Shi Lei was drenched in sweat as he practiced in the courtyard, his fists whooshing through the air.
His eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched. Each punch landed harder than the last, as if he were pouring all the pent-up resentment in his chest into the innocent wooden training dummy.
BANG—!!!
A thunderous explosion rang out.
The wooden training dummy, made of hardwood and thicker around than an ordinary strongman's waist, had been smashed by his fist, leaving a shocking crack.
Wood chips flew, and the post rocked, groaning under the strain.
"Hah... hah..."
Shi Lei panted heavily, his fists hanging at his sides. Blood had begun to seep from his knuckles, but he didn't even notice.
He only felt a ball of fire lodged in his chest, making him restless, making him feel as if he might go mad.
Before coming to Prefecture City, he had been full of enthusiasm. He'd thought he could finally make a name for himself, follow Master Liu, and go farther along the path of martial arts.
But as soon as he arrived in Prefecture City, he'd heard devastating news from Master Liu.
Old Man Jiang, who had awakened him when he was at his most lost, had vanished in the refugees' assault that night...
His body had never been found.
He hadn't even had the chance to kowtow and thank him.
Now, Master Liu, the man he respected most, and Senior Brother Zhao, the person closest to him, had been badly injured by those so-called Three Wolves of Kanglin and were lying inside, drinking medicine.
And what about him?
He was merely at Bright Strength. He wasn't even qualified to fight anyone.
All he could do was stand in the courtyard and take out his frustrations on a wooden dummy.
Usually so steady,