Within the village, in the second biggest house, a middle-aged man was sipping on tea next to an older man. “Father, Qing’er will definitely become a real cultivator. We should try to send him to the Tiandao Academy in Xiaguang Town. I am sure he can pass the test in a year.”

“Hmmm… he would need to be rank eight body fortification to join. I do not see why not. If your son really does get into Tiandao Academy, we are sure to have an immortal in the family.” Fu Qing’s grandfather liked this idea. It would put them in debt but the money would be worth it if his grandson really did succeed.

Fu Qing’s father, Fu Zemin, wanted nothing more than to leave this village riding on his son’s coattails. He knew his own cultivation would never be worth anything but if his son is able to enter the academy, then he might be able to rise up in the world. Little did he know that the son he had high hopes for was already crippled by Zhi Ruo.

“Elder Fu! Elder Fu!” A young boy rushed into the room.

“You are… Shi Tong’s little one. Why did you just barge in here like this?” Fu Qing’s grandfather was mad at the child's rude behavior, but seeing how panicked and rushed he was, he figured something must have happened.

“The demon girl… The demon girl crippled Brother Qing!” The young man finally caught his breath and explained what happened.

“What!? That little demon bitch!? I will kill her!” Fu Zemin flew into a rage and charged out of the door, pushing past the young man. He did not even think for a second how the demon child was able to cripple his son. He only cared about killing her and avenging his son, and hopefully, something could be done to save him.

Crippling one’s dantian would ruin a person for the rest of their life. They could never go beyond the body fortification realm if crippled before even entering the qi gathering realm. And if they were in the qi gathering realm and above, they would lose all their cultivation. Sometimes it was a slow process, and sometimes it was instant. For Fu Qing, Zhi Ruo had completely crippled him. He would never rise past rank nine body fortification.

Seeing his son run off without thinking made the old man, still sitting at the table, shake his head. He was weaker than Fu Zemin, so he did not plan to go. If his grandson had truly been crippled by the demon girl, then he can only hope his son could deal with it.

- - -

I looked at the village kids who were still gathering around while I sat on top of Fu Qing. He was not the most comfortable seat, but it was better than sitting on the ground. I bet the Fu family had thought that Fu Qing was going to be their rising star. I have heard a lot about how Fu Qing’s father, Fu Zemin, treated Fu Qing as if he was a god. This was why the idiot could walk around town doing as he pleased. I already saw someone run off to go tell on me so I only needed to wait. Luckily, in this village, only the village chief was in the qi gathering realm.

This meant that Fu Qing’s father was not my match. I highly doubt he has a better foundation than I do. I was at what can be considered the perfection of the body fortification realm.

“Master, someone is coming.” Little Nine informed me. I could not sense anything yet since I did not have a divine sense, so I could only use my eyes. Sure enough, though, off in the distance, I could see a tanned, skinny man rushing over.

I stood up and stomped on Fu Qing to make him groan out in pain. I did this because the man in question was Fu Qing’s father, Fu Zimen. “You little bitch! Let go of my son and accept your death!”

“Oh? You want to threaten me?” I asked as I raised my foot and stomped down on Fu Qing’s leg. A cracking sound was heard, and Fu Qing squealed like a pig.

“You!” I watched as Fu Zimen turned red, then purple, and then blue. He was truly enraged, but what could he do? I had his son.

“If you cripple yourself, I do not mind releasing him. Otherwise, you take a step closer, I will snap his neck, and then you will have no choice but to begin preparing for a funeral. You see, your son is just getting what he deserves. He had beaten a child of three years old two years ago. I almost died because of that. And today, he decided to show up at my front door to beat a child of five years old. How old is your son, and how old am I? Your son can’t even tell that I am stronger than him now. Did you all think I would just sit around and not find a way to survive? If you had not allowed him to show up at my door, this would not have happened.” The last bit was a lie. I did plan to cripple Fu Qing either way.

“Since he is crippled, then I will just kill you and send you to the yellow river with him!” It seemed Fu Zimen realized there was only one option for him. That was fine. I actually did not plan to kill Fu Qing. I just need to deal with Fu Zimen. Then I can take my mother into the pagoda, store all our belongings, and head follow the road out of the village.

On the way, I will hide in the pagoda and break through to the qi gathering realm before refining a few pills to sell. I think with that much I can at least rent a room someplace. But I did have to at least leave a note for the village chief. Without him giving lessons, I would not have been able to have been able to do anything. I think it was because he was giving lessons that I was able to gain the memories I have. For what reason I had such memories, I do not know, but maybe over time, I will learn. But for now, the task at hand was to deal with the crazed man rushing at me.