June, the begining of summer.
The sun is blazing today, the temperature is high. As it approaches noon, the light and temperature become hotter and hotter.
Casio has been practicing Basic Fighting Technique with Lixia all morning and now feels weak with sweat drenching his back.
The thirteen-year-old boy had never exercised before. His body is weak, feeling sore all over.
However, he does have an adult's mentality. While life has started him off as an orphan in this world, his resolve is strong. Therefore, he didn't complain or slacken throughout the morning.
Lixia has been watching all this in secret.
She likes talented students, but even more, she likes diligent and persevering ones. For now, Li Wei is categorized as the latter by Lixia.
Looking at the sun hanging high in the sky, Lixia took out a silver metallic pocket watch from her bosom, clicked it open.
The white dial and black hands of the clock show it's half-past eleven.
"Let's stop here for now, consider your private lesson over. The mealtime is approaching, you'd better go to the cafeteria. You can practice on your own in the afternoon, we will regroup tomorrow morning for practice..."
Lixia concluded and put the pocket watch back into her pocket.
"Yes."
Casio stopped his horse stance exercise, as he just stood straight up, his legs gave way, and he almost fell on his butt.
He wiped the sweat off his forehead and realized his back was soaked through.
On left side of his view, instructor Lixia was already far away.
Casio exhaled a hot breath, started to walk towards the cafeteria. After only a few steps, he had to stop to slap his legs due to ache and numbness, it felt like his calves were filled with lead.
Martial arts training is not child's play.
Fatigue, hardship, and sweat are the necessary investments.
The amount of effort one puts in determines the level of achievement one can gain.
Casio understands this well.
After resting on the spot for a moment, he limped towards the cafeteria. The Youth Training Camp's cafeteria is located in the northwest corner of the camp compound.
About one hundred metres from the hospital.
Casio staggeringly moved along the path next to the sports field.
Upon entering the cafeteria, he was immediately greeted by a strong aroma of dishes. Several large wooden barrels were orderly arranged at the entrance.
Three or four aunties were chattering against the wall.
"Here comes someone..." one of the aunties reminded.
As Casio was salivating, he picked up a meal tray. He served himself a bit of every dish of the day, including both meat and vegetarian dishes, and soup.
What's more, probably because he was the first one there, the aunties at the cafeteria gave Casio a lot of food.
After expressing his gratitude, he carried his full plate to a corner by the window in the cafeteria. A broccoli cream soup, a few pieces of white bread, onions stewed with tomatoes, and two pieces of what appeared to be steak, all irresistible with the layer of oil on top.
One of the most obvious benefits of joining the Wind Elephant Gate Youth Training Camp was: You can eat till you are satisfied, the food is good, and there's meat. It's necessary to mention that in this era, many poor people are starving.
Wind Elephant Gate Youth Training Camp provides free admission. Simply passing a core bone examination would ensure a full meal, and reaching the training standard could lead you to become a formal disciple with a good income. Many impoverished families who couldn't afford to raise their children would choose to give it a try.
Li Wei and Li Chu are examples of this.
Heading to the second row by the window, Casio starts eating non-stop. When he's tired and hungry, his natural reaction is to replenish energy on a large scale.
Shortly, the sound of running feet start to faintly come from outside the cafeteria. Many students in grey-white training suits rush in.
Casio doesn't pay any attention and just lowers his head to have a sip of the broccoli soup.
In no time, the originally spacious cafeteria started to feel crowded. The smell of sweat, mixed with the cacophony filled the surrounding space.
"Ah!" A slight shout came from the front.
Casio furrowed his brows, lifting his head to look ahead.
There in front of him was a long queue with Li Chu, Li Wei's sister, standing at the front. Squeezing his way in and cutting into the queue was a robust boy, towering half a head taller than Li Chu.
He was talking and laughing with the boy in front of him.
"How about we sit by the window later? Our usual spot."
The burly boy suggested.
"Sure thing." The boy with an average look peeked into the wooden barrel and said with a hint of surprise, "There's ham."
"Great, my favorite is..." The brawny boy suddenly stopped. He felt someone watching him from his left.
Turning his head, he saw a thin boy with black hair, both hands resting on the dining table, quietly watching him with an expressionless face.
Who's this? Don't know him... The boy was somewhat puzzled.
His friend, however, muttered quietly, "That's the madman, Li Wei."
"Who?"
"The one who smashed a guy's brains out. Remember when we passed by the hospital on our way to the toilet the day before yesterday? That Finn who got hammered, didn't he scream like a psychopath? He rambled nonsense for half an hour. They say his brain was damaged and is beyond saving."
As his friend spoke, he glanced behind the muscular boy.
"Lin Deng, did you just cut in line? The girl behind you is Li Chu, madman Li Wei's sister..." His friend fell silent.
"Damn."
Burly Lin Deng immediately apologized and scurried to the back of the line.
Li Chu blinked in surprise, took a step forward, and promptly spotted her younger brother by the window. She waved a cheerful greeting.
Casio nodded and waved back.
Just as he was about to get up and retrieve his food tray, he suddenly noticed that a few new marks had mysteriously appeared on the time scale in the upper right corner.
Counting carefully, five days were added.
So it seems that the opposite of timidity isn't just courage.
If one was more extreme, could it also be ferociousness?
According to the hearsay in the Youth Training Camp, he had not only bludgeoned out Finn's brain but left him mentally deranged.
The image they held of him was not brave but brutal.
Such an impression could fulfill Li Wei's obsession; it was even closer to what he dreamed and hoped for.
A vague idea began to form in Casio's mind.
Pretending? Creating an image opposite to Li Wei's previous one, one he deeply desired to become, like madman Li Wei. Would that comfort or satisfy Li Wei's obsession?
Casio was unsure if his speculation was correct, but there was still plenty of time to test his theory.
With a clatter, he stood up and returned the meal tray.
Then he headed back to the small sports field next to the hospital. After a short rest, he resumed practicing Basic Fighting Technique.
The afternoon sun blazed fiercely, so Casio trained and rested intermittently.
He wouldn't slack off, but he also wouldn't overdo it.
Under the verdant shade of a tree, Casio was practicing stances. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent into a squat that was almost ninety degrees. Knees shouldn't extend beyond the toes. The back should be curved and rounded like a turtle shell, hands naturally forming a circle.
He held his head high, bobbing up and down as if riding a horse.
His training form was starting to take shape.
Sweat trickled down from his eyelids. As he stood up, Casio drew a deep breath. Suddenly, at the top right corner of his view, lines of text slowly emerged beneath the simple pendant symbol.