Wow, I Really Want to Die

The scorching summer days passed like flowing water, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Lin Changqiang! Lin Changqiang?"

Lin Dong's increasingly loud shouts came from outside the door again.

"Lin Changqiang, don't hide in there without making a sound. I know you're home! You had the nerve to say you'd reach the Pinnacle of Martial Arts, look down upon the world, and sweep away all injustice, so why don't you have the nerve to open the door?!"

"Damn it!" Lin Changqiang was lying painfully on his bed, repeatedly smashing his head into his pillow.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it!"

"I want to die, I want to die, I want to die, I really want to die!"

That was right. Ever since Lin Changqiang had suddenly suffered an embarrassing fit of teenage delusion a month ago and passionately blurted out those words, he felt like dying of shame whenever he remembered that day. Lin Dong, on the other hand, had been completely fired up, and his favorability toward Lin Changqiang had risen to sixty-eight. From then on, Lin Changqiang's good days had truly come to an end...

Over the entire month, aside from completing his daily two-hour running task, Lin Changqiang had also been dragged away by the fired-up Lin Dong to spar in Through-the-Back Fist and Stone Splitting Leg. Thankfully, Lin Dong did not yet know that he could recover his stamina quickly as well. Otherwise, there was no way they would have sparred for "only" three hours a day between morning and night!

That was not even the worst part. The worst part was that, thanks to the system's assisted cultivation, Lin Changqiang's Stone Splitting Leg and Through-the-Back Fist had long since reached perfection. Sparring with Lin Dong now meant he was basically serving as a free training partner. Even the Blessing effect could no longer trigger after granting another ten percent experience, since his cultivation had surpassed Lin Dong's.

"Wouldn't it be nice to earn experience while lying down? Why did I have to run my mouth?" Lin Changqiang was utterly depressed. "Great. Now I'm a punching bag."

Of course, complaints were one thing, but Lin Changqiang was still grateful to Lin Dong. After all, other than Lin Dong, who else could cultivate for nearly an entire day and let him mooch experience off them all day? Besides, it was not as though he had gained nothing. He had also acquired plenty of real combat experience.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Lin Changqiang, if you don't come out now, I'm coming in!"

Lin Changqiang knew this was Lin Dong's final warning. Over the past month, whenever he wanted to slack off for a while or stay in bed, Lin Dong would charge in while shouting his name, drag his bewildered self out of bed, and roar at him in a voice full of lofty ambition—"Lin Changqiang! Have you forgotten our dream?"

Then, without another word, he would drag him toward Back Mountain. It made Lin Changqiang secretly suspect that Lin Dong had been possessed by some thick-browed youth from a neighboring anime.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

After answering weakly, Lin Changqiang sighed helplessly, climbed out of bed, washed up at lightning speed, and then wandered unsteadily out of the courtyard.

"Creak—" The door opened.

Lin Dong looked Lin Changqiang up and down. The youth before him was even slightly taller than he was, and he could not help clicking his tongue in amazement. "Changqiang, if we hadn't cultivated together every day for the past month or so, I wouldn't dare believe you were the same person as that little fatty from over a month ago."

"Enough, enough. How many times have you said that already? Aren't you tired of it? (▽｀)ノ"

Though he sounded disdainful, Lin Changqiang was actually quite pleased. After all, anyone who had successfully lost weight would feel at least a little satisfied and proud when someone praised them for getting thinner.

Of course, he had not expected that after slimming down, he would actually look almost exactly like he had in his previous life—still as dashing and heroic as ever. (￣▽￣)

"Let's go. From now on, I won't run anymore. I'll spend more time every day practicing Through-the-Back Fist and Stone Splitting Leg with you." With that, Lin Changqiang grinned, stretched out his right hand, and familiarly draped it over Lin Dong's right shoulder. The two walked toward Back Mountain with their arms around each other.

"We won't practice Through-the-Back Fist for now today." Lin Dong had long grown used to some of Lin Changqiang's odd habits, so he merely smiled faintly. "Yesterday, my father taught me a Second-grade martial art—Eight Desolations Palm. Didn't you say you were a martial arts genius, and that you could get the hang of this kind of low-grade martial art after looking at it a few times? So, how about we practice it today?"

