Volcanic Age

"Do you know what you\'ve done wrong?" Zhou Xuchuan asked coldly without batting an eyelid.

That young man is insane!

He has a death wish, that\'s for sure! He\'s so young, so what a pity…

That was nice to see, but you\'ll get burned by doing crazy things like that, young man.

The members of the peanut gallery lampooned inwardly before praying for Zhou Xuchuan\'s restful trip to the afterlife.

"You bastaaard!"

Sure enough, Teng Guoyou flew into a rage.

He had truly gone beyond the point of no return. No one could talk him down anymore.

And his specialty, a punch, flew toward his target.

Zhou Xuchuan stared straight at the oncoming punch.

To a casual observer, it looked like he had no intentions of dodging.

Just as several members of the audience gasped out in shock, Zhou Xuchuan used the bare minimum of movement to evade the punch.

Whoosh!

A fierce fist brushed past Zhou Xuchuan\'s head, and the gust of wind kicked up by the fist pressure made his hair flutter.

What?! Teng Guoyou\'s eyes went wide open like saucers. There was a reason he had the title "Fivefold Fist." His punches contained his full strength, and they could inflict a fatal injury on his opponents.

Not only was his punch as fast as a bolt of lightning, but it was also powerful as a blunt weapon. Teng Guoyou had lost his temper, but there was no way his fury would make him miss his target.

He was confident that his martial arts would remain unaffected by fury, so how come the brat in front of him somehow managed to evade his punch as if he were taking candy from a baby?

"That was your first strike."

Slap!

Teng Guoyou\'s head snapped to the side.

A burning pain radiated from his cheek as it swelled up.

W-what the…? Teng Guoyou\'s mind blanked out, but it was not from the pain. The shock of getting slapped so defenselessly was much worse than the pain itself. He felt like a ghost had bewitched him. His head returned slowly to its original position, and he saw the young man staring expressionlessly at him.

"You have four strikes left," said the young man.

"You… You dare humiliate me like this?!" Teng Guoyou gritted his teeth, and killing intent flooded out of him like a deluge. His cheek wasn\'t the only thing turning red—his face turned red as well.

Veins bulged all over his arms and throat. His fiery rage burned so hot that even the distant crowd could feel it prickling their skin.

The Mount Hua disciple in charge of the gate realized that something grave would most likely happen, so he got ready to intervene, but…

SLAP!

A refreshing noise echoed from Teng Guoyou\'s face once again.

It was so clear that some would think of it as the purest form of noise.

However, the force behind that slap wasn\'t something to be admired in leisure.

"Argh!"

Blood spewed out of Teng Guoyou\'s mouth. A broken tooth had flown out of his mouth, rolling on the floor. His other cheek had swelled instantly as well.

How?! Teng Guoyou couldn\'t understand it.He thought that the brat had simply ambushed him and that he had let his guard down like an idiot. That was why Teng Guoyou had decided to keep his eyes wide open.

Unfortunately, things didn\'t go according to his expectations. When he sobered up again, Teng Guoyou found himself staring sideways at the young man while a worse pain radiated from his cheek.

"Apologize."

Slaaap!

"Kuuh-huuuhk?!"

Zhou Xuchuan didn\'t give the rude cultivator a chance to sober up.

Teng Guoyou\'s face spun the other way even before he could look at his attacker.

To make matters worse, Teng Guoyou\'s nasal bone had shattered, making it hard for him to breathe.

"AAAAH!"Teng Guoyou couldn\'t endure it anymore, and he couldn\'t let himself receive more attacks. Before his brain could even think of his next move, qi had already flooded his fist.

Swoosh!

Teng Guoyou\'s qi converged on his fists, and powerful gusts of wind burst out of him, sweeping past the distant crowd. Clearly, an enormous amount of power was contained within his clenched fists.

"Ah!"

It wasn\'t just the merchants; even the cultivators were shocked by the sight. The sheer amount of qi within Teng Guoyou\'s fist sent dreadful chills from the top of their skulls right down to their toes.

Teng Guoyou truly deserved to be an expert of the Murim Coalition—the Fivefold Fist!

"Die!"Teng Guoyou exclaimed. He genuinely had no thoughts of stopping himself. His demeanor suggested that he no longer cared about teaching a lesson; he simply wanted to kill the brat before him!

It\'s over!

Even if he\'s the Fivefold Fist, he\'s not going to leave here in one piece…

The Fivefold Fist was about to commit murder right in front of Mount Hua\'s entrance.

His would-be victim was a Mount Hua disciple, so his fate was as good as sealed.

Even if the Fivefold Fist was a respected expert who had carried out missions for the Murim Coalition and had built some reputation for himself, he wouldn\'t be able to sweep this event under the carpet.

The peanut gallery thought that the Fivefold Fist had let his guard down the first time he was slapped in the face. As for the subsequent slaps, they all thought that those slaps landed only because the Fivefold Fist was too flabbergasted to react.

Teng Guoyou swung his fist, and deafening explosions reverberated. A punch containing hair-raising power thrust forward and reached the target standing before his eyes, but—

CLANG!

