Shi Jian (Feeling a Bit Guilty): Fortunately, I'm Acting Too!

Maoshan, Palace of Nine Heavens and Ten Thousand Blessings. "I can hand over the new thunder arts, but there are a few things I require..." Keeping part of his awareness focused on Liu Xiu, Shi Jian withdrew his gaze and addressed Heavenly Bright True Person, who was the sect leader and his Second Martial Uncle. "???" What on earth? This kid actually knows how to make demands now! Who led my little Shitou astray?! Outwardly, Heavenly Bright True Person's expression did not change in the slightest. Within his purple palace, however, the old face of his nascent soul twisted in utter shock, tugging fiercely at its beard while staring in disbelief at the once-dutiful Shi Jian. Heavenly Bright True Person was not the only one stunned. Everyone present was equally taken aback, including Perfected Tianning, who had always been close to Shi Jian. *How strange. Why has this boy's temperament changed so suddenly? Doesn't he want to be the next Maoshan sect leader anymore?* Perfected Tianning, who had come at Liu Xiu's request, was thoroughly perplexed. She knew full well that Shi Jian aspired to become Maoshan's next sect leader. She had even used that aspiration to get him to help her—or rather, to help the Maoshan Sect—with various tasks. Because Shi Jian wanted the sect leader's position, he had always agreed readily, consenting to almost anything that would enhance Maoshan's prestige and his contributions to the sect. Even when it meant taking a loss, Shi Jian would always agree. Yet now, he was taking the initiative to make demands. This wasn't like Shi Jian at all! Something was definitely wrong! Perfected Tianning's thoughts mirrored those of everyone in the hall. From Heavenly Bright True Person and the other elders of the sixty-eighth generation to Mamadi and the rest of the sixty-ninth generation who knew of Shi Jian's ambitions, every single one of them eyed Shi Jian with strange, suspicious looks. There was no other explanation: Shi Jian had changed! And he had changed in a rather suspicious way! Facing everyone's stares, Shi Jian's expression remained as calm as ever. In the past, he could afford not to fight for things, but he had changed his mind. The moment he saw Liu Xiu attain "Concentrating Qi into Softness, Can One Be Like an Infant?" upon breaking through into the realm of Refining Essence into Qi, he had resolved to alter his stance. Though he had not yet tested what supernatural abilities Liu Xiu possessed after achieving that state, it was already clear that Liu Xiu's potential far exceeded anything previously imagined! Compared to Shi Shaojian... forget it, no use dwelling on it. Thinking about it only annoyed him. Returning to the matter at hand, Shi Jian had originally come today intending to fight for a few things, but now, because of Liu Xiu, he wanted to fight for even more! "Could Eldest Senior Brother have been possessed?" Among the Maoshan disciples, Diyi Mao muttered under his breath while carving talismans onto an electric light bulb, earning a round of glares from everyone around him. "Heh heh..." Facing his fellow disciples' glares, Diyi Mao offered a sheepish grin—looking remarkably like a certain security captain facing his cousin-in-law—before lowering his head to focus on carving talismans onto the bulb. He didn't care whether he would receive the upcoming new thunder arts. While the new thunder arts were undeniably powerful, he preferred researching how to merge Daoist arts with modern scientific devices to prove that he was Maoshan's premier artifact refiner. Oh, by the way, it was worth mentioning that the current premier artifact refiner of Maoshan was his father, Diyi Zhang. He intended to replace his father as the number-one artifact refiner, and on top of that, he was going to defeat that dead fatty! No one paid any heed to Diyi Mao's musings. Those present cared far more about what demands the changed Shi Jian would make—and whether that stingy sect leader would agree! "Martial Nephew, rest assured. I, Heavenly Bright True Person, have never mistreated any child of Maoshan. Why don't you first bring out the Celestial Worthy of the Ninth Heaven Who Responds to the Origin and Universally Transforms with the Sound of Thunder's Primordial Magnetism Jade Pivot Precious Scripture bestowed by the Heavenly Worthy, so your Second Martial Uncle can take a look?" Heavenly Bright True Person spoke with a genial chuckle, while the old face of his nascent soul inside his purple palace muttered blankly, obsessing over who had corrupted his martial nephew. "Yes, Sect Leader Second Martial Uncle..." Shi Jian replied. He retrieved a book inscribed with the title *Celestial Worthy of the Ninth Heaven Who Responds to the Origin and Universally