Starting a New Chapter

Everyone looked puzzled as they watched Yu Ze remain silent, worry etched on their faces in case he went mad again.

"What's wrong with him?" a guest murmured, glancing nervously around.

"I don't know," came the hushed reply.

All eyes were on Yu Ze, but no one dared to speak. Liu Pang was no exception. He had been sweating profusely since Yu Ze ignored him.

Suddenly, Yu Ze stood up from his seat, breaking the tense silence.

"I think I've rested enough. Thank you for the treat. You guys can keep the rest of your money. I don't need it."

Yu Ze threw them a smile before leaving the table. Although he left peacefully, the guests remained vigilant as Yu Ze walked towards the tavern door, his sudden silence still leaving an impression of danger.

When Yu Ze had left, the guests rushed to the table where he had sat, eager to retrieve what was left of their money, even if it was just a single coin. However, they found only empty wallets.

"Damn it! That bastard spent all my money!" one of them shouted in frustration.

"He's really too much," another grumbled.

"Arrrggg! That bastard!" someone else cursed.

The tavern guests began to show their true colors, their anger boiling over. It was common knowledge that unorthodox cultivators were two-faced, and everyone in the tavern was no exception, including Liu Pang.

The big guy started to show his other side. A terrifying energy began to emanate from him, and his eyes were filled with unbearable anger.

"Boss, can I have my money back? It was my savings for one month," one of the guests pleaded.

Without so much as a glance, Liu Pang grabbed that guy by the neck and lifted him into the air with one hand.

"Are you kidding me? That bastard wasted our stock, and you want your money back?" Liu Pang's voice dripped with menace. That poor guy could not help but cry, unable to beg for mercy as his voice was choked off.

Liu Pang released his grip, and the guy fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.

"Killing you would be a waste," Liu Pang said coldly.

Everyone shuddered in fear, now too terrified to ask for their money back.

"Get the chef over here!" Liu Pang ordered.

Not long after, the chef came in, trembling. Bowing his head, the chef didn't dare to look Liu Pang in the eye.

"Did you put poison on him?" Liu Pang demanded.

The chef nodded. "Yes, boss. I've put all sorts of third-grade poisons. Normally, a Core Formation Realm cultivator would die."

"You're right. That kid is indeed a monster. I couldn't even sense his qi until he showed me," Liu Pang admitted.

"But don't worry, boss. I also put the Sorrow Moon in his food."

Liu Pang raised his eyebrows at the mention of the poison.

Sorrow Moon was a very taboo poison among cultivators. Unlike other poisons that killed its victim instantly, it caused the person who consumed it to temporarily lose the ability to use qi. Not to mention it had the three perfect characteristics of poison—odorless, tasteless, and colorless.

Despite being hated by many, this poison was very popular among unorthodox cultivators. They usually used it in official duels or against greater opponents.

Liu Pang grinned. "Good job."

Stomping his feet on the floor, Liu Pang drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"Listen to me, my boys. That bastard has already been poisoned by the Sorrow Moon. It's only a matter of time before he can't use his qi. It's our chance to beat him up. Let's teach this guy a lesson for daring to mess with the Mountain Tiger Gang!"

"Yeah!" the room echoed.

As it turned out, the tavern wasn't just any place. It was the base of a well-known gang in Dongyue Town—the Mountain Tiger Gang. 

…

The moonlight shone brightly, casting a serene glow over the silent night. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the gentle swaying of branches in the wind.

Yu Ze sat on a boulder, his head held high as he watched the moon amongst the glittering stars. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, an emptiness filled his eyes, hinting at a life that had lost its direction.

After extracting information from Liu Pang, he had visited other taverns to confirm the truth. All the information was the same—the three betrayer disciples were dead.

Yu Ze decided to leave Dongyue Town and seek solitude in the forest to clear his mind.

"What should I do, master? Your enemies are dead even before I could avenge you."

Each word he spoke was laced with bitterness.

A wise man once said that revenge was a vicious cycle. Revenge only creates more revenge, and nothing good comes from it but regret.

But the path of a cultivator was different.

For a cultivator, the bond between disciple and master was thicker than blood. Defending the sect was a sacred duty. If someone killed your master or destroyed your sect, you had to avenge them, even if it meant going through hell.

That was what Yu Ze believed.

He had always believed that his destiny was to avenge his master. He thought this was his life's purpose. And now that purpose was gone, leaving him adrift without direction.

"Now what?"

Yu Ze had entertained thoughts of doing other things after avenging his master—like opening a restaurant and marrying a woman. But those were just fleeting fantasies he never took seriously.

As he pondered for a long time, he remembered his last promise to his late master before he died.

