In the Small Woods

In a small patch of woods at the eastern end of Hidden Dragon Village, a young man and a young woman stood facing each other.

Illustration

"Qianqian, have you made up your choice?"

The youth looked at the maiden with eyes full of anticipation.

"I have."

The maiden lowered her head, not daring to meet the youth's gaze.

Hearing the maiden's reply, the youth's body involuntarily trembled.

"Ye Fei, I'm sorry. My father has already accepted the betrothal gifts from the Wang Household."

The maiden whispered in explanation, her face full of remorse.

"Heh!"

"I don't blame you."

Ye Fei clenched his fists tightly, but quickly relaxed them and gave a bitter smile.

"Ye Fei, I'm sorry, I truly am!"

"I know you aren't reconciled to this, but I have no choice either."

"My father said that Wang Hai's grand-uncle is a law enforcement elder of the Void-Surpassing Gate. Once I follow him and enter the Void-Surpassing Gate, my path will be smooth sailing all the way."

"My father also said that one can attain immortality after practicing cultivation."

"Immortality, do you understand?"

Ye Fei's reaction made a pang of pain ripple through the maiden's heart, and she hurriedly explained again.

"Heh!"

"Immortality, you say?"

"I understand. How could I, Ye Fei, not understand this?"

"I called you out here today simply to know whether you were doing this of your own accord."

"Now it seems you must be doing it willingly."

"Since that's the case, then I wish you, Liu Qianqian, and Wang Hai both a long life."

Ye Fei gave a self-deprecating smile, the whole person appearing much lighter. Inadvertently, he even changed the way he addressed Liu Qianqian.

"Ye Fei, how about I give you my body?"

"Rest assured, even if I marry Wang Hai, my heart will forever belong only to you."

The change in the way Ye Fei addressed her made Liu Qianqian's jade-like body tremble.

Seeming to have made up her mind, she reached out, untied the silk ribbon at her waist, and pulled off her bodice.

In an instant, a patch of smooth, snow-white skin came into Ye Fei's view.

Although Liu Qianqian was only fifteen years old, her skin was white as snow and her figure was curvaceous. The full swells on her chest were even more firm and rounded, much more mature than her age suggested.

Where had Ye Fei ever witnessed a scene like this? His breathing instantly grew hurried.

His mouth went dry in an instant, and the urges within his heart became unbearable.

"Ye Fei..."

Feeling Ye Fei's hot and hurried breathing, Liu Qianqian's voice trembled and her eyes grew hazy.

"Qianqian!"

Ye Fei could no longer restrain himself, pulling Liu Qianqian hard into his embrace.

"Ye Fei, please... be... gentler."

Feeling Ye Fei's strong arms, Liu Qianqian slowly closed her eyes and let Ye Fei do as he pleased.

"Ye Fei!"

"Liu Qianqian!"

"Get out here right now!"

Just as Ye Fei had stripped Liu Qianqian bare, an angry male voice rang out from outside the woods.

"Stop quickly, Ye Fei! Wang Hai is here!"

Liu Qianqian hurriedly grabbed Ye Fei's arm, a look of anxious panic on her face.

"Hurry and put your clothes on; I'll go block him."

Ye Fei calmed down in an instant and nodded at Liu Qianqian.

He straightened the clothes that had been somewhat mussed by Liu Qianqian while walking out toward the edge of the woods.

Just as Ye Fei stepped out of the small woods, he was in the middle of fastening his waistband.

"A pair of adulterous dogs!!!"

"Today I'll finish you off for sure, you bastard!!!"

Seeing Ye Fei's action of fastening his waistband, Wang Hai's eyes turned bloodred as he threw a punch straight at Ye Fei's face.

Ye Fei did not dodge; he merely frowned and reached out to catch Wang Hai's fist.

Then he gave a gentle shove, causing Wang Hai to nearly land flat on his bottom, stumbling back several steps before barely managing to steady himself.

Ye Fei, Liu Qianqian, and Wang Hai were all people from Hidden Dragon Village, and all three of them were fifteen years old this year.

Hidden Dragon Village was located on the outskirts of Mount Hongcang, not far from the cultivation sect known as the Void-Surpassing Gate.

Every three years, the Void-Surpassing Gate would come to the surrounding villages to test the spiritual roots of youths aged twelve to fifteen.

Children with spiritual roots would be sent to the Void-Surpassing Gate to practice cultivation.

When the immortals from the Void-Surpassing Gate came last time, the three of them had not yet reached the required age and did not participate in the testing.

Yesterday, the immortals of the Void-Surpassing Gate came to the village once more, and all three of them underwent spiritual root testing.

To everyone's surprise, Ye Fei-who was immensely talented in martial arts and already a master of dark-tier internal energy-failed to test for any spiritual roots and could not cultivate.

Yet Liu Qianqian, who lacked the strength to truss a chicken, and Wang Hai, who had been a wastrel since childhood, were both tested and found to have spiritual roots.

Furthermore, both of them possessed the rare dual spiritual roots.

Liu Qianqian possessed water and earth dual spiritual roots, while Wang Hai possessed metal and wood dual spiritual roots. Both possessed exceptional cultivation talent.

This result dealt a heavy blow to Ye Fei.

Because Ye Fei lacked spiritual roots, Liu Qianqian was forced by her father, Liu Dashuan, into accepting an engagement with Wang Hai.

After all, Wang Hai's grand-uncle was a law enforcement elder of the Void-Surpassing Gate. With Liu Qianqian following Wang Hai, she could be considered to have found a backing.

The moment Ye Fei heard this news today, he immediately called Liu Qianqian out to the small woods.

That was how the earlier scene came to pass.

