Chapter 29

"Leave the academy?!"

Hu Tian was suddenly startled, his pupils constricting violently, his face changing again and again.

Although he came from the countryside and acted immaturely, he knew the weight of the four words "leaving the sect."

In this world where martial arts are respected and the teacher-student relationship is strict, betraying one's sect leads to being despised by others at best, and being shunned by fellow practitioners at worst.

Anywhere, it was considered a rebellious act.

He subconsciously wanted to shake his head and refuse, but the moment he thought about how he had already offended Liu Yiyi and Su Yan, and how he lived in constant fear and anxiety within the academy...

A flash of conflict crossed Hu Tian's eyes, and he lowered his voice: "Zhang Zhang Shixiong Hu Hu Shidi Zhang Xu, this... this wouldn't be appropriate, would it..."

Seeing the struggle on Hu Tian's face, Zhang Xu knew there was room for maneuver.

"What's inappropriate about it?"

Zhang Xu forced himself to hold his breath, his voice hoarse and sinister, yet every word was like a poisoned nail, slowly chiseling into the cracks in Hu Tian's heart.

"My feud with the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy is already a dead knot; no need to mention it."

"Just look at how you're treated in the academy."

"Do you know what kind of preferential treatment a martial artist with your talent would receive at other martial arts halls?"

Hu Tian was slightly stunned and subconsciously shook his head: "Not really."

Zhang Xu endured his pain and pulled out a cold sneer:

"If it were at another martial arts hall, a disciple with your talent would have long been taken in as a closed-door disciple by the Master. Not to mention free tuition, there would be a constant supply of various pills, and your status and position would be completely different!"

He paused, his gaze sticking to Hu Tian's face like a spiderweb.

"And you? Have you ever received any preferential treatment at the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy?"

Hearing this, Hu Tian's expression changed abruptly.

He thought of how, when he first mastered his fist technique, Liu Qingshi had rewarded him with a bottle of Blood-Replenishing Pills; he had thought that was a special favor unique to him.

As it turned out, that Shi Lei with mid-to-low-tier talent had also received a bottle of Blood-Replenishing Pills when he mastered his fist technique.

Thinking about it this way, he, a genius with top-tier talent, had indeed received no preferential treatment in the academy.

A look of dissatisfaction couldn't help but appear on Hu Tian's face.

An emotion he had never felt before rose silently from the bottom of Hu Tian's heart like an underground current, washing away the reverence and gratitude that were already not very firm.

Zhang Xu took in the trace of dissatisfaction on Hu Tian's face.

He didn't press further, but instead leaned back weakly against his pillow, his voice softening a bit, carrying the exhaustion and heart-to-heart sincerity of an older brother:

"Hu Hu Shidi Hu Tian, I'm not asking you to be ungrateful. I just... feel it's not worth it for you."

He coughed lightly twice, and the bandages on his chest seeped with new red spots, a shocking sight.

Hu Tian felt his heart tighten, and he subconsciously moved half a step forward.

Zhang Xu continued, speaking softly:

"You know the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, right? My father has some friendship with the Master of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall. If you are willing to leave the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy and join the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, I guarantee the treatment you receive will be better, not worse, than at the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy!"

"Jiquan Martial Arts Hall?!" Hu Tian's eyes lit up.

After practicing his fists at the academy for so many days, he was no longer the ignorant country boy who knew nothing.

He also knew that in Anxi County, the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall was the strongest and most famous.

You have to know that the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall had two Transformation of Force martial artists.

If he could be introduced by Zhang Xu to join the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, his future would indeed be brighter than staying at the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy.

Zhang Xu added more fuel to the fire: "Hu Hu Shidi Hu, I treat you as my own brother. If you join the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, besides the rewards from the hall, my Zhang family will also allocate a portion of cultivation resources to you!"

Hearing this, Hu Tian could no longer resist the temptation and nodded heavily: "Zhang Zhang Shixiong Hu Hu Shidi Zhang, I'll listen to you!"

Seeing this scene, Zhang Xu, who was sprawled on the bed, finally revealed a creepy smile.

He was already in a life-or-death situation with the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy.

Luring away a talented seedling like Hu Tian would not only weaken the strength of the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy but also increase his own strength.

It was simply a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.

"Qingshi Martial Arts Academy, Su family, I will absolutely not spare you!"

Hatred surged in Zhang Xu's eyes.

Clearly, that night, Liu Yiyi and Su Yan were already fat meat in his mouth, but all his hopes had been shattered by a single punch from that white-haired old man.

He naturally assumed that the white-haired old man was a bodyguard secretly assigned to Su Yan by the Su family.

Therefore, his goal from then on was to destroy the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy and the Su family at any cost.

The next morning.

To Jiang Ye's surprise, the first person to arrive at the academy today was actually Hu Tian.

"Could it be that after breaking through to the Bright Force Realm yesterday, he wants to practice his fists diligently?"

Jiang Ye lifted his eyelids slightly, looking at Hu Tian, who was jogging over from not far away, a flash of strangeness crossing his aged eyes.

He saw that the other's face was filled with three parts anxiety, three parts struggle, and a few parts determination.

Hu Tian clearly had no intention of greeting Jiang Ye; his pace today seemed exceptionally fast, and he crossed the academy gate in a few steps.

In fact, he had come to the academy early this morning to take advantage of the time before other disciples arrived and the academy was empty to make it clear to Liu Qingshi that he wanted to leave the academy.

However, for some reason, the moment he walked into the inner academy, the determination and courage he had built up yesterday seemed to fade away.

For a moment, he didn't dare to speak.

Just like that, he dawdled until the afternoon, when he finally gathered his courage and arrived at the door of Liu Qingshi's study.

"Come in."

A deep voice came from inside the room, and Hu Tian took a deep breath and walked inside.

"Hmm? Hu Tian, do you have any difficulties with your fist technique that you want to ask about?"

Seeing the person who entered, Liu Qingshi raised his head slightly and asked in a deep voice.

"Master Liu... I... I..."

Looking directly into Liu Qingshi's gaze, Hu Tian felt his heart tremble and almost wanted to flee.

However, thinking of his bright future after joining the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall and Zhang Xu's friendship, Hu Tian bit the bullet and spoke: "I want to leave the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy..."

After saying this, he immediately lowered his head, not daring to look into Liu Qingshi's eyes again, while his body couldn't help but tremble, fearing that a furious Liu Qingshi would punch him.

He had heard rumors that in other academies, disciples who wanted to leave the sect for no reason were beaten into cripples by their masters...

After his voice fell, the room was silent for a moment.

Liu Qingshi was not as furious as he had imagined.

He looked at the young man before him, his gaze not sharp, and it couldn't even be called disappointed.

"Why do you want to leave the academy? Can you give me a reason?"

Liu Qingshi looked at Hu Tian with a deep gaze.

"I... I feel that this place might not be very suitable for me..."

Hu Tian swallowed hard and said the excuse he had long since prepared.

"Is that so?"

Liu Qingshi shook his head noncommittally and asked again: "Have you really thought it through? You want to leave the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy?"

He could guess that Hu Tian's sudden proposal to leave the academy must have something to do with Zhang Xu.

To be honest, he naturally didn't want a good seedling like Hu Tian to leave.

However, if the other party really wanted to go and their heart wasn't here, he wouldn't force them to stay.

"I... I..."

Hu Tian swallowed again, his voice trembling as he spoke: "I've thought it through..."

Just then—

A disciple's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Hu Tian, your sister has brought you something to eat."