Qin Haoxuan fell asleep within a few breaths of taking his seat. Elder Chu was long used to it, and continued lecturing until lunchtime to the accompaniment of his soft snores.
"All right, remember the key points I mentioned. Go eat now!" After lecturing all morning, Elder Chu's throat was dry, and he had no desire to say more. Class was dismissed. Before leaving, he glanced at the sleeping Qin Haoxuan.
As though stirred by some unseen sensation, Qin Haoxuan woke groggily. When his bleary eyes happened to meet Elder Chu's, Elder Chu was instantly startled.
A person's eyes were usually cloudy and vacant just after waking, yet Qin Haoxuan's brimmed with spiritual radiance, dazzling and piercing. They were like brilliant pearls that no one dared look at directly, faintly flashing with a power that shook the heart.
Qin Haoxuan's entire body burned with heat, leaving him restless and irritated. He did not notice Elder Chu watching him and walked straight toward the dining hall. As he went, he pulled open his robes, letting the mountain wind blow against his body to ease the burning heat. Xu Yu followed some distance behind him, her beautiful eyes flickering repeatedly. She could not understand it. Qin Haoxuan was such a steadfast and diligent person, yet he had slept in class for two days in a row and was now striding out bare-chested without a care. What had happened to make him disregard his appearance so completely and abandon himself to despair?
At this moment, Xu Yu was not the only one watching Qin Haoxuan. Zhang Kuang was also eagerly concerned about him.
Several Immortal Seedling Realm disciples from Spirit Field Valley surrounded Zhang Kuang, flattering smiles plastered across every face.
"Senior Brother Yuan Shanhu, and the rest of you Senior Brothers, my fellow villager Qin Haoxuan has been in Spirit Field Valley for two days now, yet you still haven't prepared any entertainment for him. How about giving him a proper welcome feast at noon today?"
"Sure, sure!" The menial senior brothers nodded and bowed. It was rare for a Supreme Purple Seed disciple to ask something of them. How could they fail to handle it with the utmost diligence? Besides, dealing with a Colorless Weak Seed with such shallow cultivation would be as easy as turning over one's hand.
The smile on Zhang Kuang's face carried a trace of satisfaction. He cupped his hands slightly toward the menial disciples who had entered the mountain several years earlier, treating it as a salute. He knew these people would never amount to much in this life, but they had cultivated immortality for several years after all. That was still more than enough to deal with Qin Haoxuan.
The walk from the schoolhouse to the dining hall was neither near nor far, taking roughly five minutes. Qin Haoxuan's open-chested stroll drew plenty of attention. At a corner ahead, the menial senior brothers from Spirit Field Valley saw him approaching, exchanged glances, then walked directly toward him and deliberately bumped into the absent-minded Qin Haoxuan.
"You little brat, are you blind? How dare you ram into me on purpose!"
Qin Haoxuan raised his head and looked at them. Seeing the malice on their faces, he immediately knew they had come looking for trouble. Whether he apologized or not, he likely could not avoid a round of entanglement. Since that was the case, why apologize? But why were they deliberately picking a fight with him?
Qin Haoxuan looked around and saw Zhang Kuang not far away, smiling as he greeted him with ill intent. Even a fool could tell who was pulling the strings behind this.
As Qin Haoxuan looked at Zhang Kuang, he sensed someone else studying him. From the corner of his eye, he saw a bearded man in green robes observing him. He might also have been someone Zhang Kuang had recruited. When Qin Haoxuan turned to inspect him, the man had already turned away, leaving only his back behind. He exuded a lonely, cold, and proud air, utterly different from the other menial disciples.
"Hey, are you blind? You ran into a senior brother and can't even offer an apology?" One of the menial senior brothers shoved Qin Haoxuan. Yet Qin Haoxuan's body was sturdy and his stance firm. The shove did not move him at all; instead, the senior brother's upper body swayed, and he nearly stumbled back half a step.
Qin Haoxuan frowned tightly, wondering if he should simply bow his head and admit defeat to Zhang Kuang. He had come here to cultivate immortality and seek the Dao. Better one less problem than one more.
