What Kind of Freak Did You Find, Senior Brother?

Lu Hong's attitude was obvious.

The acquaintance Zhao Yang had mentioned could not possibly have been a friend.

But it probably was not a matter of deep hatred either.

Following behind Lu Hong, Zhao Hong sighed inwardly.

Why bother?

You definitely can't beat my Uncle Yang.

Even if you find someone to compete with me, they'll still lose.

In the end, you'll have to sell the paste and lose face too... Hmm?

A thought suddenly struck Zhao Hong.

Back then, Uncle Yang had left Stone Valley County. Could it be that he had always kept Lu Hong suppressed? Like village companions competing to prove who was better.

Now that Lu Hong had suddenly learned he was Zhao Yang's nephew, and even counted as his disciple, perhaps he just wanted to make things difficult for him, even use the disciple to recover some face.

That was possible.

"If that really is the root of it, then it truly is... lifting a rock only to smash his own foot."

The training ground.

As Lu Hong appeared, numerous students immediately turned respectful, awed gazes toward him.

As the head disciple personally taught by the academy master,

Lu Hong's standing within the academy went without saying.

As for his cultivation, it was said that he had already stepped into Blood Fiend. Looking across all of Stone Valley County, he was a figure of considerable renown.

"Senior Brother, why are you here?"

The instructor ahead, Yu Guang, glanced in surprise at Zhao Hong behind Lu Hong.

"Take a break first. Find someone in the middle stage of Blood Refinement to spar with this kid."

Lu Hong said blandly, "If he loses, I'll have to sell quite a bit of Muscle-Rejuvenating Bone-Continuing Paste."

Hearing those casually spoken words, the instructor's heart tightened.

Muscle-Rejuvenating Bone-Continuing Paste was Eagle Soaring Martial Academy's secret medicinal paste. Its effects were exceptional, and few products on the market could compare with it.

Naturally, the quantity would not be large.

If they won, there would be no need to sell it.

That was how he understood it. His expression immediately turned solemn as he swept his gaze around the crowd, then pointed at someone. "Wang Meng, step forward."

A rather burly young man respectfully stepped out.

Lu Hong glanced at him and nodded in satisfaction.

"You two will have a match. The winner will be rewarded with one Leopard Blood Pill."

Upon hearing that, Wang Meng's breathing quickened and his eyes lit up.

That was an excellent pill for someone at his level of cultivation, worth nearly twenty taels apiece.

He looked at Zhao Hong. He was fairly tall, but his clothes were plain and shabby.

He truly did not look like someone particularly formidable.

With the instructor and Lu Hong present, Wang Meng did not dare speak carelessly. He drew a deep breath, stepped to the side, and said to Zhao Hong, "Please."

Zhao Hong replied calmly, "You first."

Wang Meng's brow furrowed slightly as he raised his guard to the utmost.

For Lu Hong to personally bring him here...

"Watch out."

Whoosh!

He shot forward in a burst, his blood and qi surging outward.

Zhao Hong's expression did not change. His palm moved slightly.

Perfect. He could test the results of his recent training in the Stele-Splitting Hand.

Smashing steles had tortured him until he wished he were dead. Smashing people should feel quite different.

Crack!

A sharp crack of rattling sinews and bones came from within Wang Meng's body as his blood and qi surged out, condensed to the extreme.

Seeing Zhao Hong neither dodge nor evade, standing there loose and slack, Wang Meng felt some contempt in his heart—but he did not hold back in the slightest.

His fist smashed down.

Boom!

Air currents rolled outward, making the clothes of several people at the edge flap fiercely.

Lu Hong nodded slightly.

The power of that punch was already impressive for the middle stage of Blood Refinement.

Whoosh!

A blur of an afterimage abruptly flashed forth.

Lu Hong's pupils contracted, his lips parting slightly. Only one thought remained in his mind: So fast.

At his level, that speed was naturally nothing remarkable.

But compared to Wang Meng, it was as far apart as heaven and earth.

Bang!

A clump of blood and qi burst apart and scattered in every direction.

"Aah~~~~"

Wang Meng only felt as though the back of his fist had been viciously struck by the flat of a blade. His blood and qi collapsed, his finger bones seeming to shatter into powder. The powerful force drove him stumbling back several steps, and before he could steady himself, he clutched his wrist and howled in pain.

