The Merchant Union, Tianyun city. Inside the Stone Room of the Shi family.
Yang Hai, who appeared a little stout, was sitting upright on a stone stool. With his eyes narrowed, he was flipping through an account book, page by page, and reporting the recent month's production status of the quarry to the Family Head of Shi family, Shi Jian.
Though Shi Jian was in his seventies, he appeared to be in good health, with no white hairs. Being the Family Head of Shi family, he was simply wearing a plain gown suited for martial training. Sitting casually on a brown stone stool, he had a calm demeanor and was listening to Yang Hai earnestly.
After Yang Hai detailedly illustrated the case, Shi Jian frowned and commented, "Hai, the production in recent months has decreased by 20 percent. What happened?"
"It's all because of the Mo and Ling families." Yang Hai sighed, "Many skilled workers were lured away by their high salary. We are now lacking in human resources. We are in a bad situation due to the secret fight with the two families lately. In the fear that we would lose to them, plus being offered a higher salary, the pitmen decided to work for them."
"Humph!" Shi Jian sniffed. "They are obviously doing that deliberately. Ever since, the two younglings, Mo Yanyu and Ling Shaofeng got engaged, the Mo family and Ling families have gotten closer and closer. The Ling family has also been interfering in our secret fight with Mo family. They must have secretly come to an agreement, or else Mo family wouldn't have been able to compete with us."
"Family Head, should we strike back?" Yang Hai asked.
"No worries. I have a plan." Shi Jian looked assured, then he paused and frowned, "Is that little brat Shi Yan still not back home yet?"
"No. I was just about to mention that." Yang Hai looked smiled wryly, "A year ago when he left home, that stupid boy said he would go to the Dark Forest. I received information a couple of days ago that Mo Chaoge and Mo Yanyu were in the Dark Forest as well. Could something have happened to him? He didn't take any capable escorts with him. His mother Qing died early, and we have this single child. I am so worried... "
Shi Jian frowned and kept silent for a long while. Then he sighed, "This boy was born without inheriting the 'Petrifaction Martial Spirit' of the Shi family, and nor was he fascinated by Martial Arts. Instead, he is crazy about those odd things and always likes to goof around. Such a troublesome kid!"
"Master, it's all because of my bloodline. If I had a Martial Spirit, Qing would have given birth to a child with a Martial Spirit." Yang Hai was ashamed.
"It's all fate." Shi Jian shook his head, "Hai, I found you by the Endless Sea. Though you are not my own, I've always treated you like my own son, or, I wouldn't have betrothed my daughter Qing to you. Yes, you don't own a Martial Spirit, nor did you train in Martial Arts, but you play a key role in the development of Shi family and the management of our quarries. We wouldn't have accumulated so much wealth if it hadn't been for you. Though you are not good with Martial Arts, your contribution to the family is no less than anyone else's!"
"But nowadays, a strong warrior is much more valuable than anything." Yang Hai smiled and mocked himself, "If I had a Martial Spirit, I would have trained in Martial Arts. And if Yan had inherited the Petrifaction Martial Spirit from his mother, perhaps he too would have trained in it. But why does a Martial Spirit have to be destined from birth? Aii..."
Shi Jian nodded, and sighed, "Indeed. It's true. A strong warrior is more valuable than anything."
"Family Head, could that little boy be in danger?" Yang Hai couldn't help but worry.
"He shouldn't be." Shi Jian thought for a while, and added, "Because my grandson isn't into Martial Arts, so the Mo family has never set their eyes upon him. Neither Mo Chaoge nor Mo Yanyu have ever seen him before. So, it's impossible that they would target him."
"But, I still feel something's wrong. He should have come home by now."
"Well, I will tell our people's in Silent Town to keep an eye on him. Silent Town is right beside the Dark Forest. Once they spot Shi Yan, they will let us know. So don't worry."
"Thank you, Family Head."
"Why? Your son is also my grandson!" Shi Jian glared at him and berated, "How many times have I told you? Don't call me Family Head. I'm your adoptive father, and also your father-in-law. You can call me anything but Family Head."
"I got it, Father."
"Ok."
---
A silent night in the Dark Forest.
Luo Hao was standing still on the side of the track with a quintuple gravitational field surrounding him; it was getting very hard to breathe.
Shi Yan was pounding in the air and jumping around Luo Hao while perspiring from all over his body. Blue veins showed up on his face and neck, quivering like little snakes.
In the grass, Mu Yu Die was gazing at them secretly while biting a straw in her mouth.
"Guess how long can he endure today?" Di Yalan asked in a whisper as she walked up quietly and squatted her round butt down alongside Mu Yu Die.
"You finished your task today?" Mu Yu Die chuckled, without replying her.
"Zhao Xin took over. It was really dangerous! A single horned silver snake was twining around the tree trunk, and I didn't notice it. I almost got bitten by it! If I hadn't moved quick enough, I wouldn't be next to you right now."
