"It started with a standard Sect Mission," Mi Jin’s voice echoed in the quiet room, his gaze distant as he pulled the memory from the fog of his trauma.

  "There were reports of a massive monstrosity terrorizing the outskirts. Something that didn't belong."

  The memory sharpened, vibrant and loud.

  A village elder, his face a map of deep wrinkles and terror, gripped Mi Jin’s robes with trembling hands.

  Spittle flew from his mouth as he ranted, his eyes wide with the memory of what he’d seen.

  "It was a titan! Eight feet tall, I tell you!" The old man’s voice cracked, bordering on hysteria.

  "It wasn't prowling on all fours like a beast should... it was walking! Standing on its hind legs like a man!"

  Mi Jin held his hands up, palms open in a calming gesture, though the old man’s fear was infectious.

  "Calm down, sir. We believe you. But you don't need to worry anymore." He puffed out his chest, the picture of youthful confidence.

  "Me and my Senior Brother will handle it. You can count on us!"

  The wind tugged at his pale red hair, his amber eyes shining with a sense of duty that hadn't yet been tarnished by reality.

  The old man didn't let go. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a graveyard whisper.

  "I just hope you two stay safe... we found the corpse of a hunter who tried to handle it yesterday."

  He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "His torso was the only thing left. Whatever that thing is, it eats the rest."

  "Even though doubt and a cold seed of fear crept up within my heart, I had to do it. It was a Sect Mission, after all. Besides, the description... it was specific."

  "A bear, they say? Eight feet and bipedal?"

  Standing beside Mi Jin was a much older boy, perhaps seventeen.

  He had short, practical brown hair and dark eyes that scanned the treeline with the cold calculation of an experienced hunter.

  Golden earrings glinted in the sunlight, chiming softly as he tilted his head.

  "It can't be anything normal," the Senior Brother mused, crouching to inspect a deep gouge in the mud.

  "I'm sure you can handle it easily, Senior Brother," Mi Jin said, his voice laced with genuine admiration.

  A slight, easy smile touched the older boy's lips. He stood, dusting off his hands.

  "Hm. I'm not invincible, you know. But I appreciate the sentiment."

  "He was the reason I didn't turn back. The Screeching Croak is dangerous, sure, but usually only filled with beasts I could handle with medium difficulty. But that day... I had my reliable Senior with me."

  Hours bled away as they ventured deep into the Screeching Croak.

  The air grew heavy and damp, the sound of insects becoming a deafening drone.

  They followed the trail of broken branches and heavy prints until, finally, they found it.

  It stood in a clearing, a towering mass of gray fur. It was exactly as the villager had described—massive, upright, and wrong.

  But as they watched from the brush, something seemed off. Its face was mangled, covered in dried, black blood, and its breathing was ragged.

  It swayed on its feet, looking severely weakened.

  "Senior Brother!" Mi Jin whispered urgently. "Look at it! It seems the hunter didn't die in vain! He must have wounded it severely!"

  Seeing an opening, Mi Jin didn't wait. He burst from the cover of the foliage, adrenaline flooding his veins.

  The gray bear roared, a wet, gurgling sound, and swung a massive paw toward him.

  The claws were long and jagged, capable of shearing through armor.

  "Hah!"

  Mi Jin didn't flinch. He pulsed his Qi into his hand, a crimson aura enveloping his fist.

  He drove his punch forward, meeting the beast's strike head-on.

  CRACK!

  The impact was decisive.

  The bear's claws shattered under the force of the Qi-enhanced strike, fragments of bone and keratin spraying into the air.

  "Not bad!" Mi Jin shouted, his confidence surging as the beast stumbled back.

  "I can see why you were able to dismantle mortals easily! But you're not invincible! A mere hunter almost destroyed you!"

  He drew his arm back for a follow-up strike, his eyes blazing.

  "I shall finish the job!"

  "I foolishly thought that a bear of that size... the sheer density of its muscle, the power behind its swing... I shouldn't have formed the idea that a mere hunter could have damaged it so severely."

  Mi Jin’s voice trembled as the memory played out.

  His hand shot out, aiming to cave in the bear’s chest and end the fight.

