IPW Chapter 4: Kicking up a fuss

 Li Cheng glanced at the nearby spiritual beast shop, then looked at Sima Youyue disdainfully. 

Seemingly mocking him* he sneered, “Sima Youyue, how thick-skinned can you be? Do you actually think that buying a spiritual beast as a gift for Murong An will make him treat you better? Keep dreaming! Do you even know who you are? You are a worthless trash! And yet, you dare to have delusions about being with the number one young master? Trash like you should just end your life to apologize to the world! You’re nothing but a waste of food resources! If I were you, I would’ve ended my life long ago!” 

“Are you done talking?” Sima Youyue looked at Li Cheng coldly. “Last time, when you and the others ganged up on me, you were the one who kicked me the most, weren’t you? Looks like today’s your unlucky day!”

 “Hahaha!” Li Cheng burst into laughter, amused by Sima Youyue’s words. “Are you saying you want to settle the score with me? Hahaha, did I hear that right? You, a useless piece of trash want to fight me? Okay! Since I failed to kill you off last time then I’ll take care of you today and save us men from further embarrassment!” 

With that, Li Cheng began gathering spiritual energy and condensed it into a ball of red light in his hand. 

Although the street Sima Youyue had just walked through was bustling, the alley he had turned into was eerily quiet. Not a single person was around. Killing him here would leave no witnesses, so Li Cheng didn’t hesitate to make a fatal strike. 

He had long been disgusted with this disgraceful waste of space. How could someone like him, a disgrace to all men, hold such a noble status? The world was simply too unfair! 

Seeing the energy ball gathering in Li Cheng’s hand, Sima Youyue recognized it as a condensed ball of spirit energy; this is a spirit master’s power. Though low in rank and not particularly strong, it was still beyond what his physical body could withstand. Without waiting for the energy to condense fully, he quickly attacked, forming a blade with his right hand and slashing toward Li Cheng’s neck. 

Li Cheng hadn’t expected Sima Youyue to react this way. Instead of dodging in fear, he was charging straight at him! His movements were swift like a cunning rabbit, and before he knew it, Sima Youyue was already upon him. The force of his palm strike created a gust of wind that sent a chilling sensation through him. 

Just as he was about to strike him, Li Cheng flung the half-formed red energy ball at Sima Youyue and quickly retreated a few steps to avoid his attack. 

Though the energy ball was incomplete, it still harnessed immense destructive power, feeling the energy radiating from it, Sima Youyue knew he couldn’t take it head-on. He dodged to the right, but the speed of the orb was too fast. Though he had avoided a direct hit, its residual force burned his left arm. 

“Boom!” The energy ball struck the ground and disappeared leaving behind a small crater that showed its destructive power. Sima Youyue looked at the impact site, his heart pounding at the sheer force of the spiritual energy. Even though he had been formidable in his past life, this power was on a completely different level! 

More importantly, it was a power drawn from within the human body! 

“Hiss…” 

The pain in his arm pulled him back from his thoughts. Looking down, he saw that even though the energy ball had only grazed his, his clothes were scorched, and his entire arm was burned. 

“Hahaha, now do you see how powerful I am?” Li Cheng sneered, feeling triumphant that his spiritual energy had shaken Sima Youyue. “This kind of power is something a waste like you will never have! How about I send you on your way? Maybe in your next life, you’ll be able to cultivate!”

Seeing Li Cheng preparing to attack again, Sima Youyue refused to give him another chance. Ignoring the pain in his arm, he dashed forward. Having learned from the previous exchange, he wouldn’t let him gather energy this time! 

Li Cheng was shocked to see him moving even faster than before despite his injury. He had barely begun forming his spiritual energy when Sima Youyue was already upon him. Without hesitation, he kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying. Li Cheng crashed heavily onto the ground. 

“Pfft—” A mouthful of blood spurted from Li Cheng’s mouth. Staring at the bloodstains on the ground, he was dumbfounded. He had actually been injured by a so-called useless person?! “You… how dare you hit me?! Cough, cough—” 

Sima Youyue said nothing. Before he could get up, he stepped forward and kicked him again, sending him sprawling onto the ground once more. 

A spirit master’s strength lay in their ability to harness energy, but their physical bodies weren’t necessarily superior. After taking two direct kicks from Sima Youyue, Li Cheng was in so much pain that he couldn’t even crawl; he stayed there lying on the ground groaning. 

Sima Youyue approached him and sneered. “Didn’t you enjoy kicking me? How does it feel to be on the receiving end?”

In his past life, he had been intimately familiar with the human body’s weak points. He knew exactly where to strike for maximum pain. Raising his foot again, he delivered another ruthless kick. 

“You b*tch! When I recover, I swear I’ll kill you!” The intense pain drove Li Cheng into a rage, making him curse uncontrollably. 

“Oh? Thanks for the reminder. Leaving loose ends means trouble later, doesn’t it? Should I just eliminate the problem?” 

Sima Youyue kicked him a few more times, just as he had once done to her(refers to the predecessor) former self. He didn’t stop until Li Cheng passed out. 

Recalling his threat of revenge, he smirked. Though he wasn’t afraid of him, he didn’t want unnecessary trouble. Hadn’t he kept calling him trash? Well, he’d let him experience what that really meant! 

Spotting a stone near the wall, his lips curled into a sinister smile. 

“You may have been just a lackey, but you tried to kill her, so I can’t let you go. Since you despise useless people so much, why don’t I grant you that fate? No need to thank me—I’m very kind like that!” 

“AHHHH—” A blood-curdling scream echoed through the alley, making Sima Youyue squint slightly. 

Tossing aside the now-bloody stone, he dusted off his hands. “You took her life, so I destroyed your meridians. Consider it payback. When you wake up, enjoy being called trash for the rest of your life! Hiss… this really hurts…” 

With that, he clutched his injured arm and walked out of the alley, he was heading toward the general’s mansion as if nothing had happened. 

Moments after he left, two figures emerged from the alley’s shadows. One was a man in regal purple robes, with an otherworldly charm and an elegant yet indifferent expression. However, a flicker of interest shone in his eyes. 

The other had fiery red hair and clothes resembling burning flames—clearly inhuman. 

It was a shape-shifted beast! 

“I never expected to see such an interesting scene while passing by. A girl without spiritual power crippled a spirit master! Ruthless, yet precise!” The red-haired man Fire Qilin, marveled in admiration. 

Wu Lingyu glanced at the unconscious Li Cheng, recalling how the girl had mercilessly destroyed him without hesitation. A wicked smile played on his lips. “Indeed, she’s quite impressive.” 

Though she wore a disguise ring to conceal her gender, it was useless before them. They could tell at a glance that she was a woman. 

“Master, you are the Holy Son of the Sacred Sage Pavilion. Please don’t make that kind of expression!” Fire Qilin reminded him upon seeing the uncanny resemblance between Wu Lingyu’s smirk and the one Sima Youyue had shown earlier. 

Wu Lingyu shot Fire Qilin a glance before regaining his usual saintly demeanour. Then, the two vanished from the alley, as if they had never been there. 

 

 

*him- Sima Youyue was referred to as she previously to emphasize that she is a girl/woman. However, in the eyes of the “general” public, she is a guy. Hence, she will from now on be referred to as he except in special circumstances.