An Invitation to Humiliation

Over the next several days, Lin Xiaotian used his blood qi to nourish and strengthen every pill his master had given him.

It made the utter disregard for conservation of energy even more apparent.

He had expended a great deal, but compared with what the process had produced, it was a drop in the ocean.

It left Lin Xiaotian eager for the day he grew stronger and could uncover more of blood qi's secrets.

Eight Extremes Mountain-Shattering Force!

Lin Xiaotian practiced inside his room. Blood qi surged through him, and a faint layer of it surfaced on his skin, lending his whole figure a hazy look.

Boom! Boom!

The air in the room whipped into a fierce wind as an invisible pressure spread outward.

Whoosh!

After one final punch, he drew back his hand and stood panting.

"Huff—hah."

"Huff—hah."

Lin Xiaotian drank some water, then downed a bowl of broth made from a Blood Essence Pill with a golden glow.

The energy and blood qi he had exhausted began to return.

Once more, he felt his blood qi surging and his strength restored.

"My blood qi really is unusual. I can clearly feel myself digesting and absorbing these pills, yet I still haven't reached Blood Tempering."

"If it were anyone else, they'd probably be at Blood Tempering already."

"But I'm not. That proves my Root Bone really is ordinary; it can't compare with those who have strong Root Bones. I still haven't broken through from Bone Tempering to Blood Tempering."

"Still, other people need a long time to digest those pills and Blood Essence Pills. I absorbed them all without wasting a single Blood Essence Pill. None of the waste my teacher warned me about happened."

"It's just that all of it seems to have gone into my blood qi."

"Hmm. The foundation of my blood qi seems sturdier too."

"If I fought someone for real, my solidly grounded blood qi would be stronger than theirs at the same level."

"No wonder I can beat opponents one minor level above me. It must come down to my blood qi."

"I wonder if I can fight someone at External Force now. I feel like facing someone at Blood Tempering shouldn't be a problem."

"The remaining Dragon-Tiger Pills will have to wait until my Root Bone adapts, probably another month or two. Taking them now would only increase my blood qi; it wouldn't help me advance for the time being."

"And I've only got one Blood Essence Pill left. I should save it as blood nourishment to recover at a critical moment."

Having sorted out his thoughts, he planned to spend a few more days consolidating his strength before meeting his teacher at the martial arts hall and heading to the Ouyang Household.

Suddenly, a heavy thud came from outside the room, as though something had fallen over the courtyard wall.

Lin Xiaotian lunged forward and shoved open the door with a bang, rushing straight into the courtyard.

At the same time, the blood qi throughout his body began to circulate. If an enemy appeared, he would kill them without hesitation.

He no longer bluffed or feared anyone below External Force.

A graceful figure lay in the courtyard. She appeared to be a woman, and several palm prints marked her body, each still giving off powerful force.

Swish!

Lin Xiaotian leaped to the woman's side and bent down to take a closer look.

The woman, who had seemed at death's door, suddenly rolled over and struck at him with her palm.

Bang!

Their palms collided.

Lin Xiaotian flew back several meters. It felt as though an invisible force had pierced his whole body, and his blood qi roiled.

"Huff—"

He forced the turmoil in his blood qi down. Fine cracks had appeared on his palm.

Her attack was fearsome. No wonder even those at Internal Force were wary of her.

In the instant their palms met, he had seen her face. It was Qin Yueyao.

After a few breaths, his blood qi gradually settled, and he walked back over to her.

"You... why did you come here...?"

Lin Xiaotian spoke softly, but she gave no answer.

That last strike must have been an all-out blow delivered while she was barely conscious.

Fortunately, he had taken in plenty of blood nourishment lately. Otherwise, he might not have recovered from that blow at all.

The sound of rushing air and running footsteps came from outside. Thinking of her injuries, Lin Xiaotian endured the sharp pain in his wrist, scooped her up, and carried her into the house.

Knock! Knock!

Someone suddenly knocked at the courtyard gate.

Lin Xiaotian glanced at the unconscious, injured Qin Yueyao, then laid her on his bed and tucked the covers around her to hide her.

