Shi Kai looked on in astonishment.
His master clapped his hands and said, "This is nothing. In the future, you'll even learn to split rocks with your bare hands. That's one of my signature techniques."
Still shaken, Shi Kai nodded, making up his mind to learn well from his master no matter what.
"All right, don't just stand there. The meat's done roasting—let's go inside and eat," his master said warmly.
Every day, Shi Kai dined with his master on the blood and flesh of strange and rare beasts. His body grew stronger and stronger, his spirit more vigorous with each passing day.
To outsiders, the meat of these exotic creatures was a priceless delicacy. But to Shi Kai and his master, it was nothing more than a way to fill their stomachs.
Late at night, Shi Kai was sleeping soundly when he suddenly felt his body plummeting downward—falling fast, like into an endless abyss. Startled, he woke with a jolt.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself hanging upside down from the branch of a tall tree, his hands and feet bound tight. Panic surged through him, and he cried out for help.
At that moment, his master's voice came from above: "Stop shouting. Save your strength."
Hearing his master, Shi Kai relaxed a little and asked, "Master, why are you hanging me upside down? You know I'm afraid of heights."
"Being afraid of heights is good—soon you'll come to like it." Lying on a branch with a wine jug in hand, his master spoke lazily, "Under the bright moon, one must drink for joy. Ha ha!"
Blood was rushing to Shi Kai's head, and he grew more and more confused about what his master was planning. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the jungle. His nerves tensed instantly. Something's coming this way, he thought.
Dangling from the tree, Shi Kai struggled desperately. A wave of dread washed over him.
The sound came closer and closer, and he thrashed all the harder.
"Don't bother struggling. Those ropes are made from wild buffalo sinew—save your strength. The real show's about to begin. Hahaha!" his master roared with laughter. "Life is short—enjoy it to the fullest, and never let the golden goblet face the moon in vain."
Hearing that laugh, Shi Kai felt the hairs on his scalp stand on end. The sense of impending danger only grew stronger.
The sounds in the jungle gradually quieted. In the dim moonlight, Shi Kai peered into the distance. Suddenly, a pack of wolves emerged from the shadows. His face went pale. "Master, there are so many wolves! What should I do?"
"Figure it out yourself. Don't ruin my drinking mood. Oh, I almost forgot to mention—when wolves leap, they can just about bite your head. If you don't dodge, you'll be their dinner. This is the best way to train your waist strength and reaction speed." With that, his master went back to drinking and admiring the moon.
Those words snapped Shi Kai to his senses. Realizing this was deliberate training, he calmed himself and waited for the wolves to strike.
The pack, seeing prey before them, lunged madly. With a surge of waist strength, Shi Kai bent backward, narrowly avoiding the lead wolf's snap.
Then came the next attack, and the next. Wolves leapt one after another, forcing cold sweat down Shi Kai's back as he twisted and dodged for his life. This was no game—if he was too slow even once, there'd be nothing left of him.
But since his body's transformation, his reactions had indeed grown much faster. He could clearly see the direction of every wolf's leap.
Frustrated at missing such an easy kill, the wolves went wild, hurling themselves at him again and again.
By the time dawn neared, Shi Kai was still locked in a deadly dance with them.
Both sides were clearly exhausted. The wolves' leaps no longer reached the height they had at the start.
Shi Kai, drenched in a mix of sweat and melting snow, held on bitterly. If he hadn't spent a month soaking in medicinal barrels, he'd have died long ago—there was no way he could have lasted this long.
As light spread across the sky, the wolves gave low, reluctant growls, then turned and vanished into the forest.
Stretching with a yawn, his master said, "Ah, what a good sleep. Still alive, brat?"
Shi Kai cursed loudly. "I'm out here fighting for my life, and you're sleeping up there? Master, you're truly ruthless! Tormenting me all night—now hurry up and let me down!"
His master leapt from the tree, looked him over, and said, "Not bad. Still alive. Looks like I'll have to increase your training."
Before Shi Kai could reply, the ropes went slack. His body dropped heavily to the ground, and pain shot from his neck down to his waist. He couldn't even muster the strength to stand.
Laughing heartily at the sight, his master slung Shi Kai over his shoulder. With a few effortless leaps, he vanished into the thick morning mist.
After a whole night's struggle against the wolf pack, Shi Kai was utterly drained. His master tossed him onto his bed, his muscles so stiff he could barely turn over. Inwardly, he cursed his master's inhumanity—how could he put him through this? But before he could think too much, he fell asleep.
When he woke, it was already noon. His entire body still ached as if it had been torn apart. Climbing out of bed, he grabbed the beast meat his master had left for him and devoured it.
After eating, he idly stretched his sore muscles while waiting for his master to return. But as he moved, the image of his master's half-smiling, half-mocking face flashed in his mind, and a chill ran down his spine. A thought surfaced: Did he ever tell me I could rest?
