He turned and walked toward the western cliff. This was the very spot where Samuel Bennett, on his second morning up the mountain, had nearly gotten lost in the thick fog. Below was a sheer drop—a massive cliff face, at least five hundred meters high, smooth as if sliced by a blade, gleaming like a mirror. Yet, many century-old vines grew upon it, each as thick as an arm.

Edward Wood lightly leapt and jumped down the cliff. Samuel Bennett was startled and hurried to peer over the edge. Below, clouds and mist swirled, the bottom invisible. Yet he saw his master hanging just three zhang below the cliff, gripping an old vine in his hand.

Edward Wood pointed to another vine nearby and, smiling, said, “Jump down and grab it!”

“What?” Samuel Bennett's eyes widened in shock.

Chapter 0011: As Humble as S

“What are you afraid of? After half a year of practicing Zhong Kui Catches Ghosts, you still don’t have this bit of balance?”

“I... I don’t know!”

Samuel Bennett scratched his head. He could hardly imagine it—jumping straight off a thousand-foot cliff, having to grab a vine midair. If he missed, wouldn’t he be done for?

“Master, let me practice with a rope first!”

Edward Wood glared at him in annoyance. “What’s the point of all this nonsense? Jump! With me here, you won’t die.”

Samuel Bennett, utterly helpless, could only press his palms together and pray softly, “Three Pure Ones above, please keep your disciple safe.”

He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and leapt off. The moment he left the cliff, he let out a shrill scream. The wind roared past his ears, and his survival instinct made him flail for anything to grab, but he caught nothing. Suddenly, his body jerked to a stop—Edward Wood had caught him in midair.

“You useless fool! Who told you to close your eyes? You need to keep them open to look for vines or rocks. Again!”

With a forceful swing, Edward Wood actually tossed Samuel Bennett back up.

Samuel Bennett landed on the ground, his face deathly pale. He was nearly scared out of his wits. What was this madness? Had Fourth Brother practiced this? He didn’t know, but Third Brother, with his pig-like build, definitely hadn’t.

“What are you mumbling about up there? Jump again!”

Samuel Bennett wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, stood up, and said fiercely, “At worst, I’ll die. I’m going all in.”

This time, he didn’t dare close his eyes. He imagined that just a zhang below was a soft meadow or a clear stream. He took a deep breath, pressed it down into his dantian, and leapt.

Samuel Bennett felt his heart sink as his body plummeted. Before he could think, he spotted a vine, reached out, and grabbed it. His body swung outward, but he instinctively twisted, swinging back and settling steadily against the cliff face.

Edward Wood chuckled, “Didn’t I say so? It’s not that hard for you.”

Samuel Bennett was surprised too. Gripping the vine, he felt his body was light and steady, hanging motionless on the cliff like a gecko.

Could this be the effect of practicing the Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg?

Edward Wood pointed above Samuel Bennett's head. “There’s a rock three feet above you. Jump up and grab it.”

“But... Master, I can’t get any leverage!”

“Use your arm strength. You can do it. Your Fourth Senior Brother grabbed it on his first try.”

So Fourth Brother had practiced this too. Samuel Bennett felt a bit more confident. If Fourth Brother could do it, so could he.

He pushed hard off the rock wall, his body swinging outward. As he swung back, he kicked off the wall, feeling a bit of friction. With a sudden pull of both arms, he leapt up. Samuel Bennett saw clearly and managed to grab the rock, steadying himself and clinging to the wall like a gecko.

Edward Wood nodded to himself. Fourth Brother had taken three months to grab that rock, but Samuel Bennett did it on his first try. Not easy!

Edward Wood smiled, “There’s a crack beside you. Climb up along it, then jump again!”

There was indeed a very narrow crack beside him, barely wide enough for a finger to fit halfway in. But that was nothing to Samuel Bennett. With his strong arms and light body, as long as there was something to push off, he could climb up quickly.

After two more jumps in a row, Samuel Bennett started to feel more confident. On the third try, he leapt lightly downward, keeping his body close to the wall, using his feet to create friction and slow his fall. When he reached three zhang, he deftly reached out and grabbed a vine, sticking steadily to the cliff face.

Edward Wood saw his remarkable comprehension—without being taught, he’d figured out how to use his feet to slow his descent. This child was truly a rare talent.

“You little rascal, are you trying to make me get you a new pair of shoes?”

Edward Wood scolded him with a smile, then said, “Let’s keep going down!”

He let go, dropping again. Samuel Bennett saw clearly that his master only tapped the wall a few times with his feet to slow down, then, at twenty zhang, nimbly grabbed another vine, sticking to the wall like a gecko, just as he had.

Samuel Bennett had found the knack. Excited, he let go of the vine and continued down. But after only half a year of practicing Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, he couldn’t tap the wall just a few times like Edward Wood. His feet kept scraping the wall, and his shoes quickly wore out. Yet he felt a strange sense of balance, his body descending steadily without losing control.

Samuel Bennett dropped down beside Edward Wood, deftly grabbing a vine and sticking to the wall.

“Not bad! Very good!”