"Ye Fei!"

"I am going to be an immortal master soon, so you'd better stand obediently right there and let me beat you, or else I'll make you wish you were dead and unable to die."

Pushed aside with ease by Ye Fei, Wang Hai turned red with rage and glared furiously at Ye Fei.

"Save those words for after you actually become an immortal master."

Ye Fei glanced at Wang Hai with disdain.

Although Wang Hai possessed spiritual roots, he had been lazy and idle since childhood and had never practiced martial arts a day in his life. How could he possibly be a match for Ye Fei?

Ye Fei simply didn't take him seriously at all.

"Ye Fei!"

"You go too far!"

Feeling Ye Fei's disdainful gaze, Wang Hai could no longer contain the fury in his heart and threw another punch at Ye Fei.

"Noisy!"

As Wang Hai struck out once more, Ye Fei couldn't be bothered to exchange further words with him. He took a fierce step forward, tilted his head to dodge Wang Hai's fist, and lightly struck Wang Hai in the lower abdomen with a single punch.

Yet even so, Wang Hai was sent flying over a zhang away by Ye Fei's single blow, crashing heavily onto the ground where he directly passed out cold.

Looking at the unconscious Wang Hai, the corners of Ye Fei's mouth twitched involuntarily.

He hadn't expected Wang Hai to be so fragile; he had only used one-tenth of his strength just now.

"Ye Fei, you should hurry and leave. The Wang Household has immortal masters now, and once Wang Hai wakes up, he will definitely have an immortal master come make trouble for you."

Having finished dressing and emerged from the small woods, Liu Qianqian had witnessed the entire scene of Ye Fei knocking Wang Hai unconscious.

She paid no heed to the fallen Wang Hai, looking at Ye Fei with worry in her eyes.

"So what if they are immortal masters? I, Ye Fei, am not afraid!"

Ye Fei let out a disdainful, cold snort.

"I know you aren't afraid, and I know you're very strong."

"But don't you have to think of Uncle Ye?"

"If you remain in the village, he will definitely be targeted by the Wang Household."

"Hurry and leave. I'll watch over things here; once you're gone, I'll call the people from the Wang Household to carry Wang Hai back."

Liu Qianqian sighed softly, urging him in a gentle voice.

"Qianqian, you..."

Liu Qianqian's gentle voice warmed Ye Fei's heart, and he wanted to say something.

But the moment the words left his mouth, Liu Qianqian cut him off.

"Ye Fei, I know what you want to say."

"Although I also want to be with you, some things are not for you or me to decide. I hope you can understand."

"Hurry and leave."

"If we are fated, you and I will naturally have a chance to meet again."

A look of sorrow crossed Liu Qianqian's face as she urged him once more.

Helpless, Ye Fei cast one deep look at Liu Qianqian before turning and leaving.

"Uncle Ye, this is all I can do to help you."

Watching Ye Fei's receding back, Liu Qianqian let out a helpless sigh.

At the southernmost end of Hidden Dragon Village, as Ye Fei stepped into a dilapidated wooden hut, a blind middle-aged man sat calmly before the table.

"Did you beat Wang Hai?"

Hearing the sound of Ye Fei entering, the blind middle-aged man spoke up first.

"Father, how did you know?"

Hearing the middle-aged man's inquiry, Ye Fei was quite taken aback.

"How I know isn't important. Your father also knows you have a sense of proportion in your blows, but at a juncture like this, beating Wang Hai was rather unwise."

Without explaining the reason, the middle-aged man spoke with a calm expression.

"Is Father afraid?"

Ye Fei asked with a frown.

The attitude of the middle-aged man before him differed from usual when he gave guidance.

In the past, the middle-aged man often said that those who practiced martial arts should live passionately and seek swift vengeance. Those who bullied the weak and feared the strong deserved a beating, and when one encountered injustice on the road, one should draw a sword to help.

Even when meeting formidable opponents and suffering humiliation, one had to fight to the death and never tarnish the reputation of a martial artist.

"Haha!"

"Afraid?"

"There is nothing in this world that can make me, Ye Canglong, afraid; I am simply worried about you."

Ye Canglong laughed heartily, showing not the slightest trace of fear.

"Father isn't afraid, and neither am I!"

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, Ye Fei felt a weight lift from his heart, his expression one of fearlessness.

"Father knows you aren't afraid."

"Death is the ultimate fate of all men, but it cannot be met in such a manner."

Ye Canglong stood up, placing his hands behind his back, and faced Ye Fei with an expression of disappointment in his son's failure to live up to expectations.

"Father said that when encountering injustice, even against a formidable enemy, one must fight to the death!"

"So what if the Wang Household has immortal masters?"

"If I fight it out, I am a man with a backbone forged of iron, and I will die without regrets!"

Ye Fei puffed out his chest, utterly undaunted.

"Silly child, I was only speaking generally. If you truly encounter an unconquerable enemy, you must know when to make compromises."

"Come, smash this stone pillow to pieces."

Groping his way to a wooden bed against the wall, Ye Canglong pointed to the white stone pillow resting at the head of the bed and said with a smile.

"Why smash it for no good reason?"

Ye Fei walked forward, his face full of puzzlement.

"Smash it and you'll understand."

Ye Canglong said with a smile.

Since his old man had put it that way, Ye Fei hesitated no longer. He lifted the stone pillow in both hands and hurled it fiercely down onto the floor.

"Bang!"

"Crash!"

In an instant, stone fragments flew everywhere, and the hard stone pillow was smashed to pieces by Ye Fei in a single blow.

As the stone pillow shattered, a purple-hued jade plaque flew out from among the broken stones and landed on the ground nearby.