Proofreader: Liang Yaping, Peter Gong

“Sough—- sough—-” From a distance came a rustling sound…

A youngster in yellow was sweeping the fallen leaves placidly. He was Ling Changkong, a disciple of Qishan School. It was a little weird for an enlisted disciple to be raking leaves here. However, this was a commonplace to the lad. It was far superior to his previous life.

He lost his parents since childhood, drifting, stranded, once almost frozen to death in the severe winter, and nearly starved to death in the midsummer. Had it not been for kind people’s help, he simply would not survive now.

Living a life of hardship, deprivation and hunger, he had managed to live to the age of five.

He still remembered, when he was five years old, the whole country was famine-stricken at that time. Even the ordinary were underfed, let alone he was merely an anchorless orphan.

For a living, he had to go deep into the remote mountains and woods to pick wild vegetables and dig tree roots for appeasing his hunger. It was then that he met a hungry tiger, and almost became its rations.

But when the tiger was about to pounce on him, a streak of sword light fell from above and the tiger was slain. Then, a handsome young man with a long sword descended slowly and it was he who beheaded the tiger.

From then on, Ling Changkong’s fate began to change.

Seeing the young man actually killed the tiger, Ling Changkong was very shocked. After he came to himself, Ling Changkong quickly ran and kowtowed to his savior. The man saw that he was comely and sensible, and had a good bone for cultivation, he was so glad that he brought Ling Changkong back to the sect.

Ling Changkong later learned that the young man turned out to be a friar, and the lineage to which he belonged was one of the Ten Celestial Lineages of the states in the west—Qishan School. Since then he became a formal student of Qishan school.

After joining Qishan School, Ling Changkong was found to have meridian occlusion by Presbyter of the sect. Ling simply could not practice any sort of martial arts or skills, unless there was incredible medicine for him to baptise the marrow, or he would be even inferior to peripheral disciples of the lowest level.

But the elixir couldn’t be found easily, even Qishan may not have access to it, and it would not give him an ordinary disciple to change his life even if it really had this kind of incredible medicine. Sheltering him was a great boon.

Master Zhao Qian just gave him a Xuandan (It is a kind of magical pellet in Taoism), encouraged him, and helped him to break through into the first stage of friar. And that handsome young man also disregarded him, letting him run his own course.

Although he knew that his meridians were blocked and could not practice, he did not give up. He had to practice austerities for three hours every day, which lasted for ten years.

Now ten years had passed, and Ling had become more upright and comelier, but he was still at the first stage of friar, making no progress at all. Ten years of hard work seemed to be only a fragile dream.

And in this decade, what he did was only such things as sweeping floor, chopping wood, fetching water and making a fire…. He did the work of a servant, but fortunately since he was accustomed to the harsh life as a vagabond, he did not harbor any complaint about it.

It was okay for him to just do odds and ends, but his senior fellow brothers began to bully him. At first just enlisted disciples, later the peripheral, finally even the servants of Qishan also dared to tease him.

In this world where the fist was the only currency Ling Changkong was only the first stage of friar and still could not be trained, so he was destined to be bullied. Fortunately, Qishan School had regulations: “No private fighting and no killing”. There were also restrictions between those subordinates. And along with the incredible experiences, Ling Changkong managed to live in Qishan for ten years.

Surely enough, Song Qing was not a person who would grin and bear it. Now he had to endure for lack of martial arts. But he believed that one day he could become stronger by practicing, and trample those who had toughly bullied him, which was one of the reasons for his persistent practice.

He never gave up!

This moment, Ling Changkong stopped cleaning the fallen leaves for a while.

Around him, three lads who were about the same as his age, wearing yellow clothes as well, were Qishan disciples.

“My three senior fellow disciples, what can I do for you?” Ling Changkong naturally understood the three boys’ intention, but he still bowed to them and asked respectfully.

“Hum! Ling Changkong, do you think you can avoid a good hiding by putting on such an affectation?” A head among the three people coldly snorted, looked at Ling disdainfully, and yelled.

“Liang Mingzhi, don’t talk nonsense with this rubbish. These days I was ordered by Master to shut up and practice. I am itching to free myself.”

Another teenager seemed to be impatient, clenching his fist and making a bang.

“Ok, Li Xuanming, let’s stretch our muscles.”

Upon hearing his companion’s urging, Liang grinned. The three guys moved up to Ling Changkong. Some kicked him, and some punched him, beating him black and blue.

To the move of three people, Ling Changkong seemed to have predicted early. He did not have a flinch, and threw the broom immediately with both hands holding his head, allowing to be punched and kicked by them.

According to his past experience, in such a situation, he should crawl to the ground to protect his vital part. But now he was on a steep hill, much as it was broad, it would be terrible to fall down if he were not careful enough.

Just because of this, facing Liang Mingzhi and the other people’s airtight attack, Ling Changkong was just holding his head, allowing them to abreact.

“Boom!”

Li Xuanming suddenly gave him a punch, a trace of cyan light flashing by his fist, and he could not help sobering down a little. However, he seemed not to notice that and aimed a punch at Ling Changkong’s lower abdomen.

Suffering this violent punch, Ling Changkong could not refrain from turning pale, being driven directly out, bumping into the big tree that three people can embrace, and until then he just stopped.

The big tree shook several times, and leaves fell like rain!

“Poof!”

Under the cover of fallen leaves, Ling Changkong’s pale face suddenly blushed and he vomited a mouthful of blood, and his face became colorless.

“Li Xuanming, why did you use the power of Deities Realm?!” Liang Mingzhi, whose facial expression changed, shouted at Li Xuanming, “If he died, we would be punished even if we would not be expelled.”

“Hey, brother Liang, I just broke through the Deities Realm, and I didn’t control it well just now.” Li Xuanming smiled sheepishly, scratching his head and explaining to Liang.

”Now stop! Let’s get out of here!”

At this time, Liang Mingzhi was very anxious, having no mood to listen to Li Xuanming’s explanation. He waved his hand to them, and then walked away in a hurry, just like a criminal running away from a crime scene.

“Remember, if there’s something wrong with Ling Changkong and Master investigates this matter, we should unanimously say that we just play martial arts at the back of the mountain, and absolutely have not seen that guy. Do you all remember?” Liang Mingzhi told the other two people.

“I see.”

“Brother Liang, don’t worry. We know how to do.”

Hearing Liang Mingzhi’s enjoining, the faces of the other two people brightened up at the moment. With a smile on their faces, the two men nodded in response, disappearing in a twinkling of an eye.

Seeing the three leave, Ling Changkong did not stand up. He still nestled under the tree, with a sombre and uncertain look. As for the three people’s words, Ling Changkong heard them clearly.

Ling Changkong’s eyes flickered. His right hand gripped the ground tightly and his fingers fell into the ground. He was filled with resentment. He thought angrily, “Fortune knocks once at least at every man’s gate. Someday I will rise to power and take vengeance. Don’t think I am really afraid of you with a body of blocked meridian!”