A Freebie for Punishing Evil

The entire class gathered around Luo Zhou.

"Senior Luo, you're too strong!"

"Great Hero Luo, congratulations on your promotion! How about a celebration?"

They rarely called Luo Zhou by his name, preferring "Senior Luo" or "Great Hero Luo."

Even Cui Jian, the senior disciple of the third class of the Immortal Bud Hall, came over to flatter him.

"Great Hero Luo, congratulations on your promotion! How about a celebration?

Perhaps you could treat everyone to a bowl of porridge?"

It turned out they weren't just friendly with him; they wanted Luo Zhou to treat them to a bowl of porridge!

Luo Zhou smiled and said, "Since Senior Disciple is speaking, we must celebrate!

Senior Disciple!"

Cui Jian immediately responded, "Here!"

Luo Zhou gave him fourteen Sui Ling.

One thousand Sui Ling was worth one spirit stone.

One Sui Ling was worth about five hundred copper coins, or half a tael of silver.

"One bowl of Spirit Grain Porridge for everyone in the class! I'm paying for the whole thing!"

"Thank you!"

"Generous!"

Praise erupted. Cui Jian called over Zuo Sanguang, Wang Heyu, and Meng Junzheng to help carry the porridge.

Spirit Grain Porridge was a spiritual porridge made from spirit grains, incredibly beneficial for cultivators in the Body Tempering realm.

One bowl was equivalent to three days of arduous training.

It was sold in the academy's cafeteria.

One Sui Ling bought two bowls of Spirit Grain Porridge.

Converted to the common currency of copper coins and silver, it wasn't cheap. Ordinary families would only buy it three to five times a month for their children to improve their physique.

Cui Jian and the others went to the academy cafeteria. From a distance, they saw a large copper pot, as tall as a person, with charcoal burning fiercely underneath.

Spirit Grain Porridge had to be boiled over charcoal to imbue it with fiery energy, and it needed to simmer for three days before the spirit grains would break down into porridge.

Everyone was familiar with the process. Cui Jian took out the Sui Ling and began to buy the porridge.

The cafeteria's managing immortal elder personally handled the sale of Spirit Grain Porridge, fearing corruption if others were involved.

He carefully ladled the porridge into large bowls, sealing them with care.

As they watched and waited, they began to chat.

"This smell is so fragrant."

"A bowl of Spirit Grain Porridge is better than anything a god could offer."

"Thanks to Great Hero Luo!"

"Hahaha, you're actually calling him Great Hero now? Luo Zhou is a complete fool.

Fourteen Sui Ling! If he keeps treating the whole class to Spirit Grain Porridge like this every few days, how much wealth can he afford to squander?"

"You're being unfair. You're bad-mouthing him after drinking his porridge.

The three rich brats in the class who are wealthier than him have never treated us to porridge even once!"

Someone disagreed, retorting against the other.

The two began to argue, back and forth.

Senior Disciple Cui Jian slowly said, "Two months ago, Luo Zhou hadn't awakened his spiritual nature and was so poor he couldn't afford to eat, suffering more than any of us.

Back then, any classmates with leftover food would save a portion for him.

He's been through hard times.

After awakening his spiritual nature and inheriting his parents' fortune.

He seems foolish and a bit naive, but deep down, he's repaying everyone for their kindness back then.

He's so loyal and righteous, willing to spend Sui Ling to treat us to porridge, not forgetting our classmate bonds. He deserves to be called a Great Hero!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

"Alas, there's just one downside. He's like a nouveau riche.

He always forces us to act with him, making us play the villains while he acts as a hero rescuing the weak. It's really annoying."

"I remember he used to say that if his parents had met a great hero back then, they wouldn't have died."

He wouldn't have been an orphan, his brothers scattered. It was a form of self-consolation, a fantasy.

"Sigh, so many people died that year. Of the childhood friends who became orphans, he seems to be the only one who's made it this far."

"Just bear with it. Play along with him, it's not like you're losing anything. He's treating everyone with real money, isn't this Spirit Grain Porridge delicious?"

Just then, the Spirit Grain Porridge was ready. The group carried it back. Fourteen Sui Ling made twenty-eight bowls. Cui Jian distributed them, one bowl per person.

Including Luo Zhou, that's twenty-seven people. Luo Zhou got two bowls.

The Senior Disciple handles things so steadily!

