C13 Meeting Feng Qingliu Again!

Mo Fanchen slowly opened his eyes, expelling a mouthful of stale air that had been churning in his chest with a long exhale.

"Kid, how are you feeling?" Niu Daben asked, his arms crossed, his interest piqued as he watched Mo Fanchen's eyes sparkle with energy.

Rising to his feet, Mo Fanchen clenched his fists and quietly channeled the Raging Bull Force. Instantly, he felt every cell in his body come alive with the surge of the Raging Bull Force!

Mo Fanchen could distinctly sense the overwhelming power flooding his arms. He was confident that if a real bull stood before him, he could match it in a test of strength.

"I've never felt better!" Mo Fanchen declared with a triumphant smile.

Niu Daben nodded in approval at Mo Fanchen's demeanor, though he couldn't help but express a hint of irritation. "Your talent isn't half bad, you know. It's just that those fools before couldn't see it. Kid, at the rate you're going, I assure you that you'll reach the Blood Forging state in less than a month! And with enough pills to aid you later on, breaking through to the Innate Stage isn't out of the question!"

"That quickly?" Mo Fanchen gaped, unsure whether Niu Daben was exaggerating or speaking the truth.

Considering Su Muyan's superior talent, her birth into a martial family, and the ample supply of pills and ancestral guidance she had, she had only managed to reach the Blood Forging state at her current age.

And there he was, a latecomer to cultivation with a talent that was once scoffed at, potentially reaching her level in just a month, maybe even surpassing her—it seemed too good to be true.

Noticing Mo Fanchen's skeptical look, Niu Daben let out a hearty laugh before explaining, "Kid, this is the chance of a lifetime for you! To make such rapid progress, one needs not only innate talent but also a formidable skill and the right opportunity."

"Take the Raging Bull Force, for instance. If a warrior's realm is a field, then the Raging Bull Force is the strength needed to till that field! It's designed to harness the power of a raging bull to accelerate a cultivator's progression. So, no matter the cultivator's aptitude, practicing the Raging Bull Force will significantly boost their level in a short time, and it will also lay a much stronger foundation for their abilities!"

It's unfortunate that the Raging Bull Force you're practicing is an incomplete version. Moreover, without the complementary skill from our Twelve Heavenly Gates, prolonged cultivation will lead to short-term memory loss for the practitioner."

"Short-term memory loss?" Mo Fanchen's eyes widened in shock, and his heart raced uncontrollably.

"What does this memory loss entail?" Mo Fanchen inquired cautiously.

Niu Daben pondered before responding, "It could cause you to temporarily forget certain things, like your last name, who your parents are, or even your own gender."

Mo Fanchen, struggling to keep his composure, asked, "Are you telling me that if I continue to cultivate the Raging Bull Force for an extended period, I'll end up intellectually impaired?"

Niu Daben looked at Mo Fanchen with surprise and nodded, "Kid, you've hit the nail on the head!"

"So you're saying this is a one-way ticket to the loony bin?" Mo Fanchen lamented, on the verge of tears.

"Don't panic, kid!" Niu Daben gestured soothingly and continued, "The very reason I developed the Mad Bull Fist was to counteract the dumbing effects of the Raging Bull Force. The madness of the Mad Bull Fist neutralizes the brute force, and the brute force balances out the madness. So, kid, while you're cultivating the Raging Bull Force, you absolutely cannot neglect the Mad Bull Fist!"

Upon hearing Niu Daben's explanation, Mo Fanchen breathed a sigh of relief, yet he was taken aback once more.

He never imagined that the Mad Bull Fist, a technique no one valued, could have such a profound purpose!

Niu Daben's cleverness was truly divine!

Now, if anyone dares to call Niu Daben foolish, they'll have to contend with me!

Still, the Su family probably doesn't know the intricacies of these two skills, do they? What was their intention in giving them to me?

"Mo, how much longer are you going to talk with that clown Niu Daben? Are we ever going to start our card game? I'm ready to clean house here!"

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, and Wu Sheng entered, looking quite irritated.

