Inheritance

by Gore, A. P.

“Die, you filthy bastard.” He thrust a hand out, piercing Dan Kuang’s chest and coming out the other side with the bastard’s heart clutched in his fist.

  He squeezed, and the heart burst inside his grip.

  “You demon!” Wen Shang sent a palm at him.

  Wei flickered, activating the power of his Gravity Field. Now that his body cultivation was unsealed, he felt like he was one with the earth, that he could sense the domain of the earth all around him. He somehow knew if he activated his Blood Earth Force Divine Art, he could even withstand an attack from a mid-tier Bone Baptization Realm cultivator. But the Marrow Cleansing Realm was a no-go, so he used his Gravity Field as a kind of teleport, slowing everything around him so he could step up right next to Tiang Fu in the blink of an eye.

  Pulling his arm back, he sent a Dragon Swallowing Pain Fist at Tiang Fu.

  Tiang Fu howled and sent a sword strike at Wei. Wood qi fluctuated around the tip of the sword and tore through Wei’s palm.

  Pain shot up Wei’s arm, the muscles in his hand shattering under the intense pressure, and added to the sword piercing his palm, it increased the pain ten times. It was so unbearable that a lesser man would have given up.

  But not Wei. Wei had vowed to kill this bastard, and he pushed his fist toward Tiang Fu with all the pain he felt. A fist image shot from his fist, invading Tiang Fu’s stomach and coming out the other side.

  Blood sprayed out of Tiang Fu’s wound, and he wailed like a madman. “You—” His face went pale because Wei’s fist image had invaded his body with tyrannical strength. Wei could sense it with his divine sense. “You cultivated body as well.”

  “Die.” Wei kicked Tiang Fu’s in the chest, sending him flying away, then thrust backward with the sword he had snatched from Tiang Fu’s grip to where Wen Sheng was attempting to attack him from behind.

  Wen Shang roared and sent a palm at Wei’s sword.

  Sneering, Wei activated the full force of his Gravity Field, making a ten-foot-wide area around him weigh like a mountain. At the same time, he also activated his Blood Earth Force Divine Art. Blood energy burst out of him and merged with the power of earth around his body, forming a shield that had the power of layer six body Foundation Realm cultivation. Somehow, he had broken through five layers of body cultivation while his body cultivation was sealed.

  Swiftly, he pulled four exploding spears from his storage ring and stabbed them together at Wen Shang’s injury.

  Wen Shang’s palm hit Wei’s sword and sent him flying backward, an even greater explosion happened and Wen Shang was sent flying back like a tattered cloth.

  After rolling hundreds of feet, Wei’s body crashed into a stone boulder. His blood was on fire, and the wound in his shoulder had opened up. His right hand was still in bad condition, and there was a physical force inside his body wreaking havoc. It was from Wen Shang’s attack and the explosion, and it had broken many of his meridians. The worst part was his chest felt like a mountain had settled on it. He couldn’t breathe.

  After coughing up some blood and pieces of his internal organs, he felt better. The injuries weren’t severe yet. Thanks to his gravity field, Wen Shang’s attack had been suppressed by one level, and with Wei’s borrowed qi cultivation, unlocked body cultivation, and blood force shield he survived the explosion as well as Wen Shang’s tyrannical attack.

  Pushing his tattered shoes against the broken ground, he activated his Basic Movement Art and burned three hundred blood pearls, charging like a lightning bolt.

  “One Sword Strike.” A horrific pressure built around his sword and descended upon Wen Shang like a dragon piercing the high heavens.

  Chapter 96

  Successively killing two bastards

  In a blink of an eye, Li Wei reached Wen Shang’s position. Wen Shang was in worse condition than him. His right hand was blown up, and a huge hole covered his right midsection. The four spears’ explosion had done their job. That was good.

  Wen Shang gulped a pill, and his bleeding stopped like someone had put a thin film around his injuries. “Junior, you’re too naïve if you think you can kill me with your puny skills.” Wen Shang chuckled. A purple manifestation appeared behind him. It looked like the night sky sprinkled with purple stars. It was the density of Wen Shang’s marrow, and it was unimpressive. He was a weak Marrow Cleansing Realm cultivator.

