"Cong Bro!"
Pang Zi hurried toward me frantically. I glanced up from my desk, putting my textbook down and raising an eyebrow.
"What's the matter? Why are you so flustered?"
"Have you forgotten?" Pang Zi slammed both hands against my desk, probably because he was too excited. "It's been three weeks! That means Qi Fu Ren's suspension is over! He'll be returning to school today!"
He gulped, trembling visibly.
"You should be careful, Cong Bro. he'll definitely look for you to take revenge! He and his lackeys!"
"Oh, I see."
I scratched my head and sighed. But I wasn't really that bothered by the news regarding Qi Fu Ren. Rather, I was taken aback by the fact that three weeks had already flown past. I had spent the last twemty days or so practicing the breathing methods of Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths, as well as practicing the exercises and stances that Kai Li Si had taught me.
Soul Crushing Strike, in particular. I still couldn't execute Seismic Step, despite Kai Li Si teaching me that, but I was confident that I would master it after sufficient time and practice.
As long as I was able to remember all the breathing methods, physical exercises and stances, I should be fine. My senses had sharpened, and I felt more robust than before. There was a mystical energy flowing through my body, a strange but fulfilling feeling. Often, the sensation made me feel as if I could fly, or run forever.
My physical strength had also increased slightly. Just yesterday, I had surprised myself by accidentally punching a small crater into a concrete wall when executing Soul Crushing Strike. And that was when I was holding back. I had to be more careful next time.
Still, I was amazed that everyone was attending school as usual. They had shut the school down for about a week after the massacre, when Ba Bai appeared and murdered everybody. For some reason, nobody seemed to remember what it was about, or that I was the specific target of the homicidal maniac. Everything had returned to normal, and none of my schoolmates had asked me about it. Even Pang Zi.
I didn't dare ask any of them what had happened, but I had the sense that they didn't remember. Once again, I was reminded of Kai Li Si's words. There were hidden cultivators in this world, and it was likely that they had shown up in the aftermath of the massacre to cover everything up. After all, they couldn't allow the existence of cultivators to become public knowledge.
"Cong Bro? Are you listening?"
"Huh? Yeah, sorry. You were talking about Qi Fu Ren and his gang, right?"
"Yeah. But you were staring into space for a moment there. I thought you drifted off."
I shook my head sheepishly and bowed apologetically. Dragging my mind back to the topic at hand, I forced myself to display a reassuring smile.
"It'll be all right. Didn't they get scolded by the teachers? They even got suspended. They surely won't be so reckless in school so soon after they return. Not unless they want to get expelled this time."
"Um, I don't think they care about that." Pang Zi sounded extremely nervous. "You know what kind of people they are. I heard Qi Fu Ren even has connections with secret societies and gangs. They aren't afraid of being expelled. They probably would become full-fledged criminals and participate in gang activities if that happens."
"Hmm…I see."
I pushed my glasses up my nose, unruffled. And before you ask, no, cultivation didn't improve my eyesight. Admittedly, I had a sixth sense that allowed me to perceive qi and spiritual energy, especially if I closed my eyes. But strengthening my body didn't cure my myopia. Apparently that wasn't something that could be healed with cultivation.
"But there's no use worrying over it. Whatever happens, happens. All I can do now is remain vigilant and be careful. I'll watch out for them. If they do decide to come after me, I'll deal with it when the time comes."
"What?! How can you be so relaxed?! They will murder you again, you know?!"
"Then what do you suggest I do?" I asked with a shrug. "Stop coming to school? Hide at home and refuse to step outside my house?"
"That's…" Pang Zi trailed off, realizing that I had a point.
"Worrying won't change anything," I told him. "I'll avoid them as best as I can, but I can't let them affect my life. Otherwise it'll be their victory."
That said, I wasn't reckless enough to go look for trouble and provoke them. However, Pang Zi's fears were realized when Qi Fu Ren and his cronies showed up looking for me. I pointedly ignored them as they stomped toward me.
"Come with us," Qi Fu Ren snarled, reaching out to grab my shoulder, but I dodged on reflex. He blinked when his fingers brushed air, and then his scowl deepened. "Oi, you bastard! I told you to come with us!"
"And why should I?" I asked coldly. "I'm not obligated to listen to you."
"Fucking loser, acting all arrogant!" he roared and smashed a fist onto my desk, causing my stationary and book to slide off from the tremendous impact. Even so, the fact that he didn't jump straight to punching my face told me that he was holding back.
"That's enough!" Jin Bai He shouted, rising from her desk. She was a tomboyish girl who most of the other female classmates looked up to because of how bold and athletic she was. Some called her a prince.
She was usually accompanied by her best friend, Shi Xiao Nian. Right now, Shi Xiao Nian was cowering behind her, but she was also trying to glare at Qi Fu Ren.
"You shouldn't be doing this."
"Huh? What business is it of you girls? You want to get raped by us?" Qi Fu Ren sneered.
"Your target is me," I told him coldly. "Don't drag other people into this. And if you touch any of the girls, I'll make sure you lose the ability to be a father."
"What did you say?!" Qi Fu Ren roared, rounding on me. Jin Bai He seemed to walk toward us, but I shook my head. Catching my hint, Shi Xiao Nian held her best friend back.
