Chapter 9: Abuse of Power (2)
William was generally a trusting guy, perhaps influenced by his peaceful life back in his hometown. However, even idiots could tell that these youths blocking his way screamed 'trouble' from miles away.
It would be best not to get involved.
"I'm sorry, I'm busy right now. Please excuse me..."
He gave them a slight bow, and then tried to walk around them.
"Hey."
One of youth grabbed him by the shoulder.
"That's not a question, you punk. That's an order!"
The youth's hand was surrounded by a white glow. Suddenly, he felt a heavy weight pressing down on him.
'Not good!'
Just as the youth was about to pull him, William manifested his own aura, and then pushed the youth's hand away.
"This guy-!"
"You asked for it! Don't blame us for getting rough!"
Milky-white aura surged out out their bodies, their brilliance comparable to each other!
'They're also in middle rank!'
Infused with qi, the youth on the left threw a blindingly fast punch toward William's face. Normally, he shouldn't have been able to dodge that, as the speed was something that a mere elementary-stage martial artist couldn't even imagine.
However, in his current state, William was seeing the world differently for the first time in his life.
His senses were sharpened greatly. As he put his focus toward the incoming punch, he felt the world around him moving in slow motion. The fist flying at him at breakneck speed was softened just enough to allow him to react.
Dodging was still impossible, but he could at least do something!
He raised his forearm, blocking the punch from a slight angle, diverting its trajectory away from him. At the same time, he kicked his desk, pushing it toward the two youths.
"Damn-!"
As the wooden desk crashed on them, William leaped a few steps back, creating as much distance as he could. He
"Seniors, I've never met you before. There's no bad blood between us. If I've offended you somehow, I'll apologize, but please don't make it difficult for me!"
William's attempt at diffusing the situation didn't work on the two youths. They only smirked menacingly at him.
"Hehe, you talk too much. It's not us that you've offended! But it doesn't matter. Today we're really going to teach you a lesson!"
The youth who had punched William just then swung his fist at the desk, crushing it into chunks of wood. Wielding two broken pieces as if they were short staffs, he lunged toward William alongside a crazed roar. Meanwhile, the other youth trailed from behind, most likely to follow up with his own attack.
'It doesn't make sense!'
William gritted his teeth. He was so sure that he never had any enemy before. Why would this kind of thing suddenly happened to him?
Ah, wait a minute...
'It's not us that you've offended!'
That means, someone else was offended by him. Could it be...
"You dare getting distracted in our fight?!"
"Sh-"
William tried to dodge it, but it was too late. A piece of wood, infused with the youth's qi, smashed on his temple. His aura managed to prevent the sharp splinters from hurting him, but the impact still caused an explosion in his head, as if thousand gongs rang right in front of his ear.
Staggered, he tried to move to the side, but the other youth appeared at that moment, sending a sharp kick at his stomach.
The kick connected, sending a numbing pain all over his body.
But, he refused to go down!
Not like this!
His meridian rotated the qi within his body furiously, strengthening his aura. It was as if an explosion of milky-white light had suddenly ignited, with William at the center. The sudden pressure made the two youths froze momentarily in their place.
"Hah!"
Qi gathered around his fist, growing thicker and thicker as they swirled wildly. With all his might, he swung his arm downward, throwing a punch at the youth's stretched-out leg.
At first, he felt a strong resistance coming from the other person's better-refined aura. His fist was surely going to be stopped there. However, he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. He wouldn't!
'If this much couldn't do, then I'll just pour more into it!"
The aura around his body grew thinner. On the other hand, his fist was glowing more and more brightly. The brighter it shone, the less resistance hindered his punch!
"This is-!"
For the first time, the youth felt genuine danger!
This wasn't at the level that his aura could withstand anymore!
"Haaa!"
The resistance was no longer there.
His punch broke through, piercing through the skin, crushing right through the bone. The youth's leg was dragged down alongside William's fist, crashing onto the ground with a sickening crack.
"G-guaah!"
Pain took a few seconds to register. When they finally reached his brain, they sent the youth flailing in agony. When the dust had settled, he saw his right leg bent in the wrong direction. Any attempt to move it just made him feel more pain.
William was flabbergasted. Blood had been rushing to his head just then. He didn't expect that the result would be like this.
"I..."
"Damn you!!"
The other youth flew at him in a rage, hitting William with his wooden pieces again and again. William didn't even try to resist. He just swayed around, letting the youth do whatever he wanted.
At some point, some disciples finally called for an instructor. Something had gone terribly wrong. It wasn't just some seniors hazing their junior anymore. In a matter of minutes, an instructor had finally arrived and pried the enraged youth away from William's battered body.
It had turned into a big mess.
The youth with broken leg had to rest in the infirmary for a while. As for the other youth and William, they were handed to the disciplinary committee for punishment.
For fighting in class and destroying the academy's equipment, the youth was to be undergo closed room cultivation for a month in order to reflect upon his conduct.
As for William...
"Deliberately injuring fellow disciples, this is a serious crime! As per the rules of the royal academy, you'll be sentenced to three months in solitary confinement!"
The verdict was declared just like that.
William had a vacant look this entire time. He didn't even pay attention to the committee's decision. Without his objection, the committee went unchallenged. A pair of guards was called over to take him away.