Transforms with the Sound of Thunder's Primordial Magnetism Jade Pivot Precious Scripture* from his storage bracelet. Before Heavenly Bright True Person could take it, Perfected Tianning darted forward, snatched the Jade Pivot Precious Scripture from Shi Jian's hand, and cast a look of utter disdain at Heavenly Bright True Person. "Second Senior Brother, don't you think you're being far too shameless?" "What do you mean by that?" Heavenly Bright True Person feigned astonishment. Perfected Tianning looked at her Second Senior Brother, who had grown even more shameless over the years, and said flatly, "You tell me." "What am I supposed to say?" "Settle the compensation first..." Perfected Tianning clutched the Jade Pivot Precious Scripture in her hand, staring speechlessly at Heavenly Bright True Person's increasingly unabashed greed. With Perfected Tianning and Heavenly Bright True Person suddenly at a standstill, the atmosphere inside the hall grew quiet. Just as the other Perfected of the Tian generation were about to speak, the light inside the hall abruptly plunged into pitch blackness. Or rather, because the brilliant, sunlit sky outside had suddenly turned dark, the Palace of Nine Heavens and Ten Thousand Blessings was plunged into darkness along with it. While everyone was caught in surprise and panic over the sudden darkness, a surge of emerald demonic qi burst into the Palace of Nine Heavens and Ten Thousand Blessings. With a sharp whoosh, it swept up the Jade Pivot Precious Scripture from Perfected Tianning's grasp and fled. The strike was so swift that no one present had time to react—not even Perfected Tianning herself. "You court death!" *You dare rob my disciple's things?!* Shi Jian's expression turned frigid. Blinding white lightning surged across his body and surroundings as twenty-four iron beads flew out from his cuffs in a flash. As the power of primordial magnetism erupted, twenty-four red and blue light tracks materialized beside him in the span of a finger-snap. In the very next instant— *Boom! Boom! Boom—* A succession of deafening blasts shook the Palace of Nine Heavens and Ten Thousand Blessings, tearing through the air and generating twenty-four white shockwaves of sonic booms. Formless gathering-and-dispersing divine ability—activate! Shi Jian transformed into lightning and vanished. From the moment he attacked to his disappearance, only a split second had elapsed. Mamadi and the others, their ears ringing from the aftershocks, stared blankly as they processed what had just happened. Only one thought crossed their minds: *Is that really our Eldest Senior Brother?* *Could he actually be Heavenly Bright True Person in disguise?* Instinctively, everyone turned toward Heavenly Bright True Person, only to discover that he and the other elders had vanished without a trace. Not only was Heavenly Bright True Person gone, but Mamadi also realized in dazed horror that the fellow disciples he had just been chatting with had turned into paper effigies. "???" Wait, where did everyone go? How did they suddenly disappear? What kind of ghost story was this? Could the grand hall of Maoshan be haunted?! Mamadi's eyes widened as he scanned the surroundings in terror. Diyi Mao glanced oddly at Mamadi, then at Tulong and the others. How strange. He suddenly felt insulted! Frowning, Diyi Mao tapped his heels together. Two roller wheels instantly popped out from the soles of his shoes, and with a swift glide, he shot out through the grand entrance. He looked ahead, then turned around. Where was the Palace of Nine Heavens and Ten Thousand Blessings? It was clearly a desolate expanse of barren land—a stretch of wilderness near the foot of Mount Maoshan. And on the ground lay a talisman paper slowly burning into ash! "Huh? A Shangqing Mysterious Imagery Illusory Form Hidden Landscape Precious Talisman? I get it, I get it. Martial Uncle Tianhei and the others are teaming up again to trick those demons and monsters. No wonder those senior brothers seemed so dull-witted. But why didn't they let me join in slaying demons? Oh well, it's better this way. I'll just go back to my research..." Diyi Mao ripped off his Daoist robe to reveal the white suit underneath. Without sparing a glance at Mamadi and the others calling after him, he stepped onto his roller shoes and glided up Mount Maoshan. Right now, all he wanted to do was conduct research! And defeat that dead fatty!! Meanwhile, a hundred li away! Upon an unnamed mountain swirling with demonic wind and towering devilish qi—underneath which faint traces of Daoist light and Buddhist luminescence were concealed—Shi Jian's face was cold as frost as he ended his formless gathering-and-dispersing divine ability and resumed his true form in a yin-yang fish Daoist robe. The moment