Returning Good for Evil

Before the break of dawn, the biting chill of late autumn hung heavy in the air, and the world remained shrouded in darkness.

Inside the Luo Family cellar, an oil lamp was quietly lit. The young Luo Zheng shielded most of the lamp's glow, sitting upright at a table as he stealthily pulled out a tattered, thread-bound book.

Luo Zheng had just turned seventeen. His frame was lean, and while his features could not be called handsome, he possessed a gentle temperament. His eyes, in particular, were remarkably spirited; even under the dim, firefly-like glow of the lamp, they shone with brilliance.

"I spent a whole month finishing this Inquiries on Heavenly Principles. The logic within is sound, but I absolutely cannot agree with the four words 'repay injury with kindness'!" Luo Zheng whispered, staring at the bean-sized flame with a look of sorrow on his face. "If Father hadn't been so kind-hearted and believed in those words, my branch of the family would never have fallen to such a state, and Father would not have died..."

After a long moment of contemplation, the sound of a lock turning echoed at the cellar entrance. Luo Zheng instantly swept the sorrow from his eyes, replacing it with a look of steely resolve. He nimbly blew out the lamp and pulled a ragged quilt over himself.

The cellar lock clicked open, and several sets of footsteps approached. The leader stepped forward, stomped his foot onto Luo Zheng's bed, and shrieked, "Still sleeping? Get up, you bastard! Do you still think you're the young master of the Luo Family?"

This man was a steward of the Luo Family. He had a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, with a tumor on his forehead that made him repulsive to look at.

Luo Zheng threw off the quilt, deliberately rubbed his eyes, and climbed out of bed. He dressed in his shoes, socks, and clothes without a word. Though the garments were tattered, Luo Zheng still wore them with meticulous care, keeping them neat and tidy.

The steward rolled his eyes and muttered "pretentious" under his breath. He gestured, and the servants behind him swarmed Luo Zheng, outfitting him with heavy leather armor, shackles, and leg irons.

Once this was finished, Luo Zheng was led by the servants out of the cellar and toward the Martial Arts Practice Hall of the Luo Family.

The Luo Family was a prominent clan in Chongming County, possessing ten thousand acres of fertile land and a hundred mines; they were renowned throughout the region.

However, there were over a thousand counties in the Eastern Region, home to countless powerful clans, and the Luo Family did not even rank among the top.

Escorted by the servants, Luo Zheng climbed out of the gloomy cellar, passed through countless pavilions and towers, bridges and corridors, before finally arriving at the entrance of the Martial Arts Practice Hall.

The Martial Arts Practice Hall was spacious, serving as the training ground for the Luo Family Disciples. The entrance was built with white marble carved into dragons, phoenixes, and lions, while the ground was paved with dark, one-meter-square Basalt Stone. One could feel the imposing atmosphere just by standing at the threshold.

In the center of the hall, dozens of Luo Family Disciples in gray robes were practicing their punches diligently under the guidance of the Luo Family Instructor.

Fists whistled through the air, accompanied by constant shouts.

These Luo Family Disciples were all in their teens. To secure status within the family, they practiced their martial arts tirelessly every single day.

The late autumn wind was bone-chilling, yet sweat poured from their bodies; some even had steam rising from their heads, swirling like white mist.

On one side of the Martial Arts Practice Hall, over a dozen men stood wearing leather armor, shackles, and leg irons, just like Luo Zheng. These men all looked withered, their faces bruised and swollen, with injuries visible and hidden all over their bodies.

Luo Zheng was shoved into the hall and made to stand with the other men.

Most of these withered men were death row prisoners bought from local jails to become family slaves. Their purpose was to serve as meat targets for the Luo Family Disciples, allowing them to beat, train, and test their strength at will. Countless such meat targets were beaten to death or crippled every year.

Luo Zheng was not a bought prisoner. He had once been the eldest son of the main branch, the prestigious young master of the family. His status had been so high that his peers would bow to him with great respect, and even the elders of the family treated him with courtesy.

But two years ago, a major incident occurred in Chongyang County. Luo Zheng's father, the head of the Luo Family, was poisoned and assassinated by his own brothers, dying suddenly.

Immediately after, the main branch was framed by the other three branches of the family with charges of treason. In the ensuing infighting, the main branch collapsed completely.

