Under One Person: Rebuilding the Glory of the Beast Master

Master Jinguang stood there, unassuming and even somewhat hunched over. Yet no one dared to underestimate him—in the Quanxing sect, who wasn't a cunning old fox who had lived to that age?

"Master Duan..." Gao Tianci lay in the snow, a few crimson pills in his mouth. The bleeding had temporarily stopped, but his face was as white as paper, and his voice was broken and intermittent, "This child... cannot be kept..."

Master Jin Guang glanced down at him, his gaze neither one of pity nor impatience.

"Old Gao, take a break and catch your breath before you speak," he said slowly, turning his gaze back to Zeng Su.

"Baby, you haven't answered my question yet." Venerable Jin Guang took two steps forward.

"Hmph~"

Bai Jiahei immediately let out a low growl, pawed the ground with its front hooves, and pointed its fangs forward, blocking Zeng Su's path.

Master Jinguang stopped and tilted his head to examine Bai Jiahei. He clicked his tongue in amazement: "What a beast! It understands human nature, protects its master, and knows how to assess the situation. I've been in the martial world for decades, and I've only seen a handful of strange beasts. You pig can rank in the top three."

He said it in a rather indifferent way, but those who know him well know that Master Jin Guang rarely praises people in his life.

Zeng Su did not lower his guard because of the other party's praise. His hand was on Bai Jiahei's neck, ready to deal with the other party's attack at any time.

"I raised it," Zeng Su said.

The Golden Light Master's eyes lit up.

"At what age did you raise it?"

"last year."

"Last year?" Venerable Jin Guang raised an eyebrow. "And this year—"

Eight years old.

Master Jinguang remained silent for a moment.

"Eight years old, and he's raised a beast." He shook his head and muttered to himself, "In all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen such a beast-tamer. Those geniuses from prestigious schools are nothing compared to this kid."

His words were crude, but the astonishment in his tone was genuine.

The people of Zengjiazhuang looked at each other in bewilderment. Zeng Qing'an gripped the black knife in his hand tightly, while Big Black leaned against the low wall, panting heavily, but his eyes remained fixed on Duan Youde.

Zeng Qing'an knew in his heart that this Jin Guang Shangren was a hundred times more difficult to deal with than Gao Tianci. There was no comparison between an unknown member of the Quanxing sect and the renowned Quanxing master Jin Guang Shangren.

Master Jin Guang led the Quanxing sect on the run for decades, and countless prestigious sects set up elaborate traps to capture him, but they never succeeded.

But what can we do now? If Master Jin Guang makes a move, then we can only fight back.

Master Jin Guang withdrew his gaze from Big Black and looked back at Zeng Su.

"Kid," he said, "old man, I have a question for you."

Zeng Su didn't speak, he just looked at him.

Master Jin Guang didn't care and continued, "How did you raise this strange beast? I know a little about the methods of beast masters. Selective breeding, taming, and Qi cultivation—it takes at least ten years to produce a decent beast. You're eight years old, and you've raised a strange beast in just one year—that doesn't make sense."

Zeng Su was silent for a moment, then uttered four words: "Innate superpower."

The moment those four words were uttered, Venerable Jin Guang's eyelids twitched.

Innate superpowers.

In the world of superhumans, this term carries great weight. The sources of superhuman abilities can be roughly divided into two types—one is acquired cultivation, relying on techniques, inheritance, and hard work to gradually transform an ordinary person into a superhuman; the other is innate awakening, where one is born with a special ability, requiring no cultivation or inheritance, and is born a superhuman.

The latter is extremely rare, and each innate ability has its own unique characteristics, often exceeding common sense and impossible to replicate by conventional means.

Master Jinguang squinted and stared at Zeng Su for a long while.

He was trying to determine whether the doll was lying.

But raising a strange beast at the age of eight is something only those with innate supernatural abilities could do.

Then, Venerable Jin Guang took two more steps forward. This time, Bai Jia Hei didn't growl; he just stared at him warily, his mane slightly bristling, ready to unleash his Iron Mane Kill.

When he was less than two meters away from Bai Jiahei, Jin Guang Shangren stopped, squatted down, and looked Bai Jiahei in the eye.

"You beast," he said again, then reached out and actually reached for Bai Jiahei's head.

"Don't move." Zeng Su's voice suddenly rang out.

Master Jin Guang's hand stopped in mid-air, and he looked up at Zeng Su.

"If you touch it," Zeng Su said, "it will attack you." At the same time, the black knife in Zeng Su's hand began to tremble; he was confident he could strike Jin Guang Shangren from this distance.

