Chapter 3: Continuing the Journey of Learning

He had no idea how much time had passed before the excruciating pain finally released its grip, dragging Zeng Xiaofan back to his senses. In that hazy space between dreaming and waking, he was startled to see a naked celestial maiden stretched out before him. Before he could utter a word, she produced, as if from thin air, a small, emerald-green gourd and handed it to him. Her voice was cold and aloof as she spoke:

“My disciple Xiaofan, moved by your kindness, today I shall impart to you the Great Dao. This is the Heavenly Dao Gourd; it can catalyze all things, aiding your cultivation and doubling your progress. From this moment, you are no longer an ordinary mortal. In time, you will want for nothing—wealth, women, all will be yours. Yet know this: all the desires, anger, and obsessions of the human world are but illusions. May you traverse the mortal realm swiftly and perceive the true path beyond it…”

She was about to vanish when she seemed to recall something. Stretching out her exquisite, jade-like foot, she drove it straight into Xiaofan’s side. “Only through experiencing the mortal world can you transcend it. Let me give you a qilin’s kidney!” With a deft flick, she extracted a bloody kidney, then snatched a radiant, golden qilin’s kidney from the void and pressed it into his side.

Such a fantastical scene left Xiaofan dumbstruck. If not for the searing pain in his waist, he would have sworn it was all a dream.

“It is done! Both the Great Dao and the Heavenly Dao Gourd are now within your mind’s sea. A single thought and you may call upon them. When you have mastered the Great Dao, that will be the day we meet again…”

The voice of the Celestial Healer faded, her stunning form vanishing into the darkness, until all around was silent and chaotic blackness.

Suddenly, a scream pierced Xiaofan’s ears: “Ah—help me—!” “No, please!” “Don’t… I beg you… don’t—!”

Li Bixian’s anguished cries grew clearer and clearer. Panic seized Xiaofan; he snapped his eyes open.

He found himself lying in a pool of blood in the dilapidated hut. Beside him, Li Bixian was pinned beneath Zhao Qinglong, who had already yanked off his pants. Li Bixian’s underwear had been flung onto Xiaofan’s face, the scene descending into utter chaos.

“Stop!” Xiaofan roared.

Startled, Zhao Qinglong whipped around and saw Xiaofan glaring at him, eyes blazing like a wrathful deity.

“Well, well, you blind bastard! You’re tougher than you look,” Zhao Qinglong sneered. “I’m busy right now, so be smart and get lost!”

Xiaofan’s brows arched sharply. He enunciated each word with cold clarity: “Let! Her! Go! Now!”

Zhao Qinglong’s mouth twisted in fury as he released Li Bixian and stood up, grinding out, “Oh, you want to play tough? Didn’t beat you enough before, huh? Fine! This time I’ll make sure you’re dead for good!”

With that, he grabbed a rolling pin and swung it at Xiaofan’s head. In his mind, the blind fool would fall instantly.

But this time, Xiaofan’s gaze was icy and sharp. Before Zhao Qinglong could bring the stick down, Xiaofan lashed out with a kick, sending him flying like a broken kite. Zhao Qinglong crashed into the wall five meters away, shards of the crumbling roof raining down from the impact.

Zhao Qinglong howled in pain, clutching his belly and writhing on the ground, his face a mask of disbelief. “What… what the hell just happened? How did this blind guy suddenly get so strong?”

Li Bixian held her torn clothes tightly to her chest, her mouth agape in shock. “X-xiaofan… is that really you? How did you become so powerful…?”

But Xiaofan didn’t respond. Striding over with the strength of a tiger and the bearing of a dragon, he hauled Zhao Qinglong up and slapped him hard across the face.

“How dare you touch Sister Xian!”

Smack!

“You’re looking for death!”

Smack!

“Scumbag!”

Smack!

“Shameless!”

Smack!

“Degenerate!”

With each word, Xiaofan delivered a blistering slap. Zhao Qinglong could see every blow coming but was powerless to dodge any of them. Everyone present was frozen in shock.

“What… what’s going on? How did this kid suddenly become so fierce? There’s something fishy about this…”

Zhao Qinglong’s mind reeled with disbelief, but the searing pain from Xiaofan’s relentless slaps left no room for doubt.

At last, Zhao Qinglong broke down completely, collapsing to his knees and wailing for mercy. “Xiaofan—Brother Fan, please! No more! Please, stop—you’ll kill me! I won’t dare again, never ever!”

Only then did Xiaofan release him. The moment he was free, Zhao Qinglong scrambled to his feet and bolted, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

“Count yourself lucky you’re quick,” Xiaofan snorted, not bothering to give chase. Instead, he turned to Li Bixian, his face filled with concern.

“Sister Xian, are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Li Bixian’s clothing was in tatters, especially below the waist, leaving her shamefully exposed. At Xiaofan’s gentle inquiry, she finally came to herself and threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Xiaofan! Thank goodness you were here, or I…”

She choked, unable to finish, trembling in his embrace.

Tears streamed down Li Bixian’s cheeks, her shoulders quivering, her proud figure shivering in distress—so fragile and pitiful that anyone would feel protective.

Moved by her vulnerability, Xiaofan instinctively wrapped her in his arms, pressing her soft body against his sturdy chest, offering her a sense of safety that soon soothed her panic.

Slowly, Li Bixian looked up at Xiaofan’s handsome face, her eyes shining with new emotion. “Xiaofan… how did you become so amazing all of a sudden? You looked so manly fighting like that… If it were you forcing yourself on me, I wouldn’t even resist…”

She murmured shyly, then buried her face deeper in his chest.

Xiaofan stumbled in embarrassment. “Ahem… Sister Xian, what are you saying? I’d never do that to you…”

Li Bixian gave a coy, teasing laugh. “I know, you silly boy. You’re perfect in every way—just too honest for your own good. As we say in the countryside, you’re so honest you wouldn’t even steal manure if you were carrying it!”

Xiaofan burst out laughing. “What on earth, who would carry manure and then steal some of it?”

Li Bixian covered her mouth, giggling. “Alright, Zhao Qinglong won’t be back any time soon. Why don’t we get back to our studies? Where did we leave off? Go on, keep massaging my acupoints…”

She slipped out of his embrace, biting her lip as she coquettishly unfastened her collar again.

Xiaofan felt his scalp tingle and his breath quicken at the sight…