But when Qin Haoxuan looked up and saw Zhang Kuang's smug expression, a scholar's stubborn temper surged into his heart. If he bowed and admitted defeat to someone like that, he would despise himself. What immortality would he cultivate then? What Dao would he seek?
"Senior Brother, this Haoxuan is feeling somewhat weary and accidentally offended you. I ask that Senior Brother be magnanimous and forgive me." Qin Haoxuan clasped his hands and bent at the waist, performing the proper courtesies flawlessly. He had calculated that if a fight truly broke out later, then no matter where they went to argue their case, he would not be in the wrong.
The word "reason"! He had to seize it first!
Several menial disciples were dumbfounded by Qin Haoxuan's response. This brat isn't following the script! Hadn't Junior Brother Zhang Kuang said this boy had a foul temper and an unyielding backbone? If he realized they were deliberately provoking him, shouldn't he have confronted them head-on to the bitter end? Why was he suddenly apologizing? How were they supposed to continue this performance now?
"Cough..." Yuan Shanhu coughed dryly to conceal his embarrassment, then darkened his face. "You damaged one of my pills. Getting on your knees to apologize would barely be enough..."
Kneel? Qin Haoxuan's brows rose. Since childhood, he had only known kneeling before heaven, before his parents, and before officials. Now that he had entered the path of immortality, he did not even need to kneel before officials. What was this talk of kneeling to apologize?
Seeing Qin Haoxuan's expression, Yuan Shanhu finally relaxed. This boy truly did have a foul temper and an unyielding backbone. Now he had found an excuse to strike.
"What do you want to do to Brother Haoxuan?"
Xu Yu's voice came from beyond the crowd of spectators. Everyone instinctively made way for this Purple Seed disciple. She naturally stepped between Qin Haoxuan and Yuan Shanhu, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes carrying anger and authority as she glared at the menial senior brothers causing trouble.
What was going on? Yuan Shanhu was also startled when he saw Xu Yu. He was only dealing with a weak seed, so why had a Purple Seed come to back him up?
Not many people in the entire Taichu Sect knew of Qin Haoxuan and Xu Yu's close relationship. Zhang Kuang had assumed that even if Qin Haoxuan had helped Xu Yu before she rose to prominence that day, the little girl would not keep it in her heart. After all, she was now a favored daughter of heaven in the Taichu Sect. Though her future could not compare to his, she was at least a candidate for Vice Sect Master. Why would she care about the tiny favor of a weak seed?
Yet Xu Yu remembered. Not only did she remember, after sleeping in Qin Haoxuan's embrace that night, she had also developed the strange feelings a girl could have toward a boy.
When Yuan Shanhu saw Xu Yu stand up for him, he began to consider retreating. But just as he wanted to back down, he saw Zhang Kuang's unfriendly expression in the distance. He had agreed to help Zhang Kuang trouble Qin Haoxuan today. If he retreated now, he would thoroughly offend Zhang Kuang.
Damn it! Yuan Shanhu cursed his bad luck inwardly. This was truly like riding a tiger with no way to dismount. Even if he let Qin Haoxuan go, he would not win Xu Yu's favor. He might as well walk one road into darkness! At least he could befriend Zhang Kuang, this Purple Seed disciple!
Yuan Shanhu steeled himself. He did not dare provoke Xu Yu, but he dared provoke Qin Haoxuan. He simply steered the subject around Xu Yu and said to Qin Haoxuan, "Junior Brother Qin, you're quite lucky! You have a woman protecting you. Even I envy the soft rice you're eating."
Qin Haoxuan was already miserable from the spiritual energy burning through his body, and his mood was irritable to begin with. Hearing those words made anger flare in his head. Yet he knew that if they truly fought, there was a ninety-nine percent chance he was no match for these senior brothers. A beating was almost certain. Since that was the case... it was better to endure it for now.
Xu Yu's face had already darkened terribly. She stepped forward and raised her hand to strike!
A Purple Seed striking someone? Even if the one being hit had every reason on his side, he could only take the beating for nothing. If he dared fight back... even the Sect Master could personally act and grind anyone who touched so much as a hair on a Purple Seed into dust!
