Chapter 23: A Friendly Spar

Chapter 23: A Friendly Spar

Outside the carriage, Shen Shiming, seeing Fang Cun remain silent inside, assumed he was afraid. Shen rolled up his sleeves and walked forward with a smirk. “Junior Brother Fang,” he said, “Hiding in the carriage won’t solve anything. You’re the younger brother of a respected Immortal Master. Could you possibly be afraid of me?”

At the front of the carriage, Xiao Qingliu watched Shen Shiming approach with ill intent, his expression turning cold. He gripped the horsewhip tightly. Shen Shiming, an esteemed Academy Disciple, naturally paid no mind to a mere servant. He reached out towards the carriage. But before Shen Shiming could reach it and touch the curtain, a loud laugh erupted from inside.

“Oh? Worked out well, huh?”

Shen Shiming paused for a moment, a forced smile on his face. “Of course! Fellow students should spar, help each other improve!”

Before his words had even fully faded, Fang Cun lifted the curtain and stepped out onto the carriage shaft. He stood looking down at Shen Shiming, flexing his wrists lightly. “Well, Senior Brother Shen,” he said with a smile, “How do you propose we spar? I’m new to the Academy and unfamiliar with the customs. Are we restricted to just techniques? Or can we use anything – blades, spears, swords, halberds… or wild swings?”

He added, “Just to be clear, I don’t know any techniques yet…”

Shen Shiming was taken aback, scrambling for a reply. “Well, since Junior Brother Fang hasn’t learned any techniques yet,” he chuckled awkwardly, “it wouldn’t be fair to use them. However, the Nine Classics include the Classic of Martial Arts. This shows that martial arts are also part of refining one’s Qi.”

“So, we’re allowed to use martial arts?” Fang Cun asked, his smile widening.

“Correct…” Shen Shiming nodded.

Fang Cun laughed. “Great! Why don’t we go behind those trees?” He gestured towards a thicket behind rows of willow trees lining the path.

Shen Shiming felt a flicker of surprise. Glancing towards the willow trees and then back at Fang Cun’s smiling face, he immediately assumed Fang Cun wanted privacy to avoid the embarrassment of being beaten in public. He nodded with a knowing smile. “Makes no difference!”

The two of them walked, one after the other, into the small grove. Fang Cun followed behind.

“Senior Brother Shen…” Fang Cun called out pleasantly.

Shen Shiming turned back. “Yes? This spot should be fine…”

His sentence was cut short. Fang Cun’s fist slammed into his nose with no holding back.

The punch landed solidly, full force.

Shen Shiming had barely registered the movement before intense pain exploded in his nose. Stars flashed before his eyes. A strangled gasp escaped him as he stumbled backward, shock and fury warring within him. He never expected this. But before he could scream an insult, Fang Cun had already closed the distance. Seizing Shen Shiming’s moment of imbalance – staggering, head thrown back, chest and abdomen exposed – Fang Cun swiftly formed his hand into a blade and drove it upwards, smashing hard into Shen Shiming’s throat.

Shen Shiming choked, his head snapping down, his body lurching forward.

Fang Cun brought his knee up, driving it into Shen Shiming’s solar plexus. Then, planting his foot, he snapped it out, kicking hard toward Shen Shiming’s groin.

Having landed the first blow, Fang Cun unleashed an unrelenting barrage. He drew upon various disabling moves from martial training. Though Fang Cun, nearly seventeen now, hadn’t entered the Academy or cultivated any Qi refining techniques until this past fortnight, he had secretly put significant effort into martial arts. His previous performance on the Academy’s Back Mountain – moving flawlessly through snakes and insects with just a sword – had already demonstrated his considerable skill level.

Moreover, he had finally started refining his Qi. Despite the short cultivation time, his powerful Innate Qi granted him significantly enhanced reactions and physical strength. Most notably, even in only half a month, his internal breathing practices had yielded tangible results; he was nearing the limit of the early Refining Breath stage. His movements now were swift and elusive, like a phantom or a darting monkey.

Shen Shiming, caught off guard at the start and then overwhelmed by Fang Cun, saw nothing but a blur of white motion in front of him. In an instant, critical points – nose, throat, heart, neck base, ribs, groin – suffered relentless blows. Pain like tearing bone spread throughout his body. His vision swam, his head spun. Finally, Fang Cun swept his supporting leg out from behind him. Shen Shiming crashed to the ground like a falling gourd.

“This is someone who’s studied at the Academy for two years?” Fang Cun brushed his hands together lightly, looking down at Shen Shiming lying groaning weakly on the ground. He shook his head dismissively. “Overrated!”

He had struck first to seize the advantage, refusing to give his opponent even a sliver of a chance to counterattack. His concern was that Shen Shiming, with two extra years of refining Qi, might possess higher cultivation and restrain him instantly. Yet, after this brief exchange, he immediately realized he might have overestimated the opponent. Shen Shiming was slightly higher in cultivation – Mid-Stage Refining Breath – but that led nowhere. His martial arts skill was lacking, and Fang Cun inflicted heavy damage right from the initial ambush. Shen Shiming had no room to fight back whatsoever.

Honestly, Fang Cun wondered, what had Shen Shiming been doing for those two years?

Perhaps this was the typical standard of a Yuanzhi Pavilion Disciple?

True, Shen Shiming was Mid-Stage Refining Breath – likely capable of the Art of Object Manipulation. Given the chance to use it, he might have turned the tables. But currently, Shen Shiming had one hand clamped over his crotch and the other over his ruined nose. He looked far too busy for any such technique.

