Chapter 128: I Turned and Delivered a Kick

Ten claws hooked simultaneously into Chen Jin’s back, sinking firmly into his flesh, while a sinister, murky energy surged into his body through the wounds.

*Bang!*

Chen Jin gathered all his Hunyuan energy and gave a violent jolt. With a thunderous boom, the black cat was sent flying, but that foul, murky energy had already seeped into his system.

*Crackle, snap...*

Chen Jin immediately activated his lightning arts. The pure, masculine power of the lightning coursed through his body in a single circuit, clearing away most of the sinister energy. He deliberately left a small portion behind—a minor tactical maneuver.

His clothes, already tattered, were shredded completely by his own lightning, scattering onto the floor. Chen Jin quickly condensed his Hunyuan energy into small, grayish-white orbs to cover his vital points, preventing any indecent exposure.

"Hehehe, tiny," the black cat chirped, having nimbly leaped onto the rafters, its face twisted into an anthropomorphic, smug grin.

"Bigger than yours," Chen Jin retorted shamelessly, not missing a beat.

"But I don't have one," the cat chuckled.

"..." What could Chen Jin do? He unleashed another bolt of lightning.

*Meow!*

The cat dodged the strike with agility and darted out of the room.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Young Master, you..."

"We’re having cat for dinner!" Chen Jin roared toward the doorway, feigning a fit of rage.

"Oh! Oh, right!" The maid outside, startled by the outburst, turned and fled immediately.

*Living in this world is all about acting,* Chen Jin muttered calmly to himself. Although he appeared hot-headed, it was merely a performance. Someone had offered him "goodies," clearly hoping to bait him into biting the hook so they could reel him in. Chen Jin was playing along, pretending to take the bait, but he hadn't let the hook pierce him. He could unhook himself whenever he chose.

He intended to play along with the "Lightning Orthodoxy" hook for now, but he would never let it snag him by force. The murky energy from the cat was also something he had kept deliberately. It was a pragmatic reality; since Chen Jin lacked significant power for now, he had to rely on "selling" his own body to scheme against others—Master Zhang’s lightning arts were one such tool, and the cat’s dark energy was another.

***

Chen Jin didn't get his cat meat. Since it was still the mourning period, alcohol and meat were forbidden, and he had to sneak out to satisfy his cravings. Of course, he had seen the elders of the Chen family secretly eating meat, telling lewd jokes, and—most importantly—living indulgent lives at night. Since the elders led the way, how could the younger generation hold back and shame them?

Although he didn't eat the cat, his roar and the maid’s gossip had officially categorized him as a "madman" among the Zhang family. He had previously been the "fool," but now he was both a fool and a madman. All in all, he had leveled up—a cause for grand, enthusiastic celebration.

The seventh day after Old Madam Zhang’s passing arrived quickly. For the past four days, Chen Jin had tried to condense his Five-Qi True Essence, but he failed every time. The reason was that his physical body was still lacking; this was not his original vessel. After his failures, he began to slowly nourish his physique, gradually increasing its strength.

The results were obvious: his appearance changed by the day. He had grown nearly a head taller, and his previously lean frame had become robust. These changes forced him to use illusions to mask his true stature.

That day, as promised, he went to the hall to keep watch over the coffin, staying from dawn until late into the night. By the time the sun set, everyone else had left, including the Taoist priest Li Zheng.

*It feels like they are preparing to sacrifice me,* Chen Jin thought to himself.

Li Zheng hadn't truly left; he had given Chen Jin a talisman to maintain long-distance contact. Chen Jin didn't keep it on his person but laid it out before him. In the dim candlelight, it flickered with golden light from time to time—a sight that would make ordinary people cry out in awe of "divine arts," which was one of the reasons Li Zheng had been able to convince the Zhang family.

"Senior Brother, what is the situation?" Li Zheng’s voice emanated from the talisman.

"I’m doing just fine," Chen Jin replied.

"..."

"Senior Brother, I am asking if there is any disturbance in the mourning hall," Li Zheng replied, sounding exasperated.

"It’s only a quarter past seven in the evening; no need to rush," Chen Jin said, offhandedly.

He sat cross-legged five feet from the coffin, his Hunyuan energy already permeating the entire hall.

"Right, I am being impatient. My apologies, Senior Brother," Li Zheng added.

Chen Jin knew for a fact that Li Zheng wanted to strangle him. Given the slightest opportunity, the priest would strike at his back without hesitation—severing his head would be the ideal outcome. Unfortunately for him, ever since the black cat’s sneak attack, Chen Jin had become even more vigilant, refusing to reveal a single flaw, at any time or place.

Furthermore, Chen Jin had retrieved the talisman given to him by True Person Yun Xiang from the black leather book and was now carrying it on his person. In this state, Chen Jin was becoming genuinely neurotic.

"No worries," Chen Jin replied dryly.

"..."

Silence returned to the hall. Li Zheng stopped speaking, and Chen Jin had no desire to entertain him—he only wanted to meditate.

Chen Jin sat cross-legged, his breathing steady—not like a human, but like a hibernating bear. Every inhalation and exhalation contained the wonders of nature and the laws of the heavens... though in reality, it was just a standard sleep-cycle breath.

He had entered a state of slumber. This was normal; practitioners of breathing arts always sought the "pre-natal" state—the state of a fetus in the womb, where the brain is essentially dormant, which is optimal for physical development. Chen Jin was using this method to nourish his post-natal body with pre-natal energy, hoping to return his physical shell to its original, simple state.

He practiced this for two hours every day.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Young Master, I’ve brought your dinner."

A knock came at the door, accompanied by the maid’s crisp yet mournful voice. It didn't break Chen Jin’s rhythm.

"Come... in... put... it... down..." Chen Jin responded, his voice slow and rhythmic.

"Very well, Young Master."

The maid obediently brought the meal before him, then immediately turned and kicked Chen Jin straight in the face.