  Wei frowned. Even after losing his right hand, Wen Shang remained composed and attacked with his left.

  Wen Shang’s left arm clashed with Wei’s sword, and an immense force entered Wei’s body. The palm attack sent Wei flying back a few feet.

  “Junior, you’re an ant in my eyes. With your fake cultivation, you don’t even have the right to stand in front of me. Even if an elephant is injured, an ant can’t kill it. Don’t forget this in the afterlife.”

  Blood leaked from Wei’s eyes, and he pressed his lips together to suppress the physical force rampaging through his body. But it was far more difficult than he expected. Wen Shang was right. It was impossible to kill a Marrow Cleansing Realm cultivator with his cultivation. The gap screamed at him, a gap he couldn’t span with his current cultivation. The gap was huge. Almost impossible to cross.

  After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Wei got up.

  The desire to kill surged through his body, and his blood rushed through his meridians, healing his internal injuries slowly. His healing capabilities had improved thanks to his cultivation increase, but it wasn’t enough to heal his internal injuries entirely, and they still made matters worse for him.

  “Wen Shang, did you forget that an ant can kill an elephant if it enters its ears?”

  “Give up and die.” Wen Shang tried to stand but fell back like he’d lost all strength in his body suddenly. “This . . .” His face flushed, and he tried to rise again, but he couldn’t.

  Wei sneered. “How do you like my present, Wen Shang? Do I have the right to kill you now?” The little present he had set up around the martial stage was coming into effect now. It was a Silver Grade array formation, the Body Paralyzing Array Formation. He had done most of the set up before coming to the martial ground and set up the formation eye while Li Puan fought. When Wei had attacked Wen Shang a moment ago, he’d smashed some Qi Stones around Wen Shang, targeting him with the formation eye. He had held it back as a trump card to use against Tiang Fu, but he needed to use it to kill Wen Shang instead. And this was the perfect time. If Wen Shang was in peak condition, the array formation might not be able to paralyze his body, but now it was possible.

  There was no regret. It was time to kill his target.

  “Basic Movement Art. One Sword Strike.” He dashed forward at top speed. In less than a breath’s time, he was attacking Wen Shang with the full force of his physical cultivation, blood pearls, and his low-level qi cultivation.

  “Stop,” someone shouted, and a sword attack flew at Li Wei. But Wei continued his attack. His sword descended like a lightning bolt and tore through Wen Shang’s neck.

  Wen Shang wore a reluctant expression when he died. Maybe he regretted dying to a Foundation Realm brat, but he couldn’t do anything about it. The spear blast had blown off his right hand and a portion of his stomach, so he was already as good as dead.

  Wei dropped to the ground, and that simple thing saved his life. A sword flashed through the place he had been standing. Even still, he was in bad shape. By burning five hundred blood pearls consecutively, he had torn apart his internal structure, and every injury was worsening with each passing second.

  “I’m sorry, Xue Qi. But he had to die,” he murmured inside his mind. He might not live to take revenge for her, but the blood debt had to be paid.

  “Junior, didn’t you hear my words? I called out to stop you, but you ruthlessly killed someone. Be ready to receive punishment.”

  “Lord Wang, please give me justice.” Du Tenjua’s weak voice struck Wei’s ears, and he stared at the man in surprise. After all this mess, how did that bastard survive? He’d even heale
d his mouth somehow. He must be another protagonist from the novel. The undying one.

  Well, Wei only had himself to blame. He should have killed the bastard when he had the chance.

  “Du Tenjua, what is this mess? And why are you fighting with the Li clan?”

  “Lord.” Du Tenjua coughed, looking miserable, but Wei’s divine sense told him Du Tenjua was doing fine.

  Old Man Wu came forward. “Senior Wang, there is a Destiny Mirror Sect member running away. You should capture him first.” He helped Wei rise.

  Wei stood and leaned against him with gratitude. If he could borrow an official to capture Tiang Fu, that would be great. When the news got out, even if Tiang Fu survived he would face a dire situation in the State of Zin.

  “Who? I don’t see anyone,” the official said. “Why should I believe you?”

  “Senior Wang, are you rebuking my words?” Old Man Wu asked.

  “Yes. You’re supporting a traitor, Wu Xiodia, so don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

  Wei frowned. Without even listening to him, this guy was trying to blame him for a crime he didn’t commit.

