Outside the second-floor library, the old man stood frozen.
For decades, those problems had hung on the wall-untouched, unanswered, almost forgotten. Yet now, one after another, they were being solved.
By a single young man.
Jun Jiu.
The old man''s eyes trembled as they scanned the answers on the paper. Each line
was clear. Precise. wless.
His hands began to shake.
His breathing turned uneven.
Impossible...
Yet the truth was right in front of him.
This... this is impossible.
A surge of excitement hit him so hard he nearly stepped forward.
I have to take him as my disciple.
The words burned in his throat. He wanted to shout them. To grab Alex by the shoulder and drag him away if he had to.
"He is incredible! He must be my disciple!"
But he didn''t move.
A promise held him back.
The sect leaders wanted this young man—so he had no choice but to step aside.
The old man clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.
To hell with promises.
"I want him," he muttered under his breath.
Without another thought, he turned and strode toward the stairs leading to the third floor.
"Thousand Herbs Peak Leader... where are you going?"
The voice came from behind him—calm, steady, but carrying undeniable authority.
The old man froze.
Slowly, he turned.
His pupils shrank.
Standing there was the Wudang Sect Master.
"I... I was just going to take a look," the old man said, forcing a stiff smile as he gave
a slight bow. "At the work he''s done."
The Sect Master''s gaze was sharp, almost amused.
"Don''t pretend," he said tly. "I know exactly what you''re thinking."
A pause.
Then, without hesitation-
"He will be my sixth disciple."
The wordsnded like a hammer.
“Sect Master!” the Thousand Herbs Peak Leader cried out, panic breaking through hisposure. "You already have five outstanding disciples! Why do you need another? Please—just give me this one!"
The Sect Master raised an eyebrow.
“What?” he said, almost offended. "I only have six. You already have twenty. And you still want more?"
The Thousand Herbs Peak Leader''s face twisted with frustration.
Twenty disciples-yes.
But none like this.
Never in his life had he encountered talent like Alex''s.
And now, the Sect Master was trying to take him without shame.
"But he''s a disciple of Thousand Herbs Peak-and I''m the Peak Leader!"
His voice hardened, edged with frustration.
“He is a disciple of the Wudang Sect," the Sect Master replied calmly. "And I am its master."
There was no hesitation in his voice. No room for argument.
He wasn''t backing down.
"Sect Master..." he tried again. "What if he''s a spy? Someone with hidden intentions?"
He stepped closer, his tone turning urgent.
"If you make him a direct disciple... a core disciple... even a sessor it could endanger the entire Wudang Sect. Wouldn''t it be safer to let me handle him?”
The Sect Master let out a quiet scoff.
"If he were a spy," he said, eyes narrowing, "do you think he would spend his time solving four hundred unanswered questions that have been sitting there for decades?"
The old man went silent.
"You''ve already gained more than enough. With those answers alone, your herb production and growth could increase fivefold to tenfold."
He leaned slightly forward.
"Don''t be greedy. He''s already done more than enough for you.”
Inside, the Thousand Herbs Peak Leader burned.
Greedy?
You call me greedy?
You''re the one trying to take him for yourself.
He swallowed the words.
Barely.
"...So, Sect Master," he asked after a long pause, "when do you n to take him?”
The Sect Master nced toward the third floor, where Alex still worked,pletely unaware of the storm gathering around him.
“Perhaps after he enters the inner sect," he said calmly.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"For now... let him be."
"Let him do things his own way."
"And don''t disturb him."
The moment the two elders heard footstepsing down the stairs, they vanished.
Gone.
As if they had never been there at all.
Alex stepped down from the second floor, a faint smile ying on his lips. There was a strange sense of satisfaction in his chest-quiet, steady, almost addictive.
Four hundred questions.
All answered.
"Aih... helping people really does feel good," he murmured, letting out a long yawn.
He hadn''t slept much. His body should have been exhausted.
But instead, he felt... refreshed.
Light.
When he reached the first floor, he walked over to the table and picked up his medallion.
For the first time, the old man sitting there opened his eyes.
He looked directly at Alex.
Those eyes were deep-sharp enough to feel like they could cut straight through him.
Alex paused.
"Thank you for answering the questions," the elder said calmly. "Someone wille
to verify your answers. If they are correct, your merit points will be updated."
Alex blinked, genuinely surprised.
"...I get merit points for answering those?"
The elder raised an eyebrow.
"Didn''t you do it for the merit points?"
Alex smiled, almost sheepishly.
“No,” he said. “I just helped because I could."
The elder stared at him for a moment.
Then he chuckled softly.
"Good heart... very good heart.”
Suddenly, the medallion lifted from the table and floated into Alex''s hand.
"You may take it back," the elder continued. "There will be no deduction of merit
points from you."
He paused, then added-
"Since you have already reached the third floor, you now have full ess to the
library. No points required."
Alex''s eyes lit up.
"No points needed?" he repeated, grinning. "Thank you."
He couldn''t help it.
He felt proud.
Do something good... and something goodes back.
Simple.
Fair.
Perfect.
But the moment he stepped outside—
"THAT''S HIM!"
The shout exploded through the air.
Alex stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
Standing ahead was Han Fei.
And behind him-
Thirty people.
Waiting.
All staring straight at him.
