Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Return to the Modern Day
Inside the cafeteria, as the surrounding Disciples stared with wide eyes, Fang Can’s right hand shot out like a cannon.
BAM!
With the dull thud of bone and flesh colliding, Fang Can’s fist sank directly into Li Qunfan’s cheek.
The immense force sent Li Qunfan’s head snapping back uncontrollably.
The next moment, Fang Can’s left hand viciously seized Li Qunfan’s head and yanked it forward again.
A savage glint in his eyes, Fang Can held Li Qunfan’s head with his left hand and hammered his right fist into Li Qunfan’s face again and again.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
He held nothing back. The sound of cracking bone came from both of them simultaneously.
The crowd of onlookers was stunned. The entire cafeteria fell silent, with only the rhythmic sound of impacts rippling outwards.
After two seconds of silence, a shocked and furious roar erupted from Li Qunfan’s two companions.
If they hadn’t been holding his arms, Li Qunfan wouldn’t have been so defenseless, beaten like a stuck pig.
The two released his arms almost simultaneously. One reached out to grab Fang Can, while the other raised a fist to counterattack.
But Fang Can anticipated the first man’s grab, leaning back to dodge it. The second man froze mid-punch, his body stiffening. Sect rules forbade them from attacking new Disciples.
Even if they reported it to the Law Enforcement Hall, they wouldn’t be in the right.
They had started a fight with a new Disciple over money. Even if they won, the blame would most likely fall on them.
"Heh—" Fang Can created some distance, a slight grin spreading across his lips. "Gentlemen, are you going to continue?"
The two Disciples hesitated, glancing at Li Qunfan. The face of their trio’s leader was already swollen like a pig’s head, and he had passed out from the flurry of punches.
Seeing their hesitation, Fang Can reminded them, "It seems you’ve thought it through. Breaking the rules gets you a caning from the Law Enforcement Hall."
"Don’t get cocky. Just you wait a month. Damn it... the ’dad’ just got beaten up by the ’son’."
Their faces twisted in anger, but even in this situation, they stuck to their role-playing.
In response, Fang Can’s smile remained bright. "Since you’re such cowards, I can relax. Remember, you absolutely cannot fight back, okay?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Can snatched a pair of solid wood chopsticks and charged straight at the two of them.
"Kid, what do you think you’re doing?" Seeing Fang Can rushing toward them, the fists they had just clenched were forced open again.
Unable to fight back, they had to swallow their anger, dragging the unconscious Li Qunfan with them as they disappeared from the cafeteria.
"Whew!" Seeing them flee, Fang Can stopped and casually tossed the chopsticks aside.
Tucked in his shirt was the dagger he had taken from those thugs. It had yet to taste blood.
’Still too weak.’ Fang Can watched them run off, gently clenching his fist.
The scabs on his knuckles had split open again from the repeated, heavy impacts. Yet Li Qunfan was only knocked out cold. As expected of a martial artist—their faces sure are tough.
He glanced around. The surrounding Disciples were all dumbfounded.
Most of them were under twenty. Although they practiced martial arts every day, they weren’t accustomed to seeing blood. Besides, it was the first time they had ever seen a new Disciple completely dominate three senior ones.
When Fang Can’s gaze swept over them, most instinctively looked away. Then, realizing how pathetic that seemed, they tried to act tough and stared back.
Ignoring everyone else, Fang Can turned back, picked up his now-empty tray, got another meal set, and returned to his corner to eat in a slow, unhurried manner.
This time, no one would bother him. He expected he would have some peace and quiet for the next month.
The next few days went just as Fang Can had expected. He practiced his martial arts in peace.
Every day, he swallowed a dose of arsenic, obtaining a half-hour "genius trial card." Compared to an ordinary person, his rate of progress was simply divine.
Name: Fang Can
Body: 1.9
Spirit: 1.9
Qi: 1.9
Description:
Eighty-Eight Tiger Slaughter Grotto Heavens 5th Layer: 743/16000
Somatic Alteration: 0.79%
...
「Five days later, at dusk」
Fang Can forcefully clenched his fists after circulating his energy through the Eighty-Eight Tiger Slaughter Grotto Heavens once more. He could feel an explosive power coursing through the muscles beneath his skin.
’As expected of an idealistic Martial Dao. It completely defies logic.’ Fang Can narrowed his eyes.
His muscle mass hadn’t increased by much, yet his strength had more than tripled.
Fang Can could feel his body developing into something like a perfect organism, simultaneously optimizing strength, speed, defense, flexibility, and all other aspects.
And yet, the alteration level shown on his panel hadn’t even reached 1%.
He was already looking forward to seeing what level of power his body would reach when his Somatic Alteration hit 100%.
’If this is what the first realm of the Martial Dao, the Transcendent Body, is capable of... I suppose I can accept it.’
After finishing his daily training, Fang Can headed to the library.
When the library’s caretaker saw Fang Can arrive, a smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Elder Li, I’m here again." Fang Can nodded politely to the caretaker and sat down on a wooden chair.
"Not many people come to the library like you do anymore." Elder Li shook his head and sighed, picking up a book from the table. "Will you be listening to the ’Chronicles of the Great Derivation Emperor’ again today?"
"Yes, thank you for your trouble."
By the candlelight, Elder Li found the place where he had left off the previous day and continued reading in a steady voice:
"Seeing he was no match for the Great Derivation Emperor, the Overlord of Great Chu flew into a seething rage and channeled his Divine Power once more..."
As Elder Li read on, Fang Can closed his eyes, letting the old man’s voice echo in his ears.
He had been trying to learn the characters recently, but since he couldn’t understand them at all, he could only spend some silver to ask the library caretaker to read to him.
Thanks to the photographic memory from his "genius mode," he had already memorized most of the common characters just by matching the caretaker’s words to the script in the book.
He believed that after a few more days of the caretaker reading to him, he would be able to read the books himself.
Fang Can leaned back in the wooden chair and let out a soft yawn. The day’s training had drained too much of his energy. Now that he had a moment to rest, he could barely keep his eyes open.
He forced himself to stay alert and listen to Elder Li, but his head began to droop.
Suddenly, he felt a pulling sensation from within his body. The world began to spin, and by the time he came to his senses, a blinding light was stabbing at his eyes.
Almost instantly, Fang Can’s hand shot to his chest for the dagger he kept there, but he grasped at empty air.
"What’s going on?" Fang Can’s eyes flew open, but the scene before him was incredibly familiar.
The television that was on, the crystal chandelier lit up overhead, the soft leather sofa beside him, the smooth tiled floor beneath his feet...
"I’m back?" A trace of disbelief flashed in Fang Can’s eyes.
Just when he had completely grown accustomed to life in the Otherworld, he never imagined he would have a chance to return to the modern day.
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