his true form appeared, twenty-four red and blue light tracks manifested behind him. Terrifying primordial magnetic force surged wildly as another twenty-four iron beads flew from his sleeves, settling directly into the tracks. Under Shi Jian's control, the twenty-four divine abilities of primordial magnetism were aimed straight at a bird demon ten meters away, who possessed a human-like form but bore a bird's beak and held the *Celestial Worthy of the Ninth Heaven Who Responds to the Origin and Universally Transforms with the Sound of Thunder's Primordial Magnetism Jade Pivot Precious Scripture*. Shi Jian spoke icily, "Hand it over, or die!" "Amitabha. Heaven cherishes all living beings. Why must Fellow Daoist Shi yield to slaughter? This poor monk sees that this demon shares an affinity with our Buddha..." A smiling old monk holding a monk's staff descended from the sky, landing squarely between the bird demon and Shi Jian. However, upon seeing the dense white arcs of lightning crackling violently within three zhang of Shi Jian, the monk instinctively swallowed hard. Shi Jian wasted no words. "Step aside, or die." "Fellow Daoist Shi, aren't you being far too domi—" The old monk spoke with a grin. The moment he slammed his staff into the ground with his left hand, a golden hemispherical barrier suffused with Buddhist light and Sanskrit chanting expanded, enveloping him and the bird demon behind him. He had no other motive; he simply figured this new thunder art might well have been transmitted by some transformed Buddha, meaning it rightfully belonged to the Buddhist faith. *Boom! Boom! Boom—* There was no banter, only the white shockwaves of sonic booms stirred by the great divine ability of primordial magnetism, followed by one blinding white pillar of lightning after another tearing through the air and distorting space. The thunderous roars sounded like heaven's wrath. Blinding white lightning banished the dark sky, briefly turning the heavens pure white. When the white light faded, the smiling old monk was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was a staff melted down to half its size on the ground. As for the bird demon, it had been forcibly shielded by a patchwork of multicolored spiritual powers. By now, it had reverted to its true ostrich form, burying its head firmly into the dirt. Shi Jian didn't spare the bird demon a glance. He merely looked around at the various demons, ghosts, and monsters that had abruptly appeared in the sky and on the ground, along with a number of cultivators who concealed their true appearances. "Your new thunder arts may be formidable, but there are no fewer than ten thousand of us here! Do you really have that many iron beads? Minions, attack!" A shrouded devil wrapped in demonic qi sneered, waving its hand. Yet, its minions did not move immediately, which left the devil furious. Just as it was about to lash out, Shi Jian spoke. Everyone heard him ask in genuine bewilderment, "What on earth made you think I would lack iron beads?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Shi Jian made no physical movement, nor did any fluctuation of spiritual power radiate from his body. There was only the violent, sudden eruption of primordial magnetic force driven by the great divine ability. *Buzz! Buzz! Buzz—* The mountain shook, and rocks began to float. The terrifying primordial magnetic force plunged into the mountain beneath his feet at the speed of thought. In the span of a finger-snap, the mountain under Shi Jian's feet rumbled and shook incessantly, as if an earth dragon were turning over. Within a single breath, fissures cracked across the entire mountainside. As the cracks widened, streams of red molten liquid shot forth like fiery dragons. These streams were none other than the mountain's own iron ores, melted down in an instant. Witnessing this immortal-like display, the concealed cultivators paled in horror. "Has he attained immortality?!" "No, he hasn't reached immortality yet!" "Impossible! How could this not be an immortal's power?!" Shi Jian had indeed not yet attained immortality; this immortal-like display was merely achieved through the might of primordial magnetism. It seemed simple on the surface, but in reality, it was anything but. Shi Jian had first used primordial magnetism to trace the earthly leylines deep into the rock strata. Next, through primordial magnetism, he located the mountain's ore veins, penetrating the stone along the densest concentrations of metallic qi until he tapped directly into an iron vein. A single resonance of primordial magnetism agitated the metallic qi within the ore, first causing resistance and generating heat, which then radiated outward from the core. The ore began softening into slurry right from its very center! This was the true majesty of primordial magnetism—requiring neither charcoal nor a furnace cauldron, using magnetism to sense metal, channeling magnetism into heat, melting metal into liquid, and casting implements directly from the molten flow. *Indeed, one really ought to read more books, just like A-Xiu!