Everyone has their own illness.

  Ma Qi's voice dropped: "I, I, I just got impatient waiting, wanted to ask you where exactly did you pick up the mine core?... Ah Meng, we're neighbors, I've watched you grow up since childhood, how could I hurt you?... Tonight's matter I apologize to you, let's just forget it happened, if you forgive me, I will..."

  His words stopped abruptly, and Amun saw the strangest scene he had ever seen in his life. The ground originally condensed a layer of thin ice that was not easy to detect, which suddenly spread and wrapped around Ma Qi's entire body, freezing him whole. Immediately after, countless cracks appeared on the thin ice, densely cracking open, and Ma Qi's body also shattered into countless small pieces.

  The ice layer disappeared instantly, leaving only a dark red mark on the ground, blood and mud, Ma Qi silently and quietly disappeared forever.

  Amon looked up and indeed it was the old madman who had arrived. He couldn't tell what kind of magic spell the great magician had just used, was it ice freezing or space cutting? In an instant, he simultaneously cast a spell and made Ma Qi disappear without even asking any questions. Amon had never seen anyone being killed before, especially in such a bizarre and shocking way. After taking a few deep breaths, he asked: "Old madman, you just killed him like that, didn't you even ask him anything?"

  The old madman's face sank like water: "He has been following you for ten days, and went to your home three times in the middle of the night. Today, he suddenly rushed towards you with a big hammer in such a place. What else could it be?"

  "Ah-Mong was shocked: 'He's been to my house? While I wasn't around!'"

  The old madman nodded: "Yes, you were already very calm a few days ago, but not detailed enough. Tonight, however, there was progress and breakthrough, and he was actually discovered. You must pay attention to the subtle changes in the environment at all times, now knowing how important this is... Alas, perhaps I'm asking too much of you, after all, you're just a child! In any case, you didn't immediately strike him dead with one blow, which means you've already passed the test of desire and impulse."

  Amun asked in puzzlement, "You said I passed the test of desire impulse, but why did you kill him without asking any questions? At least let him explain himself." As he spoke, he looked at the dark red stain on the ground with a lingering fear and still hadn't calmed down.

  Old Crazy: "Kid, there are some useless questions that don't need to be asked! What you need to learn is not just divine arts or martial arts, but more importantly how to see through this world. Otherwise, what's the use of having power? A beast has great strength, do you want to be as ignorant as a wild animal?"

  Amun: "Ignorance? I just wanted to ask him clearly why he came, what he was going to do earlier, whether he wanted to catch me or kill me?"

  The old madman pointed to the marks on the ground: "Wanting to catch a child, no need to swing that pickaxe, nor burst out with such speed and strength, it's a fatal blow... He didn't even want to ask questions before killing you, perhaps he was worried about not being able to do it himself, so instead he used the most direct method without hesitation."

  Ammon couldn't help but shiver slightly: "You're so sure?"

  The old madman sighed again and said, "Ma Qi knows you, he's a neighbor in the small town, has been watching you grow up since childhood, familiar to the point of being inseparable. But today he didn't wear a mask, didn't consider what would happen if you recognized him? That can only mean one thing, before coming here, he never thought you'd be able to speak out about this matter."

  Amun lowered his head and said, "I really didn't think Ma Qi would do such a thing. He deserves to die, but I also made mistakes. If I hadn't taken out the Youlan Shui Xin that day to force Xiao Gu, maybe there wouldn't be today's disaster."

  The old madman nodded slightly: "Do you know he was sent by Xiao Gu?"

  Amun: "Thanks to your reminder, how could I not think of it? He didn't even cover his face, and he didn't just rob, he directly killed people. That can only be the instigation of Xiao Gu, Ma Qi is Xiao Gu's servant."

  The old madman walked over and patted Ah Meng's back, as if comforting him: "What you said earlier about yourself being wrong is just your own business. These things have nothing to do with Ma Qi's outcome, for him, you are not wrong at all... You could have killed him or not killed him earlier, but if you want to forgive someone's sin for some reason, you must first understand two things."

