Chapter 64: Taking on a Disciple

“You bastard!” Li Xin shouted furiously at Yang Fan when she saw that no so-called vengeful spirit had appeared. She had been scared out of her wits earlier—if Yang Fan hadn’t shown up in time, she would certainly have been drained dry. Now, at last, she believed that vengeful spirits truly did exist in this world.

“Do you believe in them now?” Yang Fan said with a touch of sarcasm.

Seeing that infuriating look on Yang Fan’s face, Li Xin wanted nothing more than to punch him, but thought better of it.

“The spirit has already been destroyed by me. No one else will be killed. You can rest easy and go back now,” Yang Fan said, leaving those words with Li Xin before returning to his own dorm.

Watching his retreating figure, Li Xin’s eyes were full of curiosity: “Could he be one of those exorcists from the movies?”

The more she thought about Yang Fan’s methods, the more convinced she became.

No one—neither teachers nor students—at the school could sleep that night, and only with the dawn did they finally feel safe. As for what had transpired the night before, everyone could only speculate in their hearts, not knowing the true story.

When Li Xin reported back, her superiors suppressed the incident, claiming the killer was a deranged criminal. If word spread that it had been a vengeful spirit, it would surely cause widespread panic among the citizens.

After filling in the tunnel beneath the dormitory, Yang Fan resigned to Zhao Yi. Since his goal had been achieved, it was time for him to leave the prestigious high school.

He walked through the bustling streets of River City, heading for the train station. As he passed an alleyway, he noticed five boys in school uniforms beating up another boy.

The five students were around sixteen or seventeen years old. Two of them had dyed hair and cigarettes dangling from their lips. As for the boy pinned to the ground, his face was twisted with anger, his clothes torn, his body covered in bruises.

The five assailants hurled vile insults at him while raining blows and kicks down, never holding back—aiming for his head and chest with each strike. The boy beneath them endured in silence, his eyes brimming with hatred.

“Damn it, if you dare lay a hand on my girl again, I’ll cripple you next time!”

“Yeah, you’ve got guts, touching Zhang Hao’s girlfriend!”

“Your slutty sister deserves a beating—next time we’ll strip her bare!”

They continued to curse and kick the boy on the ground.

After beating him nearly senseless, the five students swaggered away, leaving the battered boy lying prone on the pavement. As he watched their backs, hatred welled up in his eyes; he clenched his fists tightly.

“Do you want to become stronger?”

Yang Fan stepped in front of the boy, gazing down at him.

Seeing someone suddenly appear, the boy looked up in confusion, wary of this stranger’s intentions.

“Who are you?” Zhou Tong asked, still sitting on the ground, his gaze fixed on Yang Fan.

“Answer me—do you want to become strong?” Yang Fan pressed, staring intently at Zhou Tong.

Yang Fan had come looking for Zhou Tong with the intention of taking him on as a disciple. Earlier, as he watched, he had noticed a strange green light flicker in Zhou Tong’s enraged eyes—a detail that quickly vanished but did not escape Yang Fan’s notice.

Zhou Tong stared warily at the stranger before him.

“Of course I want to be strong—strong enough for revenge,” Zhou Tong said.

“If revenge is what you want, that’s enough. As long as you acknowledge me as your master, I can give you great power. No one will dare bully you then.” Yang Fan’s gaze was fixed on Zhou Tong, his tone full of confidence.

Zhou Tong did not answer immediately. He looked at Yang Fan, suspicion in his eyes. “Why should I believe you?”

“How do you want me to prove it?” Yang Fan replied calmly.

“Unless you show me something extraordinary,” Zhou Tong challenged.

Yang Fan smiled, glanced around, and pointed to a stone some six meters away. “I can shatter that rock from here.”

Zhou Tong looked at the rock in the distance—about the size of a fist and quite hard. He doubted Yang Fan could actually break it at a distance.

Yang Fan gathered his spiritual energy, a sharp aura emanating from him as he focused power into his right palm. He pointed at the stone, and it immediately split into pieces.

Seeing this, Zhou Tong’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Then, Yang Fan suddenly struck the ground with his palm. A burst of force shot from his hand, blasting a hole in the earth.

Staring at the pit in the ground, Zhou Tong drew a sharp breath.

“I am willing to become your disciple!” Zhou Tong did not hesitate; he dropped to his knees and kowtowed to Yang Fan.

Looking at Zhou Tong, Yang Fan’s expression grew solemn. “Remember, should you betray me after taking me as your master, there is only one fate—death.”

“I understand,” Zhou Tong replied quickly with a nod.

“Now that you are my disciple, I will teach you a cultivation technique. Practice as instructed, and you will grow stronger day by day,” Yang Fan said. “Remember, never pass this technique to anyone else. If you do, it will be treated as betrayal.”

“I understand, Master,” Zhou Tong responded promptly.

Yang Fan studied Zhou Tong carefully, satisfied to see the determination in his eyes. He felt a surge of happiness within—he had found a worthy disciple.

In fact, the reason Zhou Tong’s eyes could flash with green light was because he possessed a demon’s eye—a rare spiritual trait. If fully awakened, it would grant him a powerful supernatural ability, a trump card in any future conflict. If other cultivators discovered someone like him, they would fight to take him as a disciple. If they couldn’t, they’d rather destroy him than let someone else have him.

“What grudge do you have with those who beat you just now?” Yang Fan asked.

“They’re seniors from River City Second High, led by Zhang Hao—a notorious thug at school, rumored to be involved with the local underworld,” Zhou Tong replied bitterly. “His girlfriend beat up my sister, so I retaliated against her, and he brought his gang to attack me.”

As he spoke, Zhou Tong’s fists trembled with suppressed rage. His sister, beautiful and envied, had been assaulted by Zhang Hao’s girlfriend.

“My sister and I don’t even dare return to school now,” Zhou Tong said angrily, his heart full of indignation. He swore to himself that once he grew strong, he would go back and avenge himself and his sister, making those who bullied them pay the price.

“Tomorrow, take your sister back to school. Don’t be afraid of them. I’ll go with you and handle everything,” Yang Fan said. He did not want Zhou Tong to miss his studies.

“Alright,” Zhou Tong agreed. With Yang Fan by his side, he no longer feared Zhang Hao and his gang.

“I’ll be staying in River City for a while to supervise your training,” Yang Fan added.

Zhou Tong’s heart surged with excitement. With Yang Fan’s guidance, his cultivation would progress far more smoothly.

After the two left, Yang Fan checked into a hotel near Zhou Tong’s home so he could be on hand if his disciple encountered any problems in his practice.