Demon child (1/3)

In the dark room, Wei Wushang sat cross-legged, his eyes closed.

"Done," Wei Wushang exhaled deeply, sinking onto his bed and indulging in a leisurely stretch. He had just finished establishing his infernal ray martial chain.

He pondered, 'Well, there are still four more days until the competition. I won't have to attend classes during this period, so I'll have some free time. Hmm, I'll utilize this opportunity to intensify my training. Moreover, now that I have access to the academy library, I should dedicate some time to exploring it.'

As Wei Wushang pondered, he gradually rose from his bed and strolled out of his room. The late-night breeze swept by, sending a shiver down his spine.

However, the moment he stepped outside, a mortal guard took notice of him. Swiftly comprehending the situation, the guard hastened to a location and retrieved a wooden log. He swiftly brought it to Wei Wushang.

This guard was the same guy who had first brought Wei Wushang to his residence. Ever since then, he had been striving to leave a favorable impression on him. However, Wei Wushang's expression was consistently cold and indifferent, leaving the guard feeling somewhat uneasy.

But after a month of interaction, the guard came to realize that this was simply how he was. In the beginning, the guard was afraid that he might truly treat him like a slave, working him to the bone, or use him as a punching bag to vent his frustrations. After all, Immortals often treated mortals like ants, and in his years of experience here at the academy, he had suffered a lot at the hands of a few students.

But despite Wei Wushang's unfriendly appearance, he was quite easygoing. He only tasked the guard with delivering meals, preparing bathing water, or providing some assistance during his training. Just this brought a huge relief to the guard.

Wei Wushang offered a nod as he allowed the guard to place the log on his shoulders. Without delay, he initiated a run around the academy grounds.

As Wei Wushang continued his rounds around the academy, the moon cast a gentle glow upon the training grounds. A handful of students caught his eye, some were diligently working hard like him. While others were simply wasting time gossiping with their friends.

A fellow student, engrossed in his sword practice, noticed Wei Wushang and remarked, "Look at Wei Wushang go, that guy is seriously committed."

A nearby student chimed in, "Seeing him push himself to the limit makes me want to train even harder."

The one who spoke earlier replied again, "Haha, you know why I began working out? It was because of him. Just like us, he is also a low-grade talent, yet he works harder than anyone. Even that iron-faced Shang Fei was full of praises for him."

Over the past month, Wei Wushang's visible dedication to self-improvement had unknowingly inspired several other students to put in extra effort.

However, not everyone held the same admiration. A couple of students, leaning against a wall, exchanged sneers as they watched Wei Wushang's exertions. One scoffed, "Hmph, there he goes running around like a monkey again."

The other student spat with contempt, "Is this what it takes for him to feel accomplished? Hehe, training like a fool won't change the fact that he's nothing but his older brother's shadow."

"Haha, pathetic, he is truly pathetic. He should just look in the mirror and die from shame."

Wei Wushang could hear their words, but his attention remained fixed solely on the task at hand. The opinions of outsiders were like a passing breeze, easily swept away. As long as they didn't obstruct his path, they could scream as much as they pleased. Wei Wushang wouldn't even spare them a glance.

Almost 15 minutes passed, leaving Wei Wushang visibly breathless, his body drenched in sweat.

"Here, take it." He handed the log back to the guard, who swiftly received it.

Just as the guard was about to leave, Wei Wushang's voice drifted into his ears like an ominous wind, "Hold on, don't be in such a hurry now. Didn't you receive your monthly salary today?"

Hearing this, the guard almost stumbled and nearly dropped the log at his feet. In his heart, he couldn't help but scream, 'I'm fucked!'

"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."