Fang Cun shook his head. Grabbing the back of Shen Shiming’s collar, he slowly dragged him out from behind the trees.

Watching Fang Cun emerge, casually dragging Shen Shiming’s body, the other three Academy Disciples accompanying him stared in utter shock. What… happened? Seconds ago, they’d heard a sharp cry followed by a rapid series of thuds from behind the grove. Before they could process the sounds, Fang Cun sauntered out completely unscathed, while Shen Shiming was hauled limply like a dead dog…

A chill ran through them. Fang Cun suddenly seemed deep and unfathomable.

Fang Cun’s tactic – luring Shen Shiming out of sight for a “quick discussion” and then promptly disabling him before dragging him back – served precisely this purpose. He understood these Disciples had two years of cultivation head start on him; any one of them might possess an unexpected trick. Therefore, striking first and absolutely preventing them from witnessing the ambush was crucial. Instead, projecting an aura of unfathomable capability… that was the goal.

Was it deception? No. It was more accurately a natural, innate application of Soul Captivation Art principles! Raw talent!

“Senior Brother Shen!” The Disciples snapped out of their daze after a shocked delay. They rushed forward anxiously, wanting to help Shen Shiming.

“Stop!” A cold voice cut through the air. They looked up and met Fang Cun’s icy, emotionless gaze, like staring into an abyss. The junior Disciples froze instantly, overwhelmed by sheer intimidation.

“Approaching me today,” Fang Cun said, the earlier smile entirely gone, his voice low and chilling, “Was it your idea? Or Yuanzhi’s?” His imposing presence radiated palpable danger.

“W-We…” The young Disciples stammered under the weight of his fierce aura.

Fang Cun easily read their expressions. He suddenly smiled again. “Since we’re ‘sparring’…” His voice turned deceptively light. “…then why not spar together?”

“Huh?” The Disciples gaped, dumbstruck.

Later, Second Young Master Fang smoothed his robes and climbed back into his carriage. Completely refreshed and in high spirits, he leisurely headed home.

Meanwhile, behind the grove, four figures lay in a heap, groaning – faces swollen, bruises blooming brightly.

Disciplining these hangers-on went far more smoothly than dealing with Shen Shiming.

While most Academy Disciples came from wealthy, noble families, there were distinct tiers. The Fang Family of Willow Lake City stood uniquely prominent. Though Immortal Master Fang Chi had tragically perished, his formidable aura hadn’t yet fully faded. The next tier included figures like the City Governor, other nobles, and respected Academy Elder Mentors. Then, following them came several more tiers… until reaching the level of someone like Shen Shiming – a poorly achieving son from a minor family.

It wasn’t through immense confidence that Shen Shiming dared provoke Fang Cun. It was mainly stupidity.

As for the sycophants who trailed him, compared to the Fang Family, they were mere insects.

Shen Shiming had followed Second Young Master Fang into the grove… and his defeat arrived too swiftly, too completely. Consequently, as Fang Cun dealt with the other three, they didn’t even dare lift a hand to resist. In such a hopeless situation, the slight differences in their cultivation base became utterly irrelevant.

Fang Cun looked utterly terrifying. Better just to take the beating quietly.

Cha-ching!

The resonant sound seeped into his mind.

100 Merits…

Observing the new inscription appear on the Celestial Merit Record, Fang Cun finally smiled.

“Merits come surprisingly easy…”

The Celestial Merit Record presented tasks: Instructing (jiao hua) or Teaching a Lesson (jiao xun). One character difference, yet worlds apart in meaning. The Merits offered revealed the disparity: Instructing yielded 3000 Merits – close to slaying a powerful spirit creature!

Fang Cun hadn’t hesitated for a second.

Perhaps his elder brother, encountering such a task, might have chosen the path of instruction? But that mostly earned resentment. Fang Cun absolutely wouldn’t choose it.

Instructing someone? Exhausting!

Teaching a Lesson, however? Dispensed instantly…

Greed was dangerous.

That evening, during his cultivation session, Fang Cun invested the 100 Merits directly into enhancing his Innate Qi flow. Sure enough, he observed it strengthening: advancing from 3.28 inches to 3.29 inches – an increase of a full… hundredth of an inch!

He wasn’t sure if it was illusion, but even that minuscule gain seemed to accelerate his cultivation progress slightly.

“A pity… 100 Merits truly is too little…” Fang Cun shook his head inwardly. What if he had gotten the 3000 Merits for “Instruction”? Just how significant would the result have been? His Innate Qi might have surged directly to 3.58 inches!

At that level, he would have far surpassed the known human limit of 3.33 inches. If his current self was considered an elite among geniuses, what kind of innate endowment would he possess then?

Legend stated that individuals whose Innate Qi exceeded 3.33 inches were incredibly rare phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. The benefits they enjoyed were astonishing. They were the world’s foremost talents, dubbed “Heaven-Blessed Dao Bodies”: cultivating with god-like speed, comprehending the Nine Classics with effortless ease, even endowed with unique Heaven-granted innate talents – like possessing divinely-bestowed supernatural abilities at birth!

When his own Innate Qi finally surpassed 3.33 inches, would he awaken such a gift?

The thought stirred excitement. But remembering the term “Instruction,” he shook his head with a bitter smile.

Teaching fools? That was simply asking for trouble! Such a pity about the Merits…

Deep in sighs of regret, just as Fang Cun felt sleepiness descend… a mental spark ignited.

Perhaps… even without instructing… the Merits could still be earned…