"At night, Galon, wearing a black coat, walked slowly along the riverbank. The continuous slapping of the river water against the embankment produced a soothing sound, mixed with the cold, damp night wind, giving the impression of an early winter.
Galon had his hands tucked into his trouser pockets as he walked. Under his outer coat, he wore a shirt that had been torn. He unbuttoned his shirt to check his chest, where the red marks and scratches had slowly faded.
Touching his abdomen, he still felt a faint ache.
Ahead, at the corner of the street, an elderly woman in a gray skirt was slowly pushing a bright cart. On the cart, a cylindrical black container was marked with chalk: Milk 2 yuan.
A little girl in white, bundled up thickly, hurried to the cart, handed the old woman a banknote, and then took a cup of steaming milk before leaving.
Feeling a bit cold himself, Galon quickened his pace to approach the cart.
'I'll have one too, please.'
'Sure, sure,' the old woman, her face wrinkled and her skirt crumpled but clean, took out a yellow paper cup from the cart and poured a cup of hot milk, handing it to Galon.
After paying two yuan, Galon took the paper cup to a wind-protected curved corner, where closed shop signs on both sides formed a small sheltered space.
Leaning against the wall, he watched the milk cart slowly move away, with residents occasionally running out to buy, stopping and going, going and stopping.
The scene of him exploding 101's head suddenly reappeared in his mind.
'Killed someone again...' Galon closed his eyes, as if recalling that moment, 'I have a talent that others don't, which allows me to quickly bridge the huge gap accumulated over years by others. But I also lack the process of tempering will and character in this accumulation.'
'The rapid enhancement of power leads to the unrestrained release of desires, is that my fundamental problem now? The right path, the demon path?' he chuckled, 'It's interesting that such distinctions still exist in this era, in the age of firearms. Martial arts are gradually declining, transitioning from tools of killing to means of physical exercise, yet some still value these ideological distinctions.'
Regaining his composure, he broke off this line of thought, took a sip of the hot milk, and let the warm and rich aroma of milk fill his nose, feeling exceptionally comfortable.
'During the fight with Gold Ring's 101, my speed was clearly too slow, making it impossible to keep up with his pace. However, my strength and defense are strong enough that no matter how many times he hit me, it didn't matter much; just one hit from me was enough to decide the outcome. This is the advantage of being power-oriented. Still, my combat skills are not yet perfected. If my techniques were more refined, I wouldn't need to move as much to respond to all changes, and I could easily handle such opponents.'
Galon summarized as he drank his milk.
'Also, my initial choice to strengthen my physique and strength was correct. Otherwise, just one bullet would have ended the fight. This approach is much safer. It's a pity that I'm still at the basic level, needing to master specific techniques first.'
After finishing the milk, he crumpled the paper cup and tossed it into a trash bin by a shop.
'Right now, I'm purely relying on my robust physical fitness to fight. Once my fighting skills are honed, it'll be different.'
Stepping out from the space, Galon walked towards the stone bridge ahead. Crossing that bridge and continuing straight for about ten minutes would bring him to Blue Tree Street where he lived.
This area was considered suburban, similar to Blue Tree Street, both on the outskirts.
Ding ding ding...
The distant bell tolls again, ten times.
'It's already ten o'clock?' Galon quickened his steps. The night in Huai Shan was quiet, with only the occasional carriage or vehicle passing by, and hardly any pedestrians on the streets.
Just coming from a fierce battle and feeling this unusual calm, Galon suddenly felt particularly relaxed.
Walking on the street, unrecognized by anyone, naturally meant no malice toward him, no need to worry about a lack of safety. Unless specifically targeted, ordinary people were as weak as chicks in his hands.
Crossing the stone bridge, a few drunkards sat on the ground at the other end of the bridge, boasting loudly, with a strong smell of alcohol wafting through the air as he passed.
Galon touched the handrail of the stone bridge, the cold and rough texture of the gray-white stone vividly transmitting into his mind. He suddenly felt a slight ache in his chest and abdomen, knowing it was the impact of the bullet causing internal muscle damage.
He tore off the torn shirt, crumpled it, and tossed it into a nearby trash bin, then quickened his pace home, wearing only his outer coat.
Not far, a bright white sedan slowly approached, turning on the street and following him at a leisurely pace.
The car window rolled down, revealing Grace's tired but cold face.
'I've got approval for our application. Even Gold Ring has to obey our rules in Huai Shan. They must give us an explanation for the attack,' she said softly.
Jogging to keep up with the car, Galon stated calmly, '101 is dead.'
'Dead?' Grace glanced at Galon, noting his unnaturally calm demeanor and the gray dust on his face, and understood, 'I'll handle it.'
'I just learned something new at the company. Gold Ring has kidnapped Tarry Mercury's son and daughter, and their whereabouts are unknown. Obviously, they're planning something big.'
Galon regulated his breathing.
'I saved those two kids, but they didn't appreciate it.'
Grace paused, seemingly surprised by the rapid developments during her brief absence.
'Did they see your real face?' she noticed the white dust on Galon's face.