Di Yalan still looked shaken. She cursed, "More and more demon beasts are appearing these days. We have to be careful. We have met five groups of demon beasts in the past three days. They walk around, especially at night time. You'd better take me with you next time you want to peep. Or else you might be in danger."
"You just wanted to say the last thing right?" Mu Yu Die giggled.
"Ha, you found it out." Di Yalan didn't disguise herself and said, "That guy is really something. In the past three days, he broke his limit every day and his endurance increased more and more after every attempt. Though I'm at the Third Sky of the Nascent Realm, I wouldn't dare to mess around in the quintuple gravitational field of Uncle Luo. This guy is literally insane. Every time, he won't stop until he faints. Nuts! Truly nuts!"
"His endurance is actually not the most shocking thing." Mu Yu Die shook her head slowly as her eyes glimmered.
"Yes, his recovery speed is even more astonishing. Unbelievable! He is only at the First Sky of the Nascent Realm, how can he have such incredible recovering ability?" Di Yalan was confused too.
"This guy... has so many secrets..." Mu Yu Die thought for a while and murmured, "I have never seen anyone who can eat as much as he does! He almost ate up all our food in the past three days. I'm now worried about food. He is such a rice bucket*!"
(*ED: A 'rice bucket' is a slang term for a useless person. Someone who is only good for eating rice.)
Di Yalan laughed, "But he talks in a funny way! Just some casual words from him can make us laugh until our stomach hurts. And he has so many new ideas that I have never heard of. He says that kings must be voted in by citizens, and merchants can dominate a country. By the way, he even composes sarcastic poems. I just don't get it, how can this 17-year-old boy be filled with so many odd things."
"And it is this 17-year-old guy who looks as if he wants to eat us when he stares at us. I have never seen such possessive eyes. Bastard! Despicable!" Mu Yu Die grinded her teeth and made an action of cutting in the air, "Some day, I will let him know how capable I am!"
"Wait till your Martial Spirit is back, ha, what's the big deal with letting him look at us? We don't lose anything. Zhao Xin and Hu Long, they only dare to peep at my ass when I'm not looking. I despise their kind even more! Compared to them, that bastard is bolder, I like it!" Di Yalan laughed loudly.
"You're getting horny?" Mu Yu Die smirked, "He is still a kid! Don't seduce him!"
"Have you seen any kid who gives that kind of a look?" Di Yalan lowered her voice, "I am guessing that he is older than he looks. Maybe he had adopted some secret skill to make himself look young on purpose! Maybe it's a special secret Martial Spirit..."
"Could be. Seems like we have to be careful now." Mu Yu Die pondered, and then nodded slowly.
---
"Bang!"
Shi Yan was sprawled on his back. He was entirely exhausted. He asked in a raucous voice, "How many laps?"
"Fifteen." Luo Hao answered with a complex look. "You kept jumping and rolling during these fifteen laps, which made the pressure much greater. Young man, can you really... bear that?"
"Cough cough, well, we will know tomorrow." Shi Yan found it even impossible to speak.
In the past three days, he trained in [Rampage] whenever he had free time.
After the arduous training, the meridians in his chest and waist could easily release negative energy at his will, which made him get a lot skinner.
He thoroughly trained almost every part of his body, but the hardest part was his brain...
At night, he would ask Luo Hao to lay the quintuple gravitational field to steel himself under the massive stress.
Three days. In those short three days, he broke his limit from eleven laps to fifteen laps. While running, he also tried to increase the difficulty on his own as he jumped and rolled so as to consume more of his energy.
By undergoing this intensive training, he found his body becoming much more powerful than before. His limbs, tendons, muscles, and other organs all became stronger. Every morning, when he woke from his training, his body would be full of explosiveness, and he could jump several meters high into the air in normal gravity. Even his limbs became more agile.
He could clearly see the progress every day, thus he continued the training, and wrecked himself crazily. He steeled himself in the most insane methods, making his ability increase rapidly, while even his Profound Qi condensed faster as well.
"Aaao! Aaao!" There came a weird sound from far away.
Luo Hao turned pale and cried out, "It's a Level-4 demon beast, the Fire Snake! A Fire Snake is very tough. But they don't usually go out at night. Someone must have startled it!"
"Uncle Luo!" Zhao Xin and Hu Long hurried over while looking anxious.
"What's up?" Lou Hao yelled.
"A troop of warriors is hunting down a Fire Snake, and the latter is approaching us! The warriors are hell bent on it, making the Fire Snake irritated!" Zhao Xin was in a panic.
"Shit!" Luo Hao took off the broadsword on his shoulder and said, "Take care of Die!" Before he dashed away.
Shi Yan, who was sore all over, sat up immediately and began to operate his Profound Qi. With his calm and cool eyes, he silently gazed in the direction of Luo Hao.