May I seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and live a long and prosperous life.

Unfortunately, all of this was in vain.

This was a one-sided massacre.

One by one, the bandits fell, their faces smashed beyond recognition by fists, their deaths gruesome and tragic.

In the end, only the bandit leader, One-Eyed Dragon, remained.

As a mid-stage sixth-rank martial artist, he knew all too well that the one who could so easily slaughter this group of bandits must be a martial artist of sixth rank or higher.

He was already feeling fear, his legs trembled, and then a fishy, ​​foul smell spread from between his legs.

"Brother... it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding, let's talk this out!"

Li Heng remained silent, but slowly walked towards him, his hands already stained with blood.

When the bandit leader, One-Eyed Dragon, saw that Li Heng did not respond, he finally despaired.

Wielding two hammers, he charged viciously at Li Heng, intending to smash him into mincemeat!

Li Heng easily dodged the one-eyed man's hammer, his fist flying like lightning, striking him hard in the face and twisting his cheeks into a grotesque shape.

One punch, two punches, three punches...

Li Heng kept throwing punches, venting his anger on him.

The bandit leader, One-Eyed Dragon, died instantly; his entire skull was smashed to pieces.

The people present dared not breathe, silently watching this awe-inspiring moment.

It took the people a long time to come to their senses.

Some people picked up their luggage and slunk away, afraid of getting involved with Li Heng, the murderous tyrant.

Some of the conscientious citizens expressed their gratitude to Li Heng and then hurriedly left.

In the end, only the woman and the little boy remained at the scene.

"Thank you so much, my benefactor. If it weren't for you, Zhou'er and I would have..."

"Zhou'er, quickly kowtow ten times to your benefactor!"

The woman pulled the little boy and was about to kowtow to Li Heng.

But Li Heng helped him up.

"Sister-in-law, there's no need for such formalities. It is the duty of us martial artists to help those in need. If we stand by and watch people die, allowing thieves to bully the weak, what is the point of learning martial arts?"

"Your kindness is truly admirable. I have yet to ask your name, so that I may repay your kindness in the future!"

"My surname is Li, and my given name is Heng. Sister-in-law, you'd better hurry on your way. This world is about to descend into chaos, and all sorts of demons and monsters are coming out."

"Thank you for your help, my benefactor. This is my son, Ye Zhou."

"My benefactor, please accept my bow! Thank you for protecting my mother. You are a great hero. I will definitely learn from you in the future and become a true man!" The little boy knelt down and bowed to Li Heng.

"I imagine your mother would be very pleased with your ambition. Well, I should be going now. Farewell!"

"My benefactor, will we ever meet again?" the little boy asked in his childish voice.

"We will meet again someday if fate allows."

Then, Li Heng drifted away.

In reality, Li Heng had not gone far, secretly protecting the mother and son until they arrived safely in Yuncheng.

……

Upon returning to Yuncheng, Li Heng immediately went back to his hometown.

The house hasn't changed much, and the local accent is still as familiar as ever.

Li Heng brought incense, candles, paper money, rice wine, and other offerings to his parents' graves.

Next, he settled down in his hometown, lived in seclusion, built a private school, and became a teacher, taking in children from poor families who could not afford to go to school for free.

Two years have passed, marked by the changing seasons, the autumn harvest, and the winter storage.

Li Heng sat cross-legged on the bed, his tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, a flash of brilliance passing by in an instant, wisps of smoke rising from his body, and he exhaled a breath of stale air.

"Finally advanced to the first rank! The Blood Lotus Sect's quick-success method is truly amazing!"

"Cluck cluck cluck, cluck cluck cluck." At this moment, a rooster's clucking sound came.

"It's dawn again, time to start class for the children."

From Chongwen Private School, a chorus of reading aloud could be heard.

"At birth, people are inherently good; their natures are similar, but their habits differ..."

"Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless..."

The students are reciting scriptures aloud.

Li Heng, dressed in a blue robe, walked slowly into the private school with his hands behind his back to teach his students.

Did everyone review the Analects yesterday?

"Yes," the students responded.

"Alright, then I'll randomly select a few students to test. Li Hui, you tell me, what does it mean to say, 'Isn't it a pleasure to learn and practice what you've learned?' and 'Isn't it delightful to have friends coming from afar?'"

Li Hui was Li Heng's most valued student, and his talent was the highest among the students. When taught knowledge, he could often draw inferences from one instance to another and apply what he learned to other situations.

He and Li Heng were from the same clan, and his home was near Li Heng's, just a few steps away. The child had a hard life; his father died early, and he was raised by his mother. His family was poor, and Li Heng couldn't bear it and often took care of him.

If Li Heng hadn't opened a free private school, a talent like Li Hui would probably have been buried for life.

As a result, Li Heng became famous in several nearby villages and was respected by the villagers, who often sent him vegetables, wild fruits, and cured meat.

"Sir, what you mean is, isn't it pleasant to learn and review knowledge regularly? Isn't it joyful to have like-minded people come from afar?"

"Very good answer, please sit down." Li Heng was quite satisfied with Li Hui's performance. He had only taught him once, and Li Hui had fully understood the meaning of the sentence.

……

That evening, Li Heng meditated and practiced his internal energy on the bed as usual.

Suddenly, he sensed a fluctuation of internal energy.

This internal force is quite similar to his.

Blood Lotus Cult?

Li Heng's first thought was this.

Could it be that members of the Blood Lotus Cult are active here?

"I need to go out and check it out!"

Li Heng immediately stopped practicing, put on a black outfit, covered his face with a mask, and quietly went out to investigate.

As soon as Li Heng stepped outside, he noticed a masked man in black lying on the roof of Li Hui's house, peering into the house.

"Damn it, the men in black are going to attack Li Hui and her son."

We must stop him!

Li Hui was a student highly regarded by Li Heng. He respected his teacher and would not allow the men in black to harm his students.

Now he is a master of the first rank, and he fears no one below the innate level except for those who are innate masters!

The black-clad man's internal energy fluctuations were only at the first-grade level, which Li Heng could handle.

It should be noted that he is no ordinary first-rank expert. The Blood Lotus Sect's quick success method comes at a huge cost, but the combat power gained is extremely domineering. Fighting two opponents at once is a piece of cake for him.

Just as the man in black was about to make his move, a sharp shout interrupted his spellcasting.

"You wicked man, how dare you do this!"

The man in black turned to look at Li Heng, his expression also showing surprise.

Also dressed in black and masked? Could they be his accomplices? No, he has no accomplices!

"How dare you interfere with my plans! You're courting death! Since you're so eager to show off, I'll take your head first, then the lives of that mother and child!"

He then leaped forward and charged towards Li Heng.

Li Heng was naturally fearless. He did not release any internal energy fluctuations, so the other party thought he was an easy target.

This battle is a perfect opportunity to test the results of my current cultivation!

Li Heng's fighting style was bold and unrestrained; he directly channeled his internal energy and threw a punch.

The opponent didn't dodge and instead threw a punch to meet it.

With a cracking sound, the man in black staggered back three steps before regaining his balance, while Li Heng remained completely still.

The man in black suffered a significant loss as soon as they engaged in combat; his right fist was slightly dislocated.

"Such powerful internal energy! Much stronger than mine!"

"However, how come his internal energy is so similar to that of my Blood Lotus Sect?" the man in black wondered to himself.

"Who exactly are you, and why do you possess the inner strength of my Blood Lotus Sect?" the man in black asked in a deep voice.