Teach Them a Lesson

Zhang He was unaware of these developments. After strolling into the alleyway and confirming he was alone, he broke into a full sprint.

"Practice the fist without practicing the inner arts, and you'll end up with nothing in your old age." True martial artists do not set aside a fixed time each day to stand in poses at a training ground. To them, training can be integrated into the daily routine of eating, drinking, sleeping, and walking. Much like the Buddhist philosophy, everything is a form of cultivation. For a martial artist, even the most mundane acts suffice.

During this movement, the goal was not merely to run, but to experience the application of bodily strength. How to maintain high speed while conserving energy—this is something that requires constant contemplation.

He felt the muscles in his legs contract and relax with every leap; the sensation was quite good. However, Zhang He was not satisfied with his current speed.

"Running like this, my speed is comparable to a Ferghana horse over short distances. But once the distance increases, the body grows weary, and I cannot compare to the horse. The human body is simply not naturally constructed for long-distance running." Zhang He analyzed the sensation carefully, feeling the fatigue setting in. Yet, whenever his body grew tired, he would circulate his Rejuvenation True Qi to alleviate the strain to a certain degree.

"If I could circulate True Qi into my legs while running, my speed would surely increase significantly. It is a pity that such techniques have been lost." Zhang He could not help but sigh. The three wonders of the Tang Sect were poison, hidden weapons, and light-body techniques. The Tang Sect's light-body techniques were formidable precisely because they understood how to utilize True Qi.

"Applying True Qi to the legs is not difficult. The difficulty lies in the control of the Qi. This is different from combat; in a fight, circulating Qi to the legs is for attacking or defending, which consumes a vast amount of energy. Walking is different from fighting; it involves long journeys. If I consumed energy at the same rate as in combat, I would exhaust all my True Qi before running very far."

"The challenge is how to control the Qi—to achieve the desired effect with the least amount of consumption." As he sprinted, Zhang He pondered, "I must get to the bottom of this problem."

Suddenly, Zhang He's ears twitched, and he frowned slightly. "Strange, it seems someone is following me?" There happened to be a turn ahead, and Zhang He rounded it at a steady, unhurried pace.

Behind him, Zhao Lei saw Zhang He's figure vanish and immediately quickened his pace, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "There are few people in this area; it is the perfect place to strike." He had already decided to make his move just ahead. Zhao Lei rounded the corner with a swagger, confident in his own abilities; he believed Zhang He could never escape his grasp.

"You've been following me the whole way. Aren't you tired?" A voice tinged with mockery drifted over. Zhao Lei's expression shifted slightly—this brat actually knew he was being followed? Then, in his peripheral vision, he saw a pale hand strike out like lightning. This caught Zhao Lei off guard.

"How bold. Knowing I'm chasing you, you don't run for your life, but stay behind instead? Who do you think I am?" Zhao Lei sneered, clenching his hand into a fist and striking ruthlessly toward Zhang He's ribs. In his eyes, his fist was faster than Zhang He's hand; he didn't need to block the incoming strike to knock the boy down before he could even touch him.

"Such a vicious strike?" Zhang He's face darkened instantly. If he were an ordinary person, Zhao Lei's blow would have certainly broken several of his ribs and caused injuries that would be difficult to heal.

Bang!

A sharp pain erupted from his fist. To Zhao Lei's horror, his hand had been caught by the boy's grip. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free, as if the boy's hand were forged from steel. At the same time, that pale hand had already clamped onto his throat, and Zhao Lei felt a surge of panic.

Zhao Lei lashed out with a kick toward Zhang He's groin, but suddenly felt a searing pain in his own foot, as if he had kicked a slab of iron.

"Damn it, you really are vicious." A cold light flashed in Zhang He's eyes. He kicked Zhao Lei to the ground and stepped on him. Zhao Lei felt a force weighing over a thousand pounds pressing down on his chest, leaving him gasping for air.

"Speak. Why are you following me? If you dare tell a single lie, I will make you regret not being able to return to your mother's womb." Zhang He looked down at Zhao Lei with composure.

Zhao Lei remained silent, his eyes darting around as he searched for a way to escape.

Crack! A crisp sound echoed, as if something had snapped. Zhao Lei felt a tidal wave of agony surge from his thigh, causing his vision to blacken and his head to spin. His face turned deathly pale, and when he regained his senses, he saw that his own thigh had been crushed!

How ruthless! Because he didn't speak, the boy had simply snapped his leg! Zhao Lei broke into a cold sweat; he realized he had underestimated the youth before him. The calm look in the boy's eyes proved that he truly did not consider him a threat at all.

"I am from the Zhao Family. Our young master sent me to test your skills." Zhao Lei did not dare tell the truth.

"Zhao Feng's family?" Zhang He understood immediately. However, he did not believe Zhao Feng had sent someone merely to test his skills. He stared coldly at Zhao Lei. "Zhao Feng sent you to cripple me so I couldn't participate in the Martial Child Assessment, didn't he? His intentions are truly venomous. Does he really think that just because he is a piece of stinking dog dung, no one dares to step on him?"

