Chapter 10: The Dao of taking
"Hand it over."
Zhao Ming's voice was calm, almost bored, as if he were asking for something that already belonged to him.
Li Chen stared at him for a brief moment, then internally face-palmed.
So blunt, he thought irritably. As if he personally picked the fruit himself.
Around them, the herb garden seemed to grow quieter. A few outer disciples slowed their movements, ears pricking subtly while pretending not to listen. No one intervened. No one ever did.
That was how things worked here.
Within the Azure Cloud Sect, the hierarchy did not end at inner and outer disciples. Even among the outer sect, there existed layers of oppression—small tyrants carving out territory wherever the elders' eyes did not reach.
Those with slightly better cultivation preyed on those weaker. Those with backing bullied those without. Strength, no matter how insignificant, demanded submission.
Zhao Ming's lackeys smirked openly now.
One of them spat lightly to the side. "Did you hear that, trash? Our senior brother is being generous. Hurry up."
Another laughed. "A weakling like you should be grateful. You don't even deserve to touch something that fragrant."
Li Chen felt a familiar twinge of disgust.
So even ants learn to bare their teeth once they stand behind a bigger beast.
The system chimed in lazily. "Ah yes. The food chain. Fascinating, isn't it? Even the mediocre feel powerful when they find someone lower."
Li Chen kept his face neutral, though inside, annoyance simmered.
He weighed his options quickly.
Surrendering the fruit would be the safest path. It would avoid immediate trouble, preserve his cover, and keep his progress hidden.
But the Violet Spirit Plum wasn't just rare—it was valuable. Something like that could strengthen his meridians, accelerate his Qi circulation, and potentially bridge gaps months faster than normal cultivation.
I shouldn't give this up so easily.
Before he could decide—
"Enough talk."
One of the lackeys suddenly lunged forward, palm glowing faintly with condensed Qi. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he struck, aiming straight for Li Chen's chest.
"Let me handle this, Senior Zhao. I'll finish him in one move."
So impatient, Li Chen thought grimly.
His body moved before his mind could catch up.
Shadow Step.
In an instant, his figure blurred.
The lackey's Qi-infused palm sliced through empty air.
"What—?!"
Li Chen reappeared half a step to the side, the world snapping back into focus. His heart pounded, muscles screaming from the sudden burst of speed—but he didn't stop.
He stepped in.
His fist slammed into the lackey's abdomen.
The impact was solid, dull, and satisfying.
"Guh—!"
The lackey's eyes bulged as the air was knocked clean out of him. His body lifted off the ground, feet flailing as he flew backward and crashed into the dirt several steps away, rolling twice before coming to a stop.
Silence.
The other lackeys stared, stunned.
"That… that wasn't supposed to happen," one muttered.
Zhao Ming's brows knit slightly.
He dodged?
For a moment, Zhao Ming assumed the obvious.
This idiot must be exceptionally weak.
His gaze sharpened as the remaining lackeys recovered from their shock.
"What are you waiting for?" Zhao Ming snapped. "Finish him."
Two of them surged forward together.
Li Chen barely had time to breathe.
One swung high; the other aimed low, their movements sloppy but aggressive. Li Chen twisted aside, but the second strike clipped his shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through his arm.
He grunted, stumbling a step back.
So they can still hit me.
The system commented cheerfully, "Congratulations. You're not invincible. Growth opportunity detected."
Li Chen clenched his teeth and pushed forward again.
He ducked under another swing, elbowing one attacker in the ribs before pivoting and slamming his knee into the other's thigh. The man howled, collapsing awkwardly.
The first lackey recovered quickly, throwing a desperate punch that connected with Li Chen's jaw.
Pain flashed white.
Li Chen staggered—but didn't fall.
He steadied himself, eyes cold now.
Enough.
He stepped in close, ignoring the ache, and drove his palm into the lackey's chest with all the force he could muster. The man was sent skidding across the dirt, coughing violently.
Both lackeys lay groaning, no longer able to stand.
Li Chen stood in the center, chest rising and falling, robe dust-stained, jaw throbbing.
He had been hit.
But he was still standing.
For the first time, Zhao Ming's expression changed.
Not anger.
Curiosity.
His gaze swept over Li Chen—his posture, his breathing, the faint but undeniable flow of Qi still lingering around him.
Interesting.
This was no longer about a weak outer disciple.
Zhao Ming took a step forward, his smile returning—sharper now.
"Looks like," he said calmly, "I should take you a little more seriously."
---
Zhao Ming's lackeys lay scattered across the clearing, groaning or clutching bruised ribs. The air still vibrated faintly with lingering Qi, disturbed leaves slowly settling back into place.
Li Chen exhaled through his nose, his chest rising and falling faster than he liked.
Before he could even savor the moment—
Ding.
A familiar translucent blue panel flashed into existence before his eyes.
---
[System Notification]
Impromptu Quest Completed: Suppress the Oppressors
Rewards:
+15 XP
+10 XP
+10 XP
Additional Notice:
Low-level combat skill used for the first time.
Proficiency +1.