Lin Dong had always been half-convinced and half-doubtful about Lin Changqiang's claims. He wanted to take this opportunity to see whether Lin Changqiang had really been bluffing him.

Lin Changqiang was naturally delighted, so he quietly checked his personal information.

Host: Lin Changqiang

Cultivation Level: Body Tempering Stage Five (92%)

Martial Arts: Stone Splitting Leg (First-grade), Through-the-Back Fist (First-grade), Eight Desolations Palm (Second-grade, 2%)

Cultivation Technique: None

Spiritual Power Level: None

Secret Technique: None

Spiritual Power Technique: None

Treasures: Double Experience Card ×2, Double Gold Coin Card ×2, Inner Demon Trial Card

Lottery Draw Count: None

"Good lord, this kid Lin Dong is impressive. He only got that martial art yesterday, and he's already grinded nearly seven percent overnight!"

"What a pity. I went to bed a little early last night and didn't use assisted cultivation on Eight Desolations Palm. Otherwise, with today's attempt added in, I could have gotten an initial grasp of it already." Lin Changqiang smacked his lips and symbolically mourned for one second before his thoughts shifted. "System, cultivate Eight Desolations Palm!"

Thump. Congratulations, Host. Assisted cultivation has been completed. You have gained 20% proficiency. Current proficiency: 22%.

"Kehehehe~~"

Lin Changqiang could not help letting out a laugh worthy of a Soul Hall protector. Lin Dong, standing beside him, only found him baffling. It was just a Second-grade martial art—was there really any need to get this excited?

Before long, the two arrived at the clearing where they usually cultivated. Lin Changqiang skillfully sat cross-legged on the grass, while Lin Dong consciously walked to the center of the clearing and began explaining and demonstrating Eight Desolations Palm.

"Eight Desolations Palm is known for its fierce power and broad, open movements. It may look plain and simple, but every palm wind is filled with strength." Lin Dong's movements paused slightly, then quickly resumed. "But if some subtle changes are made to it, adding a trace of softness to what was originally an overwhelmingly fierce technique, there may seem to be no difference at first glance. Yet when fighting someone, it will make them suffer quite a bit."

The moment Lin Changqiang heard that, he knew Lin Dong was going to teach him the Eight Desolations Palm enhanced by the Ancestral Stone. Warmth immediately rose in his heart. Even if Lin Dong had not taught him, he could still learn it, but Lin Dong did not know that. This was, after all, Lin Dong's heartfelt intention.

"When Eight Desolations Palm, which combines hardness and softness, is cultivated to great mastery, its power is not even inferior to the tenth echo of Through-the-Back Fist."

"Got it!" Lin Changqiang nodded with a serious expression. In other words, a normal attack from Through-the-Back Fist was weaker than a normal attack from Eight Desolations Palm, which was weaker than Through-the-Back Fist's ultimate move.

"Come to think of it, not even your father knows that you've cultivated Through-the-Back Fist to the tenth echo, but I do. Sure enough, you've always regarded me as your..."

"Plop."

"Ah!"

Before Lin Changqiang could finish, Lin Dong pretended to be angry, picked up a small stone, and tossed it at his thigh. Lin Changqiang also knew when to stop and cooperatively cried out in fake pain.

"It would be great if you could get rid of that habit. Otherwise, if you run into some ruthless person who attacks you directly one day, and you can't beat them, I won't step in."

Lin Dong took several deep breaths to calm himself down. In his eyes, Lin Changqiang was good in every way. When he had been weak, among all the younger members of the Lin clan, only Lin Changqiang had ever helped him and Qing Tan. He was just far too troublesome. At first, Lin Dong had thought Lin Changqiang helped him because he liked Qing Tan, but now it seemed that he was simply kindhearted and could not stand seeing the strong bully the weak.

"Haha, I'm not stupid." Lin Changqiang said smugly, "If I run into someone I can't afford to provoke, of course I won't go looking for trouble."

"???"

A Lin Dong limited-edition confused Black reaction meme was born.

Of course, Lin Dong had always been someone who returned a foot of respect with a yard of respect, so he did not take Lin Changqiang's occasional jokes too seriously. He shook his head and continued demonstrating Eight Desolations Palm, while Lin Changqiang nodded along and pretended to watch attentively.

That day, after sparring with Lin Changqiang in Eight Desolations Palm, Lin Dong began to question his entire life.