Yang Lei's Awakening
"Xiaoyu, just give in to me. I guarantee I'm far better than that useless young master of yours."
As Yang Lei stepped into the front courtyard, these words immediately reached his ears.
"No! Yang Xiong, let go of me!" A frightened female voice made Yang Lei's forehead veins bulge with anger.
Yang Xiong was the son of Yang Qing, the chief steward of the Weiwu Royal Mansion. He had bullied Yang Lei frequently and had long coveted his maid, Yu'er.
"Let go of her." Yang Lei pushed the door open, his cold gaze fixed on Yang Xiong.
"Well, well, isn't this our Third Young Master?" Yang Xiong sneered, shoving Yu'er aside. She quickly hid behind Yang Lei in a panic. Yang Xiong showed no hint of a servant's humility as he smirked. "Tell you what, give Xiaoyu to me, and I'll pay you one hundred taels of silver, plus three Qi Condensation Pills. How about it?"
"Sounds great." Instead of getting angry, Yang Lei chuckled. "You've embezzled quite a bit from me, haven't you? You're nothing but a dog of the Yang family, yet you dare to threaten your own master."
"A dog? You dare call me a dog?" Yang Xiong's face twisted with rage. "You worthless piece of trash! You dare insult me? I think you've had enough of living!"
"If you act like a dog, you should have the awareness of one." Yang Lei snorted. Although he was only at the first level of Qi Refinement, Yang Xiong was merely at the third level—a minor obstacle. However, Yang Xiong relied on his father's influence in the mansion, which allowed him to bully others unchecked, especially targeting Yang Lei.
"You're dead!" Yang Xiong couldn't take the provocation. Normally, Yang Lei endured his bullying, but now he was standing up for himself. Enraged, Yang Xiong pulled out a dagger and lunged at Yang Lei.
"Young Master, dodge!" Yu'er shrieked in terror.
"Good timing." Back on Earth, Yang Lei had excelled not just academically but also in fighting. Since childhood, he had trained in martial arts, making him more than capable of handling street fights. Seeing Yang Xiong's attack, he didn't dodge—instead, he advanced.
Crack!
Yang Lei twisted Yang Xiong's wrist, snatched the dagger, and pressed it against his throat.
"You… what are you trying to do? My father is the chief steward! If you harm me, he won't let you go!" Yang Xiong's arrogance crumbled, replaced by sheer terror.
"You dared to challenge me?" Yang Lei said coldly.
"Young Master, don't kill him! If you do, the steward will never let you off!" Yu'er pleaded in horror.
"That's right, Third Young Master. If you kill me, my father will avenge me!" Yang Xiong stammered.
"Hmph, if I kill you, who will know? Would Xiaoyu tell anyone?" Yang Lei whispered.
"N-No! Please don't kill me!" Yang Xiong was terrified.
"Not killing you? Impossible. You are just the first in my revenge. I will return every bit of suffering I endured a hundredfold." Without hesitation, Yang Lei slashed the dagger across Yang Xiong's throat. Blood sprayed out instantly.
"You… you…"
"Y-Young Master… you… you killed him…" Yu'er was frozen in fear.
But Yang Lei had no time to care. A voice echoed in his mind.
Ding! You have killed Yang Xiong. Experience +200, Qi Power +100, Points +10. Reward: 10 Qi Condensation Pills, 1,000 taels of silver, 1 fine steel dagger.
Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 2. View personal stats?
"View," Yang Lei responded instantly. He had leveled up.
Player: Yang Lei
Level: 2
Constitution: 5
Health: 40
Qi Power: 200
Points: 110
Free Attributes: 2
Cultivation Method: Xuanyuan Art (First Level)
Skills: None
Equipment: Fine Steel Dagger
His level had risen to Qi Refinement Level Two. Killing was exhilarating. Even though it was his first time, Yang Lei felt no discomfort—only excitement.
The rewards were excellent. The ten Qi Condensation Pills were a huge help to his cultivation, allowing him to reach Qi Refinement Level Three quickly. However, leveling up through battle was even faster. The silver was also welcome; despite being a prince of the Weiwu Mansion, he had lived in poverty, with no resources for cultivation.
"Xiaoyu." Yang Lei finally turned to Yu'er, who had fainted. Oddly, Yang Xiong's body had vanished. Did killing really work like a game, with corpses disappearing? That saved the trouble of disposing of the body.
"Xiaoyu, wake up." He gently patted her delicate face.
"Young Master, you must run! Run quickly!"
"Are you alright?" Yang Lei was relieved to see her conscious. He didn't want his loyal maid to be frightened into madness.
"Young Master… Yang Xiong… was it a dream?" She looked around but saw no corpse, no bloodstains.
Yang Lei was puzzled too. His clothes had been stained with blood, yet now they were clean. If not for his strengthened Qi and updated system stats, even he might have thought it was a dream.
"Yang Xiong? Did he come? If he dares to, I'll kill him."
"He didn't come? That's good…" Yu'er let out a breath and patted her chest, looking adorably relieved.
"Xiaoyu, you're beautiful."
Yu'er blushed and pouted. "Young Master…"