Chapter 284 First-Grade Gang Force... Perhaps I Have It Too

Zhang Su’s pupils constricted sharply.

‘Is that… Luo Feng?’

Luo Feng’s face, already swollen, was now even worse. The corner of his mouth had split open, and blood dripped from his chin onto the ground.

His left eye was a bruised, purple mess, swollen almost completely shut. His right eye was also swollen to a mere slit.

“Senior Brother Zhao, I can still go on…”

Luo Feng gritted his teeth, pushing himself up with his hands on the ground and struggling to his feet.

His legs trembled and his body swayed, as if he might collapse again at any moment.

And yet, he stood.

The young man in blue robes standing opposite him was none other than Zhao Qi, the very person Luo Feng had gone to welcome earlier.

Zhao Qi looked at Luo Feng and shook his head. “Luo Feng, you’re too weak. You’re not worthy of following me. Get lost, and don’t ever come back.”

The color drained from Luo Feng’s face at Zhao Qi’s words.

“Senior Brother Zhao, I’m good enough, I…”

Before Luo Feng could finish, two Official Disciples in green robes stepped out from behind Zhao Qi. They seized Luo Feng by the arms and unceremoniously threw him out.

Luo Feng hit the ground hard.

He lay sprawled on the ground, motionless, like a heap of mud.

A flicker of pity crossed the eyes of some of the onlooking Named Disciples, but no one dared to say a word.

Zhang Su walked over and stood before Luo Feng.

Luo Feng slowly raised his head. When he saw it was Zhang Su, his expression stiffened, and his eyes flickered with panic.

“Oh, it’s you, Junior Brother Zhang. I’m fine…”

Luo Feng lowered his head, apparently not wanting Zhang Su to see him in such a pathetic state.

Zhang Su said nothing. He simply bent down, slung Luo Feng’s arm over his shoulder, and pulled him to his feet.

In silence, he supported Luo Feng, walking step by step out of the Martial Arts Arena.

The two walked back to Courtyard Eight along the stone path, neither speaking a word the entire way.

Zhang Su helped Luo Feng into his room and onto his bed.

Lying on the bed, Luo Feng gazed at Zhang Su with a complicated expression.

“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

Luo Feng finally spoke, his voice hoarse and tinged with bitterness.

“If you want to talk, I’ll listen.”

Zhang Su said simply.

‘Everyone has their own story; he wasn’t one to pry.’

‘If Luo Feng wanted to talk, he would listen.’

‘If he didn’t, he wouldn’t press the issue.’

A bitter smile touched Luo Feng’s lips. The movement tugged at the cut on his mouth, making him suck in a sharp breath of pain.

“I come from a Martial Arts Family. My family exhausted all its resources just for the slim chance of me entering Mixed Element Peak as a Named Disciple.”

“My aptitude is terrible. You can laugh, but I’ve only cultivated Seventh-Grade Gang Force, which is in the Lower Three-Grade of Gangjin. For me, even cultivating Inner Strength and breaking through to the Postnatal Realm is just a fantasy.”

“But I have to stay in the Upper Sect. As long as I’m here, the Upper Sect’s prestige alone is enough to protect my family. That’s why I’ve gone to such lengths to suck up to promising Official Disciples. Zhao Qi was my thirteenth target… and now it looks like that’s a dead end, too.”

When Luo Feng finished, he closed his eyes. Two streams of tears welled up from between his swollen eyelids, tracing paths down his cheeks and onto the pillow.

Zhang Su understood now.

‘Luo Feng was the Named Disciple in Courtyard Eight with the weakest background.’

‘He had no backing, no patron, just himself struggling to get by in the Upper Sect.’

‘His family had exhausted its resources just to get him a spot as a Named Disciple. If he were expelled from the Upper Sect, he would be too ashamed to ever face them again.’

‘And because of this desperation, he had to put on a daily act, pretending to have a strong background and to be some kind of expert.’

‘His helping Zhang Su with the newcomer’s manual, his explaining the ins and outs of Mixed Element Peak—it wasn’t out of genuine kindness. He was trying to place a bet on Zhang Su.’

‘He thought Zhang Su had a powerful background and could be his patron.’

‘But he’d bet wrong.’

‘Zhang Su’s background meant nothing on Mixed Element Peak.’

‘A Named Disciple from the Guiyuan Sect had no connections at all in the Upper Sect.’

‘So Luo Feng had no choice but to keep trying to curry favor with Zhao Qi and other promising Official Disciples.’

‘Even if his thirteenth attempt failed, he would just move on to a fourteenth, and a fifteenth, right up until his time ran out and he was kicked out of the Upper Sect.’

“Why did you think Zhao Qi had a shot at becoming a Direct Disciple?”

Zhang Su suddenly asked.

Luo Feng opened his eyes and answered without hesitation. “It’s rumored that Zhao Qi cultivated one of the Unusual Techniques, breaking through to Postnatal with a First-Grade Gang Force. His potential is immense…”

Zhang Su nodded.

“First-Grade Gang Force… Perhaps I can achieve that, too!”

Luo Feng froze.

His eyes went wide, staring at Zhang Su as if he’d just heard something impossible.

“What? You…”

Luo Feng’s voice trembled.

“In a few months, I might be able to achieve First-Grade Gang Force.”

Zhang Su’s tone was perfectly calm.

“If you trust me, then work for me. When I become a Direct Disciple, I’ll guarantee you a place in the Upper Sect. You should think it over.”

With that, Zhang Su turned and walked out of Luo Feng’s room.

The door closed, and the room fell silent once more.

Luo Feng was reeling.

‘He knew Zhang Su had Pure Yang Gang Power, but that was just a Third-Grade Gang Force. How could it possibly become First-Grade?’

‘The Melt Gang Technique?’

‘That was an incredibly dangerous Cultivation Technique. The slightest misstep would lead to a catastrophic cultivation deviation.’

‘A mere Named Disciple, really trying to become a Direct Disciple?’

‘It was madness.’

‘And yet, for some reason… when he remembered the look in Zhang Su’s eyes, Luo Feng found himself actually starting to believe him.’