Master Jinguang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Alright, alright," he stood up, withdrew his hand, "This old man won't touch you, won't touch you. You have the same temperament as me when I was young."

His smile faded, and his gaze towards Zeng Su changed. The previous nonchalant casualness vanished, replaced by seriousness and earnestness.

"Child," the Golden Light Master's voice deepened, "this old man has something to discuss with you."

Zeng Su didn't speak, but he already had a vague premonition.

"Come with me," said the Golden Light Master. "Become my disciple, and I will pass on all my skills to you."

After these words were spoken, the entire Zengjiazhuang fell silent.

You could even hear the sound of snow falling on the ground.

Zeng Qingan's expression changed repeatedly, his grip on the black knife tightening. He wanted to speak, but something seemed to be blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The Venerable Jin Guang of Quanxing wanted to take his grandson as his disciple.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

To put it nicely, although Venerable Jin Guang is in Quanxing, he is quite famous, and his "Golden Escape Flowing Light" technique is unparalleled in the world. If Zeng Su could learn it, it would be an incredible opportunity.

Speaking of bad things—what kind of place is Quanxing? A bunch of lawless lunatics. Once you go in, you can forget about coming out unscathed. Zeng Su is only eight years old. If he follows Jin Guang Shangren into Quanxing, his life will be ruined. Once you enter Quanxing, you'll be at odds with the entire martial arts world.

Zeng Qingan's mind was in complete chaos.

Zeng Su remained calm as he looked at the Golden Light Master.

"I'm not going," Zeng Su said.

The two words were crisp and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation. If he had been born into a relationship with the Quanxing Sect, there would have been no choice but to follow that path to the end. But now he had a choice, so how could he possibly associate with the Quanxing Sect? Joining the Quanxing Sect would be entirely detrimental. He didn't want to be at odds with the strongest beings under one person, especially now in this chaotic era.

The smile on Jin Guang Shangren's face froze for a moment, but quickly returned.

"Not going?" He tilted his head, as if listening to a very interesting joke. "Kid, do you know how many people in the entire world of supernatural beings want to become my disciples? Do you know how many people dream of learning my 'Golden Escape Flowing Light' technique?"

"I don't know," Zeng Su said. "And I don't want to know."

Master Jinguang could no longer laugh.

He looked at Zeng Su, the golden light in his triangular eyes growing brighter and brighter, as if two flames were burning deep within his pupils, and said sharply:

"Have you considered the consequences of rejecting me?"

"Of course I've thought about it, but we'll only know who's stronger after a fight."

"Why?" Master Jin Guang continued to ask.

"Because you are a member of the Quanxing (All-Sex Society)," Zeng Su said. "I don't want to have anything to do with Quanxing."

This statement is blunt, without any embellishment, and even lacks any manners.

The Golden Light Master's expression changed.

It wasn't anger, but something more complex—like someone had touched a sore spot, or like recalling something from a long time ago.

He remained silent for a long time.

The snow was still falling, landing finely and densely on his gray hair and his faded gray clothes.

The people of Zengjiazhuang didn't dare to breathe loudly, and all eyes were focused on the Golden Light Master.

Zeng Qing'an's hands were trembling, not from fear, but because he was prepared to fight to the death. If Jin Guang Shangren were to attack Zeng Su, he would rush forward without hesitation.

Even if they can't win, even if they die, they won't hesitate for a second.

Gao Tianci lay in the snow with a smile on his lips. He wished that Jin Guang Shangren would slap this little beast to death and avenge him for the knife wound.

But Master Jin Guang did not make a move.

"Sigh~"

He suddenly sighed, his voice soft and heavy.

"You're right," said Master Jin Guang.

These four words stunned everyone.

"I am a member of Quanxing, and I have committed countless evil deeds in my life." Master Jinguang seemed to be talking to himself. "I have burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of evil. Those people from prestigious sects have called me a demon, a monster, and a scourge. They are right to call me that. I am indeed a monster."

He paused, looked up, and gazed at the snow falling heavily.

"But when people get old, they start thinking about all sorts of things," he continued. "I've never married or had children in my life. I feel like I'm taking all my skills to the grave. Call me selfish or say I deserve it, but I just want to find someone to pass on my 'Golden Escape Flowing Light' technique so it doesn't die out."

He turned his head and looked at Zeng Su. The golden light in his triangular eyes had disappeared, replaced by the weariness of an old man.

"Kid, I know you look down on the Quanxing Sect and on me. That's normal. You have your own path to walk, and I won't force you," he said. "But there's something I need to tell you—in this world, survival is more important than anything else, whether you're on the right path or the wrong path."

