By the time evening arrived, Lin Fei had finally finished his work.
He returned to the medicine house to report to Senior Sister Gong. She brought out a thick register filled with rows of students' names. Flipping to Lin Fei's page, he caught a glimpse of the detailed records written there—his enrollment date, grade, spiritual attribute, cultivation level, and columns for training, assessments, chores, competitions, and more.
Senior Sister Gong drew a firm mark in the chores column and handed the register to Grandma Liu. The old woman glanced at it and nodded slightly.
Senior Sister Gong closed the register and smiled. "Alright, junior brother. Your chores for today are done. You can head back."
"Senior Sister, what is that register for?" Lin Fei asked curiously.
"It's the record of your first-year students while you're studying here."
"What's the point of recording all that?"
Senior Sister Gong rolled up the register and lightly tapped Lin Fei on the head with it. "It reflects your performance at the academy! Students with outstanding records can receive rewards from the academy."
"Rewards?" Lin Fei's eyes lit up. "What kind of rewards?"
"For example, pills that greatly aid cultivation, magical artifacts and talisman tools with various functions, forging manuals, alchemy formulas, the qualification to enter the Scripture Pavilion to study advanced techniques and Lin Arts, and even special academy rewards." Senior Sister Gong listed them as if reciting treasures.
"So many!" Lin Fei exclaimed.
"That's right. So you'd better work hard and don't slack off," she said with a smile, waving him away.
Lin Fei left the medicine house. The sun had already sunk halfway behind the mountain, and the evening clouds painted half the sky crimson. Clearbrook Valley was bathed in warm golden light. The stream shimmered with ripples like scattered gold.
Lin Fei rubbed his empty stomach, took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, and jogged toward the dining hall up the mountain.
Just as he rounded a bend, he suddenly heard a burst of noisy voices ahead.
"Hey, fatty, what else do you have in that bag?"
"Hurry up and show some respect to your seniors!"
Lin Fei slowed his pace and followed the sound. The voices were coming from behind the slope beside the mountain path. He quietly walked around and saw Liu Jinfa being blocked on the road by three senior students.
All three wore the green robes of Giantwood Academy. The leader was a tall boy with loose hair and sleeves rolled up high. He was holding Liu Jinfa's treasure pouch and rummaging through it shamelessly, pulling out pastries and fruit and tossing them to the other two seniors.
The two laughed as they caught the snacks and began devouring them.
Liu Jinfa stood there with his shoulders hunched, pleading timidly. "Senior brothers, please stop looking through it. I already gave you all the silver I had. The rest is just food my parents packed for me…"
"Still trying to trick me? Isn't this another silver coin?" The tall boy tossed a round silver coin in his hand.
"What are you doing!" Lin Fei shouted as he rushed forward.
Everyone turned their heads. The three seniors were momentarily stunned when they saw him. Liu Jinfa's eyes instantly lit up with hope.
"Oh? What are you yelling for, kid?" the long-haired boy said lazily, tossing the pouch to one of his companions. "What, planning to meddle in someone else's business?"
Lin Fei stepped forward and pulled Liu Jinfa behind him. Staring at the tall student, he said, "Return his things."
The tall boy crossed his arms and looked Lin Fei up and down before sneering to his companions. "Look at this—just a first-year brat acting tough."
"Hey kid, what's your name?"
"Lin Fei!"
"I'm Mao Fei, third year. Ever heard of me?"
"Never."
"Well listen carefully then, so you don't embarrass yourself again in the future."
"I don't care what mountain you are," Lin Fei said firmly. "Taking someone else's things is wrong."
"You say I'm stealing?" Mao Fei rolled his eyes and turned to Liu Jinfa. "Fatty, tell him. Did I steal from you?"
"Uh… no, no…" Liu Jinfa shrank behind Lin Fei, tugging at his sleeve. His voice was barely audible. "Lin Fei… maybe we should just go…"
"Give it back," Lin Fei insisted, unmoved.
"The bag's in my hand. If you're capable, come take it," Mao Fei said mockingly, waving the pouch in front of Lin Fei's face.
Lin Fei suddenly stepped forward and snatched the treasure pouch from Mao Fei's hand.
Mao Fei froze, clearly not expecting a first-year student to actually dare make a move. When he reacted, he immediately reached out to grab it back.
"Wood Art — Entangling Vines!"
Lin Fei quickly formed a hand seal. Several vines burst from the soil, instantly wrapping around the arms and legs of the three senior students.
"You brat! You're serious?" Mao Fei laughed angrily and struggled violently. The vines creaked under the strain.
Just as Lin Fei was about to grab Liu Jinfa and run, a powerful invisible pressure surged from behind like a tide.
He turned around.
The vines binding the three seniors had already snapped apart. Mao Fei leapt forward and drove a punch straight into Lin Fei's abdomen.
Bang!
A sharp pain exploded through his body. Lin Fei doubled over like a shrimp and staggered back several steps, nearly collapsing. His stomach muscles spasmed violently, and he almost couldn't breathe.
"Lin Fei!" Liu Jinfa cried out and tried to rush forward, only to be shoved aside by another senior and knocked to the ground.
Mao Fei walked up to Lin Fei and looked down at him.
"Peak Spirit Motion stage? And you dare play the hero with that level?" he said slowly, his voice dripping with contempt. "With your little Spirit Motion cultivation, I could beat ten of you with one hand. And you still want to meddle?"
He raised his hand to strike again.
At that moment, a cold and low voice sounded from behind.
"Mao Fei, that's enough."
Mao Fei's expression changed instantly as he turned around.