* Shi Jian thought, recalling Liu Xiu's mention of magnetic field heating. Looking at the iron ore melted into molten iron purely by his primordial magnetic power, he silently resolved to take another trip to Pudong! Yes, he had to buy more books! *Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—* The fiery red dragons of molten iron fractured into countless droplets. Under Shi Jian's control, they condensed into spherical iron beads that scattered across the sky. None of the scattered iron beads fell to the ground; guided by his will, they hovered midair. Then, directly in front of each bead, a red and blue light track materialized in unison. Blinding white lightning surged once more, but this time, it did not merely wrap around Shi Jian—it enveloped the entire mountain beneath his feet. As the red and blue tracks formed, fresh streams of fiery molten iron continued to erupt from the fissures in the rock. "Go!" Shi Jian gave a low cry. Dense pillars of blinding white lightning turned the entire mountainside into a sea of pure white. When the glare finally subsided, the devil who had shouted earlier discovered that all of his minions were gone. Nor was he alone; every demon and monster who had brought subordinates saw that their retinues had vanished into thin air. *Thank heavens I hung back!* multiple minds thought in unison. Confronted by such terrifying power, heaven and earth fell dead silent. Just as the devil prepared to be the first to cast an escape art and flee, a voice suddenly rang out! "Looks like I didn't need to act... Ahem, sigh, why are they all nameless demons and small fry? Here I went through all the trouble of playing a black-hearted sect leader for half the day. What a loss, a total loss! If word gets out, how am I going to face anyone...?" The devil and the survivors who had hidden at the back instinctively looked up toward the voice. Filling their vision was an enormous old face that blotted out the sky—or rather, the face of Heavenly Bright True Person. "That's enough, there are plenty here. Don't forget our primary goal this time was to take this opportunity to purge these demonic cultivators who harbor dark ambitions!" Another voice sounded, immediately branding the cultivators lurking in the shadows of the mountain as demonic cultivators. Everyone turned to look again. Opposite Heavenly Bright True Person's giant face, another enormous face had appeared. It belonged to none other than the contemporary Celestial Master and sect leader of Mount Longhu. "Alright, let's make our move!" "Indeed, it is time to strike!" Two more voices echoed from the south and north of the sky, each accompanied by an enormous face. They were none other than the sect leader of Mount Gezao and the sect leader of the God Xiao Sect. The moment their words fell, the devil saw a dense swarm of Daoists from the Three Mountains and the God Xiao Sect swooping in from heaven and earth all around them. "Not good, it's a trap!" The devil's expression changed drastically. Those who had come intending to fish in troubled waters also paled, and all of them instinctively attempted to flee. Yet the moment their escape arts activated, Heavenly Bright True Person let out a sigh. "Alas, one fewer with every use. This is the very last one..." A talisman paper that blotted out the sky—shimmering with golden light yet so battered it looked ready to disintegrate at any moment—descended from the heavens. The fleeing devil cried out in terror, "The Shangqing Nine Corners Nether-Isolating Boundary Precious Talisman!" As an avatar of a certain Demon King from the Demon Realm, he knew very well that this talisman originated from the Shangqing Grand Cavern Forbidden Registers of Maoshan. It anchored itself to the nine corners of the earthly framework, borrowed the spiritual might of the four extremities, and channeled the Great Nether Nether-Severing True Qi, possessing the power to sever a domain of space entirely. In other words, he couldn't get out! Not unless the one who drew the talisman unsealed it personally! As for breaking it? What a joke! Not only did this talisman draw upon the power of the four extremities and nine corners, but it also commandeered the leyline power of a thousand li around them to form the isolating barrier. Destroying mortal leylines? Don't be ridiculous! The moment anyone dared damage them, Heaven itself would strike first! Whoever dared destroy a leyline, the Thunder Bureau would descend in full force! "Damn