A Night of Quality Sleep

"Feizhen, Shifu can be called a veteran of the pugilistic world, yet he has seldom, really seldom seen anyone… as stupid as you! You can't master Empty Palms, failed to grasp Daluo's Five Divine Styles Manual and reckon Night Net Sacred Treasure Records is too complicated. Nonetheless, there's nothing as disgraceful as the fact that you're already seven years old! At your age, Shifu could drive off eight full-grown bulls with a single whip!"

"Feizhen, there are eight types within internal styles. Come here… You don't need to learn all of them. You'll be able to blow away most of the world if you can be elite at just one type. You want to learn Hard Realm? Look how brittle your bones are. Your aptitude is too poor to learn Edge Realm. Just make do and learn Just Realm so that I don't have to dig a hole for you."

"Feizhen, how are you going to lead your juniors in your conquest of the pugilistic world when your potential is so awful? This is the simplest secret style centred around Just Realm. I bought it for five coins from a monk. If you can't get it down pact in three years, don't tell anyone you're my disciple."

"So what if you broke down your martial uncle's wall? Who cares? Go get a job. Set aside half of it to repay your shifu and shiniang. Then, spend the remaining half to repair the wall. Easy, right?"

"What's the matter with Tai Chi? I had to win it in a game of cards with the bull-nosed bloke from Wudang. Are you underestimating Tai Chi? If you can master a portion of it in a year, I'll reward you with two drumsticks."

"Of course I'm serious. When have I ever lied to you? Let's go hear some music. Don't tell your shiniang about coming here under any condition."

"You don't have to put up with anyone's attitude.

You

are my disciple."

The golden rays woke me up to a vibrant surrounding and bed of fallen leaves.

I don't see that bloody lying shifu of mine. It was all a dream? How long as it been since I dreamt of him…?

I wriggled around to blast away the inches-thick bed of leaves I created and took my time walking out of my groggy state. I must say, Shifu didn't sound curse worthy in that dream. Perhaps I started to get careless because I hadn't been subjected to his cons and absurdity in a long time.

Never ever let your guard down. That old man is trouble you must avoid. Never get into a situation where you're alone with him.

It wasn't surprising to find Mountain Monster sound asleep after expending a large amount of mental and physical energy to confront Abels. I'll say this, though: she's in character all the time.

Sky Palace's disciples were known for their grace. You could compare them to a princess raised to be prim, erudite and textbook. There Mountain Monster was, hugging a log and plastering her face to it. Nobody in their right mind would describe her as "feminine". I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be one of their problem kids.

Since we set out to locate Boss, I had been writing letters, reading letters, analysing and strategizing. Therefore, it was my first night getting six hours of sleep since.

As I fixed Mountain Monster's bangs, I started to contemplate what to do next. Had it not been for Mountain Monster's disguise ability, I wouldn't have been able to erase suspicion already. When he called me over to have a word with me after the scuffle, he sounded as though he trusted me, so I supposed he was no longer wary of me. Knowing him, he might've also been apologetic.

Had they not grown suspicious of me, I wouldn't have pulled off that show. If I finished Abels, they still would've suspected me.

I need to rethink how His Majesty perceives me, but I can leave it for later.

I stood up and peered over to the building His Majesty spent the night. Everyone had deep sleep for the first time in days; I bet thunderclap wouldn't have woken them. Most likely, our escort was forced to put themselves to sleep. The invisible enemy when fighting strong opponents is none other than the emotional stress you are under, and there isn't much you can do to reduce it.

Put it this way: post-fight against a Divine Realm adept is comparable to surviving a natural disaster. You may escape with your life, but the mental toll lingers.

The fear of possibly dying in the next blink of an eye and the perceived insurmountable odds continue to hack at the brain even after the fight.

Smiling upon seeing a young man - the very one I'd expect to come see me first - I asked, "Want a match?"

I certainly didn't expect him to be awake, let alone brimming with energy.

"That's a foregone conclusion."

Tang Ye enhanced his hands with a scorching energy, adding another luminous colour to the scenery.

"That's a big overnight improvement," I complimented, curving my lips up as my eyes turned scarlet.

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