And so, the bonfire barbecue feast came to an abrupt end.
No one, Ma Pingchuan included, wanted to stay a moment longer.
They couldn’t even be bothered with pleasantries as they all slunk back into their rooms, hoping that out of sight would mean out of mind.
Unfortunately, Zou Feng had gotten into the habit of practicing his Cultivation late at night ever since his days at the Yang Mansion.
So even after they had gone inside, Zou Feng remained where he was, continuing his training for a good while longer.
The horrifying sounds, combined with that indescribable scent of roasting flesh, guaranteed a sleepless night for all.
Utterly exasperated, Ma Pingchuan had gone out and tried to make Zou Feng leave.
But Zou Feng couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge him. The smile on Ma Pingchuan’s face finally vanished, and for a moment, he considered attacking and driving the man away by force.
’But Zou Feng is a madman,’ he thought. ’If I strike first, won’t I just be giving him an excuse to go berserk?’
’Maybe he’s just waiting for me to lose my cool and make the first move...’
After weighing his options, Ma Pingchuan ultimately didn’t dare to risk it.
He was genuinely afraid that one wrong move would be his last.
’Forget it. I’ll let the little bastard have his way for today.’
’On second thought, I don’t need to be so paranoid.’
’No matter how unyielding his will is, or how dangerous he is to provoke, the human body has its limits!’
’The Cultivation Skill he’s practicing is the kind that most easily leads to a sudden, violent death.’
’I don’t even have to lift a finger. Just let him keep training like a madman. It probably won’t be long before his body is riddled with problems. He’ll be crippled, if not dead.’
Ma Pingchuan’s reasoning was sound, but unfortunately, he never would have dreamed that the one actually bearing the brunt of all this for Zou Feng was none other than his own superior and brother-in-law, Qian Kun.
And so began the endless torment that Zou Feng would inflict upon Ma Pingchuan and his men.
Every night, without fail, Zou Feng would show up in Ma Pingchuan’s area and begin his frenzied Cultivation.
He would cycle through the three great Evil Skills, a spectacle so grotesque it made Ma Pingchuan and his men lose their appetite every day.
They couldn’t drive Zou Feng away, nor could they flee the warehouse district to hide from him.
Leaving the warehouse district and staying away all night would be dereliction of duty, and Zou Feng could immediately use the gang’s rules to punish them.
Ma Pingchuan had originally believed that Zou Feng couldn’t possibly last long with such a profoundly self-destructive method of Cultivation.
’All I have to do is endure a little longer until something goes wrong with Zou Feng.’
But in the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed, and Zou Feng only seemed to grow more vigorous with each session.
Moreover, his mastery of those Evil Skills had clearly progressed by leaps and bounds.
Now, the sheer power Zou Feng displayed just by practicing his moves was enough to wipe even the fake smile off Ma Pingchuan’s face.
The Tribulation-Indestructible Body made Zou Feng both powerful and tough.
’Just looking at him, you’d think, ’How the hell could anyone even hurt him?!’’
As for his Karmic Fire Red Lotus Palm, Zou Feng could now fry an egg in the palm of his hand in just a few seconds.
’If a palm like that hit your body...’
"Ma Incense Master, I... I can’t take it anymore. I want to resign... I have to go back and take care of my elderly mother!"
That morning, one of his men, sporting dark circles so deep they looked painted on, knelt and begged to resign.
He was done with the Black Flood Dragon Gang, even if it meant being punished according to its rules.
The lack of sleep wasn’t even the worst part. It was the thought of having offended a madman like Zou Feng—a madman who seemed immune to the side effects of his Evil Skills and was only growing stronger by the day...
Ma Pingchuan frowned, glaring at his resigning subordinate. "Your mother? Didn’t she pass away two years ago?"
The subordinate stammered, "Uh, the one who died... that was my adoptive mother. My birth mother is still alive, and she’s counting on me—her only son—to come back..."
"Your mother, my ass!" Ma Pingchuan’s anger boiled over. He sent the spineless bastard flying with a kick for further destroying what little morale was left.
