abnabooks Chapter 1 Psychopathy
Chapter 1 Psychopathy
Great Yan, Liangzhou, Jinqing Prefecture, Shangyin County.
"Practicing martial arts without stance training is futile! Stance training is the foundation of martial arts!"
"Once you master the Wild Ox Stance, you can achieve great success in your Qi and blood within one or two years and become a formal disciple of the Martial Arts Hall!"
"Martial arts, as long as you work hard enough, will bring you sufficient rewards!"
Inside the Shangyin Martial Arts School, Senior Brother Li Fei was giving a loud lecture. All the disciples in the school were listening attentively, except for a thin and handsome young man who, although he was also holding his head high, had a look of horror in his eyes. Clearly, his mind was not on the lecture at all.
Framed and killed, Mo Zheng never expected to be reborn, and to be reborn in a world similar to ancient Earth.
The only difference is that this world has martial arts, and it is said that those who master it to a high level can ascend to heaven and descend to earth.
Mo Zheng didn't believe it at first. Going up and down to heaven and earth, wasn't that cultivating immortality? Could a poor martial artist really do that?
However, after witnessing his senior brother shatter a large blue stone as tall as a person with a single punch, he began to believe it.
Senior Brother Li Fei is just a disciple of a martial arts school in a county town. His biggest dream is to be admitted to the martial arts hall of Jinqing Prefecture. If he has such strength, how powerful must the martial arts experts in the prefecture and state be?
The original owner of this body was also named Mo Zheng, fourteen years old, an ordinary disciple of the Shangyin Martial Arts School.
As for how he died...
He died from practicing martial arts!
He and his two brothers relied entirely on their eldest brother's marriage into the family to make a living.
It's important to understand that at this time, the status of a son-in-law was shockingly low, and his younger brother was practically the lowest of the low, often being bullied and discriminated against.
Therefore, after having the opportunity to learn martial arts, the original owner practiced desperately, hoping to one day achieve success in martial arts, stand out from the crowd, and change his fate.
But he wasn't the only one with this idea; all the disciples at the martial arts school were practicing desperately, but martial arts requires talent and resources...
After practicing martial arts for half a year, the original owner's swordsmanship and stance training had barely reached the basics. However, before he could achieve greater success, he died because his body could not withstand the excessive training.
It's not easy for an ordinary person to achieve success...
Mo Zheng transmigrated here, inheriting the original owner's body and memories, and naturally he also has ideas about martial arts.
Everyone's transmigrated, so who isn't a chosen one of destiny?
Martial arts are not something you can master in one go... and then you discover you're just average...
After two months of diligent cultivation, Mo Zheng's progress was slightly slower than that of the ordinary disciples.
If martial arts don't work, perhaps according to modern thinking, one should switch to a different path: literature? Medicine? Business?
As long as I make money, I'll enjoy life no matter what.
Mo Zheng was quick-witted; he had mentioned it to his older brother three days ago.
Mo Danian was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, he immediately grabbed a stick and started hitting Mo Zheng's buttocks hard!
You have to know that the tuition for a martial arts school is not cheap. In order to persuade his wife, he changed the frequency from once every three days to three times a day!
Even the toughest man couldn't take it!
Mo Danian had been feeling a lot of back pain lately, but then this kid actually said he wasn't going to train anymore!
So, after lying in bed for two days before he could finally get out of bed, Mo Zheng realized one thing: changing careers was impossible, at least not until his older brother was completely disappointed, unless he wanted to be beaten so badly that he couldn't take care of himself.
But this situation continued until just now, and it seems that something different has happened.
A drop of pale golden liquid appeared in his mind.
He was very familiar with this thing; it was a seed of telekinesis that had traveled through time with him!
Mo Zheng felt both surprised and delighted.
In his previous life, he was an ordinary person who accidentally awakened the top-level superpower of telekinesis and became one of the most watched geniuses in the world.
However, precisely because of this, he was envied by others, framed by those close to him, fell into a trap, and died while transmigrating.
Mo Zheng was distracted because of the seed of mental power that appeared two months after his transmigration. Anyone would be distracted if they suddenly received a cheat code.
"What are you looking at? Get back to practicing your stance!"
