Meeting Tang San and Lending a Hand

Li Yue settled down in the Tang Sect. When he was not cultivating the techniques from the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, he was memorizing martial arts manuals in the Scripture Library.

Whenever the mood struck, he wandered around the Tang Sect, hoping to run into the protagonist, Tang San, so he could gift him some techniques and form karma with him.

One day, as Li Yue strolled through the Tang Sect near the Martial Arts Arena, he suddenly heard a commotion.

Curious, he walked over to see what was happening.

Life in the Tang Sect had been a little too peaceful for Li Yue. As an elder's disciple, he held a respected position, ranking below only a dozen or so people. Hardly anyone came looking to cause him trouble.

And without a phone, although he kept his schedule packed, he still felt bored now and then.

So Li Yue went over to watch the drama, hoping to find some entertainment.

With that spectator's mindset, Li Yue arrived at the Martial Arts Arena and saw a Tang Sect disciple dressed as an Inner Disciple pointing at a frail Outer Disciple and berating him.

Li Yue stepped closer and listened carefully. The Inner Disciple was sneering, "Tang San, you're just an Outer Disciple, a dog-like thing. What right do you have to practice hidden weapons here? Bah! Take a good look at your own status!"

Oh? Isn't that Tang San? How had he become this pathetic after just a few days?

Li Yue looked Tang San, the accused Outer Disciple, up and down. This was his first time seeing the living Tang San.

Tang San was thin and frail, clearly not eating very well. That was the build of most Tang Sect Outer Disciples, and a typical trait of those at the bottom of this martial world.

Even at the bottom of the Tang Sect, Tang San's eyes still revealed unwillingness, stubbornness, inferiority, and sensitivity.

He was dissatisfied with his current circumstances. He wanted greater status, better martial arts, and more profound mastery of hidden weapons.

Tang San clenched the hidden weapon in his hand as though he were clutching his own life. Even when facing an Inner Disciple, he refused to yield. "I may be an Outer Disciple, but I am still a member of the Tang Sect. I have the right to practice hidden weapons here. You cannot look down on me simply because I am an Outer Disciple!"

The Inner Disciple grew even angrier upon hearing that. He resented this little bastard for trying to lecture him on principles. If the elders heard it, would he still be able to remain in the Tang Sect? He immediately stepped forward.

Using the exquisite footwork of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to close in, he flashed his Mysterious Jade Hand and snatched the hidden weapon from Tang San's grasp.

"Hmph! You still dare talk back? Today, I'll teach you a proper lesson, you little brat who knows neither respect nor the immensity of heaven and earth."

With that, he raised a hand to slap Tang San across the face.

This was a slap from a hand trained in Mysterious Jade Hand. If it landed, it would surely leave an ordinary person dizzy and disoriented, sprawled on the ground and unable to rise for quite some time.

At that critical instant, Li Yue shouted, "Stop! We are all disciples of the Tang Sect. Why humiliate him like this?"

Slap—!!

Even though he heard Li Yue stop him, the slap still fell.

The Inner Disciple had not mastered Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon well enough to withdraw his strength. His palm struck Tang San squarely across the face with a crisp crack, and one could imagine just how much force he had used.

Or perhaps he had done it deliberately, intentionally refusing to hold back.

Li Yue's expression darkened at once. As an Inner Disciple, there was nothing wrong with disciplining an Outer Disciple. It was understandable and even permitted by status. But this man actually dared to ignore his words.

The moment the Inner Disciple saw Li Yue's face, his own turned deathly pale.

He knew full well that Li Yue was not someone he could afford to offend. Though they were both Inner Disciples, there were still differences in rank among Inner Disciples.

Li Yue was the personal disciple of Tang Tianba, a Tang Sect elder. Moreover, Elder Tang Tianba was in charge of Tang Sect Punishment. Li Yue was deeply favored by Tang Tianba; if he wanted to deal with him, it would take only a single word.

The Inner Disciple was so frightened that he dropped to his knees. Forcing out a fawning smile, he said respectfully, "Tang Yue Senior Brother, this boy does not understand the rules. I only wished to teach him a lesson. I meant no harm."

"He does not understand the rules. Do you?"

Li Yue looked at him coldly as if he were looking at a dead man. "So what if he is an Outer Disciple? The Tang Sect's rules require fellow disciples to care for one another, not to use strength to bully the weak. I will certainly report this matter to the elder."

Seeing Li Yue's grim expression, the Inner Disciple knew things were going badly. Hearing those words, he trembled all over. "Tang Yue Senior Brother, it was this little brother who did not understand the rules."

He raised his hand and slapped himself viciously across the face.

Afraid that Li Yue had not vented his anger, he immediately began striking himself with both hands, his face resounding with slaps until it swelled into a pig's head.

The sound was immensely satisfying to Tang San, who stood nearby. He secretly looked at Li Yue, who was right beside him yet seemed impossibly distant, and thought, A true man should be like this.

After watching for a while, Li Yue's expression gradually softened. It seemed his words still carried some weight in the Tang Sect. He scolded lightly, "A dignified Tang Sect disciple behaving like this—what disgrace. Get up."

Hearing this, the Inner Disciple immediately felt as though a great burden had been lifted. Trembling, he rose to his feet and quickly bowed and scraped. "Tang Yue Senior Brother's lesson is correct. I will never do this again!"

Li Yue waved him away. "Let it go this time. Leave." With Li Yue's permission, the Inner Disciple slunk away in disgrace.

The synthesized electronic voice of the system sounded in Li Yue's mind. "Detected that the host helped Tang San punish the person who humiliated him. Tang San now owes karma."

After a brief pause, Li Yue turned to look at Tang San.

Tang San's eyes were filled with gratitude, but they also carried a trace of inferiority and unwillingness.

He was probably unwilling to accept that his status was so low and his martial arts so weak. When bullied, he could not fight back. Even if he did, he would only be taught another lesson.

Looking at Tang San like this, Li Yue found him somewhat interesting. "The look in your eyes is rather interesting, kid."

Tang San raised his head at those words and looked at Li Yue, this Inner Disciple with an immortal-like bearing and jade-like grace. The Outer Sect and Inner Sect were separated by only a single gate, yet they were worlds apart.

He respectfully dropped to one knee and clasped his fists. "Thank you, Tang Yue Senior Brother. Tang San will never forget this kindness."

His voice trembled slightly. Perhaps he also knew that this conversation with Li Yue was a precious opportunity, an opportunity to change his fate.

"You are someone who knows gratitude. That is good." Li Yue praised Tang San. Perhaps this favor could be made even greater—provided Tang San knew how to repay kindness.

Compared with using the Karma System to collect repayment, he would rather the people he helped remembered his goodwill. After all, who would want to help an ungrateful wretch?

Hearing Li Yue's praise, Tang San's face lit up. His inferiority made him bow even lower; if he had a tail, it would surely have been wagging wildly from side to side.

Li Yue asked softly, "Tang San, do you wish to learn this sect's secret teachings?"

His voice was soft, but to Tang San, it sounded like thunder.

A flash of delight passed through Tang San's eyes, but he quickly regained his calm. Though he struggled to suppress the turmoil in his heart, the gaze he fixed on Li Yue still burned with an inextinguishable heat.

It was as if the unwillingness and inferiority in his heart had turned into flames.

His other knee touched the ground as well.

Tang San bowed down in worship, pressing his forehead to the ground. "Tang San possesses nothing of worth. I have only this life to repay Senior Brother."