Grandmaster's Request

Huan Wei was floating in endless darkness. Primordial terror, without a beginning, seemed to grip his heart in the palm of its hand, squeezing it. Yet he stared into this bottomless void with nothing in it.

"The time is coming, Huan Wei."

"You will kill."

"Will you be ready?"

"Live or die."

"They will kill you."

"Do you want to survive?"

Thousands of voices asked him questions they already knew the answers to. Huan Wei could only nod.

He knew that the second chance he had been given was not a gift from God. The Black Void had dragged him into a deal that was impossible to get out of. Huan Wei had already experienced the power the system would give him. But was there anything he could do for the Black Void?

"We will let you know."

"When the time comes, you will know."

"Kill them."

"Pathetic."

"Poor soul."

"You belong to us."

"Obey."

---

It was noon. Huan Wei had left his home and gone to the martial arts school. He joined the lessons with the other students.

He was feeling a little tired. At night, he had dream he couldn't remember. In the morning, there were some changes in the system. It seemed that the daily quest had been canceled for a while. Huan Wei didn't know why. Even if he did, he couldn't do anything about it.

As the students practiced the movements Lou Guiren had demonstrated, an old man suddenly walked in.

His beard and mustache reached his chest. His back was hunched. His white eyebrows grew up to his chin. He was dressed in a mixture of white and black. Although old, the colors were still bright.

When the old man entered, everyone, including Lou Guiren, stopped and bowed at the master's signal. "Grandmaster Yin Bolin."

Yin Bolin looked at them with a kind smile and gestured for them to continue their practice. As the students continued practicing their movements, Lou Guiren immediately came to the Grandmaster's side.

"Grandmaster Bolin, this is an honor."

"I came to check on the condition of your students, Master Guiren." Yin Bolin replied to Lou Guiren in a respectful tone.

Grandmaster Bolin had spent years practicing cultivation and martial arts. He was the oldest man in town. Yet even he didn't know how old he was. After 600, he stopped counting.

Cultivation was a long road. One would start in the Wanderer Realm and choose a path when one reached the Path Realm. The Celestial World had countless paths and these paths had countless daos.

When one reached the Path Realm, one had to gain understanding and insight into the path one had chosen. At the same time, he had to integrate with the world and walk on his chosen path. In this way, he could continue to grow stronger and extend his lifespan by passing into the Life Link Realm.

The Life Link Realm strengthens the bonds that connect a cultivator's soul and body through life. The body would become more resistant to aging and a solid shell in which the soul could continue to reside.

But the Life Link Realm was far from the end. After it came the Origin Awakening Realm. People in this realm would awaken the dormant origin force deep within their souls and bring the soul closer to its original power. The awakened power within the soul strengthens its harmony with the entire universe and allows one to choose other paths.

Grandmaster Bolin was a mighty cultivator who had reached the middle phase of the Origin Awakening Realm. In his youth, he had traveled many places and fought countless battles. Eventually, he settled in Bitter Sea Town and created this school. He had been training disciples for almost 200 years. Even the town ruler Tian Fu was his disciple. There was no one stronger than him in Bitter Sea Town.

Grandmaster Yin Bolin watched the disciples in silence for a while. Lou Guiren had brought him a stool to sit on, yet the old man preferred to stand.

"I'm not that old yet, young Guiren." Yin Bolin was examining each student one by one. Lou Guiren waited beside him without making a sound.

Huan Wei was watching Yin Bolin as he went through the moves. "Grandmaster..." he thought. "This is the first time I've seen him in person. From the outside, he looks like an old man. No one will believe that he killed the three demons in the Moist Forest."

Yin Bolin was the one who made the Moist Forest available to young people. He killed the demons that were born from a corrupt area that existed in the forest in old times. No cultivator who had not at least entered the Life Link Realm dared to face a demon. Yin Bolin had attacked three of them alone and emerged victorious.

Huan Wei's gaze did not escape the grandmaster's eyes. "Is there any news about Huan Wei's condition?" the old man asked quietly. They were too far away for the students to hear them.

Lou Guiren also looked at Huan Wei. "I still believe he can control his anger, he just needs to realize that anger will bring him nothing but harm."

"You are wrong, Guiren." Grandmaster Bolin shook his head from side to side. "Anger is not bad. You must teach him to channel his anger, not suppress it. Then he will be much stronger."

"You are right, Grandmaster Bolin." Lou Guiren bowed his head. He had no intention of objecting to the Grandmaster. Nevertheless, he had to explain his own purpose. "I'm just trying to get him to lower his anger, he loses himself in every fight."

"Have you spoken to Huan Chao?" Yin Bolin asked, stroking his beard.

"I tried, yet he refused to talk to me."

"I see." Yin Bolin moved a little closer to Lou Guiren and spoke in a lower voice. "Take Huan Wei and Chiu Ti to an inn tonight. Give them something to eat and drink. Give them some advice. Huan Wei has entered the middle phase. The boy is likely to lash out at everyone in his rage. Chiu Ti will be on his side."

Lou Guiren looked at the Grandmaster with a serious expression and nodded his head in agreement. "I'll take them."

"I have high hopes for Huan Wei and Chiu Ti, Guiren. The strongest people are born from the hardest lives. We must not let the world devour them. It is our duty to our young people."

"As you wish, Grandmaster Bolin."

Yin Bolin watched the students in silence for a few more minutes and then left. Meanwhile, Lou Guiren was puzzled. Huan Wei had entered the middle phase? Yin Bolin could tell at a glance.

"What I feared is coming true." Lou Guiren thought. "The boy is getting stronger before he gets rid of his anger. He will become the worst of them all. I was supposed to prevent it, but I failed. Maybe there is still hope..."

When the class was over, the disciples began to file out. Huan Wei went straight to Chiu Ti. He hadn't seen her yesterday and missed her.

"Well, Huan Wei?" Chiu Ti smiled. "What did you do yesterday?"

"Sshh..." Huan Wei put his index finger to her lips and laughed briefly. "Instead of telling you, I want to show you directly, come with me."

Chiu Ti smiled at him with love. Huan Wei's happiness made her heart happy too. Her excitement was visible in her eyes. Together they walked towards the exit door.

But before they could leave, Lou Guiren called out. "Huan Wei, Chiu Ti, come here."

They both went to their master, wondering what had happened. Huan Wei said, "Yes, Master Guiren?" He was probably about to be reprimanded for missing two days of classes.

"Meet me in front of the school this evening after sunset."

Chiu Ti raised one eyebrow. "Has something happened, Master Guiren? What is the reason for calling us?"

Lou Guiren smiled slightly. But there was no joy in his smile. It was more of concern. "We are just going to have dinner with you. No need to worry."

The two looked at each other. Then they said, "Sure, we'll come." Lou Guiren nodded to them. Then they left the school.

Chiu Ti looked a little worried. "Do you think he's learned everything?"

Huan Wei shook his head from side to side. "That's impossible. There must be another reason, yet I don't care right now."

Chiu Ti smiled again as she held Huan Wei's hand. "I wonder what you care about."

Huan Wei smiled back and rested his forehead against hers. "I'll show you."

The young man's eyes traveled over the crowd. Soon he saw Zhao Yongnian walking with his friends.

"Watch." Then he let go of Chiu Ti's hand and walked into the crowd. As everyone dispersed, he suddenly shouted loudly.

"Hey! Zhao Yongnian! Do you dare to face me in the arena, you cowardly piece of human garbage!?"