  “Lord, this traitor even invited a Marrow Cleansing Realm cultivator to suppress my clan, but something happened between those two and they fought against each other. But their fight has brought disaster to my clan. Lord, you must give me justice by beheading this traitor right away.”

  Wei’s blood boiled, and without considering the consequences, he pulled out his last exploding spear out and stabbed at Du Tenjua’s stomach which was only a foot away.

  A horrific blast erupted and blood sprayed everywhere. Du Tenjua flew backward with a giant hole in his stomach.

  His wails continued until Li Juan dashed forward and sliced off his head.

  “Good work.” Wei chuckled. No, he tried to chuckle, but suddenly his chest caved in as surnamed Wang struck him with a full-force palm attack.

  “You insolent brat. You dare to kill a clan leader in front of me, an imperial guard. If I don’t kill you today, then my name is not Wang Shuang.”

  A light bulb flickered on in Wei’s head. Before heading out for Black Alley Town, he had enquired about the Du clan and Grandfather Shua had said that the Wang clan from Herb Fragrance City had married their daughter to Du Lufang. Was this person related to the same Wang clan?

  He coughed up more blood, and the world seemed to rotate around him as he saw two legs coming at him. It was Wang Shuang, the bastard. If he survived this, he would kill the bastard with his own hands.

  A sword was raised in the air and descended upon him.

  “You dare?” Old Man Wu cried, and a battle started.

  Wei could only hear it, as blackness crowded his vision and using his divine sense proved too strenuous.

  “Stop, you two!” A woman’s voice reverberated through the air. It was Tang Sia.

  “Young master . . .” Fei’er’s voice rang in his ears, and he soon smelled her orchid fragrance.

  Hearing her voice, Wei closed his eyes. With her near, he would survive.

  Chapter 97

  Aftermath

  When Li Wei opened his eyes, he found himself in familiar surroundings. Sunlight streamed through the holes in the shabby roof. A fragrant orchid smell lingered around him, lifting his spirits. It overpowered the medicinal smell of the bandages wrapped around his entire body. The bitter taste of herbs lingered in his mouth.

  He had been in exactly the same setting killing Du Su and opening his eyes in his own room.

  Well, almost the same.

  Fei’er wasn’t here, nor could he hear her soft giggle that eased his soul. Also, his current condition was worse than the last time. The last time, he could feel the stones pricking his back through his bandages, but today he could only sense the vague condition of his body, and that wasn’t good. Even his divine sense seemed sluggish, and he couldn’t stretch it inside his entire body.

  Exhaustion overcame him, and he let himself drift back into an unconscious state.

  When Li Wei opened his eyes again, nothing had changed. But the soft feeling of a bedroll cushioned his back, and his bandages were replaced by a pitch-black robe.

  Glancing around, he found himself on a wooden bed in a corner. Some things inside his room looked different. In fact, the room looked quite different, as if someone had upgraded it with nice furniture and scrubbed it squeaky clean.

  Maybe the Li clan servants had taken care of the room while he was unconscious. They weren’t that bad.

  Wei tried to call out to someone, to check on things, but his voice stuck in his throat. Lack of energy made him weak.

  Sighing inwardly, he closed his eyes and inhaled the fragrance of the orchid on his clothes. It smelled like a young orchid’s first bloom, purer than any other orchid. Fei’er must have made progress in her cultivation. Even the robe smelled like her. She must have sewed it herself. Knowing she was here, warmth spread through his heart. Being with her was a blessing.

  Then, suddenly, that warmth gave way to emptiness. Grandfather Shua. He was gone, and Wei hadn’t been able to save him. His mood dampened. “Grandfather.” Tears rolled out of his eyes. He had the vague sense that many days had passed since the battle with Wen Shang, and that meant he’d missed paying his respects to his grandfather.

  His blood boiled, but immense pain soon overtook him. There was a hindrance to his qi and essence flow, and he sensed that his body wasn’t in any condition to fight.

  Sighing inwardly, he let his tears flow unchecked.

  “Is this how a man cries? It’s been ages since I saw a soft crying man.” A soft voice echoed in the room, followed by the appearance of an alluring figure. Tang Sia, in a clad white dress, walked through the door. But within her alluring face, two cold eyes stared at him as if trying to pierce his mind and read his secrets.