Hearing this, a chill ran down Zhao Lei's spine. Usually, when he mentioned the Zhao Family, people would show some restraint, but the boy showed no fear at all. It was clear he held the Zhao Family in no regard.

"I am no villain, but I am no saint either. If Zhao Feng wants to harm me, I will naturally seek revenge. However, the Martial Child Assessment is soon, and it is not the time for complications. I will give him a warning for now." Zhang He's gaze fell upon Zhao Lei, and he smiled grimly.

The Zhao Family.

Zhao Feng sipped his tea, his brows slightly furrowed. Zhao Lei had been gone for so long; why hadn't he returned? Zhao Lei was at the first stage of the True Martial Realm; dealing with a Zhang He should have been a trivial task. Could it really be that difficult?

Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside.

"What is going on? Why is it so noisy out there?" Zhao Feng frowned and barked.

A servant entered, his expression panicked. "Young Master, Zhao Lei is dead. His tendons were all severed, and he was bound tightly. He died with his eyes wide open."

Zhao Feng stood up abruptly, shock flashing across his face. "What! Zhao Lei is dead?"

Thump, thump, thump.

A hurried sound of footsteps echoed from outside the hall. Zhao Feng turned his head to see his father walking in with a furious expression. Zhao Feng's heart sank; this was surely about Zhao Lei.

"I ask you, did Zhao Lei go out with you? Why have you returned alone?" Zhao Father looked at Zhao Feng, his tone unfriendly.

Zhao Feng's heart skipped a beat. He nodded. "Yes, but halfway there, Zhao Lei said he saw an acquaintance and wanted to go say hello, so we parted ways." Zhao Feng remained calm, showing no signs of deception.

"Zhao Lei is dead!" Zhao Father exhaled a long breath, his face filled with gloom. "And he died a miserable death! It seems the 'acquaintance' he went to see was no good! It must have been an old enemy. Damn it!" Zhao Lei was his capable subordinate; to lose him like this made him both angry and hateful.

However, fortunately, this matter had nothing to do with his son. He had been worried that his son had ordered Zhao Lei to do something that offended someone, leading to this disaster.

"This matter cannot be left as it is. Six years ago, Zhao Lei washed his hands of the underworld and joined our Zhao Family; he has been loyal ever since. For someone to dare kill him in Mengyin City, they clearly do not hold our Zhao Family in any regard. This is an act of defiance against us. We must find this person, kill him, and avenge Zhao Lei!" Zhao Father's face was filled with Sha Qi.

Zhao Feng's thoughts raced. His biggest doubt was how Zhao Lei had actually died! It certainly couldn't have been Zhang He; his cultivation was at most in the Force Martial Realm—how could he be a match for Zhao Lei? Could it be that Zhao Lei really had the misfortune of running into an old enemy?

Zhao Feng was filled with doubt.

"The Martial Child Assessment is in a few days. Stay at home and practice your arts; do not go out unnecessarily," Zhao Father cautioned. He did this partly to let his son prepare for the assessment, and partly to guard against the person who killed Zhao Lei. If the opponent could kill Zhao Lei, they were not only bold but also possessed decent cultivation. Furthermore, with the enemy in the dark and them in the light, they had to be cautious if the person harbored any malicious intent toward the Zhao Family.

At home, Zhang He was unaware that the Zhao Family was nearly turned upside down. He was currently sitting cross-legged on his bed, the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill before him emitting a pink glow.

Eliminating Zhao Lei was merely a minor interlude for Zhang He. He did not care how Zhao Feng would react. Zhao Feng had pushed him to the limit, attempting to sever his tendons and make him a cripple—how could he endure that? Not killing him on the spot was already a great act of mercy!

"This time, I will give him a warning. After the assessment, I will deal with him slowly. If the Zhao Family dares to make a move, I will make them disappear from this world." A cold light flashed in Zhang He's eyes. To wipe out a great family, one didn't need powerful fists; one only needed to slip a little poison into their food and drink.

This was Zhang He's specialty. He had at least seventeen ways to ensure that after the Zhao Family members died, no one would be able to determine the cause.

"After I absorbed the demonic poison from the pill, the color kept fading. It was blood-red before, and now it is pink. I wonder what it will look like once fully absorbed." Zhang He looked at the bead in his palm and smiled. The Rejuvenation True Qi lurking within his acupoints suddenly began to circulate, flowing through his meridians to his hand.

"Once I reach the Possession Realm, my True Qi will be able to leave my body and attach to blades and swords. When I refine the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill then, I won't need physical contact; I can simply wrap it in True Qi to refine it." Holding the pill, the coldness emanating from it would have frozen Zhang He's hand in moments.

The demonic poison within the pill was being drawn out thread by thread, continuously merged and refined by the Rejuvenation True Qi. His True Qi was growing steadily.

"My strength increases every day. I believe that in two more days, this poison pill will be fully absorbed. By then, my Rejuvenation True Qi will be sufficient to break through to the Possession Realm!" A brilliant light shone in Zhang He's eyes. He was now confident that he would be able to reach the third stage of the True Martial Realm—the Possession Realm—before the Martial Child Assessment!