Chapter 1: Beaten to Death

In the Wusheng Kingdom, on the banks of the Wei River, three figures stood facing one another.

Two of these figures were seven feet tall, their bodies covered in bulging muscles. Every movement they made was filled with power; at a single glance, it was clear that these were two martial practitioners.

Standing before these two hulking men was a man of extremely frail build, who appeared all the more thin and fragile in contrast to the two giants.

"You little bastard, hand over this month's stipend and be quick about it."

One of the giants looked at the frail man standing opposite him, a sneer of disdain curling his lips.

"A piece of trash like you, without even a spirit vein, is just wasting that stipend. Hand it over!"

"Absolutely not."

Though the man was frail, his expression was incredibly resolute. In his hand, he clutched a jade bottle tightly; inside, three milky-white spirit pills shone brightly.

Upon seeing these three milky-white spirit pills, a look of blatant greed appeared in the eyes of both giants.

They took a few steps forward, closing the distance until they were only a single step away from the frail man.

The frail man shouted in anger.

"Lin Mo! Lin Ye! You two are nothing but servants of the Lin family's outer estate. To commit an act of insubordination against a superior is a capital offense!"

Hearing this reprimand, Lin Mo and Lin Ye were stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Chu Fengmian, do you really think you’re the head steward of the Lin family's outer estate? You’re just a piece of trash who can’t even cultivate. You only have that position because of the small favor your late grandfather did for the Lin family."

"Hand over your monthly stipend obediently, and we might still listen to you a little. But if you don't, don't blame us for taking it by force!"

Lin Mo laughed loudly.

Here by the Wei River, there was no one around. Even if they did something, no one would see it. Furthermore, even if someone did see, who would dare to intervene and offend the Lin family?

"You little bastard! Hurry up and hand over those three Bone-Tempering Pills."

Lin Ye stepped closer, his voice cold as he sneered.

"Otherwise, you won't be able to avoid a beating."

"Absolutely not!"

A look of despair appeared in Chu Fengmian's eyes, but his hand, gripping the jade bottle, did not loosen in the slightest.

These Bone-Tempering Pills were his last hope for cultivation; how could he possibly hand them over to these two?

"You little bastard! It seems you really don't know what's good for you!"

Hearing Chu Fengmian's answer, the faces of Lin Mo and Lin Ye darkened, and a look of malice could be seen at the corners of their mouths.

"Since that's the case, don't blame us for being impolite!"

Lin Mo wore a ferocious grin as he moved, reaching out to snatch the jade bottle from Chu Fengmian's hand.

"Hand it over!"

Seeing Lin Mo make his move, Chu Fengmian's expression changed. He clenched his right fist and threw a punch at Lin Mo.

"Lingfeng Fist!"

A faint cyan glow appeared on Chu Fengmian's fist—this was the manifestation of spirit power.

In the Wusheng Kingdom, all martial practitioners cultivated spirit power. It was said that those who mastered it could soar through the heavens and move mountains or drain seas.

However, the cyan glow on Chu Fengmian's fist was extremely thin, a sign of insufficient spirit power.

Seeing this punch, Lin Mo's face was filled with mocking laughter.

"As expected of a piece of trash. You can't even use the most basic martial art, the Lingfeng Fist, properly. Let me show you what a real martial art is!"

Lin Mo's eyes shifted, and his figure instantly became agile. He kicked out fiercely toward Chu Fengmian's chest.

"Qingfeng Leg!"

It was an intermediate martial art from the Lin family's outer estate. Although Lin Mo was not proficient in using it, to Chu Fengmian, it was a catastrophic blow.

"Thud!"

Chu Fengmian's body was kicked away, falling to the ground. The jade bottle in his hand fell along with him.

"If you knew this would happen, why resist? You just suffered a beating for nothing."

Lin Ye leaned down, picked up the jade bottle, and said with a smile.

"Head Steward Chu, remember to hand over next month's stipend directly to us when you get back, so you can avoid another beating."

With that, Lin Mo and Lin Ye turned to leave, not even sparing a glance at Chu Fengmian, who lay on the ground.

"Give the Bone-Tempering Pills back to me!"

Chu Fengmian scrambled up from the ground and chased after Lin Mo and Lin Ye. He clenched his fist and threw a punch at Lin Ye.

This sudden strike caught Lin Mo and Lin Ye off guard. By the time Lin Ye turned around, the punch had already smashed into his face.

Instantly, several of Lin Ye's front teeth were knocked out.

"You little bastard! You're courting death!"

Lin Ye spat out a mouthful of blood and threw a punch at Chu Fengmian.

This punch was fueled by rage. The force of the blow sent Chu Fengmian flying to the ground, where he lay unable to move.

"Lin Ye, this kid hasn't even reached the Bone-Tempering Realm. I'm afraid half his life is gone from that punch."

Lin Mo stood to the side, frowning as he looked at Chu Fengmian lying on the ground.

"Young Master Lin only told us to teach him a lesson. If we actually beat him to death, it'll be hard to deal with."

Although Chu Fengmian's status in the Lin family's outer estate was extremely low, he was, after all, the nominal head steward. If he really died, it would be a major affair within the Lin family.

"It shouldn't be. This kid gets beaten up often; he's got a tough life."

Hearing Lin Mo's words, Lin Ye felt a bit uneasy. He walked over, looked at the motionless Chu Fengmian, and kicked him.

"Get up!"

But even after the kick, Chu Fengmian remained lying on the ground, motionless.

It seemed that Chu Fengmian's face was beginning to turn pale.

"He's not breathing..."

Lin Ye leaned down and touched Chu Fengmian's body; there was no sign of life at all.

"What do we do?"

Lin Ye said, sounding nervous.

Given Chu Fengmian's status, if it were discovered that they had beaten him to death, neither Lin Mo nor Lin Ye would escape with their lives.

"Bury him! There isn't a soul within a mile of this stretch of the Wei River. While no one is looking, we'll bury him and say the kid went missing."

"There are plenty of people who want this little bastard dead. As long as it isn't discovered, no one should come looking."

Lin Mo spoke up from the side.

"Fine, let's do that."

Lin Ye nodded. Just as the two of them reached Chu Fengmian to lift his body, a streak of white light suddenly descended from the sky.

The white light took the shape of a human figure.

"Ah!"

Seeing the white light appear, Lin Mo and Lin Ye both screamed, hurriedly dropped Chu Fengmian's body, and ran away as fast as they could.

"That couldn't have been the kid's ghost, could it?"

"Run! He's come to claim our lives!"

Their faces turned pale with terror as they fled in a panic.

However, they did not notice that the white light had entered Chu Fengmian's body. Before long, the color began to return to Chu Fengmian's cyan-tinted face.

The new book has just started. This is a fast-paced, satisfying story. If you brothers enjoy it, please add it to your library. I will update it steadily every day, ensuring everyone has a good time reading.