Crippling Zhang Hu

Azure Mist Sect, rear mountain confinement cave.

Boom!

The heavy stone door opened, and Zhang Hu strode out with a dark expression.

After a month without seeing daylight, his skin was slightly pale, but the muscles on his body had become even more solid. Clearly, he had not slacked off in his cultivation during confinement.

"Damn it, after being locked up for a month, my bones are all stiff..."

He rolled his neck, producing a series of cracks, and a vicious glint flashed through his eyes.

"That useless Jiang Donghua actually dared to get me thrown into confinement..."

He clenched his fists. The power of Battle Qi Stage Six surged through his meridians, making his knuckles crack explosively.

"When I find him, I'll knock out every last one of his teeth!"

He had assumed that when he came out, those two lackeys, Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Mazi, would come running over to welcome him. Yet when he looked around, there was not a soul in sight.

"Hm?"

Zhang Hu frowned, displeasure rising in his heart.

"Did those two pieces of trash think I'd fallen from power?"

With a cold snort, he strode toward the servants' disciples' quarters, intending to settle scores with those two blind fools first before dealing with Jiang Donghua.

But when he arrived at the servants' quarters, he found that neither Zhao Tiezhu nor Wang Mazi was there.

"Where are they?!"

He grabbed a passing servant disciple by the collar and demanded harshly.

The servant disciple turned pale with fright and stammered.

"Senior Brother Zhang... Senior Brother Zhao and Senior Brother Wang... they... they..."

"What happened to them?!"

"They... haven't come back for half a month..."

"What?!"

Zhang Hu's pupils contracted as a faint unease rose within him.

"Where did they go?!"

"I-I don't know..."

The servant disciple swallowed nervously and said carefully.

"Ever since... Senior Brother Jiang Donghua taught them a lesson last time, they haven't appeared again..."

"Jiang Donghua?!"

Zhang Hu's eyes flew wide open, as though he had misheard.

"What did you say? Jiang Donghua taught them a lesson?!"

"Y-Yes..."

"Bullshit!"

Zhang Hu flew into a rage and flung the servant disciple aside.

"That useless Jiang Donghua hasn't even reached Battle Qi Stage Four. How could he possibly teach them a lesson?!"

The servant disciple fell to the ground, his face deathly pale, not daring to say another word.

Zhang Hu stood where he was, his mind filled with uncertainty.

"Could it be... that brat really broke through?"

A cold gleam flashed through his eyes, but he immediately gave a scornful laugh.

"Even if he got lucky and broke through to Stage Four, there's no way he could beat Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Mazi!"

"Those two useless fools must have been slacking off and hiding somewhere!"

With a cold snort, he turned and headed toward the medicinal fields.

"Jiang Donghua, today I'll see just what you're capable of!"

At the edge of the medicinal fields, Jiang Donghua sat cross-legged.

With his eyes closed and mind focused, the battle qi within him circulated slowly like a stream as the system panel appeared before his eyes.

text
[Host: Jiang Donghua]

[Realm: Battle Qi Stage Six (189/400)]

[Idle Gain: 1 point/hour]

[Estimated breakthrough time: 8 days 19 hours]

"Soon..."

The corners of his lips curved upward as he calculated inwardly.

"In about another week, I'll be able to break through to Battle Qi Stage Seven!"

"When that time comes, even against outer disciples, I'll have the strength to fight!"

Just then, his ears twitched slightly, sharply catching the sound of footsteps approaching from afar.

Heavy, hurried, and filled with undisguised rage.

Jiang Donghua slowly opened his eyes, a trace of coldness flashing through them.

"They've finally come."

He rose to his feet, brushed the dust from his robe, and calmly looked toward the approaching figure.

Zhang Hu, Battle Qi Stage Six—the man who had beaten him half to death a month ago.

But now, they were at the same stage!

Zhang Hu strode over, his gaze fixed coldly on Jiang Donghua as he sneered.

"Jiang Donghua, you seem pretty relaxed, don't you?"

Jiang Donghua smiled faintly, his tone calm.

"Senior Brother Zhang, your confinement is over?"

"Cut the fucking crap!"

Fury surged in Zhang Hu's eyes.

"Where are Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Mazi?!"

"Them?"

Jiang Donghua shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe... they're hiding."

"Hiding?!"

"Do you take me for a three-year-old?!"

Zhang Hu gave a vicious grin.

He suddenly stepped forward, unleashing the pressure of Battle Qi Stage Six. The surrounding weeds bent beneath the force of the gusting wind!

"Jiang Donghua, today I'm going to make you understand the consequences of offending me!"

Jiang Donghua's expression did not change. He merely sighed softly.

"Senior Brother Zhang, why bother?"

"Quit playing dumb!"

Zhang Hu roared and threw out his right fist. Battle Qi gathered around it as it shot straight for Jiang Donghua's face!

"Today, I'll break every bone in your body!"

The fist wind howled, its force intimidating!

Jiang Donghua merely shifted slightly to the side, easily dodging the punch.

"What?!"

Zhang Hu's pupils contracted sharply, shock filling his heart.

"How could this brat possibly dodge that?!"

Before he could react, Jiang Donghua spun around and drove an elbow brutally into his chest!

"Bang!"

With a dull impact, Zhang Hu let out a muffled groan and staggered back several steps, sharp pain erupting from his chest!

"You...!"

He raised his head in disbelief, staring fixedly at Jiang Donghua.

"Battle Qi... Stage Six?!"

The corners of Jiang Donghua's lips lifted slightly, cold light flickering in his eyes.

"Senior Brother Zhang, you only noticed now?"

"Too late!"

Before his words had faded, he flashed forward and closed in on Zhang Hu in an instant. His right fist, wrapped in violent Battle Qi, slammed out fiercely!

