The four trembled with rage, frustration, anger, and fear mingling on their faces. They had never expected that even after they had swallowed so much humiliation to keep the peace, Li Feng still refused to relent, or that Zhao Tao would dare humiliate them like this.
A man could be killed, but not humiliated. Remembering their agreement the night before, they slammed the table and sprang to their feet.
Bang!
The four struck the tabletop furiously, sending violent ripples through the medicinal meals on it.
One of them glared at Li Feng and launched straight into a tirade. "Li Feng, don't think a little talent makes you something special! With Lin Fan as their boss, two of his men have already reached the entry level of Iron Cloth Shirt. And you? What have you done besides demand benefits and cut off our path in martial arts? How do you act like a boss in any way? You're nothing but a selfish, self-serving scumbag!"
"Exactly! You're using our path in martial arts as nourishment for yourself. What good is a boss like that?"
"From now on, you take your broad, sunlit road, and I'll cross my own single-log bridge!"
The other three spoke up in turn, resolute in their refusal to remain Li Feng's lackeys.
A savage smile curled Li Feng's lips. A mere four pieces of trash dared defy him?
Before he could move, Zhao Tao sprang up and swung a slap at the nearest of them.
"You ungrateful pieces of trash! How dare you shout at Brother Li? I'll kill you!" he bellowed, excitement flashing in his eyes.
Their betrayal was a tremendous blessing for him. From now on, he would be Li Feng's only underling. Once Li Feng became a Human Stake, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he pleased here with Li Feng backing him?
The thought filled him with excitement, and he put a little more force into his hand. Now was his chance to prove himself.
Smack!
The ringing slap resounded through the dining hall. A handprint appeared on the victim's face, and his eyes instantly reddened, blazing with towering fury.
"Zhao Tao, I'll kill you!" he roared, lunging at Zhao Tao, only for a foot to send him flying. Li Feng had acted.
With his Iron Cloth Shirt approaching minor accomplishment, his strength already exceeded three hundred jin, far beyond that of an ordinary person.
The man crashed through a swath of tables and chairs and lay on the floor, howling in pain.
The other three, who had been about to strike, felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over them from head to toe. Their bodies went cold.
"Get lost if you don't want to die!" Li Feng's voice was icy.
The three could only retreat in utter humiliation, not daring to touch any of the medicinal meals on the table.
Zhao Tao strutted like a victorious rooster. "You four pieces of trash had better hand over your medicinal meals obediently from now on, or I'll make you wish you were dead!" he clamored arrogantly.
The four clenched their teeth, the enormous humiliation driving them almost mad with hatred, yet they were utterly powerless.
Clap, clap, clap...
Sudden applause echoed through the hall. Lin Fan and his roommates were clapping, their faces full of mockery.
"What a fine show." Lin Fan chuckled.
"Brilliant. Truly brilliant." Wang Wu waggled his eyebrows.
"Interesting. Very interesting," Meng Lin teased.
They could not get enough of this sort of dog-eat-dog spectacle.
Li Feng swept his piercing gaze toward them, but how could Lin Fan and the others be frightened of him?
Zhao Tao rolled up his sleeves, ready to beat someone up, but lost his nerve when he met Lin Fan's half-smiling expression. His face ached faintly, that slap still vivid in his memory.
With the interlude over, the main act began. Everyone climbed to the top of the slope and rolled down again, officially beginning their training.
Watching his progress steadily increase, Lin Fan was full of anticipation for the future. Major accomplishment was already within reach.
At noon, in the dining hall.
The moment Li Feng's four roommates received their medicinal meals, they poured them straight into their mouths. It was already too late for Li Feng to stop them.
Zhao Tao flew into a rage, rolled up his sleeves, and swung another slap at one of them.
But the four struck together, kicking him viciously away. Zhao Tao crashed through a cluster of tables and chairs and lay groaning on the floor.
Burning with fury, Li Feng struck without hesitation and knocked all four to the ground. If killing had not carried such serious consequences, giving him much to be wary of, all four would already have been corpses.
Zhao Tao climbed to his feet and attacked the four on the floor like a rabid dog, slapping them over and over until their faces swelled into pig heads.
Lin Fan and his four companions found their appetites whetted, each eating an extra bowl of rice. What a perfect accompaniment to a meal. Truly perfect.
Evening came, and it was mealtime again. This time, Li Feng was prepared. He first knocked the four to the ground, then drank their medicinal meals.
Zhao Tao punched and kicked the four like a rabid dog.
Their eyes were scarlet and filled with hatred, but they were powerless to resist.
Lin Fan and the others happily watched the show, eager to see how things would develop. After all, even a dog would bite when driven into a corner, and a person pushed too far could do anything.
Lin Fan saw the profound hatred in their eyes and could not help secretly looking forward to it.
After eating and soaking in the secret medicinal solution, Lin Fan returned to the slope to train. Li Feng did the same, while everyone else went back to the dormitories to rest.
In Li Feng's dormitory, four people sat together, their expressions gloomy, furious, crazed, or aggrieved.
"What do we do? At this rate, we'll never reach the entry level of Iron Cloth Shirt!" one of them spoke first, his tone heavy.
"Fuck! Li Feng and Zhao Tao aren't leaving us any way to survive! At this rate, forget reaching the entry level of Iron Cloth Shirt-we'll be lucky if they don't beat us to death!" another roared furiously, smashing his fist into a bed board.
His words silenced the other three. The pain from their injuries reminded them that their bodies could no longer bear the burden.
"Fuck them!" the darkest-skinned fellow cursed. "We'll end up packing our bedding and leaving anyway. We might as well go all the way and collect a little interest from Zhao Tao first!" he said, looking crazed.
His words lit up the other three's eyes at once, but that light quickly dimmed again.
"Dealing with Zhao Tao is easy, but what about Li Feng?" one asked fearfully.
"We're leaving anyway. Once we've dealt with Zhao Tao, we'll run. The county town is so big-can Li Feng turn the whole place upside down?" the dark-skinned youth said through gritted teeth.
The three were tempted again, but when they thought of having to flee to the ends of the earth, they still could not make up their minds.
Just then, a loud bang startled them. The door was kicked roughly open, and Zhao Tao stood in the doorway, sweeping them with a contemptuous gaze.
"You four pieces of trash, hurry up and bring in my clothes and Brother Li's! Are you sitting here waiting to die?" As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves to slap them again, completely failing to notice the killing intent blazing in their eyes.
"Zhao Tao, fuck your mother! I'll kill you!" the dark-skinned youth roared, driving a fist toward Zhao Tao's face.
Not to be outdone, the other three pounced on Zhao Tao as well, raining frenzied punches and kicks down on him.
Zhao Tao was instantly stunned by the beating. His eyes nearly split with rage, his fury soaring to the heavens. "You four worthless dogs dare bite your master? When Brother Li comes back, I'll make sure he kills you!"
"Fuck! I'll kill you first!"
"Kill him!"
"At worst, we'll flee to the ends of the earth!"
Their reason was completely submerged, and their blows grew harder. The agonizing pain brought Zhao Tao to his senses. Terror spread across his face, and he began begging for mercy.
"Stop hitting me! I was wrong! I won't dare do it again!"
"Spare me! Please, stop hitting me!"
But the four, already lost in madness, wanted only to vent their anger, their blows growing harder and harder.
Zhao Tao's pleas grew quieter and quieter, until at last he fell utterly, utterly silent.