'Probably not, but since she's Tarry Mercury's daughter, this disguise might not fool her. She's a resilient girl,' Galon recalled the girl's challenging demeanor and replied.
'By the way, do you know about the divisions in the martial arts world?' he added.
'Divisions?' Grace was puzzled, 'I'm not too clear on that, but I've heard there are orthodox martial arts that strengthen the body and mind, and unorthodox martial arts that focus on extreme self-evolution through killing.'
'Is that so?' Galon's eyes flickered, 'Do you know any famous figures in unorthodox martial arts?'
'Um...' Grace frowned, thinking for a moment, 'Your master is one, and there are a few martial artists in the province with such ideologies, all having significant influence on the underground forces.'
'It seems unorthodox martial artists are doing well. What about orthodox martial artists?'
'Pretty much the same, except they don't involve themselves with the underworld as much,' Grace said, puzzled, 'Didn't your senior brothers and sisters tell you about this?'
Galon shook his head.
Reaching Blue Tree Street's residential area, Galon waved goodbye to Grace.
'I'll go home now, be careful on your way back.'
'Don't worry, I've gathered enough manpower for this. The police have also been taken care of this time, I'll teach Gold Ring a lesson they won't forget!' Grace's eyes flashed with determination.
Seeing her resolve, Galon didn't say more. Entering the complex, the doorman glanced at him and continued doodling on paper, absorbed in his own world.
Inside the stairwell, faint cries of children and the raspy voice of a record player could be heard.
Galon ascended the stairs swiftly and reached his floor. The corridor was dark, lacking light. He quietly approached the door, inserted the key into the lock, and gently turned it.
Click.
The door unlocked, and the inside was pitch black and silent.
Galon quietly closed the door, changed his shoes, and walked into the living room. Suddenly, he noticed a figure sitting silently on the sofa—a person.
'Ying'er? What are you doing sitting here?' Galon was slightly startled to see it was his sister.
Ying'er sat silently, her head down and her expression hidden in the darkness. Only the dim light from the opposite building shone through the window, illuminating her side.
Galon noticed she wore a black corset dress with a dark butterfly knot on her head and thick cotton tights underneath. She sat motionless on the sofa, not responding.
Since his transmigration, he had kept a watchful eye on his sister, knowing her character would not normally lead to such behavior.
He sat next to her on the sofa.
'What happened? Aren't you going to Bi Bo Lake with your classmates tomorrow?'
Ying'er remained silent, only speaking softly after a long while.
'I'm not going tomorrow.'
'What exactly happened?' Galon frowned, knowing the world inside and outside their small home was entirely different. This small house was his safe haven from all worries, where he could completely relax only with his sister, who had no schemes and cared for him wholeheartedly.
And his sister Ying'er was the last person he wanted to see hurt.
'It's nothing, don't worry!' Ying'er turned her head away, 'I'm just a bit tired.'
Galon chuckled, reached out, and pinched her cheeks, pulling hard.
'Ah... Ouch, what are you doing!!?' Ying'er angrily tried to pull his hand away, but to no avail, struggling in vain.
'Forget about it at home! Just rest, and all troubles will disappear after a good sleep,' Galon let go, 'Don't forget, you still have me, and mom and dad at home.'
'You're asking for it!' Ying'er stood up, punching and kicking Galon, completely uncoordinated but deliberately holding back to avoid hurting him.
'You underestimate your brother.' Galon laughed, standing tall and letting her hit him, 'Is this tickling me?'
'Ah ah ah!!!' Ying'er was furious, 'Looks like I need to show you my true strength!'
Bang!
She punched Galon in the face.
'Oh no! Not the face!!' Galon was shocked, quickly dodging the second punch and protecting his head, dodging around the living room.
Ying'er chased after him, punching and kicking in a frenzy.
After a while, tired, she finally stopped and sat on the sofa, panting.
'Huh... In just a few months, you've gained a lot more muscle, huh? What have you been eating? So freakish!' She rubbed her fists, which hurt from hitting Galon, not him.
'I told you I'm training in martial arts, officially apprenticed. Of course, it's not like your half-baked skills,' Galon boasted.
'You... really infuriate me!' Ying'er felt the urge to punch him again but took several deep breaths to calm down, 'By the way, you've been going out all the time recently, what have you been up to? It's the holidays, did you find a job?'
Galon sat down with her: 'Nothing much, I have to run at night, right? Plus, I need to practice basics at the dojo, so it's normal to come back late.'
'Coming back too late isn't good, though,' Ying'er pouted, 'And at school, they say, you and Effie...'
'That's completely a misunderstanding...' Galon sighed, beginning to explain the situation to his sister in detail.
The two chatted randomly on the sofa, unknowingly talking for over two hours, past midnight.
Ying'er remained on the sofa, showing no intention of returning to her room. She was actually very sleepy and yawned quietly when Galon wasn't looking.
'What happened at school with Effie was a misunderstanding...' Galon sighed, starting to explain the situation to his sister in detail.
Sitting on the sofa, they chatted randomly, unknowingly talking for more than two hours until it was past midnight.
Ying'er still sat on the sofa with no intention of going back to her room. She was actually very sleepy and yawned quietly when Galon wasn't looking.