Chapter 5: Feng Family

After Feng Qin was fed by a still apologetic and nervous looking Meng Liu, both he and his friend were then treated to a three hour long scolding from his mother, Sheng Li, who took it out more on the latter.

Sheng Li is a beautiful woman in her late twenties, wearing only baggy white clothes that didn't even diminish her beauty and black fitted shoes, with long unruly messy black hair tied into a ponytail that reached her back and blood red eyes that seemed to have fire spewing in them as she glared at the two who were both kneeling, shoeless, on Feng Qin's bed.

"I just can't understand what the two of you were thinking!" She said with an icy-cold tone of voice, her expression darkening, that sent shivers down the two boys' spines. "I know I can't understand what your mindsets are as spirit masters but I know beating each other up to the point of unconsciousness and caused enough blunt trauma to the head that one of you ended up being in a coma–"

Meng Liu flinched as Sheng turned to glare at him intensely, his watering eyes then found the bed sheet to be more interesting to look at than anyone else in the room.

Feng Qin glanced at his friend in worry and was about to say something when Sheng Li turned her attention to him.

"And don't think you're getting outta this too, Qin! You should've known better than to get goated out like that! Sure, I taught you to not take any insults and abuse like a wimp and fight back against your bullies but at a friend? Why, I–"

Sheng Li is a woman to not be messed with, especially when her maternal instinct is activated. Even then, she's a fiery woman at her core. She had once talked down against a Soul King that was causing trouble in their restaurant and made them run out of the restaurant, crying.

Feng Qin looked towards his father, Feng Long, with a pale expression for help but the latter merely crossed his arms and shook his head with an amused expression, mouthing to his son, 'You gotta take it, this is all part of growing up!'.

It then ended with his mother looking red in the face, exhausted and still a bit angry, and both boys were on the verge of breaking out in tears out of guilt for worrying her.

For a moment, there was only an awkward silence between them.

*Clap!*

The three jumped in surprise and they turned towards Feng Long.

Feng Long is a middle-aged man in his early thirties, lean and muscular with biceps and arms that seem able to destroy an entire boulder with one punch, with shoulder long silky black hair and ocean blue eyes that gave off an air of humbleness and kindness. His above average face is set on a calm expression.

"Alright, I think they've already learned their lesson honey. Xiao Qin is still recovering and Liu'er is on the verge of crying now." Feng Long said, then he snapped his fingers. "How about we start preparing for dinner? A feast, for the recovery of Qin'er."

"...Fine. Qin'er, since you're still injured, go settle down the dining plates and bowls on the dining table. Liu'er, you go get your father to join us and then help us out in the kitchen afterwards." Sheng Li huffed, agreeing with her husband and grateful for his intervention as she didn't want to say anything further that she would later regret, she then quickly ordered the two boys to stand up and followed the mother's instructions.

Hours passed as the moon hung high in the night sky and their dinner was about to start in several minutes.

"So what was that fight all about Liu?" Feng Qin finally asked the question that had been plaguing him.

They were in his room after preparing for dinner and as he wasn't fully recovered yet so then he continued to lay on his bed for a while before dinner starts, while Meng Liu, after getting her father, Meng Huang, to join and helped Sheng Li and Feng Long prepare dinner, joined her friend by sitting on a wooden chair next to him reading a book about plant type martial spirits.

Meng Liu lightly shrugged and said. "You weren't being yourself."

"Huh?" Of course, that reply threw Feng Qin off. His eyes twitched at how nonsensical yet honest his reason was for starting a fight with him.

'But, wasn't friendship all about being honest with one another and have senseless fighting once in a while? At least, that's what dad once told me.' Feng Qin took a light breathing exercise to calm himself before he did something he would regret.

He shared a lot of traits of his parents, his temper was certainly from his mom.

Exhaling a deep breath in, while at the same time the rising anger inside of him started to simmer down, he then slowly exhaled out and said, "Can you elaborate?"

Meng Liu nodded solemnly and closed the book he was reading. "Brother Qin, we've known each other for quite some time now, so I can say with certainty that we've known the best of each other, other than our parents."

Feng Qin nodded in agreement.

Meng Liu scratched his cheek, his face turning red, as he looked away from his friend. "Well, I just, back when you finished your training, you...didn't act like you usually do."

"Huh? What do I usually act like?" Feng Qin tilted his head in confusion.

"Being determined and stubborn, and a bit of a short temper once in a while." Meng Liu replied instantly and firm with sincerity, he let out a chuckle at the end, as he turned to stare straight at Feng Qin's eyes. "Brother Qin, despite what you might think, I admire you. I have seen countless so called 'geniuses' in the kingdom's academy and despite their talent, potential and cultivation...they never could measure the same conviction of pursuing the path of a spirit master the same as you."

