8: villain Zhao Tian

In the tranquil valley, a gentle breeze swept through, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, and the cool touch of the stream.

Lin Ye leaned against an ancient tree, sleeping soundly. This was his first truly relaxing moment since his Transmigration; the exhaustion of his body and the peace of his mind quickly plunged him into a deep sleep.

In the depths of his consciousness, the light blue System panel was still faithfully performing its duties.

Ding! Iron Sand Palm has automatically Cultivated for 1 hour, proficiency +10. Current proficiency: 40/200.

Accompanying the notification sound, the warm current in Lin Ye's palms grew a little stronger, silently reinforcing his muscles, bones, and skin.

Time slowly passed, and as the second hour was about to end, another notification sounded promptly.

Ding! Iron Sand Palm has automatically Cultivated for 1 hour, proficiency +10. Current proficiency: 50/200.

This AFK task has been completed.

However, Lin Ye was unable to wake up naturally from this peaceful sleep.

A shadow silently enveloped him.

Immediately after, a gust of wind carrying malice struck; with a “bang,” someone brutally kicked the thick tree trunk beside him, emitting a dull thud.

The tree shook violently, and a few dry leaves fell, landing directly on Lin Ye's face.

Lin Ye jolted, suddenly waking from his dream. He quickly opened his eyes, his sleepiness instantly replaced by vigilance. What met his gaze were a pair of feet in worn cloth boots, and a figure looking down at him with an unfriendly expression.

The person was about eighteen or nineteen years old, taller and more robust than Lin Ye, also wearing Outer Sect Disciple attire, but with an lingering aura of hostility and arrogance between his brows. There was a shallow scar on his left eyebrow, marring the harmony of his entire face and making him look somewhat fierce.

Zhao Tian!

Lin Ye's heart sank suddenly.

He had heard this name more than once among the Outer Sect Disciples. Zhao Tian was considered an old Disciple of the Outer Sect, having joined three years ago, and his cultivation was said to be stuck at Qi Refining Stage three, neither progressing nor regressing. Such a person was insignificant before a Genius, but before new, ordinary Aptitude Disciples like Lin Ye, he was an undeniable “big shot.”

Relying on his early entry and strong power, Zhao Tian formed factions in the Outer Sect. What he enjoyed doing most on a daily basis was oppressing newcomers and extorting their already meager Cultivation resources.

How did he find this place?

Lin Ye's thoughts raced, but he dared not show any abnormality on his face. He quickly got up from the ground, brushing off the dust, and showed a humble and fearful expression to the person.

“Senior Brother Zhao… Senior Brother Zhao, why are you here?”

Zhao Tian didn't speak immediately. Instead, he scrutinized Lin Ye from head to toe with his eyes, which held both judgment and disdain, then sneered, his tone full of mockery: “Why am I here? I'd like to ask you, Junior Brother Lin Ye, you truly have great skill!”

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a poisoned knife, making people extremely uncomfortable to hear.

“I heard that Steward Zhang specifically ‘took care’ of you today, making you chop three hundred catties of black iron wood alone. I just made a bet with my Junior Brothers, saying that even if you worked yourself to death in the back mountain today, you might not complete the task. But I never expected that not only did you complete it, you even had the leisure to come to my usual resting place to sleep?”

It turned out that this secluded valley was Zhao Tian's “secret base.”

Lin Ye secretly cursed his bad luck, and the panic on his face deepened: “Senior Brother Zhao, I… I didn't know this was your territory. I was just too tired and wanted to find a place to rest my feet. I'll leave now, I'll leave now!”

With that, he bowed to leave.

“Stop!” Zhao Tian growled, extending his thick arm and blocking Lin Ye's path. “Want to leave? It's not that easy. First, explain things clearly to me!”

He took a step closer, his tall figure almost completely engulfing Lin Ye, and a sweaty sense of oppression washed over him.

“Don't tell me some nonsense about good luck and finding brittle wood! That kind of talk might fool an idiot like Steward Zhang, but you think you can fool me, Zhao Tian?” He pointed his finger, forcefully poking Lin Ye's chest. “You, a good-for-nothing who hasn't even reached Qi Refining Stage One, how could you complete the three hundred catties of black iron wood task ahead of time? Speak! Did you use some underhanded method? Or did you, kid, get some stroke of luck and acquire some treasure, which is why you dare to be so arrogant?”

Zhao Tian's eyes became greedy and fervent. In his opinion, a good-for-nothing suddenly acting abnormally could only be one of two possibilities: either cheating, or obtaining a fortuitous encounter. Whichever it was, he wanted a share of it.

Lin Ye was poked repeatedly, retreating, and his internal alarm bells rang. He hadn't expected that the matter he tried so hard to conceal had slipped past Steward Zhang, but was now targeted by this Zhao Tian.

This person was much more troublesome than Steward Zhang! Steward Zhang merely wanted to assert his authority and vent, but this Zhao Tian was genuinely greedy and malicious.

“Senior Brother Zhao, I… I really didn't…” Lin Ye's voice was tearful, and his body trembled slightly in cooperation, vividly portraying the image of a terrified newcomer.

“Didn't?” The cruel smile on Zhao Tian's face grew wider. “I see you, kid, won't shed tears until you see the coffin! The Outer Sect has its rules, and newcomers should act like newcomers! Do you think completing the task early is a good thing? I'm telling you, this is breaking the rules! What will the Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers who are still toiling away think? What will the Stewards think? You are challenging the face of all of us!”

One big accusation after another was thrown down, directly branding Lin Ye as a “public enemy” who broke the rules.

Lin Ye's heart was cold. He knew that Zhao Tian was setting a trap for him; no matter how he answered, he wouldn't be able to escape easily today.

This was the Law of survival in the Outer Sect: weakness was the original sin. If you performed too poorly, you would be bullied; but if you performed even slightly better, you would also attract the covetousness of hungry wolves.

“Senior Brother Zhao, please see clearly, I… I really just got lucky…” Lin Ye was still making a last effort, trying to muddle through.

“Still stubborn!” Zhao Tian completely lost his patience. He suddenly grabbed Lin Ye's collar, lifted his thin body off the ground, and said fiercely: “I'll give you one last chance! Hand over your opportunistic method, or the treasure you obtained, obediently! Otherwise, today I will break one of your legs and let you know what rules are!”

A spiritual pressure belonging to Qi Refining Stage three erupted without reservation, like a giant boulder, pressing down heavily on Lin Ye.

Lin Ye's face instantly turned crimson, his breathing became incredibly difficult, and his feet kicked weakly in the air.

Watching Lin Ye's pained expression, a cruel pleasure flashed in Zhao Tian's eyes. He leaned close to Lin Ye's ear, his voice hissing like a venomous snake:

“It seems that if I don't give you a little color to see, you won't tell the truth!”