The Fivefold Fist\'s powerful punch stopped dead in its tracks as if it had collided with an invisible barrier.

Even worse, the invisible barrier had not subdued the force of the punch, so Teng Guoyou\'s wrist twisted at a bizarre angle; the skin on the back of his hand was torn apart as well.

"Aaaaahk?!"

To everyone\'s shock, Teng Guoyou ended up getting injured!

"W-what the hell?"

"What did I just see?"

The peanut gallery stared at Teng Guoyou in sheer stupefaction. They saw Teng Guoyou throw that punch; even ordinary people with no cultivation could sense the power contained in that punch.

So how come he ended up getting injured instead of his target?

"Huh-uh?!"

Those with experience and skills were deeply awed by what they had witnessed.

"That was a Defensive Qi Barrier!"

It was like Sword Aura, and it was a qi utilization method accessible only to those at the Harmony Realm!

Just who was that young man?

"That was the second strike."

Slaaaaap!

A crisp, deafening noise echoed from Teng Guoyou\'s cheek. It was so loud that it stunned everyone in the crowd.

As for Teng Guoyou, he was blasted away by the slap.

"Kkueh-hheekk…"

Teng Guoyou\'s consciousness faded in and out. An incomprehensible agonized groan leaked out from the gap between his teeth.The famed Fivefold Fist was sprawled out on the ground, unmoving.

Zhou Xuchuan coldly said, "Apologize to my master."

"Stop, Xuchuan! I\'m okay now," said Liu Zhengmu. He could no longer watch the spectacle and had decided to intervene.

"My apologies if I made you uncomfortable, Master. This unfilial disciple pays respect to Master."Zhou Xuchuan bowed at a ninety-degree angle as soon as his master walked up to him.

Oh, he\'s Liu Zhengmu\'s disciple? Now I get why he was so angry.

Hang on. That young man is the Gentle Smiling Swordsman\'s disciple?

Could he be…

Liu Zhengmu was known as the Gentle Smiling Swordsman among his fellow cultivators, but his fame among the denizens of the Central Plains came from a different source.

"He must be Zhou Xuchuan!"

"The Plum Blossom Order Sword, Zhou Xuchuan!"

"One of the One Hundred Experts Under Heavens!"

Heroes would always garner attention.

The Gentle Smiling Swordsman being the Plum Blossom Order Sword\'s master was a well-known fact by now.

"Huh?! He\'s Zhou Xuchuan?!"

"The Righteous Faction\'s hero?"

"He really is a Harmony Realm expert, just like in the rumors!"

The peanut gallery finally understood the sight that had unfolded before him, and their eyes widened as their explosive attention zeroed in on Zhou Xuchuan.

Wasn\'t he the man responsible for raising Mount Hua\'s prestige through the roof?

Some people in the crowd had actually been preparing to do everything in their power to make their daughters hitch a ride on him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

"Looks like the Fivefold Fist has provoked the wrong person today."

"Maybe he has no idea that the Plum Blossom Order Sword is the Gentle Smiling Swordsman\'s one and only disciple…"

The atmosphere and the whispers changed drastically in tone. The speed of their change in attitude rivaled the speed of one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heavens.

The crowd was no longer afraid of the Fivefold Fist. Instead, they tutted away, taking pity on the collapsed Teng Guoyou.

Urgh, euh…! Teng Guoyou shuddered in indignation at the pitying gazes of the crowd. He dearly wanted to yell at these people to shut up, but couldn\'t do that. Zhou Xuchuan was standing tall before him, after all.

What kind of humiliation is this?! Teng Guoyou had been wondering why a brat, seemingly not even in his twenties, was so strong. Sure enough, he was none other than Zhou Xuchuan!

His luck was impossibly rotten today, it seemed!

"Let\'s save our greetings for later. For now… Fivefold Fist, sir. Are you okay? Can you stand?"Liu Zhengmu asked in a worried voice upon approaching Teng Guoyou.

The peanut gallery was deeply moved by his kindness.

As expected of the Gentle Smiling Swordsman!

I heard his heart is gentler than silk on your skin, and it\'s actually true!

No wonder he\'s the master who has nurtured a hero!

Since I\'m here, should I ask the Gentle Smiling Swordsman to take in my son as his disciple?

Zhou Xuchuan was still too young to take in disciples, but it was a different story when it came to Liu Zhengmu. Besides, many of the visitors had come with that exact purpose in mind. Even as secular disciples, having their children under the same master as a hero would mean the world to them.

"G-Great Hero Gentle Smiling Swordsman! I-I sincerely apologize!"

Yes, I must beg for his forgiveness!

Teng Guoyou thought. His complexion turned pale white, looking like a sheet of blank paper.His anger had cooled down, allowing him to realize that he was in a pickle.

Even the experts affiliated with the Murim Coalition couldn\'t cross certain lines.

However, he had crossed one of them upon allowing his blood to rush to his head.

Causing a scene in front of a sect was one thing, but he had ignored all attempts to resolve the conflict. To make matters worse, he had even attempted to murder one of the sect\'s disciples.