"You've been hanging around here for quite a while. What have you been chatting about with that clown?" Mo Fanchen quickly replied, eager to appease, "Nothing much. Ready to play some cards, bro? Let's get going!" "Hold on a second!" Wu Sheng's brow furrowed as he abruptly released Mo Fanchen's grip on his arm. Mo Fanchen's heart skipped a beat, and he silently feared the worst: Had Wu Sheng caught on to something? Wu Sheng cast a sidelong glance at Niu Daben, who had obediently taken his seat again, and then fixed a piercing look on Mo Fanchen. "Before we get to the cards, let me throw a quick riddle your way!" "Niu Daben's legs are long—name a dessert!" It took Mo Fanchen a couple of seconds to catch on before he cautiously ventured, "Cake?" Wu Sheng snapped his fingers with satisfaction, "Bingo! Looks like you're still sharp. You won't slow me down when we start playing!" "Wu Sheng, you little punk! Who do you think you're messing with?" Realizing Wu Sheng's insinuation, Niu Daben charged like a bull, his fist slamming into the glass window with fury. But the window didn't budge, and the rebounding force sent Niu Daben stumbling back several steps. "Niu Daben! What are you trying to do, break out of prison?" Wu Sheng barked at him menacingly. At Wu Sheng's accusation, Niu Daben's gaze dimmed. He waved them off irritably, cursing, "Get lost! All of you, just get lost! I don't want to see your faces!" Mo Fanchen watched the scene unfold in a daze, not quite sure how he ended up leaving the cell with Wu Sheng, but a deep loathing for the man had taken root in his heart. Niu Daben wasn't like the other warriors locked up here; he hadn't committed any heinous crimes or broken any laws. What right did Wu Sheng have to treat him with such disdain? These thoughts swirled in Mo Fanchen's throat, but he swallowed them back down, not daring to voice them. Back in the small building, he played cards with the Wu brothers until late into the night. After they instructed Mo Fanchen to make extra rounds checking on the prisoners on their floor, the brothers started their own cultivation practices.

Upon returning to the cell block, Mo Fanchen was met with the cold indifference of the other warriors imprisoned there. Their aloofness persisted until a familiar face made an appearance.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who was with Miss Su? You're still alive? I must have gone easy on you last time! Who would've thought we'd cross paths again here in Scourgehold so soon?"

Feng Qingliu eyed Mo Fanchen with a hint of surprise.

"I recall you're not a warrior, right?"

"Thanks to you, Mr. Feng! Anyway, I won't keep you from your rest. Enjoy your stay in Scourgehold!"

Mo Fanchen had no desire to engage with someone harboring inappropriate thoughts towards Su Muyan. He spared himself the lengthy explanations and, with a courteous nod to Feng Qingliu, turned to leave.

"Wait a minute, kid. How about we strike a deal?" Feng Qingliu called out just as Mo Fanchen was about to exit the cell.

"Not interested."

Mo Fanchen nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, ready to depart once more.

"Shadow Waltz from the Windreavers, a four-cycle skill!"

At the mention of a skill, Mo Fanchen stopped in his tracks.

"Sorry, I don't dance."

"Shadow Waltz is a Lightness Skill I acquired from the Windreavers! Help me find one item, and I'll pass this skill on to you! What do you say?" Feng Qingliu spoke with urgency, fearing another refusal from Mo Fanchen.

"What item?"

The prospect of receiving a four-cycle skill piqued Mo Fanchen's interest, and he wasn't concerned about any hidden traps; after all, he was on the inside, and they were on the outside.

As for what Feng Qingliu was seeking, Mo Fanchen thought it best to hear him out first. If it turned out to be contraband, he could always say no later.

"Chen Xing has a copy of Playboy magazine. Could you fetch it for me?"

Upon learning it was merely a magazine, Mo Fanchen paused briefly before agreeing. Chen Xing was part of a different guard shift, and it would be several days before he rotated in with the Wu brothers. Retrieving a magazine seemed like a simple task, and he could just return it when Chen Xing was on duty.

Chen Xing's room was located one floor below the Wu brothers'. Regarding the door key, Mo Fanchen had been informed of its location during a card game with the Wu brothers.

The interior of Chen Xing's room bore a striking resemblance to that of the Wu brothers'. Mo Fanchen had to exert considerable effort to locate the magazine amidst a veritable mountain of assorted items.

"I've got the magazine. What about the skill you promised me?" Mo Fanchen asked, waving the colorful magazine as he extended his hand toward Feng Qingliu.

The sultry pin-up girl on the magazine cover immediately captured Feng Qingliu's attention.

"Hand over the magazine!" Feng Qingliu demanded, his eyes blazing with lascivious desire. He pressed himself against the glass window, clawing at it like a ravenous tiger, desperate to snatch the magazine from Mo Fanchen's grasp.

"Hey, big brother! It's just a magazine. Is it really worth all this fuss?" Mo Fanchen couldn't help but laugh at Feng Qingliu's behavior. The term 'lecherous ghost' seemed tailor-made for him.

"You don't know a damn thing!" Feng Qingliu retorted harshly. After a moment of struggling to rein in his overwhelming desire, he managed to regain his composure, though he offered no explanation to Mo Fanchen.

Feng Qingliu's subsequent action, however, made Mo Fanchen's eyes bulge in astonishment!