  But just as his knuckles grazed the coarse gray fur, a blur of chitinous horror erupted from the dense underbrush.

  A segmented, armored tail whipped through the air with the sound of a cracking whip.

  Thwack!

  It plunged deep into the bear's chest, punching through rib and muscle with terrifying ease

  . In the chaos, the tip of the stinger grazed Mi Jin’s forearm.

  It was a shallow cut, barely a scratch, yet the effect was instantaneous.

  Fire coursed through his veins, followed immediately by a heavy, numbing cold.

  "S-Senior Brother!"

  A pair of hands clamped onto Mi Jin’s shoulders like vices.

  With a heave of desperate strength, the older boy yanked him backward, tossing him away from the beast.

  "Ugh!" Mi Jin hit the dirt road hard, the breath knocked out of him.

  The Senior Brother stood between Mi Jin and the carnage, his stance low and guarded.

  He watched as the massive bear slumped over, dead before it hit the ground.

  The true threat skittered over the carcass.

  "The bear wasn't injured by the hunter," the Senior Brother grit out, sweat beading on his forehead.

  "We have disrupted a predator's meal..."

  The creature hissed, mandibles clicking together. It wasn't as towering as the bear, perhaps only half its size, but it was a nightmare made flesh.

  It possessed the bulbous, multi-legged body of a spider, but arching over its back was a thick, muscular tail tipped with a dripping, venomous stinger.

  "S-Senior Brother..." Mi Jin’s vision began to swim, his limbs feeling like they were filled with lead. "It feels like... I'm slowly getting exhausted!"

  The older boy’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine panic cracking his calm facade.

  My Junior needs my immediate attention!

  The Spider-Scorpion lunged, its tail stabbing forward in a rapid-fire barrage.

  Zip! Zip! Zip!

  The Senior Brother moved. His body blurred, shifting weight in strange, almost unnatural angles. It was a movement technique used by Inner Disciples—one he clearly hadn't mastered yet.

  He was fast, but clumsy.

  The stinger missed his heart, his throat, his eyes, but with every dodge, the fabric of his robes tore.

  Rip.

  A line of red appeared on his shoulder, but he didn't slow down.

  "A creature like you," the Senior Brother shouted, ducking under a horizontal sweep of the tail.

  "It's odd that I haven't heard anything about such a beast! A spider's body with a tail fit for a scorpion!"

  Finding an opening, he roared, channeling all his remaining Qi into his fist. His fists didn't reach the beast, instead it struck the earth.

  BOOM!

  He slammed his fist against the ground.

  The impact was messy, unrefined, but effective. He forcibly transferred his Qi into an outward shockwave, shattering nearby boulders and stripping the bark from the trees.

  Debris exploded outward. The Spider-Scorpion recoiled, screeching as stone shrapnel peppered its carapace.

  Sensing that this meal was too much trouble, the creature hissed one last time, turned, and vanished back into the shadows of the Screeching Croak.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  As the ominous clicking faded, the Senior Brother didn't chase.

  He bit his lip, his eyes etched with deep regret as he turned and rushed towards Mi Jin’s side.

  "It's one of the last things I remember clearly," Mi Jin whispered, touching his arm where the scar remained.

  "I was so exhausted that the world just... turned off. I blacked out.

  The next thing I knew, I was waking up in my older sister's bed...

  I have a faint memory of my Senior Brother handing me a pill before the darkness took me completely..."

  "Here, Mi Jin. I spent all my contribution points on this! It'll help with the exhaustion and fatigue!"

  Mi Jin mimicked the gesture of handing over a pill, his eyes slipping shut as he let out a contented sigh.

  "I really am thankful for the pill you gave me, Big Brother Bi Kan. But, if I’m being honest, I'm even more thankful for my Senior Brother. In that moment of life and death, he chose me as his priority."

  He clenched his fists against the bedsheets, the light in his eyes burning with a fervent, almost religious admiration. "He didn't hesitate."

  Ying Xia smirked, bumping her elbow sharply against Bi Kan's arm.

  "No wonder he's so thankful to you. The kid literally idolizes his saviors."

  She rubbed her hands together sinisterly, a callous, villainous grin stretching across her face.