A tall, thin youth was walking slowly down the mountain path. He wore a faded green robe. His face was lean, and his eyes were calm like still water. An aura of distance surrounded him, as if no one should approach.
Mao Fei stared at him and gritted his teeth. "Huang Su… you…"
Huang Su walked to Lin Fei's side. His gaze briefly paused on the bruise forming on Lin Fei's abdomen before shifting to Mao Fei.
"Bullying new students makes you feel impressive?" he asked calmly.
Mao Fei's expression darkened. He stared at Huang Su for a moment, sweat forming at his temples. Finally he waved his hand at the other two.
"Let's go."
The three turned to leave, but Huang Su raised his hand to stop them.
"You can go. Leave their things behind."
Mao Fei's face turned ashen. He threw the pouch and several silver coins into Huang Su's arms with a heavy snort.
As he passed Lin Fei, he bent down and whispered so only the two of them could hear.
"Kid, you're lucky today. Don't let me catch you alone next time."
Then he and the others left without looking back.
Liu Jinfa scrambled up and hurried to help Lin Fei to his feet, tears welling in his eyes.
"Lin Fei… are you alright? I'm sorry… this is all because of me…"
Lin Fei held his stomach and forced a smile. "I'm fine."
Huang Su handed over the pouch. "Check if anything's missing."
Liu Jinfa opened it nervously and looked inside. "Uh… the silver's still there. Just… the snacks he ate are gone…"
"Do you want me to get them back?" Huang Su asked.
"No, no, that's fine! Thank you, Senior Brother Huang!" Liu Jinfa shook his head rapidly.
Enduring the pain in his abdomen, Lin Fei clasped his hands respectfully. "May I ask what your cultivation realm is, Senior Brother?"
"Late-stage Body Tempering," Huang Su replied calmly.
Lin Fei was secretly shocked. The Body Tempering stage was three whole realms above the Spirit Motion stage. Judging by his age, Huang Su should be around the same year as Mao Fei—a third-year student—yet his cultivation had already reached such a level.
"Junior brother, I will report today's matter to the elders. Mao Fei will receive punishment. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Lin Fei and Liu Jinfa bowed quickly.
Huang Su waved his hand and left. His figure soon disappeared into the twilight.
Darkness gradually spread as the mountain path grew dim.
Supporting Lin Fei, Liu Jinfa helped him slowly walk back toward the dormitory. Along the way, he kept sneaking glances at Lin Fei, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.
"Lin Fei… why did you help me?" he finally asked softly.
Lin Fei thought for a moment and answered seriously, "If a friend is being bullied, how could I ignore it?"
Liu Jinfa froze. His eyes immediately turned red.
He sniffed loudly and slapped his chest. "Lin Fei—no, Brother Lin! From now on you're my best friend! No—my real brother!"
Lin Fei laughed and patted his shoulder. "Alright, alright. Let's hurry back. It's getting dark."
…
By the time they returned to the dormitory after dinner, the sky was completely dark.
Lin Fei pushed open the door and saw Li Chen sitting cross-legged on his bed, practicing breathing techniques with his eyes closed.
Lin Fei took off his sweat-soaked clothes, preparing to take a bath. Li Chen opened his eyes to greet him, but suddenly froze.
"Xiao Fei, what happened to your stomach?" Li Chen jumped off the bed and hurried over. "Why is it bruised like that? That's internal bruising!"
Lin Fei looked down and saw that the place Mao Fei had punched was already dark purple and blue—an alarming bruise.
He briefly explained what had happened that evening.
Li Chen's brows furrowed deeper and deeper as he listened. His fists clenched until his knuckles cracked.
"That bastard!" Li Chen slammed his fist against the bed frame. "A third-year beating a first-year and hitting that hard!"
Lin Fei sat on the bed and pulled down his shirt slightly. "Luckily Senior Brother Huang Su showed up in time. Otherwise it might have been worse."
"Huang Su?" Li Chen's eyes lit up. "I've heard of him!"
Lin Fei blinked. "You have?"
Li Chen nodded and lowered his voice. "I asked around. Huang Su is the top fighter among the third-years. Late-stage Body Tempering. I heard even some fourth- and fifth-year students might not be his match. He usually keeps to himself and doesn't talk much, but no one in Giantwood Academy dares provoke him."
Lin Fei recalled the lean young man with calm eyes and felt even more respect.
"No wonder Mao Fei backed down immediately," he said.
Li Chen was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly looked up with an unusually serious expression.
"Xiao Fei, I'll remember today's punch. One day I'll help you return it."
Lin Fei couldn't help laughing. "The two of us together probably still can't beat him."
"As long as we train hard, we'll catch up sooner or later," Li Chen said firmly as he sat back on his bed. "Being older doesn't mean staying ahead forever. My grandfather once told me that many powerful Lin Masters already stood out while studying at the academy. Some even reached the Shura Realm before graduating."
"Shura Realm?" Lin Fei counted on his fingers. "That's six realms above the Spirit Motion stage! Wouldn't that mean breaking through one realm every year?"
Li Chen nodded, his eyes shining with longing. "Not impossible. In a few months we should break through to the Qi Refining Realm. Next year we could enter Foundation Establishment Realm, and by the third year maybe reach Transcendent Body Realm… it's not impossible."
Looking at his serious expression, Lin Fei suddenly felt that the pain in his stomach wasn't so unbearable anymore.
"Alright then," he said. "Let's compete and see who reaches Body Tempering first."
"Deal! Who's afraid of who?" Li Chen grinned and raised his hand.
Lin Fei slapped his palm.
The two looked at each other and laughed.