It was no empty saying that the ten fingers were linked to the heart.

It hurt. It hurt far too much.

The agony made him keep hopping in place, wishing only that someone would knock him unconscious.

The students sucked in cold breaths, dumbstruck.

"Did you see that clearly?"

"What happened?"

"I only saw a blur before my eyes, and Wang Meng ended up in such a miserable state. Hiss."

"Who is this kid?"

The instructor's eyelids twitched wildly as he could not help looking at Lu Hong, whose expression had stiffened.

"Senior Brother, where... where did you find this freak?"

"..."

Lu Hong had a bellyful of frustration with nowhere to vent it.

Damn it.

Didn't you say Zhao Yang had only just returned? You had only just started learning martial arts from Zhao Yang, so how were you already this strong?

He had seen that move perfectly clearly.

His speed was incredibly fast.

His force was violently fierce.

Only a thin layer of blood and qi had wrapped around his palm as it lashed across the back of Wang Meng's fist like a rope streak, too swift to cover one's ears.

Wang Meng's all-out blood and qi defense was like brittle paper before it.

Zhao Hong glanced at Lu Hong's ugly expression, then quickly looked away.

You were the one who made me compete.

He had only used thirty percent of his strength.

Still, using blood and qi to throw someone really did feel great.

The difference in feel between flesh and stone was simply enormous.

No wonder Uncle Yang had devised such a brutal training method.

After fiercely drilling against hard stone blocks, wooden posts, and the like, fighting people afterward was simply a dimensionality-reducing strike.

With that ugly look on his face, would he find someone else to fight?

"Come with me."

With a gloomy face, Lu Hong headed straight for the rear courtyard.

Zhao Hong relaxed inwardly and hurried after him.

Leaving the students across the training ground staring at one another.

What was this about?

Had he just found someone to give them a little stimulation?

The rear courtyard.

Lu Hong took a deep breath and suppressed the churning frustration in his heart.

"How old are you?"

"Just turned sixteen."

"How long have you trained in martial arts?"

"About... two months?"

As for proper martial arts training, it had been less than a month even if every day were counted.

Lu Hong suddenly did not want to speak anymore. He was tired.

So this little bastard was a genius too.

Seeing Lu Hong suddenly fall silent, Zhao Hong grew a little nervous.

He would not refuse to sell the medicine now, would he?

"When are you leaving?"

"Today."

"Stay here for the night. Tomorrow morning, I'll go with you."

Lu Hong's face was expressionless.

"Huh?"

"This..."

Zhao Hong was stunned.

"It's settled, then. Bring me the gold leaves. I'll prepare the medicinal paste for you."

"Lord Lu, several elders from the village came with me."

"They can all stay at the academy."

Lu Hong did not care in the slightest.

"Then... all right."

Zhao Hong smiled helplessly and handed over three gold leaves.

Lu Hong took the gold leaves and left directly, leaving Zhao Hong alone in the courtyard with a gloomy expression.

Still, Lu Hong kept his word. It was just that keeping such a dark face was rather unpleasant.

"Going back with me tomorrow to see Uncle Yang... he isn't planning to spar with Uncle Yang, is he?"

"Tsk."

He only hoped Lu Hong was not that innocent and carefree.

My Uncle Yang studied for six years at the Great Martial Arts Hall in the prefectural city. His strength was easy enough to imagine.

If they really sparred, Lu Hong would simply be asking for trouble.

As for staying here for one night, that was no problem.

There would not be any danger staying within the martial academy.

"Right, I need to tell Uncle Chuan and the others."

Zhao Hong slapped his forehead and hurried toward the academy's entrance.

When he reached the gate, he did not see Wang Chuan or the others.

They had gone to sell animal hides and purchase supplies, so they would not return so quickly.

Zhao Hong stood at the entrance, looking around as he waited.

Before long, Wang Chuan and the others had yet to arrive, but he saw someone helping Wang Meng, whom he had sparred with earlier, out of the academy.

The moment they spotted Zhao Hong standing at the gate, they froze.

Wang Meng's hand trembled, his features twisting.

For some reason, the pain in his hand, which had already eased somewhat, suddenly flared up again.