Chapter 41 - The Predetermined Path
Cassius looked up, shooting him a cold glare.
Li Wei's instructor was still Lisa in the original timeline, but he was not her only disciple. He also had a junior brother named Damien and a junior sister named Sharon.
Although the three were fellow disciples, their relationship was very strained, especially between Damien and Li Wei. Damien would always look for ways to trip Li Wei up, stemming perhaps from a need to compete.
The irony was that despite Li Wei's higher mastery of Elephant Soul and better proficiency in Wind Elephant Fist, he could never beat Damien in their sparring sessions. Something in his personality seemed to be holding him back.
This was why Cassius, after probing Li Wei's memories, felt so frustrated. Li Wei was clearly strong, and yet a weaker person was bullying him. How laughable and absurd.
While Cassius was in the middle of reminiscing, the blond-haired Damien frowned and walked over. "I'm talking to you!"
"If I remember correctly, the instructor told you to get those training tools. Do your own job," Cassius replied indifferently, wiping sweat from his forehead with the white towel in his hand.
"Ooh, got a little temper today? What's up? Had a personality change?" Damien rubbed his stubbly chin and laughed.
Previously, whenever Damien told Li Wei to fetch something, Li Wei would do it without uttering a single word or complaint. Any chores Lisa assigned to Damien would be passed on to Li Wei and Damien would always take the credit once Li Wei completed them.
Over time, it became a habit, even an unspoken rule. When bullying becomes a norm, any resistance from the bullied, even a slight one, is unreasonable, evoking shock and anger from the bully. This was how Damien felt now.
After a momentary bout of surprise, he was immediately filled with fury. "You better do as I say and get the training tools. You have ten minutes!"
"Get it yourself." Cassius didn't want to deal with him at all. He would have slapped Damien long ago if the conditions had allowed him to. Cassius turned around and walked toward the light gray clothes hanging on the wall.
"What did you say?!" Damien's tone was clearly heated.
"I said, get it yourself," Cassius repeated.
He wasn't like Li Wei; he was no coward. The only way he'd ever bow his head was if it was someone he respected or someone he wanted to accommodate. Otherwise, even if there was a gun glued to his head, he wouldn't beg for mercy. This had been evident since the archaeological site incident.
"Hey, you're really getting into it, huh?!"
Damien glanced at Junior Sister Sharon; his pride was at stake here. He took two quick steps forward, and swung his right fist, performing a move from the Wind Elephant Sect’s Basic Combat Arts. His fist cut through the air, aiming straight for Cassius's left shoulder.
Thud! Slap!
The sound of a punch landing came first followed by the crisp slap of a hand hitting Damien's face.
Cassius whipped around. He had somehow maintained his punching posture, his refined muscles flexing with power.
Damien, who had initiated the attack, staggered back several steps on the opposite side. He shook his hand, stunned at the fact that Li Wei was stronger than him. Then he touched his cheek, confused. It burned.
He had been hit…by a mute coward? His brief moment of bewilderment morphed into rage.
"Stop right there!!!"
Damien charged toward the door, using an Explosive Technique as he swung his fist. Cassius, on the other hand, didn’t seem particularly concerned. He slung the towel around his neck and grabbed his clothes to leave.
Hearing the rushing sound approaching from behind, Cassius whipped off the sweat-soaked towel from his neck, smacking Damien in the face. Then, with a slight turn of his body, Cassius used his left foot to block and his shoulder to shove forward. Damien, whose eyes were clamped shut, grunted as he was forcefully knocked to the ground.
Footsteps approached. Cassius looked down at the dumbfounded Damien.
"I want you to remember this: the old Li Wei no longer exists. He's going to live a new life. Don't ever let me see that arrogant look on your face again, or I'll hit you every time I see it. Understand, bedwetter?"
Cassius glanced at Damien's lower body. For some reason, a dark spot was blooming over his crotch.
"You!" Damien's eyes widened in shame and anger. He had just woken from a nap and had been holding in his bladder. He had planned to relieve himself after checkning out the training room, but he unexpectedly ended up fighting Li Wei and got knocked down, losing control of his bladder in the process.
Beside him, Junior Sister Sharon was looking at him strangely, which was a massive blow to Damien's pride.
"Ahh!" He roared in grief and indignation. He tried to get up but Cassius kicked him away with a thud. A long, wet trail was left on the floor.
"Take your time peeing." Cassius flung the towel over his left shoulder and turned to leave. He suddenly turned around when he got to the door. "Remember to mop up your pee on the floor and open the windows to air the room out."
Cassius heard a frustrated roar echoing behind him as he left the training room. He smiled and hurried out of the gray building. Cassius gazed at the azure sky at the entrance.
The clouds floated rapidly in the wind and bright sun rays scattered a dazzling golden light over the buildings. The ornamental trees lining the gravel path rustled in the cool breeze.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Cassius looked at the upper right corner of his vision. The original sixty day time scale had suddenly increased by about half, jumping to ninety days!
"Li Wei, it feels wonderful to be brave for once, doesn't it…" Cassius lowered his head slightly, muttering to himself in a voice only he could hear. "You must've really wanted to become a man, more than I expected, for there to be this much of an increase at once…"
Whoosh…
A flock of white pigeons flapped their wings, slicing through the sky.
A tall young man walked down one side of the tree-lined path from the training room to the canteen. He occasionally looked at the buildings on either side, appearing somewhat unfamiliar with his surroundings.
The breeze rustled the treetops, and sunlight dappled the ground.
Cassius suddenly turned his head, looking into the distance. A curvy figure with eye-catching long legs and short, neat hair was approaching. She looked admirable even from afar.
She still wore the familiar beige combat attire, but instead of calling her "Instructor Lisa," Cassius now called her "Master."
"Li Wei, are you going to the canteen for a meal?"
"Yes, Master."
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