Li Chen blinked.
"…XP?" he muttered internally.
His eyes flicked rapidly across the panel, then another window slid open almost eagerly, as though anticipating his curiosity.
---
Name: Li Chen
Level: 3
XP: 40/ 150
Cultivation Plane: Early Mortal Realm
Strength: 6
Agility: 5
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 2
Health: 60 / 100
Skills:
• Inspect -Level 1
• Shadow Step -Level 1
---
His heart thumped.
So defeating fellow cultivators gives experience too…
This wasn't like grinding beasts in the outer forests. This meant something else entirely—something far more dangerous, but also far more rewarding. The sect wasn't just a place of cultivation. It was a battlefield with rules written in blood and hierarchy.
And he was only just beginning to read them.
For a split second, Li Chen forgot where he was.
Forgot who stood in front of him.
"Oi."
The single word carried weight—cold, sharp, and brimming with irritation.
Li Chen's gaze snapped up.
Zhao Ming stood a few steps away, arms loosely folded, expression twisted into a sneer that barely masked his displeasure. His eyes flicked briefly toward the fallen lackeys, then back to Li Chen, as if looking at something that had crawled out of the mud and dared to stand upright.
"…You've got some nerve," Zhao Ming said slowly. "Ignoring me like that."
Li Chen inwardly sighed. So much for quiet reflection.
Zhao Ming clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Useless trash," he spat, gesturing toward his subordinates. "Can't even deal with a nobody. If you want something done properly…" His lips curled upward. "…you do it yourself."
His gaze drifted deliberately toward the spirit fruit in Li Chen's possession, eyes glowing faintly with greed.
"That fruit," Zhao Ming continued calmly, "would be wasted on someone like you. I'm doing the sect—and the world—a favor by taking it off your hands. Cleaning up trash is a necessary duty."
The arrogance was so thick it was almost tangible.
Before Li Chen could respond, another panel erupted into view, far more imposing than the last.
---
[System Alert]
Target Identified: Zhao Ming
[Main Quest Activated]
Defeat the Threat
Difficulty: Moderate
Reward: 100 XP
2 skill points
---
Li Chen's pupils shrank.
One hundred…?
Skill points.....?
That number wasn't just high—it was a warning.
His gaze skimmed Zhao Ming's stats, the difference between them no longer theoretical but painfully real. This wasn't a lackey relying on borrowed confidence. This was someone who had climbed the outer sect ladder with strength to back up his arrogance.
Yet…
The system had issued the quest.
Which meant one thing.
It's possible.
Li Chen clenched his fists as another subtle notification appeared.
---
[Skill Status Update]
Swift Step — Cooldown Complete.
---
A slow breath steadied his nerves.
Zhao Ming noticed the shift immediately, his lips parting in mild amusement. "Still standing?" he mocked. "You really don't know when to kneel."
Then he moved.
Unlike the lackeys' reckless charges, Zhao Ming's motion was controlled, efficient. His Qi surged outward, heavy and oppressive, pressing down on Li Chen like an invisible weight. The ground cracked faintly beneath his step as he struck.
Li Chen barely managed to raise his guard—
Pain exploded through his side.
---
[System Warning]
HP -10
User has sustained a severe impact.
---
Li Chen skidded backward, boots carving shallow trenches in the dirt. His ribs screamed in protest, breath knocked clean out of him.
So fast…
Zhao Ming didn't let up. His strikes came in measured succession—palms, elbows, sweeping kicks—each one backed by cultivated Qi and years of experience. Li Chen blocked what he could, dodged what he couldn't, but every exchange chipped away at him.
---
[HP: 41 / 100]
---
Zhao Ming scoffed. "That's it? I expected more after that little display."
Another blow sent Li Chen crashing into a tree trunk, bark splintering on impact. His vision blurred for a heartbeat.
But Zhao Ming made a mistake.
He relaxed.
Just slightly.
Because in his eyes, Li Chen was already defeated.
Li Chen felt it—the gap. The faint hesitation born from contempt.
Now.
Qi surged through his legs as he activated Swift Step, his figure blurring as he vanished from Zhao Ming's immediate sight.
"What—?"
Li Chen reappeared inside Zhao Ming's guard, fist already cocked back. He poured everything into the strike—not strength alone, but timing, precision, desperation.
The punch landed cleanly.
Zhao Ming's eyes widened as the impact drove the air from his lungs, his body staggering backward, balance shattered. Li Chen didn't stop. He followed through, chaining strikes with reckless efficiency, refusing to give Zhao Ming time to recover.
A final blow sent Zhao Ming crashing to the ground, dust erupting around him.
Silence.
Then—
---
[Quest Completed]
Defeat the Threat — Zhao Ming
Reward:
+100 XP
2 skill points awarded
---
Li Chen stood there, chest heaving, body aching, staring down at the fallen disciple.
But the system wasn't done.
---
[New Prompt Available]
Loot defeated targets?
Li Chen froze.
"…Loot?"
A stunned pause followed.
Then, despite himself—
"You've got to be kidding me."