At this moment, Senior Brother Li Fei walked up to Mo Zheng, frowned, and said in a deep voice, "With your talent, if you don't practice diligently, you have no hope of achieving mastery of your qi and blood before the age of eighteen. Do you want to be looked down upon for the rest of your life?!"
Mo Zheng snapped out of his daze, not daring to argue back, and quickly stood up straight.
Li Fei glanced at it a few times, shook his head secretly, and walked away. He knew Mo Zheng's background: the younger brother of a live-in son-in-law, who was often bullied and beaten. His elder brother had gone to great lengths to send him to a martial arts school, hoping to change his fate.
Unfortunately, martial arts training depends on aptitude, and the second son of the Mo family clearly has a aptitude that is difficult to attain...
Mo Zheng had no idea what Li Fei was thinking. In fact, although he was practicing standing meditation, his mind was already far away.
If you practice martial arts and awaken your telekinetic powers, what's the point of practicing anymore?
What does his poor martial arts aptitude have to do with his superpowered nature?
A mere martial artist, practicing standing meditation every day, covered in sweat, is nothing compared to the superhuman who can increase his strength simply by meditating.
"But this psychic power has just awakened; it's a bit too weak..."
Mo Zheng looked up at a gecko resting in the corner of the wall not far away. With a thought, he gently lifted the gecko up, but a feeling of strain immediately arose.
In that moment of relaxation, the gecko broke free of the telekinetic force and frantically crawled away into the distance.
"If he can't even control a small gecko, then this telekinesis will probably take a lot of practice to work," Mo Zheng thought to himself.
However, he caught a glimpse of Li Fei staring at him with displeasure out of the corner of his eye, and he immediately snapped out of it, no longer daring to be distracted, and focused on standing up in the Wild Ox Stance.
Li Fei, this martial artist, is very strict in his teaching; if you don't listen to a warning after one warning, you'll get a beating.
Mo Zheng is no match for this senior brother now.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. With Li Fei's order to dismiss the group, the hundreds of disciples in the martial arts school cheered excitedly and headed out the door.
Mo Zheng, dragging his exhausted body, followed the crowd toward the door.
Just then, a disciple blocked Mo Zheng's path, saying in a roguish tone, "Mo Zheng, why are you walking so fast? Last month's protection fee was one hundred coins, hand it over now!"
Mo Zheng frowned. This Zhang Li was notorious in the martial arts school for bullying the weak and fearing the strong. He would specifically target honest disciples with ordinary aptitudes to bully and collect protection money. Because his elder brother was a live-in son-in-law, the original owner dared not cause trouble and suffered a lot of beatings and paid a lot of money.
"What protection fee? Does a martial arts school even have this fee?" Mo Zheng asked rhetorically.
He wouldn't back down against these petty thugs, even if they hadn't awakened their psychic powers.
"Don't want to pay? Fine, very well!"
"I hope you won't regret it later."
Zhang Li chuckled sinisterly, stepped forward, patted Mo Zheng on the shoulder, and silently stuffed a small stone-like object into Mo Zheng's chest.
If he hadn't awakened his mental power, Mo Zheng wouldn't have noticed, but now, his keen perception of his surroundings surpasses that of others.
"Hello!"
Mo Zheng grabbed the other person's sleeve and said meaningfully, "Leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future."
"You? You spineless coward who lives off your brother selling himself, dare to talk to me about being a human being?"
Zhang Li impatiently flung Mo Zheng's hand away, gave a cold laugh, and then shouted loudly, "Thief! A disciple of the martial arts school has stolen something!"
Upon hearing this, the martial arts students who were originally planning to go home all stopped and surrounded the two.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Just as Du Feng, the headmaster of the martial arts school, came out from the back hall, preparing to give his elite disciples special training, he approached with several of his most prized disciples.
"Master, it's him! That brat Mo Zheng stole one tael of silver from me!" Zhang Li said, pointing at Mo Zheng.
So it was money, an attempt to frame me?!
"You're talking nonsense!"
Mo Zheng's face flushed red, and he angrily rammed into Zhang Li, shouting, "You're talking nonsense!"
Caught off guard, Zhang Li stumbled backward from the impact, and in that instant of contact, Mo Zheng used his mental power to move the one or two taels of silver to Zhang Li's chest.