Every student who received the Spirit Grain Porridge shouted:

"Thanks, Brother Zhou!"

"Thank you, Great Hero Luo!"

The voices of a few female students were soft and incredibly pleasant.

In fact, of the thirty-three students in Class Three, five like Yuan Zhen and Liu Yueqing came from wealthy families and had Spirit Grain Porridge every meal. They didn't care about this one bowl of Spirit Grain Porridge. They wouldn't call him Great Hero Luo or eat his porridge.

Thanks poured in. Luo Zhou laughed heartily, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded.

He also started to eat his porridge.

The delicious Spirit Grain Porridge, as it went down, warmed his entire body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.

Looking at his many classmates, Luo Zhou was truly smiling inside.

Many classmates drank his Spirit Grain Porridge, taking advantage of his Sui Ling.

But this porridge wasn't that easy to drink!

Luo Zhou wasn't seeking mere popularity. He wanted their various spiritual essences!

His innate ability, Reward Good and Punish Evil, Save Life, Reward the Way!

As long as Luo Zhou heard a living being cry for help, saved someone, or punished evil, he would be rewarded with goodness and gain the evil person's techniques!

Just like the school bully, Zhang Quan, who awakened the talent Raging Bull Strength and liked to bully classmates.

Luo Zhou stopped him from bullying classmates, and after punishing his evil, he gained his Raging Bull Strength.

Every time he stopped him from bullying, he gained his talent Raging Bull Strength. He had now accumulated four bulls' worth of strength!

This was one of the core keys to Luo Zhou's Spiritual Power Dragon-Slaying Thrust!

Otherwise, how could he kill Devils across levels?

But such opportunities to punish evil were extremely rare in the Dao Academy.

With Immortals present and rules in place, and the students being mostly simple youths, there were hardly any evil people.

Even the school bully, Zhang Quan, avoided him now. He didn't even drink the porridge, unable to gain Raging Bull Strength.

Luo Zhou had to find other ways. He'd scatter money, play dumb. After eating his porridge, they'd feel embarrassed and play hero games with him.

Since he couldn't truly reward good and punish evil, he'd create fake reward and punishment scenarios himself. He could still get rewards!

A living person shouldn't be held back by urine!

If heaven doesn't give it, take it yourself!

Through this, Luo Zhou gained the spiritual essences of his classmates.

Like Zuo Sanguang, who carried the porridge, he awakened the spiritual ability "Flash of Inspiration."

Luo Zhou gained it through the hero game!

However, the copied spiritual essence had quietly mutated.

Unlike Zuo Sanguang's "Flash of Inspiration," which helped in cultivation by providing enlightenment, Luo Zhou's "Flash of Inspiration" could predict future scenarios.

He learned that in a hundred days, he would encounter the most terrifying Devil in the city and would surely die!

Like Wang Heyu's spiritual essence, which was the ability to unleash full power. After Luo Zhou gained it, it transformed into Spiritual Power Dragon-Slaying Thrust, completely changing Luo Zhou's fate.

The spiritual essence Keen Dharma Eye gained from Meng Junzheng was also one of the core keys that formed Dragon-Slaying Thrust!

However, most classmates' spiritual essences were very ordinary.

After all, they were in Class Three of the Immortal Sprouts. The truly powerful students with strong spiritual essences were all in Class One.

Furthermore, Luo Zhou hadn't fully understood the profound uses of Reward Good and Punish Evil. He could only grope his way forward.

After drinking two bowls of Spirit Grain Porridge, Luo Zhou's blood and qi gradually boiled. Coupled with Elder Wang's spiritual energy transmission, he let out a long breath and began his arduous cultivation.

Everyone cultivated their own techniques!

Each of them knew this was the key to changing their destiny and having a better future. Not a single person was lazy.

The Baiyang Body Refining Technique was practiced, move by move.

Opening the mountain with a stance, sitting cross-legged to bend the bones, Vajra pounding the pestle, six seals and four closures, wild horse parting its mane, forward lunge with a twisted step...

It's the prime of youth, the best of times. Only by suffering now and cultivating diligently can we enjoy a good life in the future!

After a day of hard cultivation, the academy let out, and everyone went home.

Luo Zhou also returned home. On the way, he saw those dead spirits and felt helpless.

"Tomorrow or the day after, Zuo Sanguang's telepathy will probably recover, and I can get another spiritual aptitude.