"Should I rebuild the Black Dragon Sect?"

Yu Ze frowned at the thought. Founding a sect was something he had never considered.

Revenge required only killing his late master's betrayers. But establishing a sect? It required much more—resources, followers, management skills, and most importantly, leadership. It demanded everything. 

He was not born for that. He had spent his entire life training in caves, interacting only with animals, mountain bandits, and his late master.

"Arrrrrgh!"

Yu Ze ruffled his hair and then lay back on the boulder. Raising his hands to the sky, he stared at his palms as if trying to grasp the moon.

"Sorry, master. Your disciple is really disappointing. Had I been smarter, maybe I could have finished training sooner and avenged you earlier."

Closing his eyes, Yu Ze decided to sleep, ending this tiring day.

As his late master had always said, overthinking only leads to stress.

Just as Yu Ze was about to sleep, he sensed a presence around him. Not just one or two, but many.

He clicked his tongue. "I was just about to rest."

Taking a deep breath, Yu Ze called out to the people hiding behind the trees.

"Come out now. Stop hiding like rats!"

Not long after, dozens of people emerged from the trees, armed to the teeth. Their faces looked familiar, especially the big guy wielding a greatsword.

"He he he, Senior. You're really something. You can sense our presence even though our qi is suppressed," Liu Pang said, grinning.

Recognizing the figure, Yu Ze grinned back. "I thought you didn't have any hidden intentions, Liu Pang," he replied, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Come on, Senior. We are unorthodox cultivators. It's nothing new. Stop acting like those orthodox hypocritical bastards. It makes me sick." Liu Pang spat.

Yu Ze ignored his enemy's talk, focusing instead on measuring their strength. From his brief observation, there were thirty cultivators surrounding him, all at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

In the cultivation world, there were eight realms that determined a cultivator's strength. The Foundation Establishment Realm was the second of the eight realms. It was equivalent to the strength of a hundred non-cultivators. Even so, this realm was still considered relatively low-level.

"A bunch of lowly cultivators dare to challenge me? They must have something up their sleeve," Yu Ze muttered to himself.

Bam!

Liu Pang drove his sword into the ground, making the earth tremble slightly.

"Senior! I'm giving you a choice. Surrender, and we'll let you go. But you must hand over those weapons. It's a shame to have those precious things rusting in your hands."

Raising his eyebrows, Yu Ze was slightly impressed by Liu Pang's keen eyes. The weapons left behind by his master were made of cold steel, the hardest material in the entire continent. This material, found only in the northern region, was extremely rare and commanded a very high price in the market.

Only renowned cultivators or wealthy individuals could own weapons made of cold steel.

"You have good eyes," Yu Ze praised. "But what if I refuse?"

"You'll regret it," Liu Pang said hesitantly.

Hearing that answer, Yu Ze burst out laughing. Liu Pang and his men frowned in confusion.

"What are you laughing at, asshole!?" snapped Liu Pang.

"You guys really have short memories, huh. Just a few minutes ago, you all were kowtowing and begging me for mercy. Now, you're threatening me? Aren't you afraid of losing your lives?"

As Yu Ze continued to laugh, Liu Pang bit his lip in frustration.

"See who has the last laugh later!" growled Liu Pang through gritted teeth.

Reaching forward, Yu Ze provoked Liu Pang and his men, challenging them to attack him simultaneously.

"What are you waiting for?" taunted Yu Ze.

Of course, Liu Pang and his men dared not do so. The difference in strength was too great. They couldn't even measure Yu Ze's cultivation. There was nothing they could do but grit their teeth and swallow the bitter reality.

When everything seemed fine, Yu Ze suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his chest as if a dagger was stabbing him. At the same time, his pupils dilated, and saliva dripped uncontrollably from his mouth.

Seeing Yu Ze's sudden change in condition, Liu Pang grinned widely.

"See now?" Liu Pang scoffed. "If you had handed over those weapons earlier, then it wouldn't have ended like this, you stupid kid."

"What did you do to me, bastard!?" groaned Yu Ze, his voice strained with pain.

"Ha ha ha! That's what happens when you're so greedy. You eat like a pig, and you don't realize the poison is getting into your body."

Raising an eyebrow, Yu Ze finally understood why these punks dared to confront him despite their low cultivation realm. It turned out they had poisoned his food. It all made sense now.

"You may be great at cultivation, brat. But you're very naive. No one from the unorthodox faction does good for free. There's always a catch," Liu Pang taunted, drawing his sword towards Yu Ze. "We are the Mountain Tiger Gang. We don't spare anyone who dares to seek trouble with us."

Taking a deep breath, Liu Pang commanded his men, "Take his stuff and kill that brat!"