The Fool Who Shook the Heavens

Chapter 7

The next morning, all the Outer Disciples gathered in the sect courtyard. Dew still clung to the stone floor, and a cold wind swept across their faces. Ding Zi stood at the front, reading out the work assignments one by one.

When he reached Tang Hao's name, the corner of his mouth curled upward.

"Tang Hao, step forward!"

Tang Hao had been squatting and poking at the dirt with a twig. He jumped up and trotted over. Ding Zi handed him an old axe with a rusty blade.

Tang Hao stared at the axe and wrinkled his nose.

"This axe is so ugly. Why didn't I get a nice one?"

"Watch your mouth!" Ding Zi put on a stern face. "That's an ancestral heirloom, a priceless weapon. Not just anyone is allowed to hold it."

Tang Hao hesitated, but the moment he heard "ancestral heirloom," his face lit up.

"Really? That means I have an ancestral heirloom axe!"

Ding Zi nodded, struggling to hold back a smile.

"Your task today is to collect fragrant roots on South Hill."

He had chosen that place on purpose. The terrain was steep, the rocks were slick, and the plants grew in the cracks between boulders. Usually, only Inner Disciples were given assignments like this.

'Stupid brat. Let's see if you can come back with any fragrant roots. If you fall and break your bones, it's not my problem,' he thought with satisfaction.

Tang Hao had no idea what he was up to. He shouldered the axe proudly and set off for South Hill.

---

A cold wind blew between the cliffs of South Hill. Every time Tang Hao took a step, small pebbles rolled down the slope. He walked along looking left and right, hoping to find the plant as soon as possible.

"Grandpa, what do fragrant roots look like? Do they look like chickens?"

Ouyang Jun floated beside him and rolled his eyes.

"Your head is full of nothing but chicken! Look over there."

He pointed at a cluster of plants growing in a crack in the rock.

"Those are fragrant roots. They're medicinal and quite valuable, but hard to extract. If you split the rock carelessly, the roots will be damaged and lose their value."

Tang Hao nodded firmly. He raised the axe high and swung it with all his strength.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the blade struck the stone. But the rock didn't even crack. Instead, a tingling shock shot through Tang Hao's arms all the way to his elbows.

"Ow! It's so hard!" He glared at the axe. "Ugly axe, you're useless!"

Tang Hao kicked the rock, then hopped around clutching his toes.

"Grandpa, the rock is naughty! It hit me back!"

Ouyang Jun roared with laughter until his translucent body shook. When he had finally had enough, he raised a hand.

"All right, stop complaining. Watch carefully!"

An ancient scripture appeared in his palm before floating into the air. Its pages gave off a faint glow that lit up Tang Hao's face.

"Wow! The book is glowing! So pretty!"

Tang Hao clapped his hands in delight.

"This is the Seven Universes Weapon Control Scripture," Ouyang Jun explained. "You don't need to understand all of it right now. Learn just a little, and it will be enough to help you break that rock."

He channeled spiritual energy into the scripture. Golden light flowed from its pages and touched Tang Hao's forehead.

Tang Hao closed his eyes. Less than ten breaths later, he opened them again.

Ouyang Jun immediately withdrew his spiritual energy and put the scripture away.

'A little is enough for now. If I give him too much, who knows what will happen to this kid's head.'

"All right, try again," he said. "Channel your Qi into the axe before you swing. Remember, don't be too forceful. You have to split the rock without damaging the roots."

"Yes, Grandpa!"

Tang Hao gripped the axe in both hands. Following Ouyang Jun's instructions, he tried to channel Qi into the rusty blade. Slowly, his palms grew warm.

He swung the axe.

Crack!

A fissure appeared across the surface of the rock.

Tang Hao's eyes went wide. "Wow! It worked!"

"Don't shout yet. Keep going!"

Tang Hao raised the axe again. This time, he controlled his strength more carefully before swinging a second time.

The rock split cleanly in two.

Between the two halves, the fragrant roots lay perfectly intact. Their pure white roots gave off a sharp, distinctive scent.

"I did it! Grandpa, look! I did it!"

Tang Hao jumped for joy. Then he crouched down and picked up the fragrant roots one by one. He even brushed off the dirt clinging to them before putting them in his basket.

Before long, the basket was full.

But his excitement soon caught the attention of several Inner Disciples who were also searching for fragrant roots nearby.

They exchanged glances, then walked over. Their leader was Yuan Cheng, an arrogant young noble who loved to bully disciples with no powerful backing. He had also been one of those laughing at Tang Hao when the boy tumbled down the stone steps not long ago.