I wonder if I'll get Raging Bull Strength from Zhang Quan or Keen Dharma Eye from Meng Junzheng?

If only I could get the spiritual aptitudes of Yuan Zhen, Liu Yueqing, and the other five, but they don't pay me any mind..."

Lost in thought, Luo Zhou had already returned to Ping'an Quarter, where his home was.

Suddenly, Luo Zhou seemed to hear the cries of a young child.

"Help me, someone help me! Dad, don't hit me anymore, help..."

This wasn't a shout, it was telepathy!

Luo Zhou was overjoyed. He had been searching everywhere, and it had come to him.

He immediately rushed in the direction of the telepathic call.

In a house in Ping'an Quarter, the child's cries continued to emanate.

Several gossipy neighbors had already gathered outside, chattering.

"Old Wang is beating his kid again."

"Ever since he married his second wife and had a son, he beats the child every few days."

"Wang Xiaoya is only eight years old. He'll find any excuse to beat her for half the day. If he keeps this up, he'll beat her to death sooner or later..."

"Her own mother is dead, and the child is treated like dirt. The stepmother is too cruel."

"Why bother? If he doesn't want to raise her, he should sell her. Why beat her to death?"

"I heard the stepmother's brother is from Sanjiang Gang, a gangster."

"Ah, those bastards from Sanjiang Gang, they're not to be trifled with!"

Luo Zhou knew this Old Wang's family. The owner, Wang Dong, who shaved heads at the east street entrance, had no spiritual aptitude and had never cultivated. He was an ordinary mortal.

Luo Zhou's heart leaped with joy. Without stopping, he kicked the front door with all his might.

BOOM! With a single kick, the power of four bulls erupted.

The front door was immediately kicked open.

Luo Zhou rushed in, shouting, "Hey, old man, wicked stepmother! How can you be so heartless? You're about to beat the child to death!"

In the courtyard, a bald old man was beating a small child with a stick.

Beside him, a young, attractive woman held an infant, cracking melon seeds and watching the show with a smug expression.

The child curled up on the ground, shielding his head with his hands, wailing incessantly.

Seeing Luo Zhou burst in, the bald Old Wang was furious and cursed, "What brat are you, trespassing on private property? Aren't you afraid of the law..."

Luo Zhou responded with a kick, employing the Baiyang Body Refining Technique, "Wild Horse Parts Its Mane."

With one kick, he struck Old Wang's wooden stick, shattering it.

Under the force, the bald Old Wang was sent flying through the air, landing to the side.

Then Luo Zhou stepped forward, delivered another kick, and stomped on Old Wang's chest, shouting, "Old man, are you still going to hit people?"

The bald Old Wang was immediately unable to breathe, crushed under Luo Zhou's foot.

The wicked stepmother, the young and attractive woman, dropped her melon seeds and turned to flee.

Luo Zhou released Old Wang and stepped forward, raising his hand and delivering a resounding slap that sent the young woman wailing to the ground.

Punish evil, all must be punished, not one can be let off.

Old Wang struggled to get up, intending to go inside to get a cleaver and fight back, but Luo Zhou delivered another kick, knocking him down again.

"Tell me, old man, are you still going to hit the child?"

This was the difference between a cultivator and a mortal. Even though Luo Zhou was only fifteen, he had already reached the sixth level of Body Forging, completely overwhelming ordinary mortals.

The bald Old Wang struggled a few times, but he was truly unable to resist.

He immediately begged for mercy, "I won't hit anymore, I'll never hit again!"

"Were you wrong?"

"Wrong, wrong!"

"Are you convinced? Do you agree?"

"I'm convinced, I'm convinced!"

Luo Zhou burst into laughter and said:

"Remember this, the one who beat you is the great hero Luo Zhou, from Class Three of the Immortal Sprout Hall at the Daoist Academy!"

Announcing his name? That's kinda dumb...

They were all from the same neighborhood, so his identity couldn't be hidden anyway. It was better to just announce it openly.

Then, he turned and picked up the child, taking him to the Medical Hall for treatment.

The surrounding neighbors immediately let out cheers!

"That was satisfying, so satisfying!"

"Old Luo's second son, he's been righteous since he was a child!"

"Well said, Great Hero Luo!"

Luo Zhou smiled. This was like a freebie for rewarding good and punishing evil. He wondered what kind of reward he'd get?