As the former young master, Luo Zheng was also branded with the charge of treason, reduced to a family slave, and turned into a meat target for the Luo Family Disciples to beat and train upon, never to rise again.

He had lived this life of being beaten at will for two years. In those two years, Luo Zheng had lost count of how many punches and kicks he had endured, or how much humiliation he had suffered.

"That is enough for today's practice. Everyone, choose your meat targets! Striking a human body will allow you to fully grasp combat techniques, familiarize yourselves with human weaknesses, and understand the distribution of bones!"

After the Luo Family Instructor gave the order, the disciples each sought out their meat targets. Soon, the hall was filled with cries of agony and pleas for mercy. The disciples did not view these slaves as human, striking flesh with every punch, showing no mercy.

Many of them sought out Luo Zheng specifically, hitting him with even more vigor and force, for tormenting the former young master gave them a greater sense of achievement!

Facing the fists of the Luo Family Disciples, Luo Zheng protected his vital points, his face expressionless and his demeanor calm. He had grown accustomed to this.

Not long after, several people walked into the hall. The leader was a youth in silk robes, his face beaming with pride.

"The young master is here!"

"Young Master, you have finally finished your seclusion! Seeing how refreshed you look, your cultivation must have made great progress!"

"The young master is naturally gifted, a true genius of our Luo Family. He must have reached the Bone Refining Realm!"

The disciples stopped their beating and began to chat with the silk-robed youth, their faces filled with flattery.

Luo Zheng's gaze fell upon the youth, and a flicker of imperceptible rage rose within him. The youth, whom the disciples called "Young Master," was Luo Peiran, the eldest son of the second branch, who was the same age as Luo Zheng.

After Luo Zheng was demoted to a slave, Luo Peiran had replaced him as the young master of the Luo Family.

He had heard that Luo Peiran had been in seclusion for some time, and now that he had emerged, it seemed his strength had indeed improved!

Luo Peiran's senses were sharp. He noticed Luo Zheng's unfriendly gaze, turned to look at him, and a mocking smile appeared on his face. He walked straight up to Luo Zheng and said, "Luo Zheng, I've been in seclusion for a long time. I didn't expect you to still be alive."

"Thanks to your kind words, this one is not dead yet," Luo Zheng replied in a muffled voice.

"Insolent! What kind of tone is that? How dare you speak to the young master like that?"

"A mere slave, why aren't you on the ground? Get down and kowtow to the young master to apologize, or we'll make you regret being born!"

Several disciples began to clamor, acting as if Luo Zheng had dug up their ancestors' graves.

Luo Zheng looked around coldly. These disciples had once acted like dogs in front of him, not daring to even breathe loudly. Now that he had lost his power, they changed their faces faster than flipping a book, immediately becoming Luo Peiran's dogs.

Luo Peiran waved his hand, stopping the excited disciples, and said to Luo Zheng with a smug expression, "Luo Zheng, do you know why I went into seclusion?"

Luo Zheng did not speak, only staring at Luo Peiran with a dark expression.

"You should know that our Luo Family has two Heaven and Earth Creation Pills, right? A while ago, I consumed one of them," Luo Peiran said, smacking his lips. "This Heaven and Earth Creation Pill is truly extraordinary. Its pure medicinal power washed over my body, allowing me to be reborn. I leaped from the Flesh Refining Realm straight to the Bone Refining Realm! And that was only using one-tenth of its efficacy; the rest remains in my body, continuously nourishing my flesh. I am only a thin line away from the Viscera Refining Realm, and the Marrow Refining Realm is within reach!"

Heaven and Earth Creation Pill!

These two pills were the treasures of the Luo Family, Sacred Medicine left behind by their ancestors. It was said they were kept in the most hidden place in the family, and ordinary people were never allowed to touch them.

According to the ancestral teachings, only Luo Family Disciples who reached the Bone Refining Realm before the age of sixteen were qualified to use the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill.

The Five Realms of the Body are divided into five major stages: the Skin Refining Realm, the Flesh Refining Realm, the Bone Refining Realm, the Viscera Refining Realm, and the Marrow Refining Realm. The disparity between each realm is immense, and for the average person, breaking through is incredibly difficult; without decades of tempering and hardship, it is nearly impossible to advance.

