In the great hall of Elder Ku, Xiao Nanfeng sought an audience alone, the door tightly shut, as they discussed secrets unknown to outsiders. "Master, just now, that evil entity almost invaded my dreams. What's going on?" Xiao Nanfeng said, his face filled with worry. Elder Ku pondered for a moment before sighing, "It has grown stronger!" "Stronger?" Xiao Nanfeng was taken aback. "Its projection in reality indicates it has begun to break free from the constraints of illusion. Otherwise, it wouldn't have escaped my confinement last time," Elder Ku said, his expression grim. "Is it getting stronger by killing?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, intrigued. "Indeed. In the spiritual realm you saw, with each kill, the body turns to smoke it consumes. That smoke represents a person's soul and spirit, and the more it kills, the stronger it becomes," Elder Ku explained.
"What is this evil thing? With so many people near the Scripture Palace, why did it choose me?" Xiao Nanfeng said, looking troubled. "It's the calamity I brought you; it was originally attached to me," Elder Ku replied with a bitter smile. "Huh?" Xiao Nanfeng was puzzled. "I'm not sure of its origins, but I know there are many such evils in various secret realms. Even if killed, they can resurrect; they are truly sinister. I attracted this Lady Rouge in one such realm," Elder Ku recalled. "Lady Rouge?" Xiao Nanfeng raised an eyebrow. Such a feminine name for a thing? Who named it that?
"Indeed, I visited the realm where she resides, and a stone tablet there bore her true name, 'Lady Rouge'. I wasn't the first person she clung to; the previous ones have all died. I've considered many ways to kill her, but each time she only disappears for a while before reappearing. For years she has remained hidden, and I thought she had let me go until her return over a month ago during the recruitment of new disciples," Elder Ku sighed deeply. "Is she targeting me now?" Xiao Nanfeng shivered. "Let's examine your arm," Elder Ku said solemnly. Xiao Nanfeng rolled up his sleeve to the moonlight, revealing the image of a skull on the outer side of his right arm. "What is this?" His expression changed.
As he rubbed at it, the image began to fade. "Master, I just saw a skull on my arm, but it vanished in an instant," he said, sensing something amiss. Elder Ku replied seriously, "You may have been targeted by her. I wondered why I couldn't find her in the spiritual realm; turns out she's fixated on you." "That's impossible! We're not familiar; why would she latch onto me?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed, bewildered. "I suspect it's because you've offended her multiple times. She has a vengeful heart and wants to retaliate until she kills you," Elder Ku analyzed. "Did I offend her?" Xiao Nanfeng pondered. Well, he had, indeed—he had snapped her neck the first time, caused her to be trapped by Master the second time, and ignored her entirely the third time when he thwarted her plans.
"Today was perilous; I barely escaped. What should I do next time? In dreams, no one hears my cries. Master, what should I do?" Xiao Nanfeng looked at Elder Ku with a troubled face. Elder Ku thought for a moment, "Perhaps her targeting you is just a temporary whim? Don't panic too much; endure a while, and she might lose interest." Xiao Nanfeng thought, "Master, your comfort is even more terrifying." "I can withstand a few sleepless days, but if she keeps watching me, I can't last long. I can't avoid sleep forever. If I dream, won't I be in trouble again?" he said, utterly disheartened. "Shallow sleep leads to dreams, but deep sleep does not. As long as you can enter deep sleep quickly and control your dreams, she won't invade your mind. During this time, I'll also attract her attention with my lute music; just bear with it for a while! The Scripture Palace has Taoist texts on deep sleep meditation that can help you achieve it faster. I'll help you find one," Elder Ku smiled gently. "No need, Master; I've already read three texts on deep sleep meditation," Xiao Nanfeng declined.
Elder Ku: "..." How many books has this student of mine read in over a month? "Also, while the evil is strong, it is not invincible. As long as your spirit power is strong enough, it cannot destroy your soul awareness, so cultivate well. Strengthening yourself is essential," Elder Ku warned. "Yes!" Xiao Nanfeng replied.
Outside the hall, Ye Dafu and others were captured by a group of law enforcement disciples, anxiously watching the great hall door. "Is it necessary? It's just a stone, and he wasn't even hurt!" Ye Dafu exclaimed. "Exactly! We didn't mean it!" "Why did he go to Elder Ku to report? What should we do?" … They all looked hopeless, having thought they could take revenge on Xiao Nanfeng under the cover of darkness, but many witnesses had seen their act. How could they argue their way out of this?