  "Damn it. If I had managed to save him myself, I'd have gained a loyal follower for the rest of my life! Just imagine, a minion to carry my spear!"

  She snatched her spear from the air, pointing it towards the door. "Let's go and hunt down that wretched beast, Bi Kan! I need to vent this missed opportunity!"

  Bi Kan’s palm found its familiar resting place against his forehead.

  She really knows how to grind my gears, he thought, masking a sigh. But at least her battle-lust is useful. She's pumped up.

  Ming Mei cleared her throat, standing up and smoothing her robes as she faced Bi Kan.

  "So, what will you do now? Perhaps you should rest first?" Her gaze flickered to Mi Jin, then back to Bi Kan's pale complexion.

  "The pill's effects won't wear off immediately. You have time."

  Bi Kan lowered his hand, his fingers brushing against the stubble on his chin.

  "Yes, but delaying it further might lead to more complications." His eyes narrowed, calculating the variables.

  "Who knows? That creature might hide well, recover its strength, or worse... ambush another unsuspecting disciple."

  Mi Shui stood up, her face etched with a mix of worry and cold seriousness.

  "He's right, Mei. We can't let such a dangerous creature run rampant within the Screeching Croak."

  A nostalgic, yet bitter smile painted Mi Shui's face.

  "I remember my Outer Disciple days. Most of my tasks were menial gathering missions. The Screeching Croak wasn't supposed to be a death trap."

  Her face contorted into anger, her Qi flaring slightly.

  "If something like that truly lurks there, disrupting the order... we must kill it immediately."

  Ying Xia crossed her arms, blocking the doorway. "Well, Bi Kan can stay here while I hunt it down myself! You can watch over him and Mi Jin."

  She looked Bi Kan up and down with exaggerated scrutiny. "Both of you look like walking corpses, after all!"

  She snickered, clearly already imagining the glory of returning with the beast's head while Bi Kan napped.

  "That's not happening," Bi Kan said flatly. He opened and closed his palm, testing his grip. "Besides, I feel well rested already."

  Xia’s eyebrows rose, a challenging smirk playing on her lips.

  "Really? So I won't catch you collapsing mid-fight and me having to carry you all the way home like a sack of potatoes?"

  She leaned forward, invading his personal space, her hands clamping down on her hips.

  "Because you better know that I won't be carrying you. You should be able to pull your own weight, dumbass."

  Bi Kan rolled his eyes, stepping around her. "Like I said, I'm not as tired as the past few days. I'm feeling better. For real this time."

  She squinted at him, searching for a lie, before throwing her hands up. "Fine! As long as you understand the terms. But I'm still leading the way, Bi Kan!"

  "You're the boss, Xia." He offered a small, placating smile.

  Mei clasped her hands together, breaking the tension.

  "Alright! But you two can't leave yet without meals packed in your spatial rings!"

  A few hours passed as the savory scent of roasted meat and seasoned rice filled the small abode.

  "Sister Mei's cooking!" Xia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she excitedly shoved the wrapped rice balls into her spatial ring. "I feel full already just seeing it—ow!"

  Bi Kan’s hand retracted from the back of her head. "What do you mean you feel full by looking at it? You've already popped three in your mouth while packing!"

  Mi Jin laughed weakly from the bed. Seeing Xia's antics seemed to brighten the room more than the sunlight streaming through the window.

  He took a small bite of one of Mei's rice balls, color returning to his cheeks.

  "Okay, Good luck you two!" Mei called out.

  As they stepped out, Mi Shui crossed her arms. Her eyes, usually sharp with hostility toward Bi Kan, softened into a look of begrudging respect.

  She offered him a single, firm nod.

  At the entrance to the courtyard, Ruo Yu was already busy shooing off a gathering crowd of curious Inner Disciples.

  "Like I said, go away! Scram!" Ruo Yu waved his hands as if wafting away a bad smell. "You're ruining the integrity of this sacred place, you low-lives!"

  He turned as Bi Kan and Xia approached, his demeanor shifting instantly. "There, all secured. May you find what you're looking for in your journey."

  He offered a slight, elegant bow, watching as the pair walked past him.

  He's helpful, I'll give him that, Bi Kan thought, casting one last glance over his shoulder at Ruo Yu guarding the gate.

