0028 Injured

Waking up, the room was filled with the light of day.

Jiang Mingzhe stretched, feeling invigorated and so full of energy that he could have worked three days and three nights straight without a break. He couldn't help but fantasize: If this internal energy is so magical, why would I ever suffer as a salesman back in the modern world? I could divide this "Scripture of Transcending Tribulation" into tiers: a 999-yuan Basic Version, a 9,999-yuan Advanced Version, a 99,999-yuan Complete Version, a 999,999-yuan Perfect Version, a 9,999,999-yuan Supreme Version, and a 99,999,999-yuan Super Platinum Peerless Glory Version. If anyone refused to practice internal energy, they’d be unable to compete in overtime marathons or outrun anyone when delivering food—they’d all be scrambling to buy it! Within a year, I’d be the youngest and most handsome capitalist in history!

He chuckled, climbed out of bed, and dressed. He fed a centipede to "Little Ginger," who opened its drowsy eyes, crunched the snack down, crawled back into his dirty clothes, and returned to sleep. Jiang Mingzhe’s own stomach grumbled, but a search of the kitchen revealed nothing but oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, flour, firewood, and a few pots and bowls. Making noodles or steaming buns was too much trouble, and there were no vegetables anyway. Smacking his lips, he decided to go to A-Zi’s place to cook; at least she had some aromatics like ginger and scallions.

He washed up and headed out. Arriving at Room 36, he knocked, but there was no response. After waiting a moment, he knocked harder, yet silence remained. Was the girl out? Or was she still throwing a tantrum? Jiang Mingzhe curled his lip and was about to turn back when he heard a faint, thread-like cry: "Help..."

"A-Zi!"

Jiang Mingzhe’s heart skipped a beat. He turned and pushed the door, but the two panels wouldn't budge—it was clearly bolted from the inside. "A-Zi, A-Zi! What’s wrong?" he shouted, but there was no further sound from within. Sensing a crisis, he realized she must be in grave danger if she had stopped calling out. He stepped back, leaped, and slammed his body against the door with a thunderous crash. The door didn't move an inch; it had been built to be incredibly sturdy.

Just as he prepared to strike again, a voice barked, "Audacious! According to sect rules, no disciple is allowed to intrude upon another’s dwelling. You’ve just joined, and you already dare to ignore the rules?"

Jiang Mingzhe turned to see his Senior Brother, Zhaixingzi, standing there with his hands behind his back, looking dapper in white but wearing a cold, expressionless face. Jiang Mingzhe was relieved rather than intimidated. "Senior Brother, Junior Sister A-Zi is calling for help! Something terrible must have happened."

Zhaixingzi said coldly, "Is that so? A-Zi is always clever. What could possibly happen to her?"

He stepped forward and called out, neither too softly nor too loudly, "A-Zi, are you home?"

After a pause, there was still no answer. Zhaixingzi sneered, "A-Zi clearly isn't home. You’re making a scene in broad daylight to break into an empty room—obviously, you have malicious intent. As the Enforcer, I shall punish you—"

Before he could finish, Jiang Mingzhe had already turned back and slammed into the door again. Since the guy was clearly looking for trouble, wasting another second on him was a dereliction of duty toward life itself. Zhaixingzi was shocked and furious to be ignored. He glanced around to see several junior disciples poking their heads out, drawn by the commotion.

"Jiang Mingzhe!" Zhaixingzi roared. "You’ve broken the rules, and instead of repenting, you persist in your errors?"

Jiang Mingzhe acted as if he hadn't heard a word. Having failed to break the door twice, he was frantic and had no time for Zhaixingzi's posturing. He took a deep breath, dropped into a horse stance, curled three fingers of his right hand into a claw, and drew them slowly back to his ear.

Seeing this, Zhaixingzi realized he was attempting to use the "Centipede Claw" to breach the door. He sneered: the doors in these buildings were made of premium timber; even an axe would struggle to split them. Using a novice’s claw technique would only result in broken fingers. He stayed silent, waiting for the crack of bone so he could charge forward, "restrain" him, and use the opportunity to crush his hand into powder, permanently maiming him.

Jiang Mingzhe took a deep breath, pulled the internal energy from the eight acupoints he had opened, and let it surge through his body.

"Open!"

With a savage roar, he twisted his waist and shoulder, his right claw lashing out like a demonic centipede. It was the seventh move of the Three-Yin Centipede Claw: the "Bone-Crushing Claw," designed specifically to shatter skeletons! The strike was packed with the full force of his muscles and all his internal energy, concentrated entirely into his three fingers.

*CRACK!*

Wood splintered as the solid door was punctured by a hole the size of a dinner plate. Zhaixingzi’s eyes twitched; he never expected someone who had joined only two days ago to unleash such a terrifying blow! Jealousy burned in his chest, and his face turned livid. "Jiang Mingzhe! You dare ignore the Enforcer and destroy sect property? I will bring you to justice!"

Jiang Mingzhe’s fingers throbbed with intense pain, but thanks to his internal energy, they hadn't broken. Ignoring the agony, he reached through the hole, slid the bolt, and was about to push the door open when a fierce whistle sounded behind him. Zhaixingzi had leaped into the air, aiming a kick at his cervical spine.

Finally losing his temper at the constant interference, Jiang Mingzhe roared, "Get lost!"

His left claw shot up, hooking toward Zhaixingzi’s sole. Zhaixingzi reacted quickly, retracting his foot, but he followed up with a lightning-fast kick with his left leg. Unable to dodge, Jiang Mingzhe raised the door bolt to block. The kick shattered the thick wooden beam, the remaining momentum slamming into Jiang Mingzhe’s chest.

He didn't even grunt. He was sent flying, crashing through the door and tumbling for over a meter. Zhaixingzi landed lightly, hands behind his back, looking smug. As more disciples gathered, he scanned the crowd and laughed arrogantly, "You all saw it. The new disciple defied the rules and disrespected the Enforcer. Such arrogance is unforgivable, but since we are fellow disciples, I only used ten percent of my power—just enough to break a few bones so he can reflect on his mistakes in bed for a year or so..."

He stopped mid-sentence, his pupils contracting. Jiang Mingzhe had spat out a mouthful of blood, climbed to his feet with surprising agility, and rushed into the room.

The other disciples, unable to see the yard clearly, assumed Zhaixingzi had finished his speech and scrambled to flatter him.

"Well done, Senior Brother! It is precisely because of your fairness and strictness that our sect prospers!"

"I knew that guy was bad news the moment I saw him yesterday. Good thing we have someone as sharp-eyed as you, or this rat would have ruined our reputation!"

"Senior Brother is too kind! If it were me, I’d be so ashamed I’d have killed myself by now."

"He probably broke in to steal A-Zi’s undergarments to sniff them—how depraved! If I were A-Zi, I’d give you my clothes as a reward for your justice!"

Had Jiang Mingzhe stayed down, Zhaixingzi would have been delighted by this sycophancy. But now, having claimed Jiang would be bedridden for a year only to see him stand up immediately, he felt a mix of shame and rage. He hadn't used ten percent of his power; he had used fifty or sixty percent, intending only to crush the boy's chest bone to avoid accusations of bullying.

"Shut up!" Zhaixingzi shrieked, his voice sharp.

The disciples fell silent in terror. Just then, Jiang Mingzhe emerged from the room, staggering as he carried A-Zi, whose eyes were closed and whose face had turned a dark, sickly black.