  “Senior, why can’t a man cry? What’s wrong with that?”

  “Isn’t it a display of a weak heart? A man should take revenge instead of crying.”

  “I disagree with senior on this topic. I feel a man should cry as long as he feels emotions. Without emotions, dao is meaningless.”

  Tang Sia’s eyes flashed with a strange light. “What is dao for you? Aren’t you presumptuous, talking about dao at your age?”

  Wei smiled faintly, but even that hurt like needles stabbing his face. “For me, dao is lazy.”

  “So, by crying you’re giving up on revenge and choosing an easy path. Is that your dao?”

  Wei smiled again, but this time it was self-deprecating smile. “You’re wrong and correct at the same time. I’m not giving up on revenge, but I shouldn’t be crying as well. Crying affects my dao, and I should do things that don’t make me cry. Or should I say, I should eliminate things that can make me cry.”

  “This is just empty contradicting talk. On one side, you say a man should cry, and on the other side, you say your dao doesn’t allow you to cry.”

  “It’s complicated, senior. I don’t like crying, but when there is pain in one’s heart, he should let it out. If one keeps suppressing it, he might never achieve dao. And isn’t failure necessary to achieve greatness?”

  “So, are you saying you’d achieve greatness by crying?” She giggled, two rows of white teeth flashing as she smiled. Her smile eased his heart. Sometimes just looking at beauty could make one feel peaceful, and when a beauty is sitting at arm’s length, things just get better on their own.

  “I’m just letting my emotions out. As for the other things, ten years is not too late for a man to take revenge.” He coughed. Talking hurt.

  “What nonsense.”

  He closed his eyes, letting exhaustion overcome him. Tang Sia didn’t know, but he wanted to be a lazy immortal, and to become one he couldn’t cry. This was one of the hurdles in his path to becoming a lazy immortal. He should never cry and always be lazy. Happiness should follow. Being lazy meant being happy and being happy meant not crying.

  It wasn’t just a lifestyle he sought, but
to become the embodiment of laziness, so he had to be powerful enough that no one would make him cry. That’s why he had to grow powerful. More powerful than anyone else. This was his path of dao.

  “You should rest.”

  “Senior, where is Fei’er?” He opened his eyes.

  “Do you know how much of a ruckus you caused by killing an official?” She looked at him with disdainful eyes. “On top of that, you killed an elder from the Destiny Mirror Sect. Their envoy came knocking on the sect master’s door.”

  He sighed dejectedly. It was a job half done. He hadn’t killed that bastard Tiang Fu—the instigator of this mess. “They trespassed in our country. They deserved punishment.”

  Tang Sia chuckled. “Li Wei, you did great. Seeing Tiang Fu in dire straits soothed my heart.” She conjured a chair and sat down next to his bed. “I wish I could kill him. That bastard stole our chance to participate in the Alchemy Comprehension Tower, but look at them. He lost his brother inside, and his sect master had to pay a hefty price to get him back. But how did you do it with your current cultivation?”

  Wei smiled. “I cultivate body as well, senior. But did you capture Tiang Fu?” He shook his head slightly. “Senior, please tell me what happened after you arrived with Fei’er.” The last thing he’d heard was her voice.

  Tang Sia tapped on the edge of the wooden chair’s arm. “After you fainted, Wang Shuang tried to kill you, but I stopped him. Then we captured Tiang Fu. Wang Shuang was pissed off because you killed Du Tenjua. This has disturbed many high-ranking elders in the Wang clan.”

  “Why does the Divine Fragrance Palace care about a mere Wang clan?” He paused. “Wait, is it the same Wang clan from the sect?” He remembered Grandfather once talking about the Wang clan being one of the important clans from the Divine Fragrance Palace.

  “Yes. It is the same. Your Li clan had to let the other members of the Du clan go because of this relationship.”

  Wei sighed. Having connections was a good thing. “Senior, thank you for your help. If you hadn’t arrived there, I would have died. But I find it surprising that you just happened to visit Old Martial City in the nick of time. Did you come to transport the Earthly Fruit Tree?” Her timing was too coincidental.