Ma Pingchuan hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days either, and his nerves were completely frayed.
It had been a long time since he, the Smiling Swordsman, had let his emotions show so plainly on his face, not since he’d become an Incense Master for the Black Flood Dragon Gang.
The other gang members who had also been planning to resign saw this and didn’t dare make a peep, standing frozen in place as silent as the grave.
After a long moment, Ma Pingchuan composed himself and made a decision.
’This can’t go on!’
’Otherwise, my men will completely break before Zou Feng’s body does.’
’I need to find my brother-in-law and come up with a new plan.’
’I have to admit it: my brother-in-law and I both gravely underestimated this Household Slave from the Yang Mansion.’
’No matter what, I have to make him understand. That brat cannot be allowed to live!’
’Even if it’s risky, we have to get rid of him. And soon.’
With that thought, Ma Pingchuan immediately strode out the door.
"Keep working," he said. "I’ll be right back!"
Not long after, back at Zou Feng’s residence, Liu Chun rushed over. "Zou Incense Master," he said respectfully, "Ma Pingchuan just left!"
By now, neither Liu Chun nor Xiong Datian had the slightest complaint about being assigned to work under Zou Feng.
In their eyes, it wouldn’t be long before Zou Feng became a Hall Master at the very least.
Zou Feng was currently sipping the "drugged" Awakening Tea he had prepared for himself. He merely gave a slight nod at the news.
’Forcing himself to endure for this many days before running to Qian Kun for help... Ma Pingchuan has some backbone after all.’
’Too bad that going to Qian Kun now will probably just drive him deeper into despair...’
’Speaking of which, Qian Kun has been shouldering my burdens for over ten days now. Even for an Eighth Grade master, he must be about ready to ascend on the spot, right?’
’Whatever. Time for some extra training.’
Training at night wasn’t enough for him; Zou Feng often put in extra sessions during the day as well.
This wasn’t just pushing Qian Kun to the ground; it was stomping on him with both feet.
Ma Pingchuan hurried away from the warehouses and quickly arrived at Qian Kun’s residence.
As a servant led him inside, Ma Pingchuan learned that his brother-in-law had recently taken ill and had even temporarily delegated all his gang duties to his subordinates.
He was quite perplexed. ’How could a master of my brother-in-law’s caliber fall ill?’
’Don’t tell me he was injured in a fight, or that something went wrong with his Cultivation?’
As these thoughts raced through his mind, he heard cries of pain from the room before he even stepped inside.
"ARGH!"
"OOF!"
"OOH-HOH-HOH-HO—"
He knew that voice. Who else could it be but his brother-in-law, Qian Kun?
He entered the room to find Qian Kun lying on a bed, hidden behind a partition screen, as if he didn’t want Ma Pingchuan to see his current state.
"Brother-in-law, what’s wrong?"
Qian Kun’s exhausted voice came from behind the screen. "Do you need something?"
Ma Pingchuan knew this was no time for pleasantries, so he got straight to the point. "Yes, Brother-in-law. I’m afraid we’ve gravely underestimated that brat Zou Feng."
"That brat is..."
"AIIEE, HSSS... HSSS..."
Before Ma Pingchuan could finish explaining, Qian Kun started wailing again.
The noises were bizarre; they couldn’t simply be described as screams of pain.
Some of the sounds even made Ma Pingchuan wonder if Qian Kun was being tortured or if he was experiencing some kind of masochistic pleasure.
Fortunately, while the screen was opaque, he could still vaguely make out the solitary silhouette of Qian Kun on the other side.
Otherwise, Ma Pingchuan might have suspected his brother-in-law was currently buried under a pile of burly men...
Once the noises finally subsided, Qian Kun urged, "It’s nothing. Keep talking!"
Ma Pingchuan quickly explained the situation in the most concise terms possible.
"Is that so?" Qian Kun sounded genuinely surprised after hearing the report. "He practices the Tribulation-Indestructible Body every single night, and the brat is still alive and well?"