Demon child (1/3)

"Are you deaf? I asked whether you've received your wage or not," Wei Wushang stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold and tone flat.

'Of course, I heard you, bastard!' Zhang Wei, the mortal guard, seethed with rage in his heart. Yet, before Wei Wushang, he could only force his head to lower slightly and grit out, "Yes, I have."

"Good, take it out." Wei Wushang said indifferently.

'Damn it!' Zhang Fei's heart was bleeding, and his entire body visibly shook. He wanted nothing more than to run far away from Wei Wushang, but he didn't. Was it possible for him to always stay on the run? Delaying the inevitable had no use.

With a trembling hand, he pulled out a single spirit stone from his pocket and presented it with a forced smile. "Young Lord, please inspect it."

Wei Wushang expressionlessly extended his right hand, rightfully taking hold of the spirit stone. The spirit stone's surface was smooth to the touch, enveloping Wei Wushang's hand in a cooling sensation. Bathed in the silver moonlight, the spirit stone appeared to emit a gentle glow.

Wei Wushang narrowed his eyes and gazed at the man bowing before him. After a brief moment of contemplation, he spoke calmly, "Here, take it back."

"Huh?" Zhang Wei raised his head and looked at Wei Wushang, his eyes wide open. His heart almost forgot to beat for a second there.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Wei Wushang's gaze darkened.

It seemed like he truly had no intention of taking that spirit stone.

"No, no, Young Lord, no need for that," Zhang Wei hastily shook his head from side to side, relief washing over him like a tide. He had to depend on this spirit stone to support his family throughout the month, losing it would place him in an extremely difficult position.

Sighing inwardly, Zhang Wei reached out to reclaim the spirit stone.

However, unexpectedly, Wei Wushang abruptly withdrew his hand, the spirit stone was still firmly held within it.

Zhang Wei immediately froze, gritting his teeth. He lifted his head once again and looked at Wei Wushang. Yet, the moment their eyes locked, Zhang Wei's blood ran cold.

Ever since Wei Wushang had joined the academy, Zhang Wei had never witnessed a smile on his face. However, there he stood, right in front of him, with a smile that was anything but a smile.

Beads of sweat immediately formed on Zhang Wei's forehead as he felt a deep fear from the bottom of his heart. He quickly lowered his head and stood there quietly, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Wei Wushang laughed lightly and abruptly grabbed Zhang Wei by his hair, raising his head to make eye contact. The fear etched on the poor man's face was evident, yet Wei Wushang disregarded it as he spoke playfully, "Don't worry, I won't harm you. You have served me well this month, I won't snatch this spirit stone from you."

"...Tha-thank you, Lord." Zhang Wei controlled his fear and quickly thanked Wei Wushang for being magnanimous.

But Wei Wushang's smile grew even wider as he continued to speak, "But I have a proposal. Would you like to hear it? Okay, I'll tell you. You see, I am very impressed by your work and have decided to help you get promoted to the position of Chief Guard. If you willingly offer this spirit stone, I will assist you in securing the position of Chief Guard. So, how does it sound?"

"Chief guard..?" Zhang Wei was taken aback, but quickly his heart started pumping with excitement.

'Each guard receives a single spirit stone every month, whereas a chief guard is entitled to one and a half spirit stones! If I were to become the chief, every guard would have no choice but to bow down to me. I'd be the man around here, hehe.'

However, he suddenly frowned, 'But can I genuinely trust this individual? Hmph, I'd rather trust the devil than him. Who's to say this isn't just an excuse for him to assume a virtuous facade? After all, these so-called immortals are often just cold-blooded murderers in a hero's guise. Sigh, even if I don't believe him, can I truly refuse him? Should I attempt it..?'

The more Zhang Wei pondered, the darker his expression became. From his experience, he understood that immortals hardly cared about mortals. In his eyes, Wei Wushang was no exception. He knew with certainty that if he were to surrender the spirit stone in pursuit of the chief guard position, disappointment would be the likely outcome.

'Hold on! Maybe I can actually refuse him. The fact that he didn't simply snatch the spirit stone indicates he might fear retribution from the academy. Yes, that should be it! Why else would he bother with this elaborate scheme? And now that I think back, there was a case like this many years ago, but did the offender truly face consequences? Hmm, I can't recall exactly. Regardless, I should probably take a risk and refuse. After all, the value of a spirit stone isn't something to be taken lightly.'

This Zhang Wei was no idiot. After living for such a long time, he had gained a bit of wisdom. Without it, given the cruelty of this world, he would have died long ago.

While he was busy pondering, he suddenly realized that he had kept the young immortal waiting for too long, Zhang Wei immediately broke out of his thoughts and returned to reality.

But just as he recognized his mistake, a swift rush of air reached his ears, and in a flash, his eyes caught sight of a lone fist clenching a spirit stone rushing straight toward his face like a silver dragon.

Martial Intent of Strength!

Bam!!

In an instant, a bone-shattering impact resounded.

"Ughh..." Wei Wushang's strike landed with brutal force, shattering Zhang Wei's nose into a burst of bloody mess.

As Zhang Wei staggered back, the weight of the wooden log on his shoulders made him lose his balance, propelling his body backward. Almost instantly, his head became an unwilling hammer that brutally bashed onto the unyielding concrete floor.

With a sickening thud, the impact sent shockwaves of pain through his skull, and warm blood started pooling around his head due to the brutal collision.

'Don't... kill...' Zhang Wei's mind was consumed by an overwhelming sense of dizziness. His vision rapidly dimmed, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

After a month of intense training, Wei Wushang has substantially elevated his physical prowess. When complemented by the infusion of martial intent, his power doubled. In this state, he could easily rival a mortal martial art practitioner who has pushed their mortal body to its very limits.

The surroundings grew silent.

Swoosh…

A cold wind blew, washing away all the youthfulness of the night.

Wei Wushang's hair swayed in the air as he stood in silence. He lightly gazed at the bloodied spirit stone in his hand, laughing to himself. "I have gotten a bit stronger."