Yuan Cheng glanced at Tang Hao's basket and sneered.

"You're pretty lucky, kid. Now hand that basket over to me!"

His friends burst out laughing.

Tang Hao hugged the basket tightly and backed away a few steps.

"No way! I worked hard to find these."

He turned to leave, but one of the disciples slipped in from behind and snatched the basket away.

"Give it back!" Tang Hao spun around. "It took me so long to find them!"

Yuan Cheng stepped forward to block his path.

"Sure. But before you go, crawl between my legs."

Tang Hao paused for a moment, then nodded as if he had only just understood the request.

"Oh, that's all? Okay!"

He even began to kneel.

Whack!

A staff suddenly smacked him on the head.

"You fool! Don't let yourself be bullied! Fight them!" Ouyang Jun scolded as he pulled the staff back.

Tang Hao rubbed his sore head. Then he stood up straight and repeated Ouyang Jun's words at the top of his lungs.

"You fool! Don't let yourself be bullied! Fight them!"

Yuan Cheng flew into a rage.

"How dare you humiliate me! You're just an Outer Disciple with no powerful backing. I could kill you, and no one would even bother investigating!"

He drew the sword at his waist. The steel blade gleamed in the sunlight.

Tang Hao tilted his head, then commented on the sword with perfect innocence.

"Your toy sword is ugly."

Yuan Cheng's face darkened. He charged without giving Tang Hao another chance to speak.

Tang Hao scrambled out of the way. His body twisted left and right as the sword slashed at him from every direction. The tip tore the sleeve and waist of his robe, and the wind from the blade whistled past his ear.

"Grandpa! They're mean! I'm scared!"

"Don't be scared! Your opponent is only at the third level of the Qi Gathering Stage!" Ouyang Jun shouted. "Grab your axe and channel your Qi into it!"

Tang Hao glanced at the axe lying near the rock. Unfortunately, it was too far to reach in the middle of Yuan Cheng's attacks.

That was when he saw a twig lying near his feet.

Tang Hao quickly picked it up and channeled Qi into it.

Ouyang Jun, who had been about to start scolding again, suddenly went silent.

'Has the weapon's spirit merged with his intent?'

He stared at Tang Hao, barely able to believe what he was seeing.

'He only learned a little of the scripture, and he's already reached that level? Is this kid a human or some kind of genius monster?'

Yuan Cheng raised his sword again and slashed down from above.

Tang Hao swung his little twig to block.

Clang!

A sharp metallic clang rang out among the rocks.

Everyone was stunned as Yuan Cheng's sword snapped in two. The broken blade fell to the ground, leaving Yuan Cheng standing rigid with only the hilt in his hand.

'Impossible! My treasured sword was broken by a twig?!'

Tang Hao opened his eyes and stared at the twig in his hand in surprise.

"Huh? Why did this twig suddenly get so strong?"

"Ask yourself!" Ouyang Jun replied, still not over his shock.

Before Yuan Cheng could react, Tang Hao swung the twig once more.

A wave of energy swept forward and hit Yuan Cheng and his friends all at once. Their bodies flew into the air before they crashed down and tumbled across the rocky ground.

"Ow!"

"Mercy!"

Dust billowed as Tang Hao ran over to them. Twig in hand, he set about punishing the disciples in his own way. Some got their bottoms swatted, some got flicked on the forehead, and some got poked in the stomach until they doubled over in pain.

None of them could fight back. All they could do was roll around, trying to protect themselves.

"Mercy! We surrender!" Yuan Cheng covered his head with both hands. "Please stop!"

Tang Hao finally stopped. He looked at them one by one, then smiled with satisfaction.

"Oh, you want to surrender?"

He raised his twig and repeated Yuan Cheng's words with an innocent face.

"You can leave, but only if you crawl between my legs!"

The Inner Disciples' faces went pale.

They looked at one another, hoping someone would dare to refuse. But with the twig in Tang Hao's hand, no one dared object.

Yuan Cheng swallowed. With trembling hands, he picked up the basket of fragrant roots and threw it back to Tang Hao.

"Here's your stuff. Now let us go."

Tang Hao caught the basket, then shook his head.

"No way. You told me to crawl. Now it's your turn!"

Yuan Cheng clenched his fists, but in the end he knelt down. His face burning red, he crawled between Tang Hao's legs. His friends followed one after another.

As soon as they were done, they scrambled to their feet and fled down the hill in a panic, not daring to look back.