Gao Teng didn't waste any more words. He headed downstairs and made his way to the school's back hill.
The back hill was covered in lush, verdant woods. Few people came there, and Zhou Xing and his cronies often bullied timid, weak classmates in the area.
"Gao Teng, you're not serious, are you? How could you possibly be a match for Zhou Xing and his gang? They'll kick you around like a ball!"
"Do you want them to beat you up, then go complain to the teacher?"
"I advise you not to do this. Their grades are so good that the school will only give them a verbal warning. In the end, you'll have taken a beating for nothing and suffered even worse retaliation from them."
"Just listen to me and give them the money. Don't make trouble for yourself."
"Hey! I'm talking to you. Why aren't you listening?"
Zhu Hong chattered on the whole way.
Gao Teng knew Zhu Hong only meant well, but he was no longer the same person he'd been. No one could push him around anymore.
Three or four minutes later, they reached the school's back hill.
Zhu Hong stopped at the foot of the hill and said nervously, "I... I'm not going in with you. I'm afraid Zhou Xing and his gang will come after me again.
"Whatever you do, don't pick a fight with them. Just do what they say, and everything will be fine."
Gao Teng shot Zhu Hong a sideways glance, then strode into the woods with his head held high.
Watching him disappear among the trees, Zhu Hong couldn't help frowning.
Gao Teng seemed different from before. He was incredibly confident and bold.
The old Gao Teng had always been timid and skittish, even more cowardly than Zhu Hong. How had he suddenly become a different person?
Zhu Hong's expression shifted several times, but in the end, he still didn't dare follow. He paced back and forth at the foot of the hill.
Meanwhile, not long after Gao Teng entered the woods, he spotted Zhou Xing and the others waiting there.
They were squatting on the ground, silently smoking.
As soon as Zhou Xing saw him, he tossed away his cigarette and stood up.
"What?"
Gao Teng looked down at Zhou Xing and sneered. "That beating earlier wasn't enough for you? Want another?"
Zhou Xing's face instantly twisted, his temples throbbing violently.
He'd lost to Gao Teng earlier not only because his strength had declined, but also because Gao Teng had genuinely become stronger.
The old Gao Teng had never been this powerful.
It was strange!
The only explanation Zhou Xing could think of was that Gao Teng might have discovered a cave left behind by an ancient martial artist.
Gao Teng must have obtained a large number of pills from the cave, which was why he'd become so powerful!
Ancient caves were opportunities deliberately left behind by top martial artists of the past. They hoped that the younger generation who benefited from them would be grateful and protect their descendants in return.
But those caves had long since been thoroughly explored. How had Gao Teng found one?
They had to find out what had happened and snatch that opportunity from him!
"What, cat got your tongue?"
Seeing that Zhou Xing and the others weren't answering, Gao Teng couldn't be bothered to taunt them any further. He shot forward, leapt into the air, and slammed his knee into one of them.
The man had no idea Gao Teng could move so fast, much less that he'd dare to strike first. With his chest completely exposed, he flew backward like a torn sack, the sound of breaking bones ringing out.
The next moment, Gao Teng landed and, without pausing, whipped his arm toward another man like a steel whip, unleashing a sharp, piercing whistle.
"Bang!"
A dull thud of flesh meeting flesh rang out. The classmate Gao Teng had struck instantly lost several teeth and flew sideways.
Only then did Zhou Xing and the others snap out of their daze. They rushed at Gao Teng, each using the Basic Eighteen Fist Forms.
Gao Teng countered their moves with ease.
They were all level-two martial artists. Although some had slightly more true energy than he did, their bodies were far weaker.
He traded injuries for injuries, leaving them with broken bones and torn muscles. Before long, they were sprawled on the ground, crying out in pain.
"Cough."
Gao Teng covered his mouth and coughed up a mouthful of bloody phlegm.
He had been badly hurt in the fight too. The bones on the left side of his chest were broken, and his internal organs throbbed with agonizing pain. Bruises covered his body; every inch of him hurt like hell.
Gao Teng flicked the blood from his hand. These injuries were nothing to worry about. As soon as he stole Zhou Xing's physical strength, he'd recover completely.
He didn't rush to act. Glancing at the unconscious Zhou Xing, he looked over the others.
"I haven't even exerted myself yet. How come you're already down? Get up and have another round with me!"
None of them had the strength to pay attention to him. They kept screaming in pain on the ground.
Gao Teng had hit them too hard. One person's arm was badly fractured, twisted out of shape.
Another had a sunken rib cage and coughed up blood with every breath. He lay there on the verge of death.
Someone else's nose had been smashed, blood streaming uncontrollably as he curled into a ball and clutched his face in agony.
Every one of them looked absolutely wretched.
"Quit screaming, or I'll beat you to death!"
But there was no way they could listen to Gao Teng's threat. The pain was beyond their control, and their screams grew louder and louder.
Gao Teng snorted angrily and stomped on Zhou Xing's arm.
"Crack!"
The sound of a broken arm bone rang out clearly. Zhou Xing jolted awake and sprang into a sitting position.
The next moment, his eyes rolled back from the agony, and he passed out again.
"..."
Zhou Xing's pitiful state made the others fall silent with fear. They didn't even dare breathe too loudly.
They stared at Gao Teng in terror, afraid they'd be next.
Gao Teng looked at them with contempt. "Aren't you so good at bullying people? Don't you usually act like you're so tough?"
"I won't do it again. I swear!"
One of them begged for mercy through tears, and the others quickly joined in, apologizing over and over.
"A bunch of worthless cowards who only pick on the weak!"
Gao Teng spat out a mouthful of blood and said coldly, "Make a list of every student you've extorted and how much you took from each one. Then pay them all back, every last cent. Do you understand?"
They all looked miserable. They'd already spent every penny they'd extorted. How were they supposed to pay it back?
Gao Teng took one look at their expressions and guessed what they were thinking. "If you've spent it all, take out loans. If you can't get a loan, sell yourselves.
"I'm giving you ten days. If you haven't paid it all back by then, you can wait and see how I destroy you!"
None of them said a word. They all looked utterly dejected.
"Have you got donkey hair stuffed in your ears? Can't you hear me? Shout, 'Yes!'"
"...Yes."
"Are you dying? Louder!"
"Yes!!!"
They gritted their teeth through the pain and shouted at the top of their lungs.
Only then was Gao Teng satisfied. He waved them off and told them to leave, first ordering them to pay Zhu Hong back.
That reminded the others, and they all took out their phones to transfer money to Gao Teng.
They didn't know how much they'd extorted from Gao Teng, but they figured transferring more was the safest bet.
Once he had over a hundred thousand yuan, Gao Teng watched them help one another away and began stealing from the unconscious Zhou Xing.
[You obtained 0.07 points of physical strength]
[You obtained 0.12 points of mental strength]
[You obtained 0.10 points of mental strength]
[You obtained 65 points of cultivation]
[You obtained...]
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