This means the item has been returned to its rightful owner.
"Master, look, he's hitting people!"
Zhang Li, who was knocked back, did not fight back. Instead, he pretended to be wronged and shouted in front of Du Feng.
Du Feng glanced at Mo Zheng, then frowned, thinking of his brother who had become a son-in-law. Too lazy to ask any questions, he simply ordered, "Go, search him."
Several disciples immediately rushed forward and pounced on Mo Zheng.
Mo Zheng did not resist and let them do as they pleased.
Zhang Li stared at Mo Li with an air of anticipation, but as time passed, the disciples removed all of Mo Zheng's belongings. Apart from a dozen or so copper coins, they found no silver coins. His expression changed.
"Where's the money?"
Du Feng asked, glancing at Zhang Li with ill intent.
"I clearly put the money down just now... I saw him take it."
Zhang Li said in a somewhat panicked manner, "He's hidden it! He must have hidden it!"
"Tell me quickly, where did you hide the silver?"
He stepped forward and grabbed Mo Zheng by the collar, intending to search the area himself. However, Mo Zheng was not about to let him get away with it. He punched Zhang Li in the chest, and Zhang Li fell to the ground in pain. A small piece of silver rolled out from his chest and landed on the bluestone ground with a crisp sound.
Du Feng's face darkened as he looked at the silver coin.
It wasn't about whether he stole the silver or not, but that someone actually dared to make a fool of him!
"Zhang Li, come here," Du Feng said.
Zhang Li hurriedly got up, walking towards Du Feng as he said, "Master, let me explain, this must be a frame-up. I clearly caught him stealing just now..."
Bang!
With a dull thud, Zhang Li collapsed to the ground in pain, his words abruptly cut off.
He covered his mouth, blood gushing from between his fingers, and spat out two large teeth.
"You falsely accused a fellow disciple. You're banned from the martial arts school for a month. Do you accept that?" Du Feng said calmly.
"I...I submit..." Zhang Li replied with difficulty, his eyes filled with fear.
"That's all for now, everyone go back and rest."
Du Feng waved his hand, without saying a word to Mo Zheng, and then left with his men.
Zhang Li stood up, clutching his teeth in one hand and covering his mouth with the other, glaring fiercely at Mo Zheng. Du Feng dared not offend him, so he could only direct all his resentment at Mo Zheng.
"You just wait!"
"I'll be waiting."
Mo Zheng replied nonchalantly, "He's just a small-time hoodlum at a martial arts school. Now that he's awakened his psychic powers, why would he care?"
"snort!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Li became even more enraged. He glared angrily at Mo Zheng and strode away.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mo Zheng returned home.
It was a small courtyard house with two sections and seven or eight rooms in an alley in the east of the city. Although it looked a bit dilapidated, it was still not a place that ordinary families could afford.
There aren't many people living there; it's just the eldest brother's family of three and his two brothers.
Mo Zheng knocked on the door and said, "I'm back," and immediately footsteps came from inside.
As the sound drew closer, the door opened, and a chubby little face appeared, excitedly calling out, "Second Brother!"
The third child, Mo Xiaotian, is only ten years old. He is chubby and fair-skinned, and extremely cute.
This is all thanks to the wealthy family of the eldest sister-in-law. In the original owner's memory, before the eldest brother Mo Danian married into the family, Mo Xiaotian was dark-skinned and thin, looking malnourished. He was not raised as well as he is now.
"Xiao Tian, did you study diligently today?"
Mo Zheng pinched his chubby little face, his expression full of affection.
Perhaps because of the early death of their parents, the three Mo brothers had an exceptionally deep bond. These relatives also gave Mo Zheng their all without reservation, allowing Mo Zheng, an only child in his previous life, to experience a different kind of family affection.
"I read it, and the teacher even praised me for memorizing the book," Mo Xiaotian said proudly, tilting his head back.
The martial arts school only accepts children over twelve years old, because if they are too young, their development will be insufficient, and practicing martial arts and stances will actually hinder their growth. Therefore, Mo Xiaotian's current task is to study and write.
"Alright, I know you're the best girl. I'll take you to the countryside to fly kites in a few days, okay?" Mo Zheng said with a smile.
