Announcing His Return

?Chapter Seven: Announcing His Return

When he returned to his quarters, Bi Fan began training on the flat ground outside the bamboo hut.

He didn't care whether he was a prodigy or a genius. He believed only that hard work was the true path.

The road of cultivation was like rowing upstream: if you didn't advance, you fell behind.

Those were Yu Si Yan's words of advice to Bi Fan. They had struck him like a thunderbolt, profoundly influencing his cultivation from then on.

He practiced the Myriad Ancestor Fist during the day, and at night, Bi Fan began studying the Blood Demon Manual.

The Blood Demon Manual contained techniques for cultivating inner breath, movement arts, all kinds of exquisite martial skills, and methods for tempering physical strength. It had everything.

But from the name alone, it was clear that the Blood Demon Manual was a demonic cultivation method. Since ancient times, the righteous and demonic paths had been irreconcilable, and righteous cultivators were eager to kill demonic cultivators.

Bi Fan had heard plenty of tales of vanquishing demons and defending the Dao in the Qingyang Sect, so he naturally didn't dare to rashly try cultivating the techniques in the Blood Demon Manual.

Though he had only recently become a cultivator, Bi Fan could already tell that the Blood Demon Manual was far beyond ordinary techniques. It would be a pity to give up cultivating it.

So he decided to study it for a while first, then see whether he could cultivate it.

After several nights of study, Bi Fan discovered that many things in the Blood Demon Manual could still be practiced. As long as he didn't cultivate inner breath, no one could tell he was practicing a demonic technique.

Many of the moves in the Blood Demon Manual were vicious and ruthless, with tremendous power. After mastering them, he could use them to save his life at a critical moment.

In the end, Bi Fan still decided to learn the Blood Demon Manual, but he set aside the late-night hours for practicing it, so no one would see.

Bi Fan had thought it through. The righteous path and the demonic path had nothing to do with him; strength was what mattered most.

He hadn't been indoctrinated by some prestigious orthodox sect, and he had no desire to vanquish demons and defend the Dao. He only wanted to increase his strength and protect himself.

Bi Fan had considered it: as long as he didn't casually reveal the martial skills in the Blood Demon Manual, he wouldn't be exposed.

The Blood Demon Manual was indeed extraordinary. For now, Bi Fan practiced only its methods for tempering physical strength, and he could clearly feel that he was progressing much faster with it than with the Myriad Ancestor Fist.

Having tasted the benefits, Bi Fan was all the less willing to give up cultivating the Blood Demon Manual.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Bi Fan advanced at astonishing speed, his punching power already reaching 999 catties. He was just one step away from entering the Martial Force Realm.

Without a breakthrough, no amount of cultivation could increase his strength for the time being.

So Bi Fan began choosing movement arts and martial skills from the Blood Demon Manual to practice.

Without inner breath, he couldn't bring out the power of martial skills or movement arts, but that didn't stop him from first mastering the skills.

Besides, practicing movement arts and martial skills wasn't entirely without benefit. They would surely help when facing an enemy.

Ordinary cultivators weren't taught martial skills until they had cultivated to the Inner Breath Realm. Before that, they could only practice moves for tempering their physical strength.

That day, Bi Fan had just finished tending the spirit herbs in the Medicine Garden. When he returned to his quarters, he saw Yu Xiao Feng standing there in a white dress, looking graceful and lovely.

Yu Xiao Feng was young, yet exceptionally graceful and already quite mature. Her especially ample bosom was enough to set one's imagination running.

Though Bi Fan was still young, he knew a little about relations between men and women. He couldn't help stealing a couple of glances.

"Big Sister Xiao Feng, what can I do for you?" Bi Fan asked, bowing.

Yu Xiao Feng noticed that Bi Fan had changed a great deal and couldn't help looking him over a few times. "Bi Fan, are you done with your work for today?"

"I've finished."

"Could you go down the mountain for me and collect supplies for the next few days? Old Liu, who usually delivers supplies to Jade Maiden Peak, is sick. Since everyone on Jade Maiden Peak is a woman, I can only trouble you with this."

Yu Xiao Feng spoke naturally, without a trace of affectation.

"Of course," Bi Fan readily agreed.

Bi Fan knew the place where supplies were collected better than anyone. It was in Bai Ping. There were many houses around Bai Ping, where servants and laborers lived. The herb boys also lived there.

Bi Fan had been wanting to go down the mountain and see some old acquaintances. He couldn't help thinking of Zhu San, the Medicine Garden's steward, and the herb boys Da Niu and Er Gou.

They had left an indelible impression on Bi Fan. He hadn't forgotten them for a moment.

Yu Xiao Feng looked at Bi Fan and said, "Bi Fan, get yourself a few more sets of clothes while you're there. You're still growing, so get some in a larger size."

Yu Xiao Feng might have mentioned it casually, but her words warmed Bi Fan's heart. It was the first time he had ever felt someone care about him.

"Big Sister Xiao Feng, thank you."

Bi Fan headed down the mountain. He had been on Jade Maiden Peak for a month and a half, and this was his first time going down.

When he had gone up the mountain, his heart had been uneasy; now, going down, he was full of confidence.

"Da Niu, Er Gou, you old dog Zhu San, just you wait. I'll repay you tenfold for the humiliation you made me suffer!"

As Bi Fan walked, he shouted in his heart.

Bai Ping was the outermost part of Qingyang Mountain. All kinds of supplies brought into Qingyang Mountain were stored there.

It was bustling every day, with people from the various peaks coming and going to collect supplies.

After reaching Bai Ping, Bi Fan didn't hurry to collect them.

He strolled leisurely and soon arrived in the Medicine Garden area.

Returning to the place where he had lived for more than ten years left Bi Fan in a terrible mood.

This was where his heart had been broken. He didn't want to come back, or even remember it.

But there were people here he still cared about, so he had to come.

What Da Niu and Er Gou had done to Bi Fan was simply too much for him to let go.

Bi Fan decided to visit his "old friends" and announce his return.

Da Niu was as strong as an ox. Even without cultivating, he was already at the Strong Body Realm.

Da Niu used to beat and scold Bi Fan, making him tend the spirit herbs.

Bi Fan soon reached the Medicine Garden Da Niu was tending, and spotted him there, stuffing himself and thoroughly enjoying it.

"Da Niu, I'm back!" Bi Fan shouted.

Da Niu looked up, his ox eyes wide as he stared at Bi Fan. He couldn't remember ever knowing anyone like him.

"Kid, who are you? Can't you see your Grandpa Niu is eating? Piss me off, and I'll kick you to death."

Da Niu hated being disturbed while eating, and his anger flared at once.

"Bi Fan. You don't recognize me, do you?" Bi Fan said with a smile.

Da Niu muttered, "Bi Fan? I don't know anyone called Bi Fan. You're just looking for trouble, aren't you?"

Da Niu and the others had always called Bi Fan "Idiot" before. They had even forgotten his real name.

"Is that so? You really don't recognize me? I'm the 'Idiot' you used to bully all the time. Surely you haven't forgotten me?"

"Impossible! How could you be him? You don't look anything alike, and besides... Idiot is dead." Da Niu shook his head.

Bi Fan said, "Da Niu, do you remember one day two years ago, when you tested your strength by yanking my arm right out of its socket? And that's not all..."

He casually picked out a few incidents when Da Niu had bullied him. He would never forget those things as long as he lived.

"You really are Idiot!" Da Niu was so shocked that his mouth fell open. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.