After a moment's thought, he took one of the top-grade healing pills the Ouyang Household had given him and slipped it into her mouth.

Perhaps it was instinct. The moment it entered her mouth, she swallowed it unconsciously.

Lin Xiaotian raised an eyebrow, pulled his outer robe half off to look as though he had just woken, and headed into the courtyard.

"Who is it?" he called, sounding annoyed at being woken.

"We're from the Ouyang Household. We saw a criminal come this way and wanted to check that you were safe, young man."

Since when had the Ouyang Household become so polite? The speaker was a woman, too, and her voice sounded familiar.

Creak!

The courtyard gate opened, revealing Ouyang Nianci in close-fitting clothes.

He had to admit her figure was stunning. That outfit made his eyes light up despite himself.

Several people stood behind her with swords and sabers in hand, looking as though they were barely restraining themselves from charging in.

Lin Xiaotian understood at once.

If the Ouyang Household had not already arranged for him to take part in the Mine-Medicine Trial and feared losing something greater over this, they would likely have barged in long ago. They would never have been this courteous.

"Miss Ouyang, you're here? It's so late. I'd already gone to bed when I heard something in the courtyard, so I took a peek through the window."

"Someone came in and seemed to fall. From her build, I'd say she was a woman. But just as I was about to come out and look, she climbed back over the wall. Judging by how she moved, she seemed badly hurt."

Ouyang Nianci kept her eyes fixed on him without blinking. When she heard him say a woman had entered, her brows eased slightly.

"I thought you might lie to me, but you're being honest. Take me into the courtyard to have a look."

Lin Xiaotian deliberately scratched his head. "Miss Ouyang, it's the middle of the night, and I was already asleep... I still haven't fully recovered. Couldn't you...?"

"Cut the nonsense. Letting us look will clear you of suspicion, too. That person is extremely important."

A man behind Nianci spoke impatiently.

"All right," Lin Xiaotian said, pretending to give in.

He stepped aside to let them through, then led them to the spot where Yueyao had fallen.

"That's right! There's a mark where she landed. Hmm, and impact marks too. They must have been left by the shockwave when she unleashed her force."

The group all turned to look at Lin Xiaotian.

He gave a deliberate shudder and said:

"Why are you looking at me? Shockwaves and force—I don't understand any of that... You don't think I fought her, do you?"

Nianci glanced at the stone chips shaken loose from the wall and said evenly:

"He probably had nothing to do with her."

"With her strength, even injured, she could kill him with a single palm strike. Even if he survived, he'd be badly wounded... All right, let's look elsewhere."

She made to leave.

But another man suddenly looked toward the room where Lin Xiaotian slept.

"Is there someone in that room?"

Swish!

Everyone's gaze snapped to Lin Xiaotian.

Lin Xiaotian cursed inwardly. Damn it, he's sharp. He can even tell someone's inside.

He turned to the man and said blankly:

"Of course there's someone. That's where I sleep."

The man ignored him and headed straight for the room.

Lin Xiaotian could not let him enter. He charged forward and struck with his palm.

Bang!

Both men staggered back.

Shock flashed in the man's eyes. "You... you're at Late Bone Tempering?"

Lin Xiaotian knew this was bad. He could not reveal the full extent of his strength yet.

He deliberately stumbled back a few more steps until he hit the pillar behind him with a thud.

Then he bit the inside of his cheek and spat out a little blood.

"So this is how the Ouyang Household treats me? I'll tell my teacher you forced your way into my home and deliberately interfered with my recovery. What are you after?"

"Great. You've split my right hand open again." He raised his hand, showing them the palm that had begun to heal but had not fully recovered.

One glance was enough for Nianci to see that the injury was real.

Only then did the man who had been driven back feel better. For a moment, he had almost believed the boy was formidable.

"Lin Xiaotian, this woman is extremely important. We were too hasty just now. We'll leave you to rest."

With that, she led the others away.

Lin Xiaotian closed the courtyard gate. As soon as he entered his room, a faint voice said:

"Get into bed, quick. Humiliate me!"

Lin Xiaotian was stunned. That had definitely been Qin Yueyao's voice. How could she ask him to do that?

Did I hear her wrong?