"After you awakened your spirit, and had numerous experts examined it and only find it as a low-tier spirit that wouldn't let you make it far as a spirit master, what did you do? Unlike others that would reluctantly accept their fate and live a life as a mortal, you did not. Instead, you stubbornly wanted to pursue the road of a spirit master and enrolled into the spirit master department in the academy." Meng Liu smiled, as if recalling a fond memory.

"Not only did you stop there. You started getting creative and started doing body strengthening exercises, instead of focusing on cultivation like most of our peers." He stopped for a moment, "You know that your cultivation speed couldn't measure up to others with excellent talent and martial spirit, but by strengthening your body first also equals to strengthening your foundation."

"Day to evening, for almost everyday till half a year; you ran, you kicked, and punch. For the sake of a small chance to become someone great, stuck to it with great gusto."

"Feng Qin, you walk a path of life that genuinely wants to reach the peak of spirit master. That is the person who I, Meng Liu, admires and respect the most." Meng Liu smiled brightly but it then turned into sadness. "Yet, that day when I gave you that Blood Orchid liquid essence, you started to show an expression that I have never thought I'd see you have–a face of defeat and resignation."

"I..." Feng Qin didn't know what to say except look down on his bedsheet in shame and guilt.

All this time, he only wanted to reach the peak of the world of spirit masters because of the stories he heard from his parents and other customers. Hearing those stories made him dream about a life where he goes in an adventure throughout the entire Douluo Continent, fighting other spirit masters and spirit beasts; getting powerful spirit rings, finding mysteries and treasures, etc.

Was only because it's a childish dream and he could give up anytime he wants? No. Even if childish, he wouldn't chase after a dream without his doing his all. Was it also because he wanted to prove those who ridiculed him that he could go beyond? Yes, even as a kid, he didn't want anyone to think he was a failure of his parents.

He just wanted to pursue a dream that was beautiful and impossible, with all his heart.

Yet, only about a year later, he was starting to lose a bit hope towards his dream.

'I'm pathetic...' Feng Qin clenched his fists, eyes watering. What's more, he even made Meng Liu feel crushed of seeing his best friend looking so...lost. And it was only thanks to him that he recovered his conviction to wanting to reach the peak of the world of spirit masters once more.

"Thanks, Liu. For having so much faith in me..." Feng Qin sniffed and wiped his tears away.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Meng Liu smiled at him. The two stared at each other for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"Boys! Come down! Dinner's ready!"

"Alright! Let's go, Qin."

"Hmm."

.....

Seasons have passed, people come and go, new businesses have risen and collapsed, a change of rulership, and yet...

*Pant* *Pant*

"9,974... 9,975... 9,976..." Fist after fist, powerful and fast to the point that it appeared as shadows, went on punching relentlessly at the dark colored bulky stem of an 10 meter tall black iron tree. It was so big that it needed five large men to hug it completely.

The person who was punching such a large tree is a young man who looked to be 12-13 years old. With long shoulder-length black hair tied up into a ponytail and bright blue eyes like the sea, he has above average facial features that can make any normal girl like him, especially with such a serious expression on his face. He was wearing no top clothing, only long baggy white pants and a pair of black slippers.

This person is Feng Qin, now 12 years old and for six straight years he had kept on with his training course of beating the Black Iron tree.

"9,997! 9,998! 9,999!" With a loud yell, Feng Qin pulled his fist back and punched dead center at the bark of the tree, "10,000!"

There was large boom and for a moment, there was only silence. It was however broken as the entire Black Iron tree crumbled into pieces.

"Holy...ha...shit! Finally!" Feng Qin panted in exhaustion, leaving both of his red skinned hands to rest on his knees for a moment before he couldn't take it anymore and just flopped back down onto the ground. Having to punch the black iron tree for ten thousand times over four hours with full strength had taken its toll on him.

Yet, despite feeling exhausted, a satisfied smile crept up onto his face.

"Hehe. That's some sturdy iron tree, alright." He looked towards the sky and thought, 'Meng Liu, I finally crossed my first objective. I'm fulfilling my promise, step by step. Soon, you'll hear my name across the entire continent.'

#Current spirit power rank: 13

#Body strength: ? rank

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AN: Hm? You're wondering what the hell happened during those five years? It'll be explained in the next chapter or future chapters in flashbacks or in a narrative.

Also, POWER STONES!!! And POSITIVE COMMENTS!

...or else🙂🔪