"I first met Shi Dang during the Qiming School-Level League. It was my first time participating..."
"We didn’t interact again until he enrolled in Canaan Star Martial Arts University. He challenged me again after that..."
"..."
Qin Feng had a steady temperament and had already replayed his past experiences in his mind countless times.
From a nearly perfectly objective standpoint, he recounted every noteworthy detail of his acquaintance with Shi Dang, sparing no specifics.
He added no subjective speculation, nor did he betray the slightest hint of emotion. He was simply stating the facts calmly.
He described Shi Dang’s obsessive craving for power in battle and the disdain for the weak he would occasionally reveal. He also recounted how, before they set out on that mission, he had vaguely sensed something was off about Shi Dang and had warned Shi Potian and the others.
The entire process lasted nearly half an hour. The three members of the Judicial Court listened in silence, their recording device running soundlessly, capturing every single word Qin Feng spoke.
After Qin Feng spoke his final word, a brief silence once again descended upon the council hall.
"...We have finished our recording."
The lead member of the Judicial Court spoke, breaking the silence.
He gave Qin Feng a long, deep look. His eyes held a hint of inquiry and complexity, but it ultimately settled into professional calm. "Thank you for your cooperation, Student Qin Feng. Our questioning is concluded. You may leave."
"Understood."
Qin Feng, a man of few words, gave a simple reply and didn’t spare them another glance.
He turned and gave a deep bow to Yu Han at the instructors’ table, as well as to all the other instructors present.
The bow was one of both gratitude and respect.
He strode away without the slightest hesitation, walking straight out of the high council hall, its atmosphere still heavy and oppressive.
Only after his figure had disappeared through the doorway did Yu Han’s voice ring out once more in the council hall.
"Are the three of you finished with your questions? If so, you may see yourselves out."
...
Qin Feng paid no mind to the verbal conflict that might have been erupting behind him.
He made his way back to the special care ward where Shi Potian and the others were staying.
As he pushed open the door, the thick, mixed scent of Life Gel and Medical Potions hit him.
The room was quiet.
Hearing the door open, Shi Potian and Tiemu both turned to look at Qin Feng as he walked in.
Their eyes were questioning and concerned, but beneath it all was an inconsolable grief.
Qin Feng’s gaze swept over Xiong Yanfu and Tiemu before finally resting on Shi Potian.
For a split second, he had a hallucination.
He could almost see Lei Meng—the big, bald-headed guy who was always grinning, laughing without a care in the world—swaggering over to slap him on the shoulder and yell in that uniquely booming voice of his, "Brother Qin, what are you spacing out for? Let’s go, it’s mission time! We’ve gotta snag these Contribution Points!"
That hearty laugh, that honest face, that shiny bald head... He had been the most vibrant and cheerful presence among them.
But the phantom image shattered in an instant.
Before him was only a deathly silence and two dear friends who had lost parts of their bodies.
Qin Feng closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all the wistfulness and sorrow had been forced into the deepest recesses of his heart, leaving only an abyssal calm.
He walked up to the two of them, his voice low and clear.
"When a Martial Artist falls under the Terror and Torture Enchantment, they become a disciple of the Evil God. They can gain boons of power through endless battle and slaughter, even by sacrificing the souls and flesh of the strong to the Evil God. Their strength grows very, very quickly—so fast it defies all reason. Even the Empire’s most brilliant prodigies would find it difficult to match their pace of cultivation."
Shi Potian and Tiemu listened in silence.
Qin Feng’s tone was completely flat as he continued, "I just saw the kill-on-sight order for Shi Dang posted on the mission board by the Imperial Court of Justice. It included the latest estimate of his strength. His life force index is already between 3,800 and 4,500."
At this number, Shi Potian’s and Tiemu’s pupils contracted sharply.
’How long has it been? How could his strength have taken such a terrifying leap again?!’
"That level of strength... it already far surpasses my own."
Qin Feng frankly admitted the gap between them. "I might not be able to catch up to him in a short amount of time. But..."
His tone shifted, each word sounding as if it were forced through gritted teeth, carrying an air of absolute, unquestionable resolve.
"But I will give it everything I have. I will risk it all. In this life... I *will* kill Shi Dang!"
"Count me in."
Shi Potian ground out the three words through clenched teeth.
His fist clenched instinctively, only to tug on an empty sleeve. The motion made the hatred in his eyes burn even more fiercely.
"Me too."
Tiemu, who had been silent until now, also spoke, his voice hoarse.
His only remaining hand, his left, was clenched so tightly into a fist that the knuckles had turned white.
"Good."
Qin Feng gave a firm nod.
He looked at his two dear friends, his expression finally softening somewhat. "But for now, your number one priority is to rest and recuperate. You have to let your wounds heal completely. Don’t leave any hidden injuries that might affect you in the future. The road to revenge is long. We need to be healthy enough to see it through to the end."
"...We understand."
Shi Potian took a deep breath, forcing down the tide of emotions surging within him.