Eat My Fist!

The dorm room was somewhat empty. Emerald-green flames danced inside the medicine cauldron, burning stalk after stalk of high-grade medicinal herbs into blobs of liquid in different colors.

Seated cross-legged before the cauldron, Xiao Qing narrowed his eyes. He carefully controlled the heat of the Green Spirit Flame while guiding the medicinal liquids inside to slowly fuse with his soul power.

A pitted Proto-Pill appeared inside the cauldron.

The Proto-Pill spun and tumbled in the emerald-green flames. Within a few breaths, its pitted surface had grown full and smooth.

In an instant, a terrifying wave of energy spread outward.

A rich medicinal fragrance rose from the cauldron and filled the entire room.

Xiao Qing's expression did not change. He knew this was the phenomenon that accompanied the formation of a Fifth-grade Pill.

As the energy gradually dissipated, Xiao Qing reached out and drew the pill from the cauldron, pinching it between his fingers.

Studying the plump, smooth pill, Xiao Qing could not help but smile.

"Though its quality isn't particularly good, I finally managed to refine a Fifth-grade Pill."

Though the Wind-Walking Pill was among the easier fifth-grade pills to refine, he had at least touched the threshold of becoming a fifth-grade alchemist.

Refining a Fifth-grade Pill did not mean Xiao Qing was a fifth-grade alchemist yet.

To become a qualified fifth-grade alchemist, he had to ensure not only the pills' quality but also a reliable success rate.

Xiao Qing's success in refining this Wind-Walking Pill had involved a fair bit of luck.

Feeling the Dou Qi drained from his body, Xiao Qing found it a pity. If his cultivation were a little higher, his chances of successfully refining a Fifth-grade Pill would rise as well.

He took a jade bottle from his Storage Ring and carefully placed the Wind-Walking Pill inside before putting it away again.

After swallowing a few Qi Recovery Pills, Xiao Qing picked up the jade scroll lying nearby and pressed it to his forehead for a quick review. Before long, he resumed refining medicine.

As time slowly passed, Xiao Qing refined pills of various grades one by one, storing them in jade bottles and setting them aside.

For a time, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the entire room.

Knock, knock, knock!

Just as Xiao Qing was utterly absorbed in refining medicine, a soft knock at the door broke his concentration.

Bang!

The emerald-green flames swept through the cauldron, reducing stalk after stalk of rare medicinal herbs to ash.

Irritated, Xiao Qing swept the surrounding jade bottles into his ring and rose to answer the door.

He wanted to see who had been blind enough to interrupt his pill refining!

Creak!

Xiao Qing opened the door and found two vaguely familiar youths standing outside.

"What do you want?"

Without stopping to consider why they looked familiar, Xiao Qing let his anger at being interrupted spill into his impatient tone.

Seeing his expression, the two youths exchanged glances, their hearts tightening. Oh no! We seem to have interrupted his cultivation!

When the two youths still failed to answer, Xiao Qing lost patience. He clenched his fist and punched the youth who seemed to be their leader, knocking him to the ground.

"Oww!"

Before the leading youth could react, a huge fist appeared before his eyes and knocked him down.

"Big brother!"

The other youth could not help shouting.

Ignoring this touching display of brotherly affection, Xiao Qing threw another punch and knocked the shouting youth to the ground as well.

Before the two could recover, Xiao Qing kicked out, then rained punches on them one after another.

Though Xiao Qing had not circulated his Dou Qi, the gap in their cultivation still left the two youths, who were only Dou Zhe, in searing pain.

"Oww, oww! Stop hitting us! Stop!"

The two youths lying on the ground cried out at the pain coursing through their bodies.

Who are you to tell me to stop? You say stop, and I'm supposed to stop?

Xiao Qing grew even angrier, adding more force to every punch and kick.

"Stop! It's me, cousin Xiao Qing!"

"Don't you recognize us?"

Hearing this, Xiao Qing slowed his barrage and looked over the two bruised and swollen faces on the ground.

"You're Xiao Ding and Xiao Li?"

"You don't look like them."

Xiao Qing muttered to himself. Could these be some new students pretending to be them to get close to me?

Little did he know, the two heard him and smiled bitterly to themselves.

After beating us like this, how could you recognize us?

"It really is us, cousin Xiao Qing!"

"Our father is Xiao Zhan! We have a third brother named Xiao Yan!"

At that, Xiao Qing finally confirmed the identities of the two at his feet, but his fists and feet did not stop.

What a joke. I'm still boiling with anger. If I don't vent now, am I supposed to bottle it up?

"How dare you impersonate members of my family! Eat my fist!"

After another round of punches and kicks, Xiao Qing finally vented his anger and gradually stopped.

"Are you really Xiao Ding and Xiao Li?"

Looking at the two battered beyond recognition on the ground, Xiao Qing mercifully gave them a chance to confirm their identities.

The two looked up through tear-filled eyes and nodded frantically. "It really is us, cousin Xiao Qing!"

Seeing them like this, Xiao Qing pretended he finally believed them.

"Oh! Why didn't you say so earlier? This is a flood washing into the Dragon King's temple—family fighting family!"

With that, Xiao Qing reached out to help the two off the ground.

They flinched, thinking they were about to be beaten again, and instinctively shrank back.

Xiao Qing scratched his head awkwardly.

"Ahem. Did you need something from me?"

Once they saw Xiao Qing truly did not intend to keep punching and kicking them, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li breathed a sigh of relief and helped each other to their feet.

At Xiao Qing's question, Xiao Ding hurriedly took a letter from his Storage Ring and held it out.

"Father asked me to give this to you, cousin Xiao Qing."

Curious, Xiao Qing reached out and took it.

In the past, letters from Xiao Zhan had been delivered by students on duty at the Outer Academy. Why had he suddenly sent one with Xiao Ding himself?

Xiao Qing opened the envelope in front of them and read the letter. Before long, he understood what was going on.

He really does love his son deeply!

Xiao Qing could not help sighing inwardly.

Xiao Yan had reached Seven-Stage Dou Qi. Seeing this, Xiao Zhan hoped to obtain a Qi Gathering Powder for him to use when he broke through to Dou Zhe in the future.

Naturally, Xiao Qing would not refuse. The pills he had sent to the Xiao Household over the past two years were already worth far more than the Storage Ring Xiao Zhan had once given him.

But one thing was one thing, and another was another. When Xiao Qing had broken through to Dou Zhe, he would likely have been delayed for some time without the Qi Gathering Powder Xiao Zhan had given him.

Xiao Qing believed that when someone did him a favor, he should honor what he owed them.

But this would be the only time. If Xiao Zhan needed him to do anything else in the future, Xiao Qing would not pay it any mind.

After all, he had repaid Xiao Zhan's kindness. If Xiao Zhan could not see that, Xiao Qing had no reason to concern himself further.

Xiao Qing lifted his eyes from the letter and nodded to Xiao Ding.

"I understand. I'll have someone bring you the Qi Gathering Powder in a couple of days."

Xiao Ding breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been terrified that what he and his second brother had done would cost their third brother the Qi Gathering Powder their father had requested from Xiao Qing.