— The Emperor’s Imperial Record, Entry No. 28 —

  ‘Impossible!’ Huo Feng thought.

  Maybe the assassin was just in shock that he was still alive? Or was he surprised at that jump move Huo Feng had pulled off? But Huo Feng knew his hopes were dashed the more he looked into the man’s eyes.

  What could he do? He was in no position to fight the man, not to mention the numerous broken weapons hanging from his body like branches on a tree. Even if he beat the leader, what about his lackeys?

  The guards wouldn’t even allow the fight.

  Huo Feng got up slowly, wincing. The only thing keeping him moving was the qi running through his body, and forcing his heart to pump blood. The only thing he could do for now was direct the core’s qi.

  If he had been able to make it docile, it wouldn’t have been fierce enough to force his body to function properly.

  Huo Feng walked towards the guards like an old man with a cane and severe back problems. He looked like a porcupine.

  “May I be let in?”

  The guards chuckled. “Of course, fellow disciple.” And Huo Feng carefully maneuvered his body towards the gates, when, all of a sudden, a guard put his hands on him, halting him.

  The guard was smiling, but Huo Feng felt like whenever he shook the hands of another man and they squeezed harder than they should have, with an unassuming, innocent smile on their face.

  Huo Feng had no choice but to pretend not to feel anything. The guard pushed harder.

  “Is there anything you need?” Huo Feng sounded out, his voice hoarse as he tried to keep the pain out of them.

  “Yes, actually,” the guard talked in a slow drawl through his helmet, “which one of you was trying to pursue the other first?”

  ‘What kind of foolish question is that?’ but Huo Feng kept that thought to himself, though, as he replied, “They pursued me first…senior.”

  “Aaaah,” the guard put on hand on his chin in a thinking motion, but kept the other on Huo Feng’s shoulder. “Is that all?”

  Huo Feng almost shouted in anger at this obvious display, but he kept his temper. “That is all, senior.”

  Another squeeze, “Alright, you may go now.”

  “Thank you, senior.”

  The man smacked Huo Feng on the shoulder one last time for good measure, and almost made him tumble over, driving the weapons deeper into his body than they already were. The guards behind him erupted into laughter.

  “Told you bastards, now pay up!”

  “Awww, but that doesn’t count…..”

  The guards were trying to negotiate their way out of paying their debts, but Huo Feng had to go on. His first stop would be the Medicine Pavilion.

  *********

  **At the pavilion**

  Huo Feng walked through the open doors of the medicine pavilion. One by one, the people in there turned to stare at him.

  Was it a rare sight for someone to come in wounded? No. But to this extent? With spears and long swords sticking out of him? This was a momentous occasion.

  Within seconds, the room burst into chatter, then silent laughs and sneers. With some even saying that the bastard who had caused this should have finished the job.

  But Huo Feng could do nothing. He walked to the counter, “I would like to buy one second-grade Two Suns Flesh regrowth healing pill.”

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  The attendant looked him up and down, not bothering to hide the scowl on her face, “Do you even have qi stones? Can’t you see what kind of establishment this is?”

  Blood he didn't even know he had surged to his cheeks as the laughter of the crowd washed over him. Huo Feng almost keeled over and died from the embarrassment.

  “Sect sister,” he gritted his teeth, bloodshot eyes staring death at the woman, “I have my personal contribution points, “ he tossed her a jade tag, covered in blood, so it looked like a mixture of brown, red, and green colours.

  She sniffed, *Hmmph!* And took out tongs to hold out his jade token. She checked it for a while with her qi, then a slow, mischievous smirk appeared on her face. “You barely have enough for one of these pills, are you sure?”

  She said it so loudly, Huo Feng was sure his grandfather would have heard it. The whole room erupted into laughter.

  Huo Feng's grip on the counter turned his fingers a sickly white. “Yes, I .am .sure”

  The lady smirked, feeling on top of the world once more. Why couldn’t she be one to work with those top-tier cultivators? Maybe she would catch one's eye and… she stopped herself, afraid to let her inner thoughts show.