With a loud crash, the hall door swung open. Elder Ku and Xiao Nanfeng emerged, both looking displeased. "Master, it's them," Xiao Nanfeng pointed at Ye Dafu and the others. Their faces froze—he really reported them? "Elder Ku, we can testify; we saw them throw stones at Nanfeng's room. Fortunately, he is unharmed," one law enforcement disciple stepped forward to testify. "We were just messing around, Elder Ku; it was unintentional," Ye Dafu urgently explained. "Yes, we were just playing; we won't do it again," the others begged. Elder Ku ignored them and asked Xiao Nanfeng, "How do you wish to handle this?" "I request that Master select two Taoist texts for them to memorize according to their cultivation paths, so they can improve their future practice," Xiao Nanfeng respectfully stated.
"What? We have to memorize?" Ye Dafu's face changed dramatically. They had barely finished one book and escaped the grind, and now they had to memorize again for just tossing a stone? "It's for your own good," Xiao Nanfeng said seriously. Although Ye Dafu had intended to retaliate, they inadvertently helped Xiao Nanfeng, so he decided to return the favor by asking Master to tailor some texts for them. Others would seek Master's guidance and not get it; they should be grateful! "You're talking nonsense! This isn't for my benefit!" Ye Dafu yelled, furious. "No need to thank me; this is what you deserve," Xiao Nanfeng nodded.
Ye Dafu: "..." I don't thank you for this! I absolutely hate memorizing! You want me to thank you? "Elder Ku, I was wrong; I threw a stone at your disciple. I can stand here without moving, letting him throw a stone back to vent his frustration. Is that okay? I don't mind taking a few hits as long as I don't have to memorize," Ye Dafu pleaded desperately. "What kind of cultivation are you practicing? What's your level?" Elder Ku inquired, ignoring their pleas. Clearly, he had accepted Xiao Nanfeng's suggestion and was preparing to make them memorize. "Boss, we just got free from memorizing, and now we have to start again?" the others lamented, feeling hopeless. Seeing that Xiao Nanfeng and Elder Ku were aligned, Ye Dafu knew he was in big trouble. "Elder Ku, the one who planned the stone throwing was me! My brothers have nothing to do with it; they were just following my lead. If anyone is to be punished, it should be me alone; let my brothers go!" Ye Dafu bravely declared.
"Since you planned it, I'll assign two texts for each of them, and for you, I'll choose four!" Elder Ku stated calmly. Ye Dafu's expression stiffened: "..." That's not fair! I was supposed to memorize two books; now I have to memorize four? Why? That's not right! "Hurry up and say thank you," Xiao Nanfeng urged the others. Ye Dafu and the others: "..." Thank you? Why don't you just drop dead?
Faced with Elder Ku's authority, Ye Dafu and the others had no choice but to comply, as Elder Ku personally selected Taoist texts for each of them from the Scripture Palace. The commotion settled, and the eleven disciples, who had just escaped their burdens, reluctantly began their memorization journey anew.
The next morning, as they memorized, Ye Dafu and the others cursed Xiao Nanfeng, who was absorbing the morning sun's energy, their eyes red with resentment. Yet, none dared to insult him, for Elder Ku was sitting nearby.
"Whew!" Xiao Nanfeng exhaled, opening his eyes. "Perform a round of Dominance Fist; I want to feel the flow of your energy and offer some guidance," Elder Ku instructed calmly. "Yes!" Immediately, Xiao Nanfeng unleashed the Dominance Fist, sending forth a torrent of wind and thunder, causing dust to rise around them. After a while, he gradually came to a stop. "Your punches release a hot wave; have you integrated the essence of Pure Yang into your Dominance Fist?"
"Master, the texts you assigned me on Pure Yang energy contain explanations about this. Merging intention with energy and energy with force amplifies the power, allowing me to grasp the essence of the Dominance Fist more clearly," Xiao Nanfeng replied, nodding confidently.
Elder Ku: "..." I hadn't even begun to teach you, and you've already learned it from the books! How can I keep up with your self-study pace?
"Master, have I misunderstood anything?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.
"You've understood very well. I'm quite pleased, which saves me from explaining further," Elder Ku nodded, a mix of admiration and exasperation in his tone.
"Please, Master, if you have the time, could you pay attention to how Ye Dafu and the others are comprehending their memorization? With your guidance, they should grasp it much quicker," Xiao Nanfeng suggested, pointing towards Ye Dafu and the others.
Ye Dafu and his group turned pale. What? You're not satisfied with the trouble you've caused us? You want to add to it? We only threw a stone at you! Is that too much to handle?