"This punch is repayment for when you stomped my fingers!"

"Boom!"

Zhang Hu hastily raised his guard, but he was still blasted several meters away by the punch and crashed heavily to the ground!

He struggled to get back up, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of horror.

"Impossible... A month ago, you were only at Stage Three... How could you..."

Jiang Donghua slowly advanced, his voice ice-cold.

"Zhang Hu, did you think I was still that trash you could bully at will?"

"Now it's my turn!"

Zhang Hu's expression changed drastically, and at last, a trace of fear rose in his heart.

"Y-you... what are you trying to do?!"

Jiang Donghua sneered, murderous intent blazing in his eyes.

"What do you think?"

Today, he would make Zhang Hu repay every debt in blood!

Clutching his chest, Zhang Hu staggered back several steps, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

He stared fixedly at Jiang Donghua, his eyes full of disbelief.

"Y-you... how is this possible..."

A month ago, Jiang Donghua had still been trash beneath his feet, yet now this guy's battle aura was actually more powerful than his own!

How was that possible?!

Zhang Hu was horrified, but his eyes soon began to dart about.

Something was wrong!

There was something strange about this brat!

He swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart as he squeezed out a strained smile.

"Junior Brother Jiang, it's a misunderstanding... it's all a misunderstanding!"

Jiang Donghua sneered and slowly closed in.

"A misunderstanding? Didn't Senior Brother Zhang just say you were going to break every bone in my body?"

Cold sweat beaded across Zhang Hu's forehead as he hurriedly waved his hands.

"T-that was just angry talk!"

"We're fellow disciples. Why make things so tense?"

As he spoke, he quietly backed away, his gaze shifting around as though searching for a chance to escape.

How could Jiang Donghua possibly give him that chance?

He stepped forward, his figure closing in like a ghost. He grabbed Zhang Hu by the shoulder, his five fingers tightening like iron pincers!

Crack!

The sound of bones shifting came from Zhang Hu's shoulder. Pain twisted his face, yet he did not dare resist. He could only grit his teeth through the agony and force out a flattering smile.

"Junior Brother Jiang, we can talk this out!"

"I was blind before and offended you. I apologize! I'll make amends!"

Jiang Donghua stared at him, the chill in his eyes undiminished.

"Apologize? Make amends?"

"Senior Brother Zhang, when you stepped on my fingers and broke them, you didn't give me a chance to apologize."

Zhang Hu's expression stiffened. Inwardly, he cursed himself for having been too ruthless back then. Now, there was not even room to smooth things over.

His eyes shifted, and he suddenly lowered his voice, speaking urgently.

"Junior Brother Jiang! I-I can compensate you! I still have some savings in the Outer Sect. As long as you spare me, I'll give it all to you!"

Jiang Donghua gave a scornful laugh.

"Oh? Is Senior Brother Zhang trying to buy me off?"

Zhang Hu hurriedly shook his head.

"No, no, no! I truly want to make up for my mistake!"

He gritted his teeth, then added, "I have a Yellow-grade Intermediate Combat Skill. I'm willing to offer it to you."

Jiang Donghua watched him in silence for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Senior Brother Zhang, you really are good at finding yourself a way out."

Zhang Hu was overjoyed, thinking Jiang Donghua had been persuaded. He quickly nodded and bowed.

"Junior Brother Jiang, from now on, we're one of our own! I promise I'll never cause you trouble again!"

Jiang Donghua's smile abruptly vanished, and his gaze turned as cold as a blade.

"Unfortunately, I don't believe you."

Crack!

With a savage twist, he dislocated Zhang Hu's arm!

"Ah!"

Zhang Hu let out a miserable scream, his face turning deathly pale as cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Jiang Donghua grabbed him by the collar and said coldly.

"Zhang Hu, did you think I'd be stupid enough to let a tiger return to the mountains?"

"When you tried to kill me, you never intended to leave me a way out."

Zhang Hu finally panicked, genuine fear surfacing in his eyes.

"J-J-Junior Brother Jiang! Don't act rashly! By sect rules, killing a fellow disciple is a grave crime!"

Jiang Donghua sneered.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."

"But I'll make sure you... wish you were dead."

Before he finished speaking, he drove a fist into Zhang Hu's dantian!

"Bang!"

"Pfft!"

Zhang Hu spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward like a broken sack, crashing heavily onto the ground.

He struggled to get up, only to discover in horror that his Battle Qi... was dissipating!

"You... you crippled my cultivation?!"

Jiang Donghua looked down at him and said indifferently.

"Now, you're not even worth as much as a menial disciple."

Zhang Hu's face turned ashen, and his entire body trembled.

In the Azure Mist Sect, a cripple without cultivation ranked lower than a dog!

Jiang Donghua did not spare him another glance. He turned and left, leaving behind only a cold sentence.

"Senior Brother Zhang, enjoy your 'new life.'"

The dozens of menial disciples around them, all at Battle Qi Stage Two or Battle Qi Stage Three, were now eyeing Zhang Hu's pale, sweat-soaked face like hungry tigers.

As for Zhang Hu's two former lackeys, Jiang Donghua could not be bothered to kill them himself.

He merely crippled their cultivation, yet by the next day, the two had vanished without a trace.

Zhang Hu would presumably receive the same treatment.

As for himself, he needed to gather up his gold coins and make a quick escape.

It was all well and good to pull this group of fellow menial disciples onto the same side.

But if an outer sect disciple started asking questions, anyone would wonder how a menial disciple had leaped from Battle Qi Stage Three to Battle Qi Stage Six in just one month.

Sometimes, the curiosity of the strong was something ominous for the weak.