  "What two things?" Ah Mon asked, looking up.

  The old madman replied slowly: "First, you must clearly understand that when anyone makes a certain choice, they are also choosing the corresponding consequences, whether they like it or not. For example, Ma Qi, since he decided to do so, he should bear the consequence of possibly being killed, regardless of whether he realized it or not."

  Secondly, if you choose to forgive and pardon, you must understand and be able to bear the consequences of this forgiveness. You need to be clear whether doing so is resolving the grudge or bringing greater harm to yourself or others... As for Ma Qi, as a third-level warrior, he couldn't have failed to notice that you just used divine magic; even if he can't kill you, he will definitely report you, and since you haven't done anything wrong, he still wants your life.

  Amon lowered his head and said, "You don't need to say so much. In fact, there's no need for Ma Qi to go back and report it. You've already told me he's a third-level warrior. Just now, if I had let him go, he would have killed me."

  The old madman smiled again, as if self-mocking: "I've killed so many people in this lifetime, I myself can't remember how many. This is the first time I'm explaining so much to a kid. Armon, you're calmer than I was when I was young the first time you saw someone being killed right in front of you! Remember today's events, everything has a first time, experience is life's wealth."

  Ammon looked at the ground, his expression somewhat dazed, and replied: "Ma Qi is dead, killed by his own trap and also by Xiao Gu's desire. But Xiao Gu is still alive, what should we do?"

  "You figure it out yourself! Think about it, if I weren't here, what would you do?" The old madman replied, thought for a moment, and probably felt that he was making things too difficult for a child. He looked at the distant town of Duk with a mocking expression and said: "If you're smart, actually, you don't need to do anything. Time is precious now, it's not worth wasting on that kind of person."

  ……

  Amon soon understood why the old madman said "do nothing". Xiao Guo was ill again, this time it was not light, and he had obviously lost a lot of weight. He looked worried all day long. He didn't bother Amon anymore, occasionally strolling around the town, even if he saw Amon from afar, he would take a detour, as if he was afraid to see Amon.

  Ma Qi was a notable figure in Du Ke Town, and his sudden disappearance caused quite a stir. People were abuzz with speculation, and his family and neighbors who helped with the search couldn't find any news of him. Ma Qi's wife wept day and night, and the family went to the Mu Yun Temple to pray to the guardian goddess for her protection and blessings.

  It is unknown whether the goddess Mu Yun heard the prayers of Ma Qi's family, but the high priest did. It is said that Xiao Gu also gave a large sum of money to comfort Ma Qi's family, which moved and shocked the townspeople!

  To pay the tax for Amun, Xiao Gu almost went bankrupt. How could he be so kind as to take out a large sum of money again? Because he felt guilty and afraid, he didn't know what had happened to Ma Qi. Ma Qi got lost in the Black Fire Forest, was killed by mistake, was captured and interrogated, the matter was exposed and he escaped... and so on. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, fearing that he would also be exposed.

  Xiao Gu had already made preparations, in case Ma Qi was caught and confessed that it was his order. He would deny it outright, insisting that he had nothing to do with the matter, and that Ma Qi had been tempted by Ah Meng's many divine stones and wanted to rob and murder him. In any case, there were no witnesses or evidence, so even if Ma Qi testified against him, a noble like Xiao Gu couldn't be brought down by such empty accusations, and would instead be charged with slander.

  But that didn't happen, Ma Qi disappeared like air without a trace. Instead, when the town mayor Dasiti came to visit his illness, he asked if there were any clues about Ma Qi's disappearance? Xiao Guo said he knew nothing, but somehow felt that the mayor's eyes were a bit strange, making him uneasy.

  Xiao Gu really wants to know what happened. His heart feels like it's being clawed by a cat, Ma Qi was sent by him to kill Ah Mon, but Ah Mon came back unscathed, as if nothing had happened. Xiao Gu doesn't dare ask Ah Mon, fearing that his own guilt will be exposed, yet he can't figure out how things could have turned out this way, and the more he thinks about it, the more afraid he becomes.

