Liu Yu's POV
I sat deep in thought, contemplating what to do about Zhang Taixo.
After a while, I decided to ask Cheng for suggestions. I grabbed his medication, a cup of water, and a bowl of soup to bring to his room.
As I entered, I froze.
There he was—standing upright, throwing punches into the air. Each strike generated a gust of wind strong enough to ripple through the room.
Shock flooded my mind.
How is he standing? Wasn't he badly injured? Was he faking it? Am I hallucinating? Is this a dream?
He turned to face me, and my grip faltered—I almost dropped the bowl.
"H… how are you standing?" I finally managed to ask.
Liu Cheng's POV
After finishing my cultivation, I wanted to test my strength.
I stood up and threw a punch into the air. The sheer force shook the surroundings, sending out a powerful burst of wind.
I felt someone nearby.
Turning quickly, I saw my sister standing at the door, clutching a bowl, a cup, and some medication. Her expression was frozen in shock.
"H… how are you standing?" she asked, eyes wide.
I had already prepared an excuse. Taking out a Senzu bean, I told her I had used it to heal myself.
She eyed me suspiciously. "Where did you get such an expensive bean?"
"A man challenged me to a game," I said smoothly. "If I beat him, he promised me ten of them. Luckily for me, I won."
Liu Yu still looked skeptical. "But how did you get this strong? Before, you had no cultivation at all. Now, the aura you're exuding feels like someone at Fighter 1-dan pinnacle—or even higher."
She set the bowl and cup on the side table, studying me.
I quickly came up with another excuse. "After winning, he proposed a rematch, saying that if I won again, he'd give me 1,000 buns. I couldn't pass up the offer, and—luckily—I won."
(The real reason, of course, was the system. But it had explicitly told me not to reveal its existence.)
Liu Yu sighed and finally let go of her doubts. Instead, she asked about our next move against Taixo.
"I have a plan," I said. "You said he's waiting for you at the cemetery, right?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
I leaned in, whispering my plan into her ear.
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
The Cemetery – Zhang Taixo's POV
Zhang Taixo sat impatiently at the city cemetery's gate, tapping his foot.
"What's taking her so long?" he muttered.
"Maybe she's changing into something nice, so she looks her best for you, boss," one of his thugs snickered.
"Or maybe she's wrapping up her dead brother for burial," the other thug giggled.
Taixo's face darkened.
"Did I ask for an opinion?" he snapped.
"S-Sorry, boss," they stammered in unison.
Just then, Liu Yu arrived.
She approached with a wrapped body in her arms, looking frail and teary-eyed.
"What took you so long?" Taixo asked impatiently.
"Sorry… I was wrapping my brother," she sniffled, eyes red.
She held out the wrapped body.
"Please… Can you bury him for me?" she pleaded.
Taixo smirked. "Of course, dear."
He took the body, entered the cemetery, and buried it.
When he returned, he grabbed Liu Yu's hand, leading her toward his horse.
He climbed up.
"What are you two waiting for?" he barked at his men.
"Sorry, boss!" they scrambled to follow.
Revenge from Beyond
Four hours into their journey, a figure appeared on the path ahead.
He looked half-dead, skin pale, resembling a walking corpse.
Liu Cheng grinned wickedly, eyes gleaming with a ghostly light.
"Remember me? HAHAHAHAHA!" His chilling laughter echoed through the night.
Zhang Taixo's blood ran cold.
"L… Liu Cheng? But—I just buried you!" he gasped.
He could still vividly recall lowering that wrapped body into the grave.
So… how could he be standing here now?
"I returned from the dead to take my revenge," Liu Cheng growled. "This is the end for you. Though… I'll try my best not to kill you."
Taixo felt his throat tighten with fear.
He whipped his head around.
His thugs—gone.
"Looking for these?" Liu Cheng smirked, holding both men by the hair, their unconscious bodies dangling like ragdolls.
Zhang Taixo felt it then—a terrifying killing intent radiating from Liu Cheng.
Swish!
In a blink, Liu Cheng was in front of him.
He seized Taixo by the neck, lifting him effortlessly into the air.
"I changed my mind." His voice dripped malice.
"I'm going to devour you."
Liu Cheng's mouth opened wide, his expression feral—almost monster-like.
"STOP!" Liu Yu shouted.
"Brother, please don't kill him!"
Liu Cheng paused, eyes flickering.
"Fine," he sighed, dropping Taixo to the ground.
"But that doesn't mean… I'm letting him off easy."
A Broken Man
Five minutes later, Zhang Taixo lay beaten senseless, barely recognizable.
He groaned weakly, his swollen face unrecognizable.
Liu Cheng exhaled sharply, satisfied.
"My work here is done."
He turned to Liu Yu.
"Come on, let's go."
"Okay… but did you really have to beat him that badly?" she frowned.
Liu Cheng chuckled.
"Did you say that when his thugs beat me nearly to death?"
"Well… no…"
"Exactly."