The moment that thought hit him, Shi Kai bolted outside, grabbed an axe, and began furiously chopping at a tree. He had been traumatized by his master's flying drops of wine—though they didn't hurt much, each time they hit his head, he feared one day they might make him an idiot.
Every movement Shi Kai made was already under his master's watchful eye. Sitting in a tree not far away, his master drank wine and nodded in satisfaction.
Over time, Shi Kai could chop down two large trees and split them into firewood within two hours. He could also hang upside down and freely dodge the attacks of wolves. Without realizing it, he was steadily growing stronger.
Beyond those two drills, his master kept increasing the intensity of his daily training.
One afternoon, his master led him to a sealed black room. "Brat, I built this room just for you. From today on, besides your previous two exercises, you'll add another one. Go in."
Shi Kai asked curiously, "Master, what's the new exercise?"
"Too many questions." His master took a swig of wine and continued, "In a moment, forty-nine sharp bamboo arrows will shoot out from here. You must dodge them all. This is your new training."
"Yes, Master." Shi Kai knew every training regimen from his master carried real danger, yet he still nodded firmly.
Months of training and his master's "secret medicinal brew" had tempered both his body and his will. He no longer said words like I'm afraid.
After his master stepped out and shut the door, Shi Kai could only rely on the faintest glimmer of light to see. His heart tensed for a moment, but he quickly calmed himself and began moving cautiously through the room.
Suddenly, the sound of air tearing behind him made him duck instinctively. A bamboo arrow slammed into the wall before him, quivering with a sharp buzz.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. That was close, he thought.
That reaction was nothing more than a reflex—one he had honed while dodging wolf attacks.
Then the bamboo arrows came like a torrential downpour. Shi Kai scrambled to dodge, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. Under such brutal conditions, he was clearly beginning to lose control. Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain tore through his shoulder—a bamboo arrow, its tip shaved to a deadly point, pierced clean through and lodged itself into the wall. Gritting his teeth, Shi Kai thought grimly, This is bad. Another arrow came hurtling straight toward him—
—and then everything went black.
When he awoke, he found himself soaking in a large medicinal barrel. Reaching up to touch his shoulder, he felt a scab where the wound had been. His master sat nearby, watching him.
"Master," Shi Kai said in shame, "your disciple is useless. I failed to complete the task you gave me."
"Haha!" His master burst into laughter. "I knew you wouldn't finish it. But you dodged twenty-one bamboo arrows—that's already better than I expected. Soak a bit longer before you get out, and don't get lazy—you still have other training to do."
Shi Kai immediately leapt out, got dressed, and went straight to chopping trees.
In time, when he could dodge all forty-nine bamboo arrows with ease, his master increased the number to eighty-one, then to one hundred and eight. Through relentless training, Shi Kai mastered them all.
Then the bamboo arrows were replaced with iron spikes—again starting at forty-nine and working up to one hundred and eight. When Shi Kai conquered those, his master switched to embroidery needles, from forty-nine to one hundred and eight. By the time Shi Kai could evade them all, the sweat and blood he had shed were beyond measure—hard-earned results forged through countless failures and injuries.
The seasons turned—spring to autumn, year after year.
Three years later, Shi Kai could now dodge one hundred and eight flying embroidery needles even with his eyes covered by a black cloth. He could fell a large tree with five swings of his axe and cut it into timber within half an hour. Hanging upside down, he could still evade wolf attacks with ease, sometimes countering with a well-aimed headbutt.
By now, he was fifteen. Compared to three years ago, he was taller, stronger, his eyes brighter and sharper, and his face carried a trace of determination, decisiveness, and courage. He was no longer the boy who would cry in fear over the smallest thing.
His master still sat in a tree, sipping wine, nodding in satisfaction as he watched Shi Kai steadily mature.
Leaping down from the branch, the master said, "Starting tomorrow, you won't be practicing these drills anymore. I'll teach you killing techniques."
Shi Kai looked at his master and answered firmly, "Yes, Master."
Taking another swig of wine, the master went on, "Brat, you've trained well these past three years. From now on, I'll teach you lightness skills and combat techniques. Learn them well. For today—rest."
That night, lying in his bed, Shi Kai thought back over the years of harsh training and forward to the path of vengeance ahead. He clenched his teeth. In the near future, he would find the killers and tear them to pieces.
After a night's rest, Shi Kai rose early, waiting for his master to give him the day's new training task.
Without a sound, his master appeared beside him, patting him on the shoulder. "Brat, up early, I see. Today's training is simple—touch me. I don't care how you do it, but as long as you can lay a hand on me, you pass."
Shi Kai's gaze hardened. He nodded. "Touch you? I understand." I may not have Master's freakish speed, he thought, but if I can dodge one hundred and eight flying needles with ease, then with my speed plus a little trickery, there's no way I can't touch him.