  But that elitist attitude... treating everyone else like dirt beneath his boots... I still hate it.

  As they crossed the threshold back into the Outer Sect, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

  The purity of the air vanished, replaced by the dust and noise of the common disciples.

  Eyes latched onto Bi Kan immediately—some curious, some hostile, lingering on the disciple who walked beside the famous "Pink Whirlwind."

  Usually, Bi Kan’s paranoia would be cataloging every stare, assessing every potential threat.

  But today, his mind was a fortress, locked tight around the problem at hand.

  He walked through the gauntlet of gazes as if they were nothing more than ghosts.

  "Where should we start...?" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the bustle of the courtyard.

  The Screeching Croak is the obvious choice.

  Finding that spider directly might make this situation simpler...

  His stride hitched slightly as a counter-thought struck him.

  But going in blind against a poison type? That's asking for death.

  "Maybe the Library..." he murmured, staring at the ground.

  Gathering information is safer.

  Preparation is key to everything. After all, even though they say the Screeching Croak is a low-level zone, I have yet to actually step foot in it...

  A self-deprecating smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  That's mostly because I avoid the Mission Hall like the plague.

  He looked up to find Ying Xia staring at him, her expression flat.

  She looked at him as if he were a particularly slow child.

  "Uh-huh. I can read your face very clearly, Bi Kan," she said, crossing her arms.

  "You've never been there because you're lazy." She shook her head, her ponytail swaying with disappointment.

  "You pathetic disciple... how can you call yourself a member of this sect while being so sleazy? Do you just leech off the ambient Qi?"

  Ignoring her mockery, Bi Kan rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

  He had no time to waste on defending his pragmatic lifestyle.

  Choosing the wrong path now would cost them hours they didn't have.

  "You know, there's really one simple solution here." Xia flashed him a knowing smile, her eyes glinting with mischief.

  The gears in Bi Kan's head clicked into place.

  Right. If I drag her to the Jaded Knowledge Library, she’ll just complain and kick the bookshelves until we get kicked out.

  He brushed his fingers through his messy hair. "Fine. Don't delve too deep, Xia." He met her gaze with serious intent. "

  Just ask around the villages bordering the Screeching Croak. I'm pretty sure some of the locals must have spotted a creature as distinct as a Spider-Scorpion."

  She gave him a thumbs up, her smile blindingly bright in the afternoon sun. "You've got it, Bi Kan! Just hurry up in that dusty book dungeon, or I might be the one doing all the work!"

  She rolled her shoulder, loosening up as if preparing for a brawl.

  "And Xia..." Bi Kan called out, stopping her turn. "Don't attack it without me. I don't want you getting caught in a trap.

  Even if it's not that dangerous, there's still a chance you might get hit."

  Xia's head snapped toward him so fast her neck cracked. She glared at him, genuinely offended.

  "Excuse me? A chance I might get hit?" Her voice rose an octave. "Do you know how improbable that is?!"

  She threw her hand above her head in a dramatic gesture of disbelief. "Why must you doubt me? Me! A fighter leagues above you!"

  Bi Kan had already started walking away, waving a dismissive hand over his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, got it. Just... don't delve too deep. Once you know something, come find me."

  He paused, glancing back with a small, weary smile. "Tell me, okay? I don't doubt your skills, Xia. I still worry."

  Xia's mouth hung open for a split second, her indignation vanishing. Her eyes widened, processing the rare admission.

  "Hmph. Who knew you could be so open about your feelings?" She sniffed, brushing her nose with the tip of her thumb to hide the pleased flush rising on her cheeks.

  "That's a massive improvement. Not bad at all, Bi Kan!"

  With a sharp pivot on her heel, she dashed off toward the village path, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

  Bi Kan watched her go for a second longer, ensuring she wasn't running straight into a wall, before turning toward the looming pagoda of the Sect Library.

  "Wait, does she even know where the Screeching Croak is...?"

  Bi Kan paused, his hand freezing mid-scratch on his head.

  He stared at the empty path where the pink blur had vanished.

  A beat of silence passed.

  "I think she'll be fine," he muttered, turning away with a sigh.

  "She has an uncanny nose for trouble. She'll find it."