Yuan Shanhu truly felt that he had suffered eight lifetimes' worth of rotten luck! Afraid of injuring Xu Yu, he did not even dare activate the power of his Immortal Seedling. Instead, he repeatedly withdrew all of it, terrified that its rebound might hurt Xu Yu. Even if he had a hundred tongues, he would not be able to explain himself!
After Xu Yu intervened, Zhang Kuang began making his way toward the center of the crowd, on guard against his junior sister striking and forcing Yuan Shanhu and the others back. The moment he saw Xu Yu about to attack, he hurriedly took a step forward and blocked her path. "Junior Sister Xu, why are you meddling in someone else's business? Though Qin Haoxuan and I are fellow villagers, I must uphold justice this time. Qin Haoxuan was indeed in the wrong just now."
Others feared Purple Seeds, but Zhang Kuang was a Purple Seed himself and naturally had something to rely on. Using his height and strength, he grabbed Xu Yu's arm and dragged her toward the outside of the crowd, showing not the slightest bit of tenderness. His grip left several bruises on her lotus-root-white arm. Xu Yu tried to break free, but could not.
When Qin Haoxuan saw Xu Yu suffering, he stepped forward to pursue them and said, "Zhang Kuang, are you asking for a beating?"
Those words startled every onlooker. A weak seed disciple wanted to beat a Purple Seed disciple? Purple Seed disciples were treasured darlings the Sect Master held in his hands for fear of dropping them, and kept in his mouth for fear of melting them. Was he tired of living?
Although Zhang Kuang had been verified as a Purple Seed, he still instinctively feared Qin Haoxuan somewhat. Hearing his former fellow villager say he wanted to beat him, his retreating steps involuntarily quickened. Only then, under everyone's gaze, did he realize: why should he fear him?
But everyone had already seen his flustered appearance. Zhang Kuang felt his face burning with humiliation and glared viciously at Yuan Shanhu and the others. He might fear Qin Haoxuan, but he did not fear these senior brothers. Watching from afar, Li Jing felt it resembled a game of Jungle Chess: the elephant ate the tiger, the tiger ate the leopard, the leopard ate the mouse, and the mouse, Qin Haoxuan, ate the elephant, Zhang Kuang.
Sensing Zhang Kuang's commanding gaze, Yuan Shanhu stepped forward to chase Qin Haoxuan while shouting, "Zhang San! Li Si! Move!"
Hearing footsteps chasing him from behind, Qin Haoxuan knew Zhang Kuang would not truly hurt Xu Yu. The real danger was that he himself was now about to be beaten. He suddenly stopped in mid-pursuit, switched his breathing technique, and used the boiling, scorching Golden Lotus Spiritual Energy to protect his body. Then he spun around in a wide turn, his fist shooting out from beside his waist straight at Yuan Shanhu's nose bridge!
Having studied since childhood, Qin Haoxuan understood very well that in a fight, whoever struck first gained the advantage!
Yuan Shanhu sneered. A flash of spiritual light passed over his body as his hands formed an incantation. A yellow gleam shot from his hands and struck Qin Haoxuan, who stood ten paces away, sending him flying several meters. Mountain Overturning Palm!
The onlookers were shocked! Wasn't that strike too vicious? Though the Mountain Overturning Palm was merely the most basic combat spiritual art of the Taichu Sect, Qin Haoxuan was still flesh and blood. After taking that palm, several of his ribs would surely break, and he would be unable to get back up.
"Senior Brother Yuan's Mountain Overturning Palm has improved again. Congratulations, congratulations!" Zhang San and Li Si's skill at bootlicking had also grown by the day. "This brat dared challenge you? He truly must be tired of living!"
The onlookers sighed in regret. This boy's immortal path was likely ruined! That palm would require Qin Haoxuan to recuperate for at least a month. Having lost a month of cultivation time, even with a Purple Seed backing him, the best result at the assessment would only be becoming a menial disciple.
Comfortable... incomparably comfortable! That palm had struck him, and as Qin Haoxuan lay on the ground, he felt not the slightest pain. Instead, the scorching heat inside him vanished completely at the instant he was hit. The great mass of restless spiritual energy seemed to transform into jade nectar, flowing into his bones and into his five viscera and six bowels. His entire body was filled with strength.
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