Trouble reared its head

"Heh heh heh..."

In Ning Hao's courtyard.

Looking at his brimming dantian, he broke into a radiant smile.

After an hour of circulating his qi, he had finally felt the bottleneck of the second body tempering realm loosen.

With the help of the Body Tempering Liquid, Ning Hao had a fifty percent chance of breaking through.

Once he crossed that line, he would be at the body tempering third layer.

Even among the Servant Disciples, he would be a force to reckon with.

Chen Yang was only at the body tempering fourth layer, yet he had held his position as steward of the Servant Disciples for years.

"Shisan, thank you."

He took out the little bottle he treasured above all else-the Body Tempering Liquid Lin Shisan had given him.

Tears streamed down his face, unstoppable.

How many times had it been? It wasn't that he didn't want to advance. He simply didn't dare.

Attempting a breakthrough was like operating on a critically ill patient.

If the first attempt failed, the odds of success on the second attempt would drop by at least half.

If the third attempt also failed, the chances of ever succeeding were practically zero.

Moreover, every failed attempt brought severe aftereffects.

In milder cases, cultivation would stall for three to five months, or even a year or two.

In worse cases, the dao seed would be damaged, and some would be reduced straight to mortals.

For Servant Disciples, opportunities were scarce to begin with. Naturally, they exercised the utmost caution in choosing the best time to advance.

Generally, they wouldn't attempt a breakthrough without making every possible preparation.

They feared failing and becoming mortals. Then their only fate would be to be driven off the mountain.

But Servant Disciples already had poor conditions for cultivation. How could they possibly prepare for everything?

As a result, their cultivation levels were generally low.

They didn't dare.

It wasn't actually that their talent was poor. They simply had too many worries to dare move forward.

Everyone had one head and two shoulders. How much more talented could one person really be than another?

By contrast, those who achieved greatness and ultimately stood laughing above the storms often started as Servant Disciples.

"Whether I succeed or not, I'll remember what you've done for the rest of my life."

Ning Hao held back the gratitude welling in his heart and wiped his tears away with his sleeve.

Judging that the time was about right, he picked up the bottle to swallow its contents and attempt his breakthrough.

Bang, bang...

Just then, urgent knocking sounded at Ning Hao's courtyard gate.

"Ning Hao, it's Old Feng! Open up! I've got something good for you."

He slammed on the brakes.

Ning Hao felt like cursing someone's mother.

He hurriedly pulled the Body Tempering Liquid back out of his mouth. This attempt was almost certainly a wash.

He could only choose another time and try again.

A breakthrough required not only breaking through the bottleneck, but also consolidating afterward. Otherwise, his cultivation foundation would become unstable.

There was no helping it. Loudmouthed Feng Qiufeng was not only from his hometown, but also the man who had brought him to the Azure Cloud Lineage.

Bang...

A beautifully executed shadowless kick suddenly struck Ning Hao in the chest.

He stumbled and fell flat on his back with a thud.

Before he could get another look, the heel of a Caltrop Shoe planted itself squarely on his face.

With a metallic rasp, a Black-Iron Azure Edge was drawn and pressed straight against Ning Hao's throat.

"Old... Old Feng... what are you doing? Drunk again?"

Ning Hao panted heavily.

Then his guilty conscience surged, leaving him unable to string a sentence together.

He saw another person behind Ning Hao: Chen Yang, who had been beaten so miserably by an Outer Sect Disciple.

Several bruises still marked his broad, round face, and a bandage hung around his neck.

Wearing an ugly expression, he walked up to Ning Hao.

"Ning Hao, for Old Feng's sake, I won't make things difficult for you. I hope you'll answer a few questions honestly."

"Uh... heh heh heh... q-questions..."

A chill ran through Ning Hao's heart.

He seemed to realize what the problem was.

Had the lie he'd concocted that day to rescue Lin Shisan finally been exposed?

He forced himself to calm down and squeezed out an awkward smile.

"Boss, ask whatever you like. I promise I'll tell you everything I know and hold nothing back."

"Old Feng, look..."

Ning Hao glanced at the Black-Iron Azure Edge at his throat. "Blades have no eyes. If your hand slips, your brother's life..."

