Chapter 10: Seeking Revenge

Through the unremitting efforts of a daily life resembling that of an ascetic monk, another ten days slipped quietly by, and the pace of Li Chang'an's physical development quickened even further.

By now, his height had reached one and two-tenths meters.

His frame was well-proportioned, his eyes clear and full of spirit; he walked with a majestic stride, exuding a vibrant vitality. Though he wore the cheapest hempen clothes, they were scrubbed thoroughly clean, giving him a refined, ethereal air from a distance, with a temperament and appearance completely different from those children of his own age who were still wallowing in the mud.

If he did not state his age himself, looking at his outward appearance alone, it was doubtful anyone would suspect he was not yet three years old.

In the beginning, the villagers of the settlement were deeply afraid of him, not even daring to approach the main gate of the Li residence, instinctively steering well clear of it.

After all, in the several versions of ghost stories that had recently circulated inside and outside the village, Li Chang'an's identity had already become nigh identical to those legendary mountain deities and spectral monsters.

At any rate, he could not possibly be a normal human being.

However, because they saw him every single day before the break of dawn sitting in meditation and cultivating before his front door, the villagers gradually laid down a portion of their wariness.

Their outlook on the world was simple and plain.

—If Li Chang'an were truly an immortal descended to the mortal realm, or, as the rumors went, possessed by a demon, how could he possibly need to train in the bitterest depths of winter and the scorching heat of summer just like an ordinary man?

Thus from that time onward, any villager passing by the Li family entrance would give Li Chang'an a thumb-up from afar, their mouths full of words of praise.

Since ancient times, though most of those who rid the people of pests met with no good end, they could still usually manage to maintain a decent reputation among the common folk.

When it came to Li Chang'an, although the reputation was somewhat peculiar, it could at least be considered a favorable one.

This was a good thing; fame meant an increase in influence, and according to the knowledge acquired within the academy, influence was also a critical component by which the Reincarnation Mark evaluated one's performance.

The greater the influence, the higher the corresponding score awarded by the Reincarnation Mark.

...

On this particular day, seeing Li Chang'an cultivating alone once more before his gate.

A group of children from the village, not much different from him in age, came running over in clusters of three and five, halting their steps at a distance to hide in a spot they deemed concealed, staring at him with pairs of clear yet foolish eyes.

To this, it was naturally impossible for Li Chang'an to remain unaware.

In truth, this was by no means the first time this band of children had pried; ever since he slew Han Lao-ba, the village youths would frequently gather in small groups to gawk at him.

It would have been one thing to simply watch, but they were also terribly afraid of being discovered by Li Chang'an.

Generally, they would stop from afar, seeking out a seemingly hidden patch of grass, peering through the gaps with curiosity at Li Chang'an, who was clearly of their generation yet appeared so uniquely nonconformist.

Just as he assumed that this time, too, the children would copy their past behavior—peeping from the grass for a time before scurrying away—the group instead plucked up their courage and walked toward him.

Li Chang'an halted his respiration exercises, his gaze shifting toward the few timidly approaching children.

These children were all from the Li Family Village, clad in the same hempen robes, except that while Li Chang'an's own robe was washed to a faded white, it bore few patches.

The hempen robes on these children, however, were almost entirely covered in patches, and the sizes on several of them were particularly ill-fitting, making them look as though they were draped in ragged sacks.

They were filthy from head to toe, most of their faces and bodies stained with mud and other grime, their little countenances slightly darkened and their hair withered and yellow; only their eyes, unlike those of their fathers, remained dark and bright.

The children walked forward slowly until they were not far off, and when they saw Li Chang'an's gaze turn toward them, a look of dread and nervousness surfaced in the eyes of quite a few.

Evidently, they were both curious about Li Chang'an and terrified of him.

One of the boys, lean and shrewd, whose clothing was exceptionally tattered, stepped forward, speaking with a slight touch of false bravado, "Hey, was it you who beat Han Lao-ba to death?"

Li Chang'an could not fathom what these children intended, yet he showed no sign of impatience, replying casually, "What of it?"

Seeing that he did not bare fangs or roar like a beast when he spoke, the boy instantly breathed a sigh of relief, though he quickly composed himself again, putting on airs as he said, "Nothing, we just want to learn kung fu from you. Can you teach us peerless martial arts?"

Hearing this, Li Chang'an was nearly amused to the point of laughter, "Even if I truly possessed peerless divine arts, why should I teach them to you?"

The boy was clearly stumped by the question; after his eyes rolled around several times, only then did he seem to come to a firm resolution, gritting his teeth as he spoke, "We... we can acknowledge you as our Big Brother!"

Pfft!

Do you take me for a kindergarten principal?

Li Chang'an almost failed to keep his composure.

Perceiving that he seemed indifferent, the boy instantly grew angry, turning his head away as he said, "If you won't teach, then so be it! I can learn on my own, I'll create a peerless divine art of my own!"

Seeing the boy turn to leave, an idea suddenly stirred within Li Chang'an's heart, bringing forth certain thoughts, yet after pondering for a moment, he restrained himself admirably, choosing not to reveal it immediately.

If this group of children truly possessed patience and stability of mind, perhaps he really could teach them a few things.

After all, he possessed the cheat-level talent of Defiant Comprehension; as long as he had sufficient inspiration, what he lacked least were all manner of martial paths, cultivation methods, and secret manuals.

He certainly could not exhaust so many cultivation methods and secret manuals by himself, so bringing them out to teach others could well be considered a means of maximizing his benefits.

Of course, Li Chang'an would not display this thought at this time; after all, if he taught them the moment they asked, it would foster in them the mistaken notion that 'cultivation is nothing more than this.'

Only by letting them seek without obtaining, and then granting a bit of sweetness at the appropriate time, could they truly comprehend the preciousness of cultivation.

Aside from this, Li Chang'an also needed to verify their character, lest he accidentally train some great demon who would wreak havoc upon the world, forcing him to clean up the mess himself later on.

For several days following that afternoon, the group of children did not return to spy on him.

It was unclear whether they had truly gone off to create their own cultivation methods, or if they were merely throwing a childish tantrum.

Li Chang'an paid it no mind; after all, if they gave up so easily, then teaching them would be nothing more than a waste of time, and it would be better not to teach at all.

Two days later, a full half-month had passed since Li Chang'an killed Han Lao-ba, and those two kinsmen of Han Lao-ba's finally arrived.

They brought with them dozens of martial arts academy disciples, leading two demonic hounds that stood as tall as half a man.

First, they went to the mountain forest where Han Lao-ba had vanished, conducting a survey and investigation in the vicinity for a short half-day, before finally tracing Han Lao-ba's path of movement straight to the Li Family Village.

Beholding Han Li and Han Fei, who both exuded a murderous aura, along with the two ferocious demonic hounds they held on leashes, the inhabitants of the Li Family Village all showed expressions of stark terror on their faces.

"Listen closely! A while back, our Eldest Brother died mysteriously near your village. We have come here today to investigate the cause of his death!"

Sweeping his gaze over the crowd, Han Li spoke in a loud, somber voice, "Now, everyone return to your homes and open your doors! If this matter has nothing to do with you, then naturally you will not be caught in the crossfire. On the contrary, we are even willing to compensate you with a certain amount of silver!"

"If anyone dares to play any underhanded tricks..." Han Li's voice paused, his eyes narrowing as he spoke in a deathly cold tone, "Then this day next year shall be the anniversary of your death!"