The Curator's Gaze

Time flew by like it had wings. Li Yuan settled into Class A Courtyard Number One, and in the blink of an eye, seven or eight days had passed.

This evening, just as he finished his medicinal bath and his blood was circulating vigorously, a knock sounded at the door. It was Instructor Chen, the perpetually stern-faced man beside the Pavilion Master.

"The Pavilion Master wishes to see you," Instructor Chen said concisely. His eyes swept over Li Yuan, as if trying to discern something beneath his new, yet still unrefined, coarse cloth clothes.

Li Yuan knew in his heart that what was coming would come. He nodded, asked no further questions, and followed Instructor Chen out.

Shi Lie Feng wasn't in his grand hall, but rather in a secluded pavilion on the back mountain of the martial arts school. A small stream flowed by the pavilion, its gurgling water making the surroundings even quieter.

Shi Lie Feng stood by the pavilion with his hands behind his back, gazing at the stream. He didn't turn around upon hearing footsteps.

After bringing him there, Instructor Chen silently retreated to a distance to stand guard.

"You're here," Shi Lie Feng's voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy weight, making the air in the pavilion feel stagnant.

Li Yuan stood outside the pavilion, bowing slightly. "Pavilion Master."

Only then did Shi Lie Feng slowly turn around. His eyes, like knives, scraped across Li Yuan's face and body. He didn't rush to speak, just scrutinized him from head to toe, his gaze finally resting on Li Yuan's excessively calm eyes.

"Li Yuan," he began slowly, each word landing with solid impact. "Back in the Class C Room, I heard you struggled even with stance training."

Li Yuan didn't reply, waiting for him to continue.

"It's only been half a month," Shi Lie Feng took a step forward, closer to Li Yuan, the oppressive aura of a strong practitioner washing over him. "Tell me, what happened?"

Li Yuan raised his eyes, his gaze unwavering, meeting Shi Lie Feng's scrutiny. His expression was blank, but the corners of his mouth seemed to pull down ever so slightly, as if recalling something unpleasant.

"Pavilion Master," his voice was a little hoarse, carrying a maturity unusual for his age. "When people are close to death, they tend to see different things."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, or perhaps savoring a memory. "On the altar, that thing burrowed into my body. It was cold, a chill seeping from the very marrow of my bones. I felt... I couldn't go on like that anymore."

This statement was half-truth, half-lie. The hint of lingering fear and struggle in his tone was just right.

Shi Lie Feng's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he didn't interrupt.

"After I returned," Li Yuan continued, his pace unhurried, "it felt like something in my body... opened up. When I practiced the Iron Body Technique, my blood flowed exceptionally smoothly, and my strength increased. He pointed to his head. "This part also became much clearer."

He attributed everything to a "near-death epiphany" and "special constitution," remaining vague about the specifics of this specialty.

Shi Lie Feng stared at him, silent for a long time. The only sound in the pavilion was the rushing of the stream. As an old hand, he didn't fully believe it. Enlightenment, special constitution – these were too vague. This kid definitely had a secret, a big secret.

But he couldn't see through it.

Li Yuan stood there, his posture perfectly straight, his gaze open and honest, even carrying a cautious wariness of someone who had just climbed from the bottom. His blood was indeed vigorous, but it was only vigorous; he couldn't sense any strange aura or external fluctuations.

"Your punch," Shi Lie Feng suddenly changed the subject, his voice deep and slow, "the force behind it was very strange. It didn't seem like something the introductory Iron Body Technique could produce."

Li Yuan's heart tightened, knowing this was the crucial point. He lowered his eyes, looking at his own well-defined hands, marked with minor scars. "At the time... I didn't think that much. I just felt this fire building up inside me, and if I didn't release it, I would explode. All my strength went into that one strike. After I finished, my arm felt like it wasn't my own anymore."

His words painted him as someone pushed to the brink, relying on sheer grit and instinct to explode with power.

Shi Lie Feng's eyes flickered. He seemed to have experienced similar situations once or twice in his youth. Under extreme pressure, people could unleash unimaginable strength.

Silence spread once more.

After a long while, Shi Lie Feng let out a soft breath, the oppressive aura on his body receding slightly.

"I've heard some whispers about the Li family," he changed the subject, his gaze sharp. "Have you broken ties with them?"

"Yes," Li Yuan answered crisply. "They don't consider me family, so I have no need to cling to them."

"Mm," Shi Lie Feng responded noncommittally. He turned his back, looking again at the small stream. "The matter of the wooden stakes ends here. Since you've entered Class A Room, you are one of us at Blustering Wind Martial Hall. Train hard, don't squander this opportunity, and don't... cause trouble for the martial hall."

The last sentence carried a warning.

"This disciple understands," Li Yuan bowed in response.

"Go," Shi Lie Feng waved his hand.

Li Yuan said no more and turned to leave. His steps were steady as he descended the stone steps of the back mountain.

Only after Li Yuan's figure disappeared into the twilight did Instructor Chen silently appear outside the pavilion.

"Hall Master, what do you think..."

Shi Lie Feng gazed at the stream, his eyes deep. "If you can't figure it out, leave it for now. Even good iron needs to be held tight first to see what can be forged from it."

He paused, his voice lowering, as if speaking to himself. "The Li family... the Netherworld Cult... the waters of Black Mountain City are getting murkier. Having another fighter isn't a bad thing."

Instructor Chen lowered his head. "Yes."

Shi Lie Feng fell silent, simply watching the flowing water, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Li Yuan returned to his small courtyard, closed the door, and leaned against the cold wooden panel, finally letting out a soft sigh. His back clothes, he didn't know when, had become damp with a patch of cold sweat.

Dealing with an old fox like Shi Lie Feng was more exhausting than fighting Zhao Hu, that fool, ten times over.

He walked into the courtyard, picked up the massive stone lock, and felt the solid sense of strength as his muscles bulged, his eyes regaining their determination.

The crisis had passed for now. But the Hall Master's doubts wouldn't completely disappear, and the threats from the Li family and the Netherworld Cult hung over him like sharp swords.

He needed to be faster, stronger!

His arm, gripping the stone lock, tightened like steel wire.

"Crimson Sun" in his Sea of Qi felt slightly warm, as if responding to his resolve.

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