While Su Li didn’t have the energy to walk straight, pain no longer pervaded her body; to walk, Ming Feizhen would need around fifteen more minutes. Finding herself in Hua Qing’s arms, she queried, “Brother Hua, what am I…?”
Hua Qing couldn’t answer because he was still trying to make sense of Ming Feizhen’s “magic”.
Ming Feizhen patted Hua Qing on the shoulder. “Stop spacing out. If you have time to kill, take my sister-in-law to the side and enjoy the entertainment.”
Su Li bashfully chided, “Who’s your sister-in-law?”
“Y-yeah, what she said. We haven’t gone through the ceremony yet.”
“You’re no better than him!”
Hua Qing hurried to his feet. “I-I didn’t mean to make light of it. I was…”
“Young Master Hua, you’re fine, too!”
Until Su Li pointed it out, Hua Qing didn’t notice a gentle, yet potent, internal energy coming in from outside his body that prevented his injuries from deteriorating. Because he obtained his energy from the Buddhist relic, it was essentially obtained through a cheat. Thus, he was bound to lose is within ten days and shave off his lifespan. Ming Feizhen’s shoulder pat stopped his injuries worsening, but it wasn’t enough to repair all the damage suffered.
Walking off, Ming Feizhen wagged his hand. “Relax. I’ll help you later.”
“You… have tamed the aggressive energy?”
Ming Feizhen stopped. “And if I have?”
Tears coursed down from Yungu’s eyes affixed on Ming Feizhen. “It’s you… It’s you. We’ve been searching so long for you!” She cast her eyes towards heaven and choked out, “General… I have finally found your son…”
“I don’t know what has stirred you emotionally,” Ming Feizhen interjected.
“Young Master, I was rude to you, but please believe I am unwaveringly faithful to y-”
“I don’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth. Even if you speak the truth, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“Do you not kn-”
“I don’t.” Ming Feizhen looked to Yungu out of the corner of his eyes.
The only other person who had made Yungu flinch with was her leader.
Yungu: What realm has Young Master reached…?
“I was born without parents and won’t have parents in the future. Suffice to say, if someone claims to be my parent, they’re more than likely a liar.”
“No, no.” Hurt and flustered, Yungu stuttered, “Y-you have parents, both of whom were respected heroes to thousands upon thousands of people. They are the nicest people you could ever meet. If they were still alive, they would be doting on you every moment they have; they would never let you become an orphan if they could help it.”
“… I’m not an orphan… As far back as I can remember, my shifu raised me. I share his surname. My shiniangs have taken care of my domestic needs. My shifu trained me in martial arts. They treat me as if I’m their child. I don’t feel like I’m an orphan.” Ming Feizhen stepped away twice, then stopped. “If you’re telling the truth, I appreciate it. When you burn paper, let them know I’m doing well.”
“You! You cannot do this!” The formation had yet to be dispelled, so Yungu couldn’t move freely yet, but she was so freaked out that she found the strength to crawl over and grab Ming Feizhen’s boot. “Do you know how heralded your father was? Do you know how mighty he was? Do you know how unjust and humiliating his death was…?” Yungu felt a draft on the back of her neck, then passed out, yet her face remained red.
“A touching show, is it not? Why not let her finish?” Miguo questioned from below.
“She just has the wrong person.”
Miguo meandered up the platform, hostility worn on his sleeves as though the previous events were but an illusion. He placed his hands together anterior to his chest. His left hand that Ming Feizhen crushed was still there, except it was a size smaller than his right hand. They both reached Divine Realm one after another through different means and obtained the ability to defy the laws of nature. In Divine Realm, they called the ability “Still Chaos Void”. His proficiency with it paled compared to Ming Feizhen. Therefore, he used Karama and Vajra Realm to reinforce his shattered hand. Howbeit, losing size was the unavoidable price to pay.
“Nice handiwork. In the short time I had to talk, you’ve grown a new hand.”
Miguo smiled. “This one has you to thank.”
“Then… you good now?”
“When have I not been?”
Miguo coiled up, then launched himself at Ming Feizhen, fist occupying Ming Feizhen’s field of vision. Not only was he quick, but his punch generated a gale that would’ve taken his target’s head right off their shoulders. The product wasn’t attributed solely to his Divine Realm achievement but also an increase in sheer brute strength – the relic bequeathed him with one hundred and twenty years’ worth of internal energy.
As dust on the platform rose into walls, Miguo believed he’d deal meaningful damage even if he didn’t break Ming Feizhen physically if the latter took it head on.
The qi breaker settled, revealing Miguo and Ming Feizhen. Miguo’s fist was on Ming Feizhen’s chest. Ming Feizhen’s arms were crossed.
Miguo: “?”
Ming Feizhen: “?”
“Were you already immobilised by previous injuries?”
Ming Feizhen stood there with a straight face for a second or two, then whipped Miguo’s shoulder with a roundhouse, sending the big monk into the stone pillar. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
Miguo vigorously brushed aside the rubble to get up. “How are you unscathed, then?!”
Miguo discharged golden energy to blast the stone around to smithereens. His power had been amplified several folds, so it was understandable for his next punch to fly even faster.
The redness that came to Ming Feizhen’s eyes drove out the golden light that entered from Miguo’s fist, but the punch quickly drove the redness out when it crashed into its target.
Miguo: “?”
Ming Feizhen: “?”
“Have you finally b-”
Ming Feizhen rolled up his sleeve, then blitzed Miguo over the head. “Piss off!”
Glossary
Burn paper – As an offering to the dead, people burn paper resembling money during the Qingming Festival.