Smack...

Feng Qiufeng didn't say a word.

He flipped the blade over and slammed the sword's hilt into Ning Hao.

Instantly, Ning Hao's face burned with stinging pain.

His ears rang and buzzed.

Feng Qiufeng hadn't held back at all.

"Getting above yourself, are you? Brother?"

"Who's your brother? Even your father has to call me Lord Feng! You're turning the heavens upside down!"

Feng Qiufeng said menacingly, "First question: did you pick up Niu Shan's Storage Ring?"

"Niu Shan's Storage Ring? No... no, I didn't."

Ning Hao no longer dared call Feng Qiufeng his brother.

That fleshy face looked far too unfamiliar.

So unfamiliar that he no longer recognized the man he'd called his brother for over a decade.

After roughly three to five breaths, seeing that Chen Yang said nothing, Feng Qiufeng moved on to the second question.

"Second question: where did you get this bottle of Body Tempering Liquid?"

"Body Tempering Liquid?"

Only then did Ning Hao notice a bottle in Chen Yang's hand.

It was the very bottle Lin Shisan had given him.

Unlike Lin Shisan, he didn't have a Storage Ring.

He had simply left it on the table, where Chen Yang had naturally spotted it at first glance.

"I... I bought it."

Ning Hao answered hastily.

His voice plainly lacked confidence.

He didn't even dare look Chen Yang or Feng Qiufeng in the eye.

"Bought it?"

"This bottle of Body Tempering Liquid costs at least fifty Spirit Stones. A broke bastard like you-what could you buy it with?"

"You couldn't afford it even if you sold your ass until it split open."

"Keep lying, and I'll chop you down with one stroke."

Feng Qiufeng flipped the Green Edge Sword in his hand once more.

Its sharp Sword Qi almost pierced Ning Hao's neck.

"Sigh..."

Chen Yang strolled over, looking as though he could hardly bear to watch.

"Old Feng, we're all brothers here. There's no need to fight to the death."

"Since this question seems a little difficult, let's move on to the third. Did Lin Shisan give you your Body Tempering Liquid?"

"Uh... n-no... he didn't... I bought it myself..."

Ning Hao hastily denied it outright.

But a cold gleam flashed deep in Chen Yang's eyes.

Along with the furious killing intent buried in his heart.

"You worked with Lin Shisan to deceive me that day. This was his thank-you gift, wasn't it?"

"N-no... it wasn't... I didn't..."

"Fuck, Old Feng, you traitorous bastard. Say you didn't one more time, and I'll slit your throat for Brother Yang right now."

Feng Qiufeng cut Ning Hao off.

"I already asked around. Immortal Lord Zhao never summoned Lin Shisan, much less sent a sword-bearing disciple to fetch him."

"You made the whole thing up yourself, you bastard. Or did you have a hand in killing Wu Xiong too?"

"No... no... I didn't..."

Seeing Chen Yang's eyes, Ning Hao couldn't go on.

Wu Xiong was the dead man Lin Shisan had seen in the Clearwater River that day.

Chen Yang slowly crouched down and even used his bandage to wipe the blood from the corner of Ning Hao's mouth.

"Ning Hao, think carefully. Who matters more to you-Lin Shisan or me?"

Then Chen Yang gave his signature devilish smile.

He patted Ning Hao's left cheek, where Feng Qiufeng had struck him with the sword, then turned and strode away. "Ning Hao, you're a smart man. You'll make the right choice."

Crackle, crackle... bang...

In Lin Shisan's courtyard.

He was blasted away by another solid electric shock.

After returning, he had put the Body Tempering Pills into the Little Black Cauldron and begun his utterly merciless electric-shock experiments.

Five electric-arc shocks in a row had almost knocked him unconscious.

There was good news and bad news.

The good news was that he could withstand the electric arcs longer and longer, going from one or two breaths at first to three or five now.

The bad news was that the Body Tempering Liquid in his little bottle had run out. If another shock knocked him out, he would have to tough it out on his own.

"This really burns through money."

"Where can I get some free Body Tempering Liquid?"

Gazing at the bright moon, Lin Shisan muttered to himself.

So, no matter what he did, money was a hurdle he couldn't get around.