Chapter Two: Uncle Yuan, I Dare

Qin Feiyang gritted his teeth and struggled to stand. With great difficulty, he turned to face the Third Master of the Pill Hall, raising his head and pronouncing each word with clarity: “Third Master, Ma Hongmei is lying. I had already reached the summit; it was she who kicked me down!”

The Third Master frowned, turning to Ma Hongmei with a questioning look.

“He’s not dead after all that? Quite the stubborn one,” Ma Hongmei sneered inwardly, her tone full of disdain. “What a joke. I am the honorable Chief Elder of the Pill Hall. Why would I stoop to such petty tricks? And besides, I have no grudge against you—why would I bother to kick you?”

Qin Feiyang was seething, nearly driven mad with rage. He looked at the Third Master and pleaded, “I’m not lying. Please, believe me…”

“Don’t blame your own incompetence on others. If you want the Cleansing Marrow Pill, you’ll have to rely on your own true abilities,” the Third Master replied coolly, casting Qin Feiyang a dismissive glance before turning to enter the palace. In an instant, his figure disappeared.

“Why?” Qin Feiyang roared, murderous intent surging from his entire being. “Why won’t you believe me?”

Ma Hongmei curled her lips in a mocking smile and left him with a threat: “You should consider who you are—who would believe your nonsense? Take my advice: stop spreading rumors and causing trouble, or there will be no place for you in Iron Ox Town.” With that, she too turned and entered the Pill Hall, the great doors closing behind her.

Boom!

The doors shut firmly. Qin Feiyang stood motionless on the stone steps, his eyes fixed on the Pill Hall.

“The pain of today, I, Qin Feiyang, will return a hundredfold in the future! Today my blood has stained these stone steps. One day, I will see blood stain the entire Pill Hall!”

At this moment, his face was twisted, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. He looked like a wild beast, savage and terrifying.

He turned, barely able to keep his balance, and started down the steps. But after only a few paces, his consciousness began to blur, his body swaying. As he nearly collapsed, he bit down hard on his tongue, blood gushing into his mouth, and his mind cleared a little.

Again and again he bit his tongue—so much so that it was nearly torn apart. His pride would not allow him to fall on the stone steps.

No one knew how much time passed. At last, he reached the bottom, and as his feet touched solid ground, his body gave way. He fell forward, eyes closing, and fainted dead away.

Not long after, an old man with graying hair approached and paused before Qin Feiyang, whose body lay in a pool of blood. The old man’s eyes reddened. He glanced up at the Pill Hall, cold light flickering in his gaze, then gathered Qin Feiyang in his arms and hurried off, silent as a shadow, toward the edge of town.

Iron Ox Town was a small settlement, home to tens of thousands. Evening was drawing in; the sun was setting, the air growing cool. Townsfolk were emerging from their homes—some to stroll the streets and buy daily necessities, others to gather in small groups and chat, still others to leave the town in groups and hunt in the deep mountains beyond.

For all must live, and life is nothing more than the pursuit of food and wealth.

Those who glimpsed Qin Feiyang and the old man wore looks of sympathy. Clearly, these two were familiar figures in town.

The town was surrounded by endless mountains, thick with wild beasts and fraught with danger—few dared to venture there alone. Yet the old man carried Qin Feiyang straight into the eastern mountains, deftly evading the beasts along the way as though he knew every path.

After traveling about a mile, the old man arrived at a lakeshore. The lake was a hundred yards across, its waters clear and sparkling, a gentle breeze blowing, invigorating the spirit.

Willows swayed on the shore, their branches dancing in the wind, brimming with youthful vitality. To the left stood a small wooden house, two stories high, plain and unadorned but warm and peaceful, a place set apart from the world.

This was Qin Feiyang’s home.

The old man carried him inside, climbed to the second floor, entered a room, and gently laid him on the bed.

Then he hurried out.

Before long, he returned with a basin of water, sat by the bed, wrung out a towel, and began to clean the blood from Qin Feiyang’s body. When he had finished, he gazed at Qin Feiyang with deep affection, his eyes misting with tears.

“No… don’t… why… why must you treat me so cruelly… what did I do wrong… Uncle Yuan, don’t leave me. You’re the only family I have left—don’t let me become an orphan…” Qin Feiyang seemed caught in a nightmare, suddenly crying out in pain.

The old man—Uncle Yuan—hurriedly grasped his hand, soothing him with a gentle voice: “Feiyang, don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll always be here, I won’t leave you…”

Only then did Qin Feiyang gradually calm. Even so, his brows remained tightly knitted with worry. Uncle Yuan’s heart ached to see it, tears welling in his old eyes.

