune. A great fortune has fallen upon you."

"The Mountain Lord Life-Replacing Pill is a blessing that only inner court disciples are privy to."

After the pill entered his mouth, it transformed into a torrent of heat, washing over his limbs and bones.

Zhou You's numb and stiff fingers twitched unintentionally. Two thoughts surfaced in his mind.

The first was that he had finally survived.

The second was, Zhong Shaoying, this isn't over between us!