"That''s the bastard!" Han Fei yelled, his voice filled with fury. "He dared to hit me— and stole my one thousand merit points!"
Alex sighed softly.
"...Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "Do something bad... and something bad
Han Fei stepped forward, the group closing in around Alex from all sides. Other disciples quickly backed away, clearing the area as tension snapped tight in the air.
Alex remained where he was, calm.
"I don''t remember stealing your merit points," he said evenly.
Han Fei''s face twisted with rage.
"How dare you deny it!" he snapped. "I spent half a year saving up those one
thousand points!"
His voice rose, almost shaking.
"You hit me! Knocked me out! I was unconscious the whole day on the second floor!
My points were wasted because of you!"
He pointed straight at Alex.
"If that''s not stealing-then what is it?!"
Alex frowned, his patience thinning.
"You swung at me fifty times," he said tly. "hit you once. And now you re crying, calling your friends
and using me of stealing?" "Liar!" Han Fei''s face flushed red
with anger. "I was giving you kind advice told you not to read so recklessly-for your own good. But you got angry and attacked me from behind!"
Alex stared at him for a moment.
Then he exhaled.
"Fine," he said. "I don''t want trouble. I''ll return the one thousand merit points."
He met Han Fei''s eyes.
"Are we done?"
"What do you mean done?!" Han Fei shouted.
His voice echoed across the courtyard.
"You hit my face. You stole my thousand points. You think that''s enough?"
He stepped forward, eyes burning.
"You owe me ten thousand merit points."
A beat.
"And one of your arms."
Everything changed.
The air around Alex seemed to drop in temperature.
His expression hardened.
He had already stepped back. Already chosen peace.
And this man kept pushing.
Does he think I''m weak?
Alex''s gaze swept across the surrounding disciples.
"Listen," he said, his voice rising-sharp,manding.
"Everyone here."
The crowd fell quiet.
"This man attacked me fifty times. I hit him once. I was willing topensate him
out of goodwill."
His eyes turned cold.
"But now he wants ten thousand points... and my arm?"
His voice dropped—low, dangerous.
"I''m telling all of you right now if any of you dare to make a move..."
A faint killing intent bled into his tone.
"Don''t me me when I take your arms instead."
The words hit hard.
Some of the disciples hesitated, exchanging uncertain nces.
The tension shifted.
But Han Fei''s face twisted even further, ragepletely overtaking reason.
"You''re twisting ck into white!" he roared. "I didn''t even touch you, and you attacked me first!"
He turned to the others, raising his voice.
"Don''t be afraid of him! Today we make him pay!"
Han Fei had status.
As an assistant elder, he had influence. Connections.
People behind him.
Unlike Alex-
Just a neer.
Han Fei reached to his side and drew his sword.
The de shed in the light.
“If you refuse to pay ten thousand merit points..... and give up your arm...”
His voice dropped to a deadly whisper.
"Then I''ll take your life instead."
Han Fei moved first.
His sword shed as he lunged.
Then-
In less than a heartbeat-
Something flew through the air.
An arm.
Spinning. Blood spraying. Then it hit the ground with a sickening thud.
A scream tore through the courtyard.
Everyone froze.
Because the arm... belonged to Han Fei.
And his sword-
Was already in Alex''s hand.
copsed
"AAAAARGHHH-!" Han Fei to his knees, clutching the stump of his shoulder, his face twisted in agony My art! My arm
He couldn''t even process what had just happened.
One moment, he had been attacking.
The next-
His arm was gone.
Alex stood where he was, calm, unmoved, the stolen sword resting loosely in his
grip.
"Attack him!" Han Fei screamed, his voice breaking. "He cut my arm! Kill him!"
Several of his followers stepped forward, drawing their weapons.
"STOP."
Alex''s voice cracked through the air like thunder.
They froze.
His eyes were cold. Deadly.
"We have no grudge,” Alex said slowly. "But if you attack me now..."
He lifted the sword slightly.
"I won''t show mercy."
"I''ll take every one of your arms."
The threat hung heavy in the air.
Some of the disciples hesitated, exchanging uneasy nces.
They knew Han Fei-but not the full story.
And many of them... knew his reputation.
Arrogant. Cruel. Always pushing too far.
Maybe this time... he went too far.
"Don''t be afraid of him!" Han Fei roared again, blood pouring down his body. "There
are thirty of us!"
But before anyone could move—
Another sh.
A blur.
A second scream.
“ААААААНННН-!"
Han Fei''s other arm spun into the air.
Gone.
Just like the first.
Silence crashed down over the courtyard.
Several disciples turned pale on the spot.
They had seen fights before.
They had seen blood.
But this-
This was different.
Cold.
Efficient.
Merciless.
"You-!" one disciple near Han Fei started, anger rising as he stepped forward.
The tip of a sword was suddenly at his throat.
He froze.
"You draw your weapon,” Alex said quietly, his voice almost a whisper, “your arm will
be next."
The man''s body went rigid.
Then-
He felt it.
A crushing, suffocating killing intent pouring off Alex like a storm.
His legs trembled.
Warmth spread down his robes.
He had lost control.
Around them, the group of thirty stood frozen.
Moments ago, they had thought this would be easy.
Just gang up on one neer.
Teach him a lesson.
Now-
They understood.
They weren''t facing prey.
They were facing something far more dangerous.
A monster.
And if they moved-
They might not leave here alive.