As Li Yun made his way back toward the Li Family estate, his thoughts swirled with plans and priorities.
'First, I'll complete the perfect-grade Bone Refining Potion quest… then I'll focus on upgrading my stats,' he mentally mapped out, walking briskly through the quiet street.
"Li Yun! Stop right there!"
A sharp voice cut through the still air, pulling Li Yun from his thoughts.
He had just turned into a narrow alley, one that usually saw little foot traffic, when he recognized the voice instantly.
Zhao Li…
Sure enough, Zhao Li appeared moments later, flanked by four or five cronies. They quickly surrounded Li Yun, blocking his path with smug grins and a confrontational stance.
"Well, well… what brings you here, my dear friend?" Li Yun greeted him with a calm, genuine smile, though his eyes carried a hint of amusement.
He hadn't forgotten. The last time they met, he'd managed to scam Zhao Li out of 1,000 gold coins by selling him a batch of ordinary grade Bone Refining Potions mixed with outright trash. At the time, he'd desperately needed funds to buy ingredients for his next round of alchemy and had taken a bold gamble. It worked.
"Li Yun, you bastard," Zhao Li snarled, his eyes narrowing. "You tricked me into buying worthless potions and robbed me of a thousand gold coins. Did you really think I'd just let that slide?"
Li Yun's smile didn't fade. "And what exactly do you plan to do?" he asked, intrigued. A part of him wondered if he could pull off another scam. If the old Li Yun could swindle this idiot, surely he could too, and probably make even more this time.
"What do I want?" Zhao Li barked a laugh, eyes flashing with hostility. "Don't play dumb. Even if you're trash, you're not that clueless."
"I don't have time for your nonsense. Just hand over the gold coins, bow your head, and call me 'Grandpa' three times. I'll consider letting you off easy." His voice turned sharp, laced with mockery. "But if you don't… don't blame me for what happens next."
He stepped closer, menace clear in his tone. "Look around, this alley's empty. Even if I kill you here, your precious Li Family wouldn't be able to prove a thing. You're just a useless good-for-nothing to them, right? If you died, they might not even bother looking into it."
A cruel gleam flickered in Zhao Li's eyes, promising violence.
[Ding! Host has triggered the 'Douche Young Master Quest': Teach a Lesson. Would you like to accept the quest?]
'A quest?' Li Yun grinned and accepted without hesitation. Now that he truly understood the value of Experience Points, there was no way he'd pass up any opportunity to earn them.
---
[Quest Level: F]
– Objective: [Teach Zhao Li a lesson]
– Reward: [1,000 gold coins, 100 Experience Points, Boulder Crushing Fist]
---
'So I'm supposed to beat him up instead of scamming him this time?' Li Yun felt mildly disappointed, but only for a moment. His gaze shifted toward Zhao Li.
"You're going to kill me?" Li Yun asked, raising an eyebrow and eyeing Zhao Li and his small entourage. "Oh wait, you're not alone. You've brought your four mutts along. Look at this pack of skinny dogs."
He glanced dismissively at the four men behind Zhao Li, his tone sharp with ridicule.
"Li Yun, you're asking for death!" Zhao Li roared, his aura flaring as he stepped back and waved his hand. "Teach him a lesson!"
"Hah!"
"Get him!"
Like unleashed hounds, the four men charged toward Li Yun, their expressions twisted with malice. Zhao Li didn't move, he stood back, arms crossed, ready to enjoy the spectacle. In his eyes, Li Yun was still the powerless failure everyone in Azure Wind City remembered.
Zhao Li didn't think he needed to lift a finger. Li Yun was, after all, known for having no cultivation talent. Anyone could beat him down, and that's exactly what Zhao Li expected from his men. He just wanted to see Li Yun crawl and beg, humiliated and broken.
Of course, he didn't intend to kill him. Li Yun was still a direct descendant of the Li Family, and more importantly, the grandson of Li Zhen, one of the family's elders. If Li Yun actually died, the Li Family wouldn't stay silent. They might not value Li Yun highly, but a death within the clan, especially in public, would be a stain on the family's honor.
And the neither of the three major family of the Azure Wind City tolerated stains on their name.
"You really don't know your place," Li Yun muttered coldly, casting a disinterested glance at the four men charging toward him.
Boom!
With a faint pulse of internal energy, Li Yun threw a casual punch. A gust of force burst outward like a tidal wave.
The four attackers were mere mortals with no real cultivation. Against Li Yun's internal force, even used lightly, they didn't stand a chance.
In the blink of an eye, all four were hurled backward by the invisible blast, their bodies crashing to the ground with pained groans.
"What…?" Zhao Li's face twisted in disbelief. Li Yun… had internal force?
That meant he was a cultivator.
'But how?!'
Wasn't he the infamous cripple of Azure Wind City? The one everyone laughed at for being unable to cultivate?
Before Zhao Li could gather his thoughts, Li Yun smiled faintly and began walking toward him.
"Your turn, skinny mutt," Li Yun said, his tone relaxed, but his eyes sharp with mockery.
Panic flared in Zhao Li's chest. He couldn't understand what was happening, but one thing was certain, this wasn't the same useless Li Yun he remembered.