it, another trap!" The avatars of other old devils concealed among the crowd burned with fury, cursing Heavenly Bright True Person for being so utterly sinister and deceitful. Some even cursed aloud! Having stopped refining the iron ore, Shi Jian had no desire to speak. He merely watched in silent twitch-lipped exasperation as the Jade Pivot Precious Scripture beside the bird demon turned into a talisman. It was a Shangqing Mysterious Imagery Illusory Form Hidden Landscape Precious Talisman, which harnessed the power of all phenomena and the concealment of yin and yang, drawing upon the Great Void Formless Illusion True Qi to alter its own form and substance. Yes, his Sect Leader Second Martial Uncle's signature talisman! Rumor had it that in his youth, his Sect Leader Second Martial Uncle had used this very talisman to disguise himself as disciples of his own generation and ambush people with sacks over their heads. Watching Perfected Tianning and the other martial uncles slaughtering enemies in all directions, and noticing the apologetic glances cast his way by his peers, Shi Jian's eyelids twitched as he listened to Perfected Tianning's voice transmission. Well then, it turned out everyone was putting on a show! Shi Jian: (一`´一) For some reason, he suddenly felt that Maoshan didn't quite suit him. And his master's murderous intent toward his Sect Leader Second Martial Uncle was certainly not unfounded. "Kill!" *No matter. I was acting too...* Shi Jian sank his awareness into his storage bracelet and checked the Jade Pivot Precious Scripture resting safely inside, having never been handed over in the first place. He let out a quiet breath of relief. He had no choice; his Sect Leader Second Martial Uncle was far too sly and cunning, so he had to be on guard. Besides, he hadn't originally wanted to do this. However, his disciple Liu Xiu, the true inheritor of the Heavenly Worthy, had already prepared a fake Jade Pivot Precious Scripture, so he had simply played along. Furthermore, the moment he stepped into the grand hall, he had sensed through primordial magnetism that the people inside were a bunch of fakes. Combining that with past experience, he had decided to cooperate and put on a show. His thoughts settled, Shi Jian glanced somewhat guiltily at Perfected Tianning, musing that his performance had probably been decent enough, before swiftly setting his wandering thoughts aside. At the same time, he recalled ninety-nine percent of the iron beads he had re-formed, along with ninety-nine percent of his primordial magnetic force. After all, he didn't want to accidentally slaughter his own fellow sect members! No one knew what Shi Jian was thinking, least of all Heavenly Bright True Person far away at Yuanfu Wanning Palace on Mount Maoshan. Sitting on a stone stool, Heavenly Bright True Person was thoroughly incensed as he stared at the creatures cursing him on the mountain, reflected across the Yangping Subprefecture Geomantic Mysterious Board on the stone table. "Why are you demons and monsters only cursing me?! This wasn't even my idea alone! All three of them had a hand in it, so why are you only cursing me...?" "Yes, yes, quite right, we all had a hand in it. But shouldn't you return my chess pieces to me?" The contemporary Celestial Master and sect leader of Mount Longhu chuckled as he caught Heavenly Bright True Person's large hand stuffing pieces into his pocket. "I was just looking. Stingy old thing..." Heavenly Bright True Person muttered as he loosened his grip, letting several chess pieces clatter onto the board. The sect leaders of Mount Gezao and the God Xiao Sect twitched their mouths at the sight. They had no other complaints, only that this Heavenly Bright True Person remained as underhanded as ever—not changing one bit after all these years. "Heh heh..." The Mount Longhu sect leader chuckled, quietly counting the pieces before prying open Heavenly Bright True Person's covertly retreating left hand to take back the rest. Heavenly Bright True Person curled his lip and wiped his hands. Then, with an almost imperceptible twitch of his eyelid, he produced the Jade Pivot Precious Scripture and said, "Alright, let's talk about this. Hey, don't touch it! We haven't settled terms yet. But before we discuss this, I need an explanation!" *Damn it!* *Who led my martial nephew astray?!* *It's fake! It's actually fake! Curse it all!* *Wait... could Junior Sister have tricked me?