Teng Guoyou was not scared of Zhou Xuchuan\'s punishment, but the right thing to do here was to apologize.

"No, no, it\'s fine, sir. People can get hot-headed at times, after all. Actually, I\'m more worried about my disciple going a little overboard just now. For that, allow me to apologize," said Liu Zhengmu.

"I apologize for going overboard, Fivefold Fist, sir."

Even Zhou Xuchuan followed his master\'s example and apologized to Teng Guoyou.

Hmph. I would have beaten you to near death if you hadn\'t apologized. Zhou Xuchuan almost blurted out what was on his mind.

Liu Zhengmu examined Teng Guoyou\'s face and said, "Your injuries are more serious than I thought. Can someone take our guest to Elder Ling?"

"Please leave it to us!"

The Mount Hua disciples on standby at the rear stepped forward.

Hah! Just deserts.

None of them had said their thoughts out loud, but their expressions conveyed how refreshed they felt at the moment. They felt like the indigestion that had been plaguing them over the last decade had finally been washed down!

A random cultivator belittling their sect had provoked their ire, so they were indescribably elated by Zhou Xuchuan\'s appearance in the nick of time to repay the insult in kind.

"Well, if you please excuse us, we\'d like to be on our way now. If today\'s commotion has somehow displeased you, please accept my sincere apology. In case you are harmed somehow or are left in a disadvantageous position, please seek us out and let us know."

No one said anything in response to Liu Zhengmu\'s announcement.

"Then, we\'ll be on our way now. Forgive us, as we need to report the news of this commotion."Liu Zhengmu smiled gently and bowed slightly to the crowd.

As expected of the Gentle Smiling Swordsman! His smile truly had a calming effect on everyone.

***

Before he could celebrate his reunion with his disciple, Liu Zhengmu reported the commotion earlier to the higher-ups.At first, the elders were frantic upon hearing that Zhou Xuchuan had mercilessly slapped a Murim Coalition expert, but the detailed explanation put them at ease.

Since they had to hear from both parties involved, one of the Five High Elders, Sage Sword Xue Song visited Teng Guoyou in the infirmary.

Teng Guoyou wasn\'t pleased about recounting the disgraceful event, so he simply replied that Liu Zhengmu\'s report was accurate. His pride was hurt, but he knew that he had made a mistake, so he didn\'t whine about it.

Damn it, I\'ve got to leave Mount Hua as soon as possible once I\'m out of here!

Teng Guoyou\'s face was swollen like a well-cooked chestnut, so he couldn\'t even walk around freely. In addition, he was also humiliated in public.With those in mind, he swore to return to the Murim Coalition as soon as his treatment was finished.

***

Meanwhile,Zhou Xuchuan was enjoying the reunion with his master.

"It feels like we\'re seeing each other every year," said Liu Zhengmu, chuckling in delight.

"Things somehow worked out that way, Master."Zhou Xuchuan scratched the back of his head with a sheepish face.

A cultivation journey was supposed to last a few years at least; it was enough time for a cultivator to experience many things in gangho.

However, Zhou Xuchuan had been returning to Mount Hua whenever he felt like it.Of course, no one complained. His achievements and experiences had already surpassed what most people could achieve in ten years, after all.

"Well, it\'s not bad to see you come home to get some rest. The Sect Master has already given his permission, so there\'s nothing to worry about. Rest to your heart\'s content, Xuchuan."

"Thank you for your consideration, Master."

"Besides all that. You\'ve grown so much, Xuchuan."

"Really?"

Zhou Xuchuan rubbed the top of his head, wondering if he had gotten taller or something.

His disciple was just too adorable. Liu Zhengmu chuckled at the sight before shaking his head helplessly.

"It hasn\'t been all that long since you descended the mountain, yet you\'ve already accomplished so many wonderful feats. I\'ve been getting so many visitors lately that it has become impossible for me to attend the reunions that I used to enjoy attending every now and then. Those visitors won\'t stop talking about you, Xuchuan."

Liu Zhengmu was genuinely proud of his disciple\'s growth.

"There\'s a wise old saying about how a disciple would naturally surpass his master, and it certainly has happened with you, Xuchuan. Then again… You\'ve always been an excellent disciple, even when you were still a child."

"No, Master. Don\'t say that. If it weren\'t for your guidance, I wouldn\'t be here."

Liu Zhengmu merely smiled and closed his eyes at that.A dirty, wan face and a pair of eyes filled with wariness and fear were looking up at Liu Zhengmu—the eyes belonged to the young Zhou Xuchuan covered in mud.

The little kid had grown up so much that he could no longer be compared to his young self. The kid had grown up to become a boy, and then he became a young man before eventually becoming the Righteous Faction\'s hero.

Liu Zhengmu would be lying if he were to say that he wasn\'t proud of what his disciple had achieved. Upon hearing the news of Zhou Xuchuan\'s exploits, Liu Zhengmu\'s emotions had overwhelmed him to the point of shedding tears of happiness.

"I\'m so proud of you, my disciple."