  He adjusted his robes, pivoting towards the winding stone path that led to the towering pagoda of the Sect Library.

  He took three steps before a wall of grey and green robes blocked his vision.

  Bi Kan stopped. His eyes swept over the group of five disciples standing shoulder-to-shoulder, blocking the walkway.

  Outer Disciples? What do these fellow brothers want from me?

  His face smoothed into a mask of polite deference.

  He folded his hands, offering a slight, practiced bow, though his eyes remained cold and unblinking.

  "What do these brothers need from this humble disciple?" Bi Kan asked, offering a small, thin smile.

  The disciple at the front, a youth with heavy-lidded eyes and a slouching posture, sneered.

  He gathered phlegm in his throat and spat.

  Splat.

  The glob of saliva landed inches from Bi Kan's boot.

  Bi Kan’s gaze slowly traveled from the ground up to the leader’s face.

  "I've seen you hanging around with popular figures lately," the leader drawled, stepping into Bi Kan's personal space.

  "I've been wondering what a useless brat like you has been doing leeching off the 'Pink Whirlwind'."

  Bi Kan's smile didn't waver, but the air around him seemed to drop in temperature.

  "Who I'm with doesn't concern you."

  The voice was soft, but laced with a dense, suffocating killing intent.

  It was the aura of someone who had butchered men in the forest, not sparred in a courtyard.

  The group flinched. The leader blinked, a flicker of genuine fear crossing his face, but the presence of his backup bolstered his ego.

  "Y-You! You dare threaten us?!" A much bulkier disciple from the back yelled out, stepping forward and clenching fists the size of hams.

  "Just because you hang out with a combat prodigy doesn't mean you're one too! You're just a fox borrowing the tiger's might!"

  The tension snapped tight. Other disciples walking the path slowed, sensing the violence brewing.

  As much as I'd love to stay hidden right now, these pieces of shit are in my way. Bi Kan’s eyes darted to the gathering crowd.

  And I need to make sure they won't bother me again.

  "You all seem to have such strong opinions against me," Bi Kan said, his voice rising just enough to be heard by the onlookers.

  "Too bad that there's physically nothing you can do."

  He opened his arms wide, gesturing to the swaying trees, the manicured bushes, and the distant rooftops.

  "We're within the sect. Don't you know that there are always eyes around us, waiting to strike?" Bi Kan’s eyes narrowed, mocking them.

  "We're not particularly in a blind spot. We're in a public place."

  The murmurs began.

  "Are they really ganging up on one guy?"

  "Five against one? That's pathetic."

  The leader’s face flushed a deep, embarrassed red.

  "I didn't know I was such a threat that all of you were needed combined against me!" Bi Kan laughed, a sharp, grating sound.

  "I truly am formidable!"

  The leader smashed his fists together, cracking his knuckles. "Shut your mouth!"

  Hooked.

  "What? Don't act so tough now," Bi Kan sneered, dropping the polite act entirely. He pointed a finger at the leader.

  "You'll be folded like a table in three seconds by me. So don't come out. Keep hiding behind your big friends, you bastard."

  The heavy-lidded eyes went wild with rage. Reason snapped. The leader took a heavy step forward, his Qi flaring.

  "That's it! I call for a duel! I—"

  Announcing our duel. You've just set yourself up for humiliation.

  Bi Kan’s chest pumped once, taking a split-second assessment.

  Roughly, we're equal. We're both at the 8th Stage of the Qi Sensing Realm. Out of all of them, he's the strongest.

  His eyes glinted with a faint crimson tint. But is my Legendary Boar Technique worth using on him?

  No. It requires a charge-up, and it will exhaust me much more than I already am.

  Have I dug myself a hole?

  He relaxed his stance, his muscles loose and ready.

  No.

  I'll just have to dance around him and end this in one fell swoop.

  Bi Kan’s hands crashed against each other, creating a resounding clap that silenced the murmurs.

  High above on a nearby rooftop, a Junior Elder paused his patrol, his pen hovering over his notebook.

  "Ooh? A formal challenge?"

  "I, Bi Kan, an Outer Disciple Nobody..." Bi Kan’s lips curled into a ruthless grin. "...take your challenge!"