  In the end, Xiao Gu was tormented by himself and couldn't bear it, so he asked for leave from Mayor Zhang and went to Chengbang to see a more skilled divine doctor, bringing his illness and temporarily "escaping" from Duketown.

  What was Amon doing during this time? He didn't have the time to bother with Xiao Gu, and the old madman taught him many things. To be precise, it wasn't teaching, but rather indoctrination, explaining almost all of the low-level first-grade divine techniques to him. In such a short period of time, Amon couldn't possibly practice one by one, and the old madman didn't ask him to practice either - he just asked him to remember as much as possible.

  Even the most outstanding magician cannot master all divine arts, but must have some understanding of them to deal with various situations. On the other hand, the old madman is not clear what Ah Mon will be best at in the future, he seems to be impatient to observe slowly, so he has laid such a foundation for Ah Mon. This method of teaching divine arts is almost invisible in major temples.

  Amon strained his mind, and only in a state of concentration could he remember so many complex divine spell incantations, which was even more tiring than mining. In comparison, learning to use the power of body techniques was much easier, and the old madman only wanted him to remember and understand various low-level divine spells, but what Amon had been practicing during this period was body techniques.

  First-class body technique requires awakening the power of explosion, which has been done by Amun long ago. The old madman lets him use this power. Collecting and sending out power is contained in the mining skills of Dek Town, but from the perspective of the body technique itself, its earliest theme is for people to cultivate their strong selves, and the most important skill in reality is used in fighting, so it is also called martial arts.

  The old madman wasn't too skilled in combat techniques, so he only let Amun use that "branch" to practice and feel how to use his strength. A great magician like him didn't need to engage in sword fights with others, and in fact, many divine magicians believed that personally engaging in rough close combat was contrary to their noble status.

  There are many important fighting experiences that can only be better grasped through actual combat experience, and the old madman cannot teach too much. As for strength, accuracy, agility, and endurance, Armon can cultivate them in his daily life.

  Amon felt mentally exhausted, if not for the spiritual training he had undergone in the previous period of time, he would have almost no way to remember the contents of the divine techniques explained by the old madman. However, his body was getting stronger and more powerful, feeling lighter and more comfortable. But just after Xiao Gu left Du Ke Town, Amon suddenly "fell ill"!

  Amon had no concept of "illness" from the start, as he had never been sick since childhood. So when this illness came, it was both sudden and mysterious, with frequent chills and fevers, seemingly reminiscent of the feeling he had two years ago after bathing in the cold spring. What's strange is that two years ago, he accidentally injured his leg, and last year, he sprained one side of his shoulder and back. These injuries had long since healed, but now they seemed to be acting up again, with the old wounds constantly aching faintly, making it hard to bear.

  He tried his best to appear normal on the surface, not wanting to worry his father, but secretly he was suffering greatly. When practicing body techniques, it was almost impossible for him to accurately control that iron rod. The old madman had performed a treatment spell on him, an eighth-level great magician's treatment spell, yet it could only alleviate Amun's pain without solving the underlying condition, and various minor ailments continued to recur.

  Amon was unclear what had happened to himself, though he couldn't say he was afraid, but rather a bit worried, while the old madman seemed very pleased.

  The old madman saw Amun's worries and finally smiled and said, "Kid, have you been having a hard time these past few days? I should thank you, from your body, I verified the conclusion I came up with many years ago. And you didn't disappoint me, facing new trials so soon."

  "What conclusion? What trial? I recall you once said that the first trial for becoming a divine spellcaster is 'Awakening of Desire', and to reach the pinnacle of lower-level divine spells, one must undergo the next trial of 'Faith Solidification'. But this has nothing to do with my current situation?"

  The old madman gently shook his head: "This is not just a test for the divine technique, since you awakened the power of both sides, you will also face a test of both sides, which I call 'physical purification'. It should be encountered when cultivating body techniques, but it is often overlooked by people. There is no clear record in the body technique classics. Before explaining it, listen to me tell a story first, it's a summary from the lessons of countless casualties."

  **