"Hey! What are you doing here?"
Teacher Jiao strode into the classroom, his expression severe. He caught sight of Qi Fu Ren and his lackeys.
"You guys…you've already received a warning for your past behavior. Why are you causing trouble in my class? Do you want to get suspended again?"
Muttering to themselves, Qi Fu Ren and his gang left. I could see the rage shimmering off them, and wondered if it was an illusion or my sixth sense. But they were certainly not cultivators. I didn't sense any actual spiritual qi emanating from them.
"Phew."
Nearby, Pang Zi breathed a sigh of relief. The other classmates looked around uneasily, but they remained silent. Teacher Jiao glared after the retreating delinquents, his expression thunderous. He then turned to me.
"Are you all right, Student Shu Cong?"
"Yeah. Thanks for showing up."
"If Teacher Jiao hadn't appeared, I don't know what would have happened," a classmate murmured.
"Yeah…that was scary."
"What are those ruffians even coming to school for?" Teacher Jiao growled irritably. "To pick fights?"
"I don't know."
"Anyway, if they bother you again, let me know."
I doubted Teacher Jiao would be able to do anything. These delinquents had no qualms against beating me to death the last time. I would probably be dead if they decided to bother me, which meant I had no way of letting him know. Nonetheless, I couldn't tell him that.
"Thank you, Teacher Jiao. I will."
Over the next few days, I avoided the delinquents as best as I could do. They would occasionally try to drop by my classroom or ambush me in the corridors, but I always ensured that I took the path most populated by students.
Not to mention, there were constantly teachers close by. They weren't going out of their way to patrol the school, but at least one of them was keeping an eye on Qi Fu Ren and his gang. Not because they were protecting me specifically, but because the delinquents were notorious for harassing other students. I wasn't the only victim, after all.
In the first place, the whole reason why Qi Fu Ren and his cronies wanted revenge on me was because I intervened in their attempt to extort a big sum of money from poor Pang Zi. Obviously, he was far from being the only victim. Qi Fu Ren and his gang had been targeting a lot of the more affluent students, and they continued to do so even after they were suspended.
However, it was undeniable that I was the direct cause of their suspension…or rather, because they were caught assaulting me and thus punished for it, they blamed me for causing their suspension. Even though it was their own decision to attack me, and nobody told them to do it.
Hell, they got off pretty lightly, considering they only received a suspension for assault. Their parents had the school cover up the incident, claiming it was an accident. The fuckers didn't even face expulsion. Yet, despite not counting their lucky stars – or perhaps precisely because they learned they could get away with a crime – they continued to harass me, even blaming me for causing their suspension and wanting revenge.
Bullies and bastards were always like that. I wasn't surprised that they were capable of shoving the blame and responsibilities of their own misdeeds onto other people. It was never their fault. They were forced into abusing other people because…I guess their own mental illnesses.
Fortunately, the teachers were aware of this, and the victims were kept to a minimum.
For now, I remained wary of Qi Fu Ren and his gang. Even though I could easily avoid him, I couldn't say the same for the other students. I was worried about them, especially since I heard how he and his gang had begun harassing others.
Even so, my abilities were limited. I wasn't a vigilante or a god, so I couldn't keep track of Qi Fu Ren's antics and swoop down to protect whoever it was unfortunate to have drawn his attentions. So I worked on what I could do.
Training.
Another week had passed, and after doing a few breathing and physical exercises, I practiced a few more Soul Crushing Strikes. I wondered if I could find the rest of the Heaven and Earth Formula somewhere, but Kai Li Si made no mention of that. As much as I would like to learn the whole thing, I could only make do with the small portion that Kai Li Si taught me for now.
At least it was a significant portion. I felt a lot stronger, easily completing my ten kilometer run in the morning. After the usual physical training regimen, I had a shower, changed to my uniform and headed to school. Before I realized it, the exercise before class had become my daily routine.
Reaching the classroom, I settled on my desk. When Jin Bai He glanced at me in concern, I nodded to show her that I was all right. As the time slowly passed and Teacher Jiao showed up to begin the lesson, I noticed something amiss.
"Where's Pang Zi?"
My good friend was absent from class today. I frowned, and then decided to send him a text message later, to check on him.
He didn't reply for the whole day. It was only until classes ended and school was over when I finally received a response.
"Finally," I muttered, feeling relieved. But it made sense. If he was sick, then he must have spent the whole day sleeping off his illness.
However, when I read the contents of the text message sent from his smartphone, the color drained from my face.
"Those bastards…!"
A photograph of a bruised and battered Pang Zi had been attached, as well as a threat. The sender, who was using Pang Zi's smartphone to send the message, had told me to go straight to a specific address immediately.
Of course, I was not to tell anybody. Not the teachers, not the police, not even my parents. And if I didn't comply…
…then they wouldn't hesitate to kill Pang Zi.
"Fuckers…"
Rage boiled within me and I clenched my fists. Even though they didn't leave their names, I knew there was only one possible identity for the culprits who kidnapped my friend and sent the threats.
The accursed Qi Fu Ren and his stupid gang.
"What will you do?" the penguin asked quietly. I exhaled angrily.
"Isn't it obvious?" I exhaled furiously. "I'm going to save my friend."