* Heavenly Bright True Person cursed wildly in his heart as his mind raced. Outwardly composed, he looked toward the contemporary sect leader of the God Xiao Sect, who fell silent for a moment before saying helplessly, "Tianming, Junior Brother Zhiheng summoning the thunder truly was an accident. Our God Xiao Sect never had any intention of plotting against a disciple of the Maoshan Sect. Fellow Daoist Tianming, you must believe me. You know what kind of person I am..." "I believe you!" Heavenly Bright True Person cut in suddenly, catching the God Xiao Sect leader off guard after he had prepared an entire speech. Then, he watched as Heavenly Bright True Person swept his gaze over the crowd and added, "It's the rest of you I don't trust..." *** That same evening. In the woods near Four-Eyed Daoist's wooden hut. [Innate Talent: Concentrating Qi into Softness, Can One Be Like an Infant?] [Effect 1: Harmonized with the Dao] [Note: One who harmonizes with the Dao comprehends the creations of heaven and earth!] [Effect 2: Spontaneous Dharma] [Note: One whose Dharma arises spontaneously commands the primordial qi mechanisms!] [Effect 3: Firmly Guarded Qi] [Note: One whose qi is guarded locks in all original essence!] [Effect 4: Harmonious and Unharmed] [Note: One who is soft and harmonious sheds all malignant assaults!] [Effect 5: Cleansing the Mysterious Mirror] [Note: One with a clear mysterious mirror shatters inner demons and delusions!] [Effect 6: To Be Unlocked] "With my current strength... my price for an appearance should be at least eight silver dollars, fluctuating by about one silver dollar..." In the woods, Liu Xiu, who had been luring cicada nymphs, dismissed the golden light projected before his eyes. Of course, this didn't mean he was only two silver dollars away from matching his master Shi Jian's might. He simply meant that his cultivation attainment had grown again! His strength had improved once more! Although he didn't fully understand why his power had surged so dramatically after stepping into the realm of Refining Essence into Qi, he figured it had something to do with the innate qi of his original body. At the same time, it was also tied to what Shi Jian had once told him during his breakthrough: "Concentrating Qi into Softness, Can One Be Like an Infant?" The combination of these two factors had allowed him, by a stroke of luck, to rely on both the innate primordial qi he had brought over through transmigration and the original body's innate qi. He had managed to reverse into the innate state the moment he stepped into Refining Essence into Qi, shedding his mortal frame and undergoing a complete rebirth. At least, that was Liu Xiu's conjecture. As for whether it was truly the case, he planned to ask Shi Jian once his master finished his business. Having reviewed the advantages, it was time to address the disadvantage: his scent was far too fragrant now, and Miss Su kept sneaking kisses on him. This was not good at all! Just as he was thinking this, Liu Xiu looked speechlessly and helplessly at Miss Su, who had reappeared beneath the shade of the trees. After glancing left and right, he walked over. After a bout of intimacy that cost him a bit of yang qi, Liu Xiu split his catch of two large bags of cicada nymphs, handing one to Miss Su. "Here, take these back and fry them. They're delicious. By the way, do you know how to cook? Oh, you do? Looks like I underestimated you. When I look for you next time, remember to cook for me. I'll make you some noodles down... wait, not *down there*..." After another bout of sweet-talking, Liu Xiu bid Miss Su farewell early. After all, once he finished dinner, he and Shi Shaojian would have to escort Four-Eyed Daoist on a corpse-driving journey. "Alright, go on back, lest that old fellow takes offense to me again..." Liu Xiu waved to Miss Su as he walked toward the wooden hut. As he spoke, he casually plucked off a dozen freshly attracted cicada nymphs from his clothes. Just as he was pondering whether the aura-concealing technique taught by Perfected Tianning could hide his irresistible scent, Shi Shaojian's voice sounded from nearby. "Junior Brother, I still don't understand..." Shi Shaojian's tone was full of incomprehension, his face visibly aching with sympathy. Liu Xiu stuffed the cicada nymphs into a head-sized bag at his waist and said, "Hey, Senior Brother, how come you only caught this many?" Liu Xiu lifted the head-sized bag at his waist to show Shi Shaojian, chuckling as he glanced at the fist-sized bag hanging at Shi Shaojian's hip. "..." Honestly, I shouldn't have stood up for you! And I definitely shouldn't have felt sorry for you! Shi Shaojian stared at Liu Xiu with a dark expression, then said flatly, "Right, let's head back. Oh, give me the cicada nymphs. And remember, this bag is the one you caught, and these are the ones I caught!" Shi Shaojian handed his fist-sized bag to Liu Xiu, snatched the bag from Liu Xiu's waist, inspected it, and walked toward the wooden hut with a look of smug satisfaction. "..." *He still hasn't been zapped enough!* Liu Xiu curled his lip and followed after him...