SWORD OF FLAME

A Lesson to Remember

“What’s wrong with you, young man? Why are you causing a commotion in this sect?” asked a middle-aged man, one of the elders of the sect.

Fang Yun immediately recognized him—the very elder who once declared that he would never be able to learn martial arts. Fang Yun thought this might be the perfect time to teach him a lesson in return.

“I... please help me, Elder! He’s trying to hurt me,” Fang Yun pleaded.

“Young master Chong Li? Why would he want to harm you?” The elder frowned in confusion, as Fang Yun pointed directly at Chong Li.

Chong Li and his four subordinates stepped closer.

“Chong Li, why is this young man saying you were trying to hurt him?” the elder asked.

“That loser’s a pickpocket, Elder. Since he couldn’t learn martial arts, he turned to stealing,” Chong Li lied without a shred of guilt. Of course, he wouldn’t admit the truth—that Fang Yun had spent years being his practice dummy for every new technique.

“I’m not a thief! If I were, where’s the proof?” Fang Yun barked back, already clenching his fists, tempted to strike him.

“No thief ever confesses! If you don’t believe me, Elder, ask them!” Chong Li said, gesturing to his four lackeys.

“It’s true, Elder. We caught him trying to steal. When we confronted him, he ran straight here,” said one of them, Li Feng, trying to sound convincing.

The elder looked Fang Yun over with narrowed eyes. “I remember you. You once took the sect’s entrance trial, didn’t you? If I’m not mistaken, you had no talent whatsoever. You were told you’d never be able to learn martial arts.”

“That’s right, Elder. But is it a crime not to have talent?”

“Of course, it is! What use is a life with no talent in martial arts? You’ll be a loser forever!” the elder snapped.

Fang Yun smirked faintly and stared at the arrogant elder. “This is the time, Arnold. I’ll teach them a lesson for always belittling others,” he said inwardly to Qiang Mo.

“My name is Qiang Mo, Fang Yun! Qiang Mo…! Ugh, whatever. I’m wasting my breath with a madman like you. I’m going back to sleep,” the fire spirit muttered, vanishing from his mind.

Fang Yun laughed inwardly. He glanced at Chong Li, then turned back to the elder. “Even without talent, I still have the courage to face every one of you here!”

The elder burst into mocking laughter. “Hahahaha! Enough! Leave this sect now. A loser like you has no place here!”

“Just admit it—you’re all afraid of a talentless guy like me,” Fang Yun sneered.

Smelling an opportunity to humiliate Fang Yun again, Chong Li stepped forward to earn praise from the sect elders. “Elder, allow me to teach him a lesson!”

“Not you, Chong Li. You might knock him out with a single punch. Let someone else handle it.”

Chong Li smirked with pride at the elder’s compliment and turned to his companion. “Li Feng, go on. Teach this fool a lesson!”

“With pleasure,” Li Feng replied, stepping in front of Fang Yun. “Get ready, loser. I’ll make sure you learn something today!”

Without waiting, Li Feng charged at him. But instead of engaging, Fang Yun turned and bolted, forcing Li Feng to chase him. The chase lasted only seconds—Fang Yun stopped abruptly, planted his foot firmly, and Li Feng ran right into it, his stomach hitting the blow directly. He fell backward, unconscious.

Fang Yun had deliberately channeled internal energy into his foot. Though it wasn’t a strike, Li Feng was knocked out cold after ramming into him.

Chong Li was furious. Not only had his underling fallen with a single move, but it wasn’t even a direct attack—it was due to his own carelessness.

Fang Yun laughed hysterically and leapt with glee, further embarrassing Chong Li. Unable to bear it, Chong Li signaled Gao Zin to attack.

But Gao Zin fared no better. He tripped over Fang Yun’s foot and collapsed face-first into the dirt.

Fang Yun was clearly humiliating the Black Hawk Sect on purpose, and it was working.

“This is getting boring,” Fang Yun mocked. “So who’s the best talent in this place? Do they dare face someone like me with no talent?”

Enraged, Chong Li—recognized as the best in the sect—leapt and landed before Fang Yun.

“I’m the top disciple of the Black Hawk Sect. I’ll take you down myself!”

“You? The best? Hahahaha! You always need your lackeys to do the dirty work and call yourself the best? What kind of ‘quality’ sect is this?” Fang Yun mocked, holding his stomach from laughing too hard.

“You bastard…! I’ll destroy you!!!”

“Wait!” Fang Yun raised his hand just as Chong Li was about to attack. “Let’s make a deal. If you can’t even touch me in 20 strikes, you’ll kneel before me and admit defeat. How about that?”

“Hahaha! Forget 20—I'll bring you to your knees in just five!” Chong Li boasted. “Fine, I accept. But if I do land a hit, then I’ll have every member of this sect beat you to a pulp. Deal?”

“Deal. All of you here, be witnesses!” Fang Yun replied with a sharp smirk.

Without another word, Chong Li bent his knees slightly and shifted into a martial stance. In the blink of an eye, he launched his first attack.