Still, refusing to back down, he clenched his jaw and lunged forward, fists swinging as internal energy surged from his body. His strength was at the late stage of Bone Refining Realm.
A decent amount of momentum, but no technique.
Li Yun didn't even flinch.
"You're charging in like that? No martial technique at all?" he said flatly, watching Zhao Li with mild amusement.
As Zhao Li closed the final few meters, Li Yun raised a single hand and struck with an open palm.
Crack!
The force hit Zhao Li like a hammer from the heavens.
"No!" he cried, eyes wide with shock. "That power… impossible!"
But his words were lost in the wind.
Zhao Li's body flew through the air like a rag doll, soaring seven or eight meters before slamming into the ground with a thud, limbs sprawled like a discarded corpse.
"You skinny mutt, I'll let you off just this once," Li Yun said as he dusted his hands off, his tone indifferent. "But if you're still blind next time… I won't be so merciful."
With that, he turned and walked away, his figure calm and composed.
Li Yun had no interest in wasting his time on small fry like Zhao Li. He was confident that after today's beating, Zhao Li would think twice before crossing him again. But if he didn't learn his lesson and dared to cause trouble once more… Li Yun wouldn't hesitate to deal with him harshly. A petty son of the Zhao family wasn't worth his attention.
---
[Ding! Quest Completed: "Teach a Lesson"]
[Reward: 1000 gold coins, 100 Experience Points and Boulder Crushing Fist]
[Bonus: First Quest Completion – Additional 200 Experience Points awarded]
---
"Huh?!" Li Yun blinked at the flood of notifications, his lips slowly curling into a grin.
"Nice. Very nice."
"La, la, la… la-la…" Humming cheerfully, he strolled away, hands behind his head.
Just like that, he vanished from Zhao Li's line of sight, leaving behind only a fading hum.
Zhao Li, still sprawled on the ground, stared blankly at the sky. His face was pale, lips trembling.
"That... was really Li Yun?" he muttered in disbelief. "How could he be a cultivator? Judging from that strength… he's at least in the late stage of the Bone Refining Realm..."
His voice grew faint, drowned out by the ringing in his ears and the sheer shock that still numbed his limbs.
***
Returning to his courtyard within the Li Family estate, Li Yun didn't head toward the alchemy room as he usually did.
Today, something else burned within him.
He stepped into the training field behind his chambers, an open square of scorched tiles, cracked from countless battles.
Taking his sword out, he took a deep breath.
Then his voice echoed out like a whisper of fire.
"Crimson Sun Flame Sword Art."
His stance shifted. Feet grounded. Spine straight. Blade lowered.
"First move, Scarlet Sunlight Slash."
Fwoosh!
His sword ignited. A thin trail of red aura licked along the edge, dancing wildly.
He stepped forward and slashed horizontally, sending a blinding arc of scarlet light slicing through the air. The red aura hissed as it cut across the stone, leaving a glowing scorch mark.
Again.
Slash.
Again.
Slash.
The red aura around his sword grew sharper with each swing. Each movement honed the flow between body and blade.
Then, without pause, he transitioned.
"Second move, Flame Serpent Coil."
He twisted, blade curving in a tight spiral around his body. Internal energy erupted in a circular pattern, forming the illusion of a red coiled serpent hissing around him as sparks danced off his clothes.
This move wasn't for attack. It was for defense.
Li Yun weaved his sword in rapid arcs, the fiery serpent growing denser, thicker, almost tangible. His breath quickened. Sweat rolled down his jaw. But he kept moving, feet gliding along the ground in a practiced rhythm as the flaming serpent spun and danced with him.
His arms trembled slightly. But he pushed forward.
Then he stopped.
The courtyard fell silent. His sword hummed faintly in the heat.
His gaze turned sharp. A flicker of madness lit his eyes.
"Third move… Solar Flare Burst."
He raised the blade high.
All his internal energy surged from within, spiraling into the sword like a flood. His veins bulged. The air distorted around him as the blade screamed with pressure.
Then, he roared and brought the sword crashing down!
BOOM!
A massive wave of blazing light exploded from the blade's tip, erupting outward in a blinding flare that scorched the earth beneath and cracked the air itself.
The stones beneath his feet shattered. A wall in the distance quaked.
The sheer force of the Solar Flare Burst left a crater where his blade had landed.
Li Yun staggered back, panting, flaming aura flickering off his arms.
But he wasn't done.
Scarlet Sunlight Slash.
Flame Serpent Coil.
Solar Flare Burst.
Again. And again. Until his robe was soaked. Until his limbs felt like iron rods bent under pressure. Until the sun began to dip behind the distant mountains.
He dropped to one knee. Breathing like a man on the edge of collapse.
His arms ached. His body felt hollowed out. But in the center of his chest…burned a small spark of joy.
He could feel it.
The Crimson Sun Flame Sword Art was moving towards Advanced Stage of mastery.
He smiled faintly, teeth clenched in exhaustion. "Still not enough..."
His grip tightened on the sword but then he shook his head. "Enough practice with sword... Let's try the new fist technique I got from the system."
With that, Li Yun started practicing the Boulder Crushing Fist. The rest of the time passed as he was busy practicing the fist technique. Night approached and Li Yun finally ended his training.