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Today was a rare day off, with no need to attend private school or practice fist techniques at the Martial Arts Hall. Gong Che and Shi Yi had arranged to go out and stroll through the streets.
"You just call me out to hang out, but what exactly are we going to do?"
Shi Yi rolled his eyes, feeling that Gong Che had been unusually excited lately. Not only was he active during lessons, but he couldn't sit still during his days off either, waking him up early in the morning.
Ever since his mother returned from the Ice Flood Dragon Clan, his father and mother had been inseparable and saccharine, leaving him feeling somewhat superfluous.
Perhaps that was why, under the guise of "friends are hard to come by, you should go out and play," his parents had shooed him out of the house.
"Why not think about it on the way? After all, you have nothing else to do at home, right?"
"How about this, I'll treat you to lunch today!" Gong Che said generously.
"What's the good news that's put you in such a good mood?" Shi Yi asked, looking at Gong Che with suspicion.
Gong Che had been waiting for Shi Yi to ask this question, and now it had finally come.
"I can finally live past sixteen."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm just telling you this—you better not tell anyone else."
"Go on."
Gong Che spoke seriously, "Actually, I'm an orphan who was picked up. I was born with a cold qi in my body, meaning I wouldn't live past sixteen. I learned all of this by overhearing my parents talking when I went to the bathroom at night."
"They thought I didn't know, but actually, I knew everything."
Shi Yi was stunned for a moment, not expecting Gong Che to have such a tragic past. "So what about you now…"
"To live past sixteen, I must get rid of the cold qi in my body. My parents tried all kinds of methods to no avail, except for Tiger Roar Fist, which had only a slight effect, but it couldn't change my fate."
"Until recently, when Teacher Lu started teaching us Tiger Roar Fist, the cold qi in my body began to truly dissipate, and just five days ago, it completely vanished!"
"Does that mean you can keep on living now?" Shi Yi finally understood why Gong Che had been so happy lately. Knowing this, he too was happy for Gong Che.
Shi Yi felt that Gong Che confiding his secret was a sign of trust and that he too should share his own secret.
"Actually, my veins carry the bloodline of the Ice Flood Dragon Clan…"
Shi Yi revealed everything he knew.
He rolled up his sleeves to show the ice crystal-like Flood Dragon scales on his arm.
"No wonder I could never beat you no matter how much I practiced, so you've awakened your bloodline." Gong Che suddenly realized why he'd been surpassed. Initially, he was the number one in the fist technique class; then, after Teacher Lu arrived, Shi Yi surpassed him. After learning from Teacher Lu, he surpassed Shi Yi again, but then somehow, Shi Yi overtook him once more.
"But why did your mom tell you to thank Teacher Lu and even send a banner of appreciation?"
Shi Yi shook his head, "I don't know, my mom didn't explain."
"Hey boss, give us two baked sweet potatoes, he's paying." As they passed by a baked sweet potato stall, Shi Yi spoke.
With baked sweet potatoes in hand, and unstoppable smiles on their faces, Shi Yi continued the previous conversation.
"Enough about me, what about you? Have you ever thought about finding your biological parents?"
Gong Che took a bite of his baked sweet potato and mumbled unclearly, "At first, when I found out I was adopted, I thought about looking for my biological parents. But then I realized it's better to treasure what I have now than to chase parents without any leads."
"Perhaps when I meet my biological parents, I'll ask them why they abandoned me in the snow and left me to fend for myself."
Suddenly, the two halted their steps as a youth who bore a seven-point resemblance to Gong Che appeared before them.
The youth's gloomy eyes were filled with a thick murderous intent, and he flashed a sinister smile.
"Wu Ma, I didn't expect you to still be alive."
Gong Che was taken aback. Wu Ma? Is that me?
The youth stepped closer, "The most failed experiment, abandoned by mom and dad for not being able to endure the Mystic Heavenly Cold Qi, not only survived until now but also dissipated the cold qi within?"
"I thought I had killed Zi Shu, Chou Niu, Mao Tu, and possessed the qualification to cultivate the Xuantian Scripture. But to think, you're still alive!"
"The Xuantian Scripture is a supreme cultivation technique, with strict conditions for practice. Only those who endured the Mystic Heavenly Cold Qi in their youth are qualified to practice it, and it can only be cultivated when there is one eligible person."
"Now that both of us are qualified, I can't cultivate it while you're alive!"
"Remember my name before you die. I am Yin Hu!"
Yin Hu made a move as if to pounce, but Shi Yi quickly stepped forward and pinned the leaping Yin Hu to the ground.
Yin Hu made several attempts to rise, only to find that Shi Yi's strength was astonishing, and he couldn't get up at all!
Who was this person?!
"Your brother?" Shi Yi asked Gong Che, who looked utterly bewildered.
"I don't know him, but listening to all his muttering just now, he doesn't sound like a good person."
Yin Hu raised his head, staring fixedly at Gong Che. Rather than tiger eyes, they seemed more like viper slits. "Wu Ma, if you dare, let him go, and let's see who the stronger successor really is!"
After some thought, Gong Che said, "Shi Yi, let him go."
"Okay."
Yin Hu shook free from his restraints and lunged ferociously at Gong Che with claws outstretched, like a tiger descending the mountain, fierce and bloodthirsty!