His master chuckled and drank. "Begin."
The moment the words left his mouth, Shi Kai shot forward, leaping toward him. But the result was disappointing—he crashed heavily to the ground, while his master still stood calmly before him.
Refusing to admit defeat, Shi Kai scrambled to his feet and lunged forward, desperately trying to grab his master. With his hands clasped calmly behind his back, the master merely leaned away with a light hop, evading with ease. Shi Kai went after him like a madman, swiping again and again, but his master kept that faint smile on his face, gliding backward with movements as smooth and fluid as drifting clouds. By contrast, Shi Kai looked utterly ragged and pitiful.
Sweat poured down his face. Hands braced on his thighs, he bent over, breathing hard. Too fast, he thought. Master's speed is unreal—there's no trick I can use. This won't work.
Seeing his apprentice's defeated posture, the master laughed and strolled over. Here's my chance, Shi Kai thought. Still panting, he shook his head and said, "Master, it's no use. You're too fast—I can't do it." Then, as the master drew close, Shi Kai suddenly snapped his head up and reached out, thinking, Got you!
He had touched something—but it wasn't the master. It was the wine gourd the master had casually raised to block him. "Damn, so close," Shi Kai muttered.
The master smirked darkly. "I knew you'd try that. No slacking—keep going."
All morning, they played their cat-and-mouse game. Shi Kai couldn't even touch the edge of his master's robe.
"Don't get discouraged," his master said. "Take your time. If it were that easy to touch me, you could be the master instead."
Shi Kai nodded with renewed determination. He knew that one day, he would succeed. What he didn't know was that "one day" wouldn't come until more than ten years later, when he returned to Shennongjia.
After a swig of wine, the master wiped his mouth and said, "Brat, today's lunch is on you. I want wolf meat. Go and bring me a wolf."
Shi Kai's eyes widened in surprise. For the past three years, his master had always hunted the game—he had never been involved in that part.
"What are you standing there for? Go!" the master barked impatiently.
"Yes, Master." Shi Kai obeyed and ran off.
He knew the five kilometers of forest around them like the back of his hand. Swiftly, he reached the grove where his master had once hung him upside down, scanning for signs of wolves.
Thanks to his training in the black room, Shi Kai's hearing was razor-sharp. He not only caught the sound of wolf footsteps but also the familiar scent they carried.
He slowed his pace, parting the undergrowth carefully as he followed the trail.
At last, he found signs of a wolf. Hiding himself, he waited patiently for the right moment. He knew wolves were pack hunters and rarely alone. If he didn't take it down with one decisive strike, the consequences would be disastrous.
Now's my chance, he thought, surging forward. The resting wolf had just begun to rise when Shi Kai's fist smashed into its skull. The green-furred wolf collapsed instantly. With the kind of strength that could fell a tree in five axe swings, the force was more than enough to shatter bone.
Grinning, Shi Kai grabbed the twitching wolf by the scruff and turned to leave. The beast was already spitting foam—its life fading fast.
But after only a few steps, he froze. Ahead of him, a pack of wolves stood with bared fangs, eyes locked on him.
Not good—walked right into a trap. A quick glance behind made his heart sink further. Another group had cut off his retreat. He was surrounded—no fewer than thirty wolves.
Wolves were cunning creatures. They rarely hunted alone and often used strategy. When Shi Kai entered the grove, they had already spotted him. They "knew" him too—after all, for three years his master had used him as bait to lure them in, so they understood his strength. This time, they had sent a lone wolf to draw him into their ambush, a chance to settle their years of frustration. What they hadn't expected was for him to kill their decoy with a single punch—now their fury was absolute.
Seeing the danger, Shi Kai dropped the dead wolf and leapt toward a nearby tree. Claws flashed as the wolves lunged. He struck at the lead wolf while dodging others, his evasive skills keeping him from being torn apart immediately.
The wolves came faster, in greater numbers. After killing several, Shi Kai scrambled up the tree, exhaling sharply. "Endless… even I can't dodge them all at this rate," he muttered.
Below, the pack gathered, encircling the tree and trapping him completely.
Perched above, Shi Kai grew anxious. He couldn't run, and he couldn't complete his master's task like this. Then, with a grim set to his jaw, he snapped off a thick branch, stripped it smooth, and gave it a few practice swings. "You beasts—today it's you or me."
With that, he leapt down. The wolves had intended to starve him out before tearing him apart, but they hadn't expected him to jump into the fray. A resting wolf barely had time to look up before his skull was crushed by Shi Kai's blow.
Landing firmly, Shi Kai found the rest of the pack holding back, their jaws gaping as they glared at him, waiting for the alpha's signal. But Shi Kai had already worked himself into a frenzy. Brandishing his branch, he roared, "Come on! Come at me! I'll chop you all into pieces and drink to your deaths!"