At that moment, the door to the committee's hall was suddenly slammed open.
"Hold it!"
The one who had walked in just now was Robert!
"I request that the committee would be so kind as to postpone your decision regarding this kid. I'll be the one to handle it from here."
Flinging his arm over William's shoulder, he pulled the boy to his side. Seeing that, a committee member frowned.
"Instructor, you know that the rules couldn't be changed. We can't make exception just because you asked for it!"
"Even if it is requested by the Fist Saint Elder himself?"
The old coots immediately went silent. They might held some influence in the academy as members of the disciplinary committee, but compared to the eight Elders, they were no more than mere ants! There was no way that they would dare to reject it.
"That's all. Please excuse us."
Leaving the stunned committee members, Robert dragged William away from the disciplinary hall. He kept on dragging him across the entire inner disciple area until they finally reached the usual training ground.
Only after he looked back that he noticed William's ghastly appearance.
'This kid... he's not the one who got his bones crushed, so why does he look like he sustained the most injury?'
Actually, Robert could more or less tell the reason. He hadn't observed the kid over the last month for nothing.
Sighing, he let go of William's hand. Facing him straight on, he put both hands in front of the boy's face.
And then, he smacked them hard, producing a loud, thundering clap!
"Wh-wha? What just... i-instructor Robert?!"
It seemed to have worked. Light began to appear in the boy's eyes once more.
"You done moping, kid?" Robert grinned. "Now, tell me how much did you mess up."
"Ah, I-"
William gulped. He unconsciously cast his gaze down, unable to look at Robert in the eyes. However, the instructor wouldn't have any of it. He clasped both of the boy's cheek, and then pushed them back up.
"Talk. Now."
William bit his lips as his body trembled. Robert didn't push him further. He patiently stood there, waiting until the boy would open up to him.
In the end, William finally told him everything.
"I didn't- I didn't want to- I wasn't trying to-"
"I know, kiddo. I believe in you."
He patted the kid's head, as if telling him that everything would be alright.
It was just a mistake.
While jumping through ranks was a joyous occasion, there was a fatal downside to it: the practitioner wouldn't be able to adjust so quickly. It would result in them overusing their newly-acquired strength, in worst cases it could end up in tragedy.
Ending with a broken bone could be considered mild.
Moreover, from what William had told him, the two youths were the one who started this first, so he wasn't at fault. Naturally, Robert couldn't be too harsh on William.
"Alright, kid, stop worrying too much about it. It'll affect your cultivation. That moron will be fine. Broken bones is normal occurrence in this place. A week or two and it'll be as good as new!"
"...Really...?"
Naturally, he was happy to hear that the youth would be okay after that ordeal. Still, he was afraid of something else, and it wouldn't stop clouding his mind.
As an instructor, Robert could tell it from his face, even without needing him to say it.
"That thing you did is a method of qi control. It concentrate your aura to a particular part of your body in order to strengthen it multiple-folds. I'm sure that you've just covered it in today's class?"
William nodded. It did feel similar to the description that the previous instructor had told the class.
"It's something that everyone in foundation establishment stage and above can do without blinking an eye. However, for you kids, you still have to learn how to control them precisely. It'll be bad if you accidentally left a hole in your aura. It's a matter of life and death."
"Instructor, that time, I wasn't trying to control my qi, I was just-"
-trying to win. William couldn't bring himself to say that last part.
"Your qi is a part of you. They'll respond to your will even without you noticing. Having intricate mind isn't enough. To control your qi properly, a powerful will is also necessary!"
Robert clasped William's shoulders with both hands.
"Kid. Mistakes happen. Deal with it. Right now, what you have to do instead is to learn how to control your own power. Running away won't do. If you're afraid that something like this will happen again, then learn how to prevent it!"
Tears began to bloom on William's eyes, which the boy quickly wiped out in shame. Robert pretended that he didn't see it.
"Alright! Now, for your punishment. Starting from tomorrow, I'll have you undergo closed room cultivation for a month, just like that other rascal. During this time, you're forbidden from gathering more qi in your body. Instead, learn how to move your current qi around your body at will, not just simply circulating it along your meridian. Make it so that you can grasp the meaning of 'control'. Get it, kid?"
"Yes, instructor!"
He was clearly more energetic now. Robert couldn't help but smile at him.
"I'll give you some manuals about this topic as well. Be sure to read them thoroughly! I expect a detailed report about your progress in the next month. Any question?"
"Actually, instructor..."
"Hmmm?"
William fidgeted a bit, not sure whether it was appropriate to ask his question. Under Robert's firm gaze, he finally relented.
"How did you know that I was in trouble back then?"
"I was stalking you."
"..."
William facepalmed, regretting that he had bothered to ask.
"Just kidding!" Robert slapped the boy's back. "Later, you have to thank your roommate properly. He's the one who'd told me that you're in the disciplinary hall!"
"My roommate... Elias?"
"The fourth prince, yes."
It seemed that he had to bring another basket of oranges...
"You guys can talk it out between yourselves. Anything else?"
"Actually, I got one last question."
"Speak."
"What's... a 'closed door cultivation'? Do I cultivate while closing the door or...?"
"..."
This time, it was Robert's turn to facepalm.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone