The call ended, and Yu Fei was overjoyed.
It seemed he had found another path to riches.
But this wasn't something to be rushed. He needed to understand the details thoroughly, and he had to wait until his strength had improved.
His talent, [Insight], gave him the ability to perceive malice. Most members of evil cults had some sort of psychological problem, and of course, there were probably some sociopaths mixed in.
'If there are rewards for reporting them, then I'll have to look into the possibilities.' With this purple-grade talent, finding these cultists would just take a little risk and some time, and he was bound to get something out of it.
The five stages of Body Tempering, the first realm of martial arts, was a gradual process.
Among them, the Flesh stage was the most time-consuming.
This stage required tempering all the muscle and fat tissue throughout the body.
In fact, muscle and fat were equally important, complementing each other perfectly.
Fat served multiple functions, such as storing energy and protecting internal organs, but having too much would hinder one's mobility.
Body Tempering not only tempered muscle tissue to give it greater strength, but also tempered fat tissue to enhance its energy storage capabilities.
The path of martial arts cultivation was a path of life's evolution. One had to be comprehensive enough to walk it further.
A portion of a Vitality Elixir mixed with an energy drink went down his throat. A warm current slowly spread from his stomach to his limbs. Yu Fei assumed the stance of the Ox Subduing Pile Skill, using the technique to guide the energy to be absorbed by his gradually transforming cells.
Yu Fei could feel himself getting stronger again.
The fascinating thing about martial arts was this kind of daily accumulation of power, a strength you could see with your own eyes.
Success comes from diligence, failure from idleness.
Fortunately, Yu Fei, having awakened his past-life memories, possessed sufficient patience and willpower.
The perfected Ox Subduing Pile Skill could provide a deeper and more efficient level of tempering for the body.
Under the combined effect of his two blue-grade talents, [Super Speed Reaction] and [Supernatural Comprehension], Yu Fei's mastery of the Ox Subduing Pile Skill was constantly being refreshed. He gained new insights every time he practiced, and each session was slightly more effective than the last.
The only thing was, Yu Fei didn't have a system panel, so he couldn't be sure how far along he was on the path to perfection.
As he finished the final set of movements, white, vaporous sweat rose from the top of his head.
His skin was now flushed red, and his muscles twitched and trembled all over. Through these minute vibrations, his body gradually grew stronger, more explosive, and gained greater endurance.
Today was the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. There were hardly any people still training at the Aurora Martial Arts Hall. It was also the last day the hall would be open before the New Year; they wouldn't reopen until the eighth day of the first lunar month.
Gao Yunxiang had also once marveled at Yu Fei's diligence. Talent determined one's upper limit, but personal effort determined one's lower limit.
In Gao Yunxiang's memory, although he hadn't been very talented back in the day, he considered himself quite hardworking. But compared to Yu Fei, he was still a far cry.
From their daily interactions, he saw that Yu Fei was always practicing his stances, his fist techniques, doing physical training, and so on.
In his rare moments of leisure, he would watch commentary videos related to martial arts. According to what he'd heard from Mr. Yu, Yu Fei was also very diligent with his studies, keeping his schedule completely full without needing any prompting.
Every time Mr. Yu talked about Yu Fei, he would get a dazed look on his face.
"That kid, Feifei, is actually very strange. I often forget he's just a child. He's so self-disciplined, mature, and steady that I don't have to worry about him at all. I feel like Feifei is more sensible than I am."
"Do you think it's possible my Feifei is a reincarnator?"
Those were Mr. Yu's exact words from their casual chat downstairs last night.
Gao Yunxiang couldn't deny it.
Sometimes, the difference between two people is greater than the difference between a person and a dog. A person's upper limit is extremely high, while a dog's upper limit might exceed a person's lower limit.
...
In an abandoned, half-finished building in Y-City, faint screams could be heard. They lasted for a whole night before gradually fading away.
This unfinished building had been abandoned for over twenty years and never dealt with. Over time, the nearby residents all moved away, and the area grew increasingly desolate and dilapidated.
The main structure of the building had been completed, and one could vaguely see that it had been designed as a complex of low-rise garden villas.
Unfortunately, looking at it today, one could only see utter desolation. The main structure was pockmarked and uneven, and parts of some floors had already begun to collapse.
Inside, on the third floor of the northernmost building, stood four simple crosses made from a combination of rebar and wood.
A mangled, bloody person hung from each cross. Rusted iron wires pierced their internal organs and were knotted on the surface of their bodies. Pools of blood congealed on the ground.
The people on three of the crosses had already lost their lives. Only the man on the far-left cross was still faintly breathing.
He was still alive, but he was about to die.
Standing before the dying man was a woman in a red cloak, wearing red contact lenses.
The woman had silvery-white hair. Beneath her cloak was a graceful, snow-white body. In the cold winter air, she had large patches of skin exposed, wearing only a black leather outfit with cutouts all over. The heels of her crimson thigh-high boots were at least fifteen centimeters high.
The woman poked the man's body here and there with an iron wire, pushing it deep into his flesh.
Just like a child poking an ant with a stick.
Her expression was pure, almost bored, as if the man before her was merely a doll.
As the wire went in and out, the man's body trembled weakly with each movement, but his throat could no longer make any sound.
After a long while, the woman seemed to lose her patience. She picked up two long iron wires with her fingers and inserted them one by one into the man's eyes, deep, straight into his brain.
And so, the man finally died.
"Well, it seems you really didn't betray the Divine Cult. You didn't change your story even at death's door. Not bad!"
As the woman turned around, a group of people dropped to their knees before her with a great SWOOSH, kicking up a cloud of dust.
THUD!
CLACK, CLACK...
The sound of her high heels on the floor was crisp and loud, echoing incessantly in the silent space.
Her slender fingers hooked the chin of the man kneeling at the very front, pulling him up from the ground.
"Liu Cheng's stupidity got him exposed, and that entire team was wiped out. We are no longer safe in Y-City. Give the order: split into groups and disperse to the surrounding counties. Lay low for a while."
"Yes!"
"Remember to find some good 'medicine.' The Divine Cult needs to recover its strength this time. Understand?"
"Understood!"
"And remember, don't leave any openings. I don't want to have to personally bail you out. I'd have to kill you after I rescued you, and that's just too much trouble."
"Yes!"
"Heh heh, how boring! My dear Instructor."
The man lowered his head in silence.
"La~ la la..."
A clear song rang out. The woman's voice was crisp and ethereal, echoing through the desolate building before gradually fading away as the singer vanished without a trace.
THUD!
The group of people kneeling on the ground kowtowed forcefully. One of them even smashed a chunk of stone on the floor with his forehead, displaying extraordinary martial arts prowess.
"We respectfully see you off, Lord Rose Envoy!" their voices rang out in perfect unison.
After a long moment, the man at the front of the crowd raised his head and then stood up.
He paused for about three seconds. With the first person rising, the others got to their feet one after another.
SHUFFLE~
The back of the lead man's shirt was soaked through, a rare sight in the cold of winter. It wasn't just him; the vast majority of the people present were the same.
"Ahem!"
The man cleared his throat slightly.
"You all heard Lord Rose Envoy's orders. Execute!"
The man's voice was hoarse at first, but he roared the last word, his voice thick with a tremor.
The crowd scattered like frightened birds.
Most villains in this world know they are bastards. They fight with courage and ruthlessness, but in their hearts, they still weigh the pros and cons.
But when they encounter someone who is evil incarnate—a natural-born monster—they become more docile than kittens.