Chapter 394: Lu Chong's Gratitude

"I am his teacher…"

This sentence was plain and simple, devoid of flowery language or emotional appeal, yet Lu Chong felt as if he was instantly enveloped by warm water, his blood boiling throughout his body. Having come from a wealthy family, he understood the value of the poisonous powder his teacher had concocted for him, and the preciousness of the cultivation technique imparted. No repayment was asked for, no demands were made. Everything good was given without reservation, even to the extent of offending the Lin family for him, simply because he had called out "teacher," simply because he was the other person's student!

"Teacher, do you know? By admitting this, you are completely falling out with the Lin family; they will never let you go. It’s not worth it for a student you’ve only known for less than six days, who has made no contributions, and only seeks revenge. It's me, your student, who has caused you trouble…" Lu Chong trembled all over, his eyes reddening.

"Zhang Xuan, you…" Mo Yu was also stunned. She had thought the two had no relation, but it turned out he was his student. Yet, even if he was a student, he must have only just recognized him recently. Was it truly worth offending the Lin family for such a reckless fellow?

"Your student?" Lin Hui froze, somewhat disbelieving. This President Liu was only at the initial stage of the Profound Realm; how could he teach a student at the intermediate stage of the Grandmaster Realm? However, he quickly realized that such situations were not unheard of. A disciple is not necessarily inferior to their teacher, nor is a teacher necessarily wiser than their disciple. Knowledge is gained at different times, and skills specialize in different fields; it is simply that! Given President Liu’s remarkable medical skills, it was highly probable that this person was his medical student, not a cultivation disciple.

"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. Since the other party had called him "teacher," he could not abandon him at this moment. Even if it meant offending the Lin family, even if it meant offending the whole world, "if you are my student, your teacher will ensure your safety!"

"Very well!" Seeing him agree, Lin Hui calmed down, his gaze turning cold, a smirk playing on his lips: "It’s best you admit it. Tell me, how exactly did our young master offend you? To think you’d send your own student to ambush him…"

"Elder Lin, what do you mean by that? Even if he’s a teacher, it’s impossible for him to know everything his student does, is it? He’s not a nanny or a servant…" Mo Yu’s face darkened. What if he was a teacher? Does that mean if a student commits murder, the teacher instigated it? What kind of logic is that? A teacher imparts knowledge, answers questions, and resolves doubts. I’ve never heard of them being responsible for a student’s entire life. Even parents don’t have that obligation!

"Master Mo, this is a matter between the Lin family and President Liu; it’s not your place to speak!" With a dismissive wave of his hand, interrupting Mo Yu, Lin Hui looked up at Zhang Xuan and chuckled, "President Liu, I respect you as a person of standing. Will you come with me willingly, or shall I seize you and drag you there?" He had initially thought the assassin of their young master was merely a small fry, but it turned out to be a prominent figure. By teaching him a harsh lesson, they could utterly deter the kingdom and make everyone aware of the consequences of offending the Lin family!

"I haven’t finished my book yet; I don’t have time to go with you!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Lu Chong had burst in when he was only halfway through his book; he still had some time left to finish it and didn't have time to waste with this fellow.

"Reading a book?" Lin Hui paused, his face darkening: "Are you taking my leniency for granted? Regardless of the reason, you will return with me today and accept punishment. Dare to harm our Lin family’s young master, and the lightest penalty is the abolition of your cultivation, the heaviest is immediate execution! I warn you, don’t force my hand. Although you are the President of the Physician Guild, your true strength is only at the initial stage of the Profound Realm. You are far too weak compared to me. Killing you would be no harder than killing a chick!"

"Teacher…" Lu Chong stepped forward, blocking Zhang Xuan, his fists clenched. He had experienced Lin Hui’s strength earlier; it was indeed terrifying. His teacher's strength was even inferior to his own, so how could he be a match?

"Zhang Xuan…" Mo Yu was also filled with worry. She knew the person before her was Zhang Xuan, and while his strength was not weak, he was only at the initial Grandmaster Realm, having just broken through a few days ago during the master teacher assessment. He definitely couldn't withstand this.

"Force my hand? Then go ahead…" Waving Lu Chong aside, Zhang Xuan looked over with a pitying expression and shook his head.

"Since you’re courting death, don’t blame me for being impolite!" Narrowing his eyes, Lin Hui snorted coldly, flipped his palm, and struck downwards fiercely.

*Whoosh!* Just like before, before the palm force even arrived, the surrounding air seemed to solidify, as if completely sealed off.

"Teacher…" With clenched fists, Lu Chong was ready to risk severe injury to protect his teacher’s safety when he saw the distant Teacher Liu shake his head. His hands, clasped behind his back, didn't move. With a lazy demeanor, he raised his foot and kicked. The kick was like a phantom, so fast it was imperceptible. Even Mo Tianxue, standing nearby, didn't see what happened before it landed squarely on the opponent's crotch.

*Crack!* A sound like breaking eggs echoed.

"Ah…" A sharp shriek, and Lin Hui flew into the air, the piercing sound reverberating as if to puncture eardrums. Immediately after, the once arrogant and conceited man crumpled like a shrimp, lying on the ground, spitting white foam, and convulsing violently.

