87.

"Interesting. I really reached Innate with just my body." Looking at the screen with a smile, Yang Ze nodded his head. Although the process was painful to the extent that one would rather prefer death over it, in the end, it helped him reach a realm that was deemed impossible.

What Yang Ze didn't know was that the usual process wasn't this bloody or painful. It was a gradual process that usually takes place across decades. The body is slowly strengthened over time instead of a single night. This was the reason why many times he would lose consciousness. It was because of the sudden changes in the body.

Yang Ze who was unaware of the reason picked up the bed before placing it at its original location. After making sure everything was properly arranged, he nodded and took out the brush along with some rune papers. It was about time he start his next course of action.

It didn't take him long before he was able to draw fifty runes. Different runes had different functions. Yang Ze stacked the runes into three different categories. The first one was the attack-type runes. After tearing them a bit from the top, you can use these runes for a sudden burst of Qi. For those in the Qi Condensing realm, this was a great way to attack.

The second types of runes he made were defensive types. You just need to plaster them on your body and viola! It will form a layer of thin Qi around the body that will protect the user till it runs out of Qi.

The third and final types of runes were miscellaneous runes. These runes had a variety of usages, which includes a gentle burst of Qi to remove the dust to make anything clean, a rune that would slowly burn like a candle, illuminating the surrounding.

It wasn't that Yang Ze didn't want to make some fireball rune or some ice spear runes, but he didn't know how to make them. He got his formation knowledge from the book that he bought from Numinous Treasure Pavillion. That was just the basic formations. He could make a formation that could melt an entire city, but this was not something he could just make on a whim. That formation was the essence of his decades of knowledge and hard work. Even then, he could only somewhat ignite the fire, not control it.

Right now he only knows some simple principle behind the runes and formations. He has not come to a position where he could just draw a rune that deals with fire, water, and so on. There was only this that he could do right now.

"Let's go." Picking up the runes, Yang Ze yawned before walking out of the house.

As soon as Yang Ze left, a few figures entered his house again. After not finding anything out of ordinary, they came out before hiding in their usual spots.

.

.

.

.

"My brother... You are here..." As soon as Yang Ze reached the familiar shop, a round figure ran out before rushing toward him.

"Brother Hua Ji..... Booohoooo...." Xiao Pang who just rushed to Yang Ze hugged him before crying out loud.

"This...." Looking at the crowd of people that were occasionally giving him weird glances, Yang Ze shuddered before patting his back.

"Okay, I missed you, brother Pang. But are you really that happy to see me that you can't control your tears?"

"Huh?" Xiao Pang looked at Yang Ze for a moment before shaking his head.

"Although I know you missed me a lot, unfortunately, I am crying for a different reason."

'Good guy. Could have at least lied to me.' Gritting his teeth, Yang Ze gave him a smile before speaking "What happened? Why are you upset?"

"Boohoo..." It was as if he suddenly remembered to cry again. With tears in his eyes, he looked at Yang Ze and spoke with a voice filled with grief. "I got robbed a few days ago. Someone stole three hundred spirit stones from my shop."

"WHAT AUDACITY. WHO WAS THE ONE THAT ROBBED MY BROTHER PANG?"

"Eh!?" Xiao Pang blinked while looking at Yang Ze. The more he looked at Yang Ze, the more he found him pleasing to the eyes. Nodding his head he patted his shoulder "We haven't found him brother, but worry not. My cousin Xia Sheng who is a squad leader is looking into this case. It won't be long before we catch that thief. And once we catch him, I have thought of many ways to deal with him."

"Do you want to hear what I am going to do once we catch him?"

"NO." Yang Ze shook his head.

"Well, I will tell you what I am gonna do. First I will beat him up, then I will strip him naked and tie him in front of my shop. Now you must be thinking why I am going to tie him naked? Let me tell you the story behind it. A long time ago, there used to be a criminal who would rob people. Fed up with his terror, one day everyone decided to...."

'Oh great. Here we go again.' Looking at the fatty blabbering, Yang Ze almost face palmed himself. Once this guy starts speaking, he never stops.

"About your cousin Xia Sheng. Is he really the squad leader?"

"...." After a brief silence, Xiao Pang snorted in displeasure. It seemed that he didn't like talking about him. Just when Yang Ze thought he was not going to speak, Xiao Pang puffed his chest and started blabbering again.

"What do you know. Everyone looks at him like he is some amazing person. But let me tell you this. Without me, he would have never stepped into the position of the Squad leader. Now it happened a long time ago, one day I saw him crying in the garden. At that time, it was already night, and the first thought that came to mind after hearing that cry was that there were jackals howling in the garden. So I went there, with my trusty stick. It was already night, so other than the sound coming from that direction, I couldn't make out anything. As soon as I reached the place where he was crying, I swung my stick with all the power I could have mustered. Well, needless to say, it didn't go very well. The next day my father beat me up with the very same stick. So, after that incident, I decided not to interfere in his life."

"...."

"....."

"Wait, you just said he wouldn't be a squad leader without your help. I didn't hear anything related to it."

"Huh?" Xiao Pang looked at him like he was looking at an idiot. "Tch... tch... tch..." Shaking his head, he looked at the sky and sighed heavily.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? After that incident, I decided not to interfere in his life."

"SO?" It didn't matter what Yang Ze thought, he just couldn't come up with any theory.

"Duh..." The more Xiao Pang looked at Yang Ze, the more he found him to be stupid. How could a person not understand even after hearing the story two times?

"Brother Hua Ji, let me tell you a story."

Clearing his throat, he widened his legs a bit, puffed his chest, and held both his hands at the back before looking up at the sky.

Yang Ze who was standing beside him was speechless. One moment ago, this guy was bawling his eyes out and the very next moment, he was acting like an expert.

"Once upon a time in the forest, all animals used to live in harmony. One day, they organized a competition for funny stories. So, one by one, every animal came to the stage and told a funny story. Every time someone told a funny story, all the animals would laugh except for the donkey."

Taking a deep breath, Xiao pang widened his legs a bit more before continuing.

"So, after the competition was over, every animal laughed and happily discuss the stories before going home.

The next day, when everyone was doing their work, they suddenly heard a laughter echoing throughout the forest. Surprised, everyone looked for the one laughing and to their amazement, it was the donkey. The very same donkey who was stoic the entire day during the funny stories competition.

Amazed, the animals surrounded him and asked for the reason behind his laughter, but the donkey continued laughing. It was only when the day was about to be over that he told them the reason for his laughter. And the reason for his laughter was..."

Moving away from his gaze from the sky, he looked at Yang Ze before speaking slowly.

"The reason for his laughter was... because the stories were too funny."

"...."

"....."

"..."

Yang Ze was stunned for a long time. Only after looking at Xiao Pang's smug face did he realize that he was referring to him as the donkey.

'AAH, THIS LITTLE SHIT.' Clenching his fists, Yang Ze wanted to punch this fatty into oblivion.

"Hahahahaha..." Giving out a hollow laugh, Yang Ze nodded his head towards him. Though he was laughing, one could see the veins popping from his forehead in anger.

If Yang Ze still had some guilt over stealing from this fatty, then right now, this guilt was completely gone. He was even waiting for the next time this fatty to open his shop, so he could rob him again.

"So... This means, that he only got the squad leader position because I never thought about becoming a squad leader."

Unaware of Yang Ze's mood, Xiao Pang smacked his lips while looking at the sky, as if reminiscing about the past.