The Vice Sect Master, the man Wen Ran had so desperately wanted to get talking, remained silent, feigning unconsciousness. Wen Ran wasn’t a fool, though. He could see right through the charade. If the Vice Sect Master wanted to play the idiot, then Wen Ran wouldn’t show him any mercy.
Without a second thought, Wen Ran moved forward, grabbing the man by his feet and yanking him out of the wall. His actions were deliberate, filled with a quiet but undeniable fury.
"What are you doing?" The old man’s voice cracked with confusion. He wasn’t sure what Wen Ran’s plan was, nor why he insisted the Vice Sect Master was pretending to be dead. In his mind, he had slapped the man with enough force to knock him out—at least hard enough to put him down for a while. But Wen Ran thought differently.
"He is clearly—!" The old man’s words were suddenly interrupted by a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the room.
"Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!" The Vice Sect Master’s voice tore through the air as Wen Ran’s foot pressed down hard on his family jewels. The pain was excruciating, and the Vice Sect Master’s scream could have shaken the heavens.
The old man’s jaw dropped, his eyes wide in disbelief. No matter what, the Vice Sect Master was still a powerful figure, and even though he could defend Wen Ran, he knew that respect had to be shown to those in authority. Watching his disciple treat the Vice Sect Master in such a barbaric, uncaring way left him speechless.
The old man could already see the future unfolding before his eyes. With such a reckless, unapologetic nature, Wen Ran was making himself an enemy of the world. His heart sank as he realized just how dangerous the boy’s path would be if he kept going down this road. His actions now were laying the foundation for a future where the world would turn against him.
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Wen Ran, however, seemed unfazed. He lifted his foot and gave it another shove, this time with even more force. The Vice Sect Master’s screams filled the room, but Wen Ran didn’t care. He had already proven his point—the man had been acting. There was nothing left to prove, but to Wen Ran, this was more than just a lesson in power—it was revenge. A revenge for every time the Vice Sect Master had used his position to torment him.
If Wen Ran had the power to abuse his authority, even for a brief moment, he would. He wasn’t going to let anyone forget that he wasn’t someone to be messed with. Not now, not ever. This was his moment of defiance, and he would make sure the entire sect, and the Vice Sect Master himself, knew that he was not a to some pushover.
"Let him go…" The old man said with a pained cough, his voice strained with disbelief. He could no longer watch the scene unfold. There were limits to how far one could push barbarism, and he had never expected this kind of behavior from Wen Ran, at least not at the Spirit Flow stage with such meager power.
Wen Ran hesitated for a moment, but then complied, lifting his foot and stepping back, allowing the Vice Sect Master to curl up on the floor in agony. The middle-aged man clutched his family heirloom, unable to move. The excruciating pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It didn’t matter how powerful he was; this was a taboo, a place where no man who respected himself or others would ever strike. But Wen Ran was different. To him, the easiest target was always the weak spot, and he had no qualms about exploiting it if it meant saving his own life or securing a quick victory. Pride, in Wen Ran’s eyes, was for fools—those without the power to understand the true path. If an easy path presented itself, Wen Ran would take it without hesitation.
"You little shit! I will kill you!" The Vice Sect Master spat, his words strained and pained. The unbearable agony left him struggling to speak, let alone think clearly. He had always despised Wen Ran, but now that hatred had grown exponentially, shooting through the roof. The burning resentment reached a boiling point, and it was clear now—only one of them would survive this. The feud had escalated to blood enemies, and it would only end with one of them dead.
"Who are you calling shit, you damn dog?" Wen Ran sneered, his voice venomous. "You stole from me, and now you dare raise your voice at me? How about I give you another thrashing?" His words were sharp and biting, but even as he taunted the Vice Sect Master, he hid behind his master. The old man sighed deeply, looking at the two of them as if they were nothing more than squabbling children. He knew he had to step in before this childish argument spiraled further, or it would never end.
"Shut up, both of you," the old man snapped, his voice sharp and commanding. "Wen Ran, first of all, you must be more respectful to your elders." His scolding, however, didn’t feel like a reprimand but more like friendly advice, the tone lacking the severity one might expect. Then, his gaze turned cold as he glanced down at the Vice Sect Master, his disappointment palpable. "And you—how dare you steal from a junior and still have the audacity to curse him? Return everything you took right now, or I swear to the heavens I will end you here and now and select someone more fitting for your role." The old man’s voice carried the weight of authority, and the finality of his words was chilling. "You have the time it takes to boil a cup of tea."
The Vice Sect Master, still writhing in pain on the floor, froze. The pain in his body seemed to vanish in an instant as an even deeper fear gripped him. Despite being several cultivation circles higher than the old man, he felt the intense fear of his power and authority. Alchemists, after all, were the most untouchable individuals in the world. He knew the old man wasn’t someone he could easily defy, not now.
"Fine..." The Vice Sect Master gritted his teeth, finally breaking under the pressure. With a flick of his finger, a pouch flew from his desk, landing squarely in Wen Ran’s palm. "This is all and more of what I took," he muttered bitterly, his eyes shooting murderous glares at Wen Ran. "But do you dare take the excess in this bag?"
Wen Ran didn’t flinch. A cold laugh escaped his lips as he casually pocketed the pouch. "Why wouldn’t I dare?" he replied with quiet confidence. "I’m capable of at least that much." His voice carried an edge, as if daring the Vice Sect Master to do something about it.