For an ordinary person to reach the Bone Refining Realm by the age of thirty is already considered a sign of excellent talent.

According to the ancestral teachings, one must reach the Bone Refining Realm before the age of sixteen to be qualified to use the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill!

Reaching the Bone Refining Realm at sixteen is undoubtedly the talent of geniuses; not only has it never appeared in the Luo Family, but it has never even been seen in the entire Chongming County. Consequently, the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill has remained untouched for three hundred years.

Originally, Luo Zheng was the one with the most hope of consuming the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill.

By fourteen, he had already reached the peak of the Flesh Refining Realm, hailed by the Chongming County King as the hope for the Luo Family's revival, a favored son of the heavens, and a genius among geniuses!

Unfortunately, that same year, internal family strife broke out. His father was harmed by his own brothers due to his kind heart, and Luo Zheng was demoted to a family slave, becoming a meat target and a prisoner. His cultivation stagnated, and he missed his chance at the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill.

Luo Peiran, however, had only average talent; he had only just entered the Flesh Refining Realm at sixteen and was fundamentally unqualified to use the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill, yet he had used it nonetheless.

This Heaven and Earth Creation Pill belonged to him, yet it was consumed by such a talentless piece of trash. Even though Luo Zheng's spirit had been completely ground down over the past two years, he could not help but feel a surge of agitation, shouting angrily, "Luo Peiran, you have disregarded the Luo Family's ancestral teachings and embezzled the Sacred Medicine! You are not even as good as a beast!"

"Hmph, in my eyes, you aren't even as good as the insects in the cracks of a stone! I have stepped into the peak of the Bone Refining Realm and can hold a thousand pounds with one hand. You, a mere family slave, could be crushed by me with a single hand. Today, to celebrate my successful breakthrough, I shall find a meat target to test my strength!" Luo Peiran did not take Luo Zheng's words to heart at all, and with a casual gesture, he said, "I choose you!"

He did not choose Luo Zheng, but instead pointed to a middle-aged man. When the man saw Luo Peiran point at him, his entire body trembled. Although he was wearing thick leather armor on his chest to withstand significant damage, he could not help but shiver in the face of the Bone Refining Realm Luo Peiran, and he immediately wet himself.

Luo Peiran took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and assumed the stance of the Luo Family's unique skill, the Rosewood Fist. Eager to show off, he pushed his internal energy to the limit, his entire body faintly shrouded in a pale purple glow.

"Spare... spare my life... Young Master, please show mercy!" Seeing Luo Peiran's momentum, the meat target's eyes filled with despair. He knew that taking this punch would surely mean death, and as he begged for mercy, he began to sink to his knees.

"Pop!"

Luo Peiran had no intention of listening to the meat target's pleas. The punch landed squarely on the man's chest with a dull thud. The leather armor used for defense was shattered into pieces, and the man's chest was crushed inward. He was sent flying directly into the wall of the Martial Arts Practice Hall, rebounding onto the ground, motionless.

With this one punch, the fully armored meat target was beaten to death on the spot.

"Young Master's punch is mighty! I fear we won't find a second like him among the youth of the Luo Family!"

"Young Master will surely revitalize the Luo Family and bring it to great heights!"

The Luo Family Disciples seized the opportunity to shower him with flattery.

Luo Peiran seemed very satisfied with the effect of his punch, and he then cast a malicious glance at Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng subconsciously took a step back. Although his foundation was much stronger than that of the middle-aged man, he could not withstand a punch from Luo Peiran.

Luo Peiran chuckled twice, reached out, and slapped Luo Zheng hard on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't kill you so quickly. I want you to watch and see how much stronger I, Luo Peiran, am compared to trash like you!"

After saying this, Luo Peiran was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. He turned back and said, "Oh, right, I forgot one thing. I heard that my genius cousin isn't doing well at the Azure Cloud Sect. She offended a big shot and was sent to Purgatory Mountain to face the wall and reflect on her mistakes! Once I enter the Viscera Refining Realm, I'll go to the Azure Cloud Sect to rescue her, hahahaha..."

Upon hearing these words, Luo Zheng's heart tightened instantly!