"Ah…" Lu Chong and Mo Tianxue stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded. This… they had clearly seen Lin Hui’s attack just now. He truly lived up to his reputation as the kingdom's seventh-ranked peerless expert; before he even moved, the pressure was overwhelming. Even if Mo Hongyi wanted to win, it would take a hundred moves. Yet, the result… Teacher Liu kicked him, and he immediately rolled on the ground… like a dead dog! Since when did dealing with this level of expert become so simple? Was this for real? Weren't you only at the initial stage of the Profound Realm? One kick to incapacitate a Grandmaster peak expert? This…

Mo Yu was also dumbfounded. She had been present a few days ago when Zhang Xuan publicly broke through to the Grandmaster Realm and had seen it clearly! The initial stage of the Grandmaster Realm and the peak stage differed by several times in combat power; it was impossible to contend. Yet, one kick sent him sprawling and screaming… How did he do it? The many guards standing behind Lin Hui were also all dumbfounded. They had expected Elder Lin to effortlessly apprehend the opponent, but they never anticipated that before even reaching the opponent, he would be kicked, rendered childless, and left spitting white foam…

"Combat isn't about meeting strength with strength; it's about finding weaknesses and exploiting them! His entire body was sealed, with no qi leakage whatsoever, but this one spot was a vulnerability. Once broken, it allows for twice the results with half the effort!" Ignoring the astonished expressions of the onlookers, Zhang Xuan turned to Lu Chong and explained. The opponent’s true qi circulated perfectly, making him formidable. In a real fight, even with his 5,000-ding of immense strength, it would be impossible to secure victory in a single move. However, with the Eye of Insight, he could instantly discern the direction and speed of the true qi circulation, locate the weakness, and deliver a kick directly to the vital point. Then… that guy had a tragic outcome.

"Yes!" After the kick that nearly finished off Elder Lin of the Lin family, the teacher, looking as if nothing had happened, continued to explain. Lu Chong’s face flushed with embarrassment. After a moment, he understood and quickly nodded.

"Good that you understand!" Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Since you know now, go try it out!" Earlier, when this guy fought, he simply charged head-on, his techniques were too crude. Since there was time, he decided to offer some guidance.

"Try it out?" Lu Chong hesitated.

"Yes, cultivation and combat require constant tempering. How can you become stronger than others without practice?" Zhang Xuan frowned. So-called martial techniques, if only lectured and not practiced, are empty forms. Only when combined with actual combat can they unleash greater power and effect.

"Yes!" After a moment of hesitation, Lu Chong gritted his teeth and approached Lin Hui, who lay on the ground like a crumpled shrimp. Aiming at a specific spot, he raised his foot and kicked again!

"Ah…" Already shattered, and kicked again, Lin Hui's eyes rolled back. Knowing that even his "roots" were gone this time, he could no longer bear it and immediately fainted.

After kicking, Lu Chong turned to his teacher, expecting some evaluation, only to see the latter looking at him indignantly: "I told you to try it out on those guards; who told you to kick *him*…?" No wonder Zhang Xuan was angry. His explanation was simple: to help him grasp combat techniques, not to use brute force. His intention for Lu Chong to "try it out" was also simple: Lin Hui was down, but there was still a large group of guards. Fighting them might spark inspiration. After all, they were enemies; beating one or two would be letting off steam. But… what the heck, why go kick Lin Hui? That guy was already spitting foam and on the verge of death; what could he learn from kicking him? It’s like stabbing a dead person on the battlefield; does that prove you’ve killed someone?

"Yes…" Finally understanding his teacher’s meaning, Lu Chong’s face flushed. He moved swiftly, charging directly into the group of guards. The strength of these guards, mostly at the Profound Realm, was not weak in general, but before a Grandmaster intermediate expert like him, they were nothing. Soon, they were all beaten down, lying on the ground, spitting white foam just like Lin Hui.

"Hmm!" Seeing that his attacks, though still a bit stiff, were much better than his previous head-on charges, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Witnessing this scene, Mo Yu and Mo Tianxue felt dizzy, and a bit frantic inside. "Teacher Liu, do you know what you’re doing? This was Elder Lin, the third elder of the Lin family, and the Lin family’s guards! One kick rendered him unable to function, his life hanging by a thread, and all the guards were lying on the ground… This meant completely breaking ties with the Lin family, leaving no room for maneuver. Your student is reckless, but why are you so reckless too?"

"Teacher…" After knocking out the guards, Lu Chong approached, knelt again, and looked at his teacher with eyes full of excitement and reverence. Having been hunted and living in hiding, he had encountered too many people and too much betrayal. He had thought that by revealing his enemy, this teacher would hand him directly to the Lin family. Yet, not only did he not do so, he even risked offending the Lin family to help him! This gratitude was truly immense!

Knowing what he was grateful for, Zhang Xuan didn't refuse. He nodded, and just as he was about to speak, his mind suddenly stirred, and the library within him began to churn violently. Another golden book appeared.

"This…" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had only intended to save his student, but he hadn’t expected to receive his gratitude, leading to the formation of another golden page!