However, Quanxing is not a good place for a small child.

Zeng Su remained silent.

Master Jin Guang chuckled, but there was an indescribable bitterness in his laughter.

"Alright, that's enough. I won't make a fool of myself anymore." He turned around, walked to Gao Tianci's side, bent down and lifted Gao Tianci up from the snow like a chick.

Gao Tianci screamed in pain as the wound on his side reopened, and blood flowed down his clothes.

"Master Duan... he's just gone like that?" Gao Tianci asked through gritted teeth, unwilling to accept it. "That kid..."

"Shut up," said the Golden Light Master coldly. "If you utter another word, I'll throw you here to feed the pigs."

Gao Tianci dared not say anything more. There was no such thing as an alliance within the Quanxing sect. He was 100% certain that Jin Guang Shangren would keep his word, so keeping quiet was the best option.

"Full of authenticity" means acting freely; that is the essence of "fullness."

Master Jin Guang, carrying Gao Tianci, turned around and gave Zeng Su one last look.

"Kid, remember this old man's words," he said. "No road in this world is easy to travel. As you walk, you'll find that the road is full of potholes."

Zeng Su did not respond. He had to be extremely vigilant towards Jin Guang Shangren and all the Quanxing. Of course, it would be even better if they were willing to leave.

"I'll make you a promise: if you change your mind and come to me, I'll pass on all my skills to you."

After Jin Guang Shangren finished speaking, his Qi suddenly erupted.

Zeng Su's pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw the body of the Golden Light Master begin to blur, like an ink painting being soaked in water, its outline rapidly dissolving and finally turning into a golden stream of light.

The speed of the streak of light was unbelievable. One second it was still in the same spot, and the next second it had disappeared. In the blink of an eye, even the golden light could not be seen, leaving only the snow falling all over the sky and the snow mist swirling up in the pine forest.

This is the "Golden Escape Flowing Light," which can travel hundreds of miles in an instant and is a top-tier secret technique in the entire world of supernatural beings.

Zeng Su stared in the direction of the disappearance, remaining silent for a long time. To be honest, he was quite drooling over this Golden Shield Stream of Light. As long as one mastered the Golden Shield Stream of Light, regardless of combat ability, the ability to survive would be unparalleled.

However, as I said before, he doesn't want to have anything to do with Quanxing right now.

Zeng Qing'an finally couldn't hold on any longer. His legs gave way and he sat down on the snow. Every part of his body was in pain. For someone his age and body, maintaining a beast-like state was extremely torturous.

Big Black also lay down, his heavy breathing particularly clear in the cold wind.

"Father!" Zeng Runzu rushed over and helped Zeng Qing'an up. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Zeng Qing'an waved his hand, his gaze fixed on Zeng Su.

He looked so small and thin, his cotton-padded coat was covered in snow, his hat was askew, and there were a few drops of blood on his face.

But he just stood there, his back straight, his eyes fixed on the direction where the Golden Light Master had disappeared, without moving.

Zeng Qingan's nose suddenly stung with tears.

He recalled the day Zeng Su was born, the baby's cries that sounded like thunder, and every little detail of the past eight years.

He always felt that Zeng Su was an exception, a genius that the Zeng family hadn't seen in two hundred years, and the one who could lead the Zeng family to regain its glory.

But just now, as he watched Zeng Su face Gao Tianci and Jin Guang Shangren, he suddenly realized something.

This child is more than just a genius.

He was also a soldier.

An eight-year-old warrior who dared to fight to the death with the Quanxing people.

Zeng Qingan stood up, brushed the snow off his clothes, walked over to Zeng Su, and reached out to straighten his grandson's crooked hat.

"Su'er," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

Zeng Su turned his head and looked at his grandfather.

"You can't trust what Quanxing says," Zeng Qing'an said.

"I know," Zeng Su nodded.

He looked at his grandfather's tired face, at the wounds on Big Black's body, at the pig carcasses lying in the snow outside the village, and at the clansmen stung by the Gu bees.

He had so much to say, but in the end he only said one sentence: "Grandpa, I want to become stronger."

Only strength can protect everything.

Zeng Qingan reached out and rubbed Zeng Su's head. His large, calloused hand trembled slightly as it rested on Zeng Su's head.

"Okay," he said. "Grandpa will be waiting for you."

Zeng Su did not answer again, because he had lost all consciousness and fallen into a coma.

His strength was indeed great, but his 8-year-old body couldn't withstand it.