Counterkill

Seven or eight days passed. Chen Fei's once scrawny body gradually filled out, with muscles slowly appearing on him. He no longer looked so small and easy to bully.

Just as Chen Fei was looking forward to breaking through to the Skin Tempering Realm, the Medical Hall suddenly notified them that they were to gather herbs on the mountain outside the city.

Early the next morning, a group of Medical Hall servants left the city carrying herb baskets on their backs and arrived at Pingyin Mountain.

Things had not been peaceful outside the city recently, but the Medical Hall was short on medicinal herbs. Since they had arranged for the servants to leave the city, refusal was naturally not an option. Everyone had a herb-gathering quota to meet, and once it was completed, they could come down the mountain.

If they failed to complete it, they still had to return after three days, but they would not escape a beating.

The group scattered into the vast Pingyin Mountain and quickly vanished from sight.

After walking for the time it took an incense stick to burn, Chen Fei spotted a medicinal herb and happily stepped forward to pick it. As his cultivation steadily improved, not only had his stamina grown better lately, but his five senses had become much sharper as well.

Although Chen Fei was gathering herbs at the moment, his ears and eyes kept watch over the surrounding environment from time to time, lest danger arrive without him even realizing it.

There were no large beasts in Pingyin Mountain, but there were plenty of venomous insects and snakes. Every time herbs were gathered, quite a few servants were injured, and some even died.

Chen Fei had only picked half the herb when his expression suddenly changed. He abruptly lunged forward.

The next instant, an arrow struck the spot where Chen Fei had just been standing. The arrow was still trembling slightly, carrying tremendous force. Had Chen Fei not dodged just now, it would likely have pierced into his internal organs.

Chen Fei hid behind a large tree, gripping his woodcutter's blade as anger surged through his heart. If he had moved even a little slower just now, he would have been at someone else's mercy.

"You moved quite fast." A laugh rang out.

"This kid studied at the Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym for a while, so he has a bit of quickness about him." Sha Daxin's voice sounded.

"He does have some skill. Go around to the other side. He won't be able to run today... No good, the kid's trying to flee. Chase him!" Niu Kuo raised his brows slightly. Just as he was about to lift his bow, he discovered that Chen Fei kept darting between the trees, making him difficult to lock onto.

Though Niu Kuo was a hunter and had some skill with the bow, he was ultimately only at the level of an ordinary person. Chen Fei was now on the verge of breaking through. Whether in stamina or sharpness of perception, he surpassed ordinary people by quite a bit.

Thus, as he ran now, even Niu Kuo could do nothing to him.

"Chen Fei, why are you as cowardly as some woman? Why run? Come hit me! Come kill me!" Sha Daxin roared.

Chen Fei did not respond. He sprinted away in long strides, and within a quarter of an hour, he had shaken off the two men behind him. His expression was grim. This matter could not simply be let go, but Niu Kuo had a bow and arrows. With Chen Fei's current strength, he could not break through head-on unless his realm improved.

With that thought, Chen Fei looked at his panel.

Name: Chen Fei

Profession: Martial Artist

Cultivation Method: Extreme Mountain Fist (Not Initiated), Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique (Great Perfection)

Realm: Martial Practitioner (99/100)

I'm about to break through!

Chen Fei's spirits lifted slightly. He had originally estimated it would take ten days, but now it seemed it would happen even sooner. Moreover, the intense running and breathing just now appeared to have accelerated the rate at which his realm improved.

Thinking of Niu Kuo's attire, Chen Fei guessed that he might be a hunter from Pingyin Mountain, perhaps able to follow his tracks and find him. Chen Fei did not remain where he was, instead running in another direction.

He ran for a while, then rested for a while. Half an hour later, Chen Fei stopped, because he felt his body undergoing intense changes.

The next moment, the sound of tendons and bones ringing in unison came from within Chen Fei's body. He involuntarily raised his head as pain erupted from deep inside him, followed by a wave of numb itching coursing through his flesh.

Fortunately, the sensation lasted only a moment before stopping. A sense of power surged through his body, and Chen Fei subconsciously clenched his fists.

Realm: Skin Tempering (1/1000)

The panel clearly displayed Chen Fei's current realm. As he looked around, faint sounds drifted into his ears, and he could see farther than before.

Chen Fei bounced in place a few times. Whether it was because of the panel or the Great Perfection breathing technique, he had perfect control over his own strength immediately after breaking through.

Applying force with his body and changing direction both came as naturally as moving a finger. If he faced his former self now, one punch would be enough to knock him down. As for Niu Kuo's bow and arrows? They were nothing more than an ordinary person's strength and archery.

Several hundred meters away.

"That kid can really run. Once we catch him, we have to torture him properly first!" Sha Daxin said through gritted teeth, his voice cold and sinister.

"Isn't torturing someone easy? Later, we'll cut open his skin and pour honey into the wounds. I guarantee he'll feel wonderfully comfortable," Niu Kuo laughed loudly.

"Sorry to trouble you this time, Uncle Niu," Sha Daxin said ingratiatingly.

"I took your money. It's only right that I do something for you."

Niu Kuo did not care much. Looking ahead, he said, "That kid may be able to run, but he must be on tenterhooks right now. We'll follow slowly behind him. Sooner or later, we'll wear him to death."

"I'm afraid he'll run back to the Medical Hall."

"I'd actually prefer he ran down the mountain. It would be easier to intercept him that way." In Niu Kuo's eyes, killing a person was far easier than killing a wild beast.

"Uncle Niu really is amazing!" Sha Daxin said with a fawning smile.

"Hahaha, if anything like this comes up again in the future, just keep looking for—"

Whoosh!

Before Niu Kuo could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed. He rolled aside, and a stone the size of a bowl flew over his head.

Niu Kuo rose to his feet and was just about to raise his bow when a figure appeared before him at some unknown moment. One kick sent the bow flying from his hand, and a tremendous force knocked Niu Kuo over as he involuntarily fell backward.

"Chen Fei!"

Before Sha Daxin understood what had happened, he saw Chen Fei appear and kick Niu Kuo away. He instinctively swung the woodcutter's blade in his hand at Chen Fei.

Bang!

Chen Fei kicked Sha Daxin in the chest. Sha Daxin let out a muffled groan and spat blood, his whole body flying back several meters before crashing into a large tree and sliding down to sit on the ground.

"Young hero, this is a misunderstanding!"

In the blink of an eye, the situation had turned upside down. Niu Kuo shouted loudly. Chen Fei said nothing. With a step, he arrived before Niu Kuo, and the blade in his hand swept out.

Seeing Chen Fei act with such decisiveness, a vicious glint flashed through Niu Kuo's eyes. A handful of lime appeared in his hand and he flung it at Chen Fei, while a dagger appeared in his other hand and stabbed toward him.

Sshk!

A pair of hands flew into the air. Niu Kuo stared blankly at his arms. The next moment, pain flared in his neck, and the world spun heaven and earth upside down before finally sinking into darkness.

Chen Fei turned expressionlessly and walked toward Sha Daxin.

"Murderer! Chen Fei, you won't die a good death!" Seemingly knowing he would not survive, Sha Daxin cursed loudly.

Chen Fei swung his blade and sheathed it. Sha Daxin collapsed limply to one side.