Suddenly, as if making a decision, he rose abruptly and rushed downstairs.

Soon, a dull rumble echoed from below—who knew what he was doing?

It wasn’t long before he returned, carrying a small jade box and a dagger. The box was about the size of a palm, pitch black and unadorned, yet Uncle Yuan’s expression was tinged with excitement as he gazed at it.

“It’s been five years since we left the Imperial Capital. Feiyang, you’ve endured five years of hardship in Iron Ox Town. These years have brought you endless humiliation and pain, but because of it, your character surpasses your peers. Your perseverance now even shames me. I believe you’re ready to stand on your own.”

Murmuring to himself, Uncle Yuan set the dagger aside and opened the jade box. Instantly, a rich fragrance filled the room.

Inside the box rested five pills: one white, two red, and two brown. Each was the size of a bullet, flawless and glossy, their aroma refreshing the mind.

Uncle Yuan administered one red and one brown pill to Qin Feiyang in turn.

Crack!

Soon, the sound of bones knitting echoed from Qin Feiyang’s arms and back—his fractures were healing! The wounds on his back and feet, too, began to mend rapidly.

In less than two hours, scabs had formed over his injuries. The broken bones had set, leaving only recovery ahead.

“Ma Hongmei, I will kill you!” Suddenly, Qin Feiyang roared, sitting bolt upright and making the wooden bed creak under his weight, his eyes blazing blood-red.

“Aaah…” The sudden movement tore open his scabbed wounds, blood flowing freely. The pain seized him, and he could not suppress a cry.

Uncle Yuan started, quickly laying him back and murmuring comfort: “Feiyang, you’re home now. I’m here, don’t be afraid.”

“Home?” Qin Feiyang paused, forcing back the pain and glancing around the familiar room. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, the redness fading from his eyes until they were once again clear and deep, shining with intelligence.

Seeing this, Uncle Yuan also let out a long breath.

Qin Feiyang looked out the window at the starry sky. “Uncle Yuan, how long was I unconscious?”

“About two or three hours,” Uncle Yuan replied.

“That’s good… I still have time,” Qin Feiyang murmured, then turned with a reassuring smile. “Uncle Yuan, don’t worry. I’ll find a way to obtain the Cleansing Marrow Pill. I’ll do everything I can to survive.”

Uncle Yuan was briefly stunned—this boy, comforting him instead?

Suddenly, Qin Feiyang frowned, examining his arms in disbelief. He remembered his injuries had been grave, yet now, even the broken bones had healed!

Common wisdom said it took a hundred days for wounds to heal, but only a few hours had passed. Could it be that Uncle Yuan had given him some miraculous medicine while he was unconscious?

“Uncle Yuan, what happened?” he asked. But Uncle Yuan was lost in thought, brows furrowed, as if pondering something deeply.

Just as Qin Feiyang was about to speak, Uncle Yuan raised a finger to his lips, signaling silence. Then he walked to the window, as if admiring the night.

It was deep into the night; the moon hung high, the stars sparkled, and all was silent.

Yet Uncle Yuan’s keen ears caught faint rustling sounds. Suddenly, he spotted two shadows hiding in the grass five hundred meters away.

A cold light flashed in his eyes as he turned to Qin Feiyang and spoke in a low voice: “Feiyang, someone means us harm.”

“Someone?” Qin Feiyang was startled.

“For five years, we’ve kept our heads down, never making enemies. If I’m not mistaken, these are Ma Hongmei’s people.”

“She wants to kill us to silence the truth?” Qin Feiyang exclaimed.

“Precisely. If word gets out that she kicked you from the steps, even if few believe it, it will cause her trouble. She won’t let you survive the night,” Uncle Yuan said.

Qin Feiyang gritted his teeth. “That woman is vicious indeed!”

“People are treacherous, Feiyang. In the future, whomever you meet, you must always keep your guard up.”

Qin Feiyang nodded, committing the words to memory.

Uncle Yuan took the jade box, slipped it into his robe, then picked up the dagger. “Feiyang, do you want to kill them?”

“I do,” Qin Feiyang answered without hesitation.

“But do you dare?” Uncle Yuan pressed.

This time, Qin Feiyang hesitated. He had never taken a life.

“Remember how you were driven from the Imperial Capital. Remember the hardships of these years. Remember what Ma Hongmei did to you today!” Uncle Yuan’s words pierced Qin Feiyang’s heart like knives.

He shut his eyes in torment, his face twisted in pain. But then, abruptly, his eyes snapped open, and he nodded. “Uncle Yuan, I dare!”