Because of Mo Danian's marriage into the family, the three Mo brothers were looked down upon throughout Shangyin County. Therefore, Mo Zheng and Mo Xiaotian rarely went out to play, so as not to cause a situation like Zhang Li's.
However, after awakening his psychic powers, Mo Zheng felt that he would have the ability to protect himself in a few days, so he would not need to be so cautious.
"Really? The last time I flew a kite was two years ago!"
Mo Xiaotian was overjoyed, his eyes narrowing into slits with happiness.
It was the time when the grass was growing and the birds were singing, and Mo Xiaotian was at the lively and playful age. Of course, he didn't want to stay at home all day, but he was very sensible and afraid of getting into trouble, so he never went out.
"What are you all whispering about at the door? Come in and eat!"
Mo Danian's urging voice came from inside. The two brothers responded and then closed the courtyard gate and entered the inner room.
On a wooden table were five dishes: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup. A beautiful young woman with a dignified demeanor was feeding soup to a two- or three-year-old child, while a tall, handsome young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes was serving rice. They were Mo Danian and Wang Yumei, a married couple.
"Xiao Zheng is back. Sit down and eat. You must be tired after practicing martial arts for so long."
Wang Yumei said with a smile, "I specially asked the restaurant to make stewed beef for you today. Martial artists need to eat more meat."
"Thank you, sister-in-law."
Mo Zheng said gratefully, and sat down with Mo Xiaotian, and began to eat heartily.
Although the three brothers married into the family, their sister-in-law treated them very well and never mistreated them. Whether it was Xiaotian's schooling or Mozheng's martial arts training, it was all funded by Wang Yumei. Fortunately, the Wang family owned a restaurant with a decent business, otherwise they would not have been able to support such a large family.
It's important to know that training at a martial arts school is very expensive. Although it was officially established by the Great Yan government, it's only free for the first three months. This is to select true martial arts geniuses. After three months, those with excellent aptitude can train for free, while others will need to pay five taels of silver per month!
This is enough for a family of five to live on for two months.
However, martial arts require a lot of resources. If you have neither the aptitude nor the money, you should find another path as soon as possible.
After eating and drinking his fill, Mo Zheng took a bath and then returned to his room to rest.
It's impossible for him to fall asleep.
Do not sit cross-legged, but begin your practice according to the meditation methods you learned in your previous life.
He concentrated his mind, and his consciousness immediately entered the Purple Mansion located between his eyebrows.
In the endless darkness, boundless and limitless, there was only a drop of pale golden liquid at the very center, which was the crystallization of mental power.
As Mo Zheng activated his mental cultivation technique, the liquid within his Purple Mansion rapidly released a large amount of pale golden mist. In the blink of an eye, the liquid could no longer be clearly seen, replaced by a long, illusory river stretching across the darkness, magnificent and mysterious, containing unfathomable majesty.
Heavenly River Forging Divine Technique!
By visualizing the universe and the Milky Way with mental power, and cultivating to the highest level, moving mountains with a mere thought is nothing more than a trivial matter.
After an hour of cultivation, Mo Zheng, having exhausted his mental energy, fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up the next morning, he was able to easily control the teapot filled with water on the table.
"This is much faster than martial arts training."
Mo Zheng felt a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, mixed feelings). Compared to the slow progress in stance training and swordsmanship after two months of practice, the speed of mental power cultivation was visibly fast.
As long as his body can withstand it, his mental power can continue to increase. If this continues, he will be able to protect himself in just a few days.
"After my mental power reaches its limit in a few days, I will then focus on cultivating martial arts."
Mo Zheng made a plan in his mind. The martial arts of this world are based on qi and blood. Strengthening one's own qi and constantly transforming one's soul still has its merits.
At least, without the technological means and drug assistance of his previous life, if he wanted to make his mental power stronger, he would still have to rely on martial arts to strengthen his physique.
So what if I'm a warrior? I'm just making up for my weaknesses, doing both things well!
In the following days, Mo Zheng focused almost entirely on his mental cultivation, and his training at the martial arts school was perfunctory.
As he expected, his psychic power grew at an extremely rapid pace. However, he failed to notice that Li Fei's gaze towards him was becoming increasingly strange.
……