  The seller brought out the pill in a small wooden box, sealed at the seams with a grey solid. “Would you like anything else…young master?” Her mischievous smile was back, this time, she folded her hands between her legs, opening her eyes as wide as possible to create an innocent look.

  Huo Feng coughed out blood. He didn’t even bother to answer her before walking out, taking slow, deliberate steps to the outer disciple quarters. As a disciple of Elder Bai, he at least got one of the better ones.

  Halfway to his accommodations on the sect grounds, a girl stopped him. Plain and petite, with long silky hair that reached the back of her knees.

  Her name was Zhao Pingping.

  “Feng…what happened to you?” the girl whispered, reaching out to touch him.

  Huo Feng just stood there, staring at her. In his mind, he thought of all the things he had been through in the past few days.

  How many times had he touched the hands of death, and all because of her! He couldn’t help but look at her like he would look at an enemy.

  She put both her arms out to hug him, but he stepped away, wincing in the process.

  Hung Lee had problems with him, sure, but he was content to just bully him whenever he could find him, but because of her, his eyes turned a shade darker as more blood pooled into them.

  This woman was bad luck.

  He stared past her and started walking again. In a low, hoarse voice, he said, “Don’t come near me anymore. Next time…I’ll treat you like a blood enemy.”

  He walked away, not caring about the well of emotions he had stirred in the poor girl. This expedition had reminded him of what really mattered. What he had forgotten.

  Revenge.

  …And nothing else.

  *********

  **Late at night, in the confines of Hung Lee’s room**

  “Boss Lee, we couldn’t get him.”

  Hung Lee reached out and smacked the man, letting him sprawl onto the floor. It was the lead assassin.

  “You think I don’t know that? You let that walking pin cushion back into the sect,” he snarled, kicking at the body of the leader, who did not dare resist. “Now the whole sect cannot stop talking about the fool who almost died at the medicine hall.”

  He pulled at his hair. “How am I supposed to get rid of him now? What if he hears about him? Hmm? What am I to do?”

  Hung Lee kept kicking and beating the man as he lay there.

  “My Lord, spare me.”

  “I should what? “ He punctuated every word with a kick, “You, muck-filth, born, idiot,” Hung Lee hissed, “low-brained-lowlife. Worm! I should do what? Speak again!”

  The assassin threw up his hands to beg for mercy, but cultivators didn't understand the meaning of the word.

  A few more minutes passed as Hung Lee vented his anger, bruising and hurting the man all the more.

  When the assassin sensed that Hung Lee was spent, he looked up at him and said, “My lord, I have found something better than that porcupine.”

  Hung Lee almost slapped him. ‘Does this bastard think I pay him for his opinions?’ He almost slapped the man again. “You think I pay you to embarrass me?”

  But the man kept speaking, not wanting to endure another beating. “Wait, my lord!”

  “My lord, it's true, I saw a sword—A Jiang Ling sword.”

  “A what? Are you serious? Where? Do you know what it means to lie to me?” He bombarded the assassin with questions.

  “My lord, it was with the boy—the porcupine—”

  “Huo Feng? It was with him?”

  The assassin nodded.

  Hung Lee turned his back to him, hiding his hands, “Are you sure? Does anyone else know?”

  “Yes, my lord, I saw it at the sect gate. he tried to hide it, but it was too late; I had already seen it. I don’t think anyone else saw…”

  “Is that so? Do you remember what it looks like? Where on his body did he keep it? Tell me everything!” All the while, Hung Lee did not face the man. Instead, he kept his back to him. Face hidden.

  And when the man was finished…

  “Is that all?

  “Yes, my lord, I’ve told you everything-every detail, even the colour of his underwear.” The assassin paused, hesitating, but then looked up again, raising his head from the floor, eyes hopeful, “I’m sure the compensa-”

  Hung Lee turned around and cut off his head. He swung the sword in the air to flick off all the blood.

  “Hmmm, a Jiang Ling sword, eh? That means it's not just a qi vein that is here in this area.”