Himzed smiled happily as he approached Harith and patted him on the shoulder. "Harith! Thank you... You're my savior... I'm truly grateful."
Harith stared at Himzed with a cold expression. "You're welcome." With ease, Harith shifted his expression from a sly smile to a blank, emotionless face.
Meanwhile, inside the bar, Hector slammed the table hard, feeling the pressure building up. His friends began to worry as they noticed Hector's despair.
In his mind, Hector raged,
Damn it! How could i lose to a kid! This is humiliating!
Seeing Harith and Himzed now walking away from the bar, Hector suddenly stood up and ran toward them. "Damn it! You played dirty!" he shouted, trying to punch Harith in a fit of rage.
Harith sensed the threat but made no effort to dodge. He just kept walking calmly, as if nothing had happened.
However, Himzed quickly realized the danger and moved swiftly to stop Hector. "What do you think you're doing, bastard!" he shouted, shoving Hector with all his strength.
Hector fell to the ground, overwhelmed by both physical and mental pain. Harith paused for a moment and gazed at Hector with a sharp look. "Embarrassed? Depressed? Pathetic... You should realize your place. Your superiority is just an illusion. You've never faced a real challenge. That's what you felt before losing, isn't it?"
Harith bent down, staring into Hector's eyes, now filled with hatred and despair. "Cry all you want. You're nothing more than a child dreaming of being a hero. But that child still needs his mother's milk—and so do you. What a pitiful human being."
Those words cut through Hector's heart like a knife piercing his chest. Unable to hold back, Hector bowed his head and cried, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
"What happened?" Hector's friends quickly approached, trying to make sense of the situation.
Harith didn't look back; he just walked away indifferently. Himzed, realizing that Harith had already left, quickly followed him.
"Harith! You completely broke Hector's spirit—why did you do that?" Himzed asked, still shocked by what had just occurred.
This kid is truly a monster...
Harith chuckled. "Didn't you say that gambling is a game of psychology, bluffing, and intuition? I just used all of that to crush an arrogant person like him." He continued walking, holding the money he had won.
Himzed swallowed nervously. "Harith, how can a 10-year-old child like you have such a mature demeanor? Has everything that happened to your village changed you? You're truly different from children your age."
Harith smiled cynically. "Heh heh, you're right. I've come to understand the meaning of fate and realize that my life must continue no matter what. No matter what happens, as long as I'm alive, I'll keep doing what I can."
Himzed smiled in admiration. "Your maturity is remarkable. I'm impressed, even though I'm just a nobody."
"Would you like to stay at my place?" Himzed offered.
Harith smiled. "Sure, and I'm quite hungry right now."
At Himzed's house, Himzed opened the door for Harith. "Please come in, make yourself at home."
Harith responded, "Oh, alright," and stepped inside with a confident stride.
Himzed closed the door and headed to the living room. "Have a seat, I'll make you some coffee," he said with a smile.
Harith only responded with a cold expression. "Alright."
Himzed immediately entered the kitchen. Harith noticed a family photo of Himzed displayed on the wall. The picture showed Himzed with his wife and a young boy.
The sound of a spoon stirring tea was heard from the kitchen.
When Himzed finished making the tea, he entered the living room, placed the tea on the table, and sat in a teak chair.
Harith smiled. "Heh heh, thanks." He quickly drank the tea.
"You're welcome," Himzed replied with a warm smile.
Harith set his cup on the table, while Himzed stood up and took some biscuits from a wicker jar.
"Is that your family?" Harith asked with curiosity.
"Yes, that's a picture of my family. They are no longer with us because..." Himzed placed the biscuit jar on the table and sat back down.
"Because they were killed?" Harith asked with curiosity on his face.
"Umm... Yes. They died when I came back... I found them lifeless," Himzed wiped his face with his hand.
Harith smiled. "Did they catch the culprit?"
"No..." Himzed's face grew somber. "I was always late coming home because my work in the fields was so demanding. I... I hate myself. If only I had been there at that time... They would still be here." Tears streamed down Himzed's cheeks.
Harith asked again, "When did it happen?"
"Two years ago," Himzed wiped his tears.
"You didn't find the culprit? I have a question: have you ever had conflicts with anyone you met?" Harith asked while sipping his tea.
"There was... I had a conflict with a bandit, but... I had no evidence to prove he was the culprit. And I never saw him again," Himzed said with a sad expression.
"Could you describe in detail how your wife and child were killed?" Harith asked.
"There were stab wounds and signs of beating," Himzed replied.
Harith thought, "Where did they die, here?"
Himzed looked at Harith. "Yes, in this living room I found my wife and son lying lifeless." Himzed stood and pointed to the location of the incident.
"Did you clean up the evidence?" Harith asked.
"Of course. It was blood, and the carpet has also been thrown away," Himzed answered with a serious expression.
Harith began to piece together all the information in his mind, trying to understand the perpetrator's emotions while visualizing the condition of Himzed's wife and son's bodies.
First, Himzed had a conflict with a bandit. That's the clue. Second, there were stab and beat wounds on the abdomen of Himzed wife's and son. The bandit was never seen again. The perprator must have left. Yes, the bandit was the culprit, but there's no evidence?
Harith looked at Himzed. "Where did the bandit go last time?"
Himzed replied, "I don't know."
"What was the bandit's occupation and what was his skin color?" Harith asked.
"The bandit worked as a horse trader and had brown skin," said Himzed.
What is this kid thinking? Why does he keep asking me question?
Harith said calmly, "He's the culprit, and he's in a place quite far from here, trying to escape. Why can't you conclude something as simple as this, Himzed?"
Himzed replied, "There's no evidence..."
Harith smiled. "Besides, he's already dead. According to your description, there was news that five horse traders were shot dead by the police for selling horses illegally without a license."
Himzed was shocked by Harith's statement. "Huh? I heard about that news, but how do you know it was him? Because the news was only word of mouth."
Harith chuckled. "That's precisely what makes me know he died in that incident. The rumor also mentioned that one of them had brown skin. Isn't it easy for you to figure this out? You should be relieved that he's dead without you having to dirty your hands." Harith gave a sly smile.
Himzed shook his head, unable to believe that this child had such deep understanding. "You're truly a genius! You were indeed born a monster!"
"That's is just simple deduction." Harith chuckles.
That night, Harith lay on a wooden bed in a simple yet comfortable room. The room, with its warm wooden walls and floor, had a large window looking out onto a tranquil night view. In one corner, there was a small table with an oil lamp illuminating neatly arranged books on it. Harith's bed, made of teak wood, was covered with a thick blanket and a soft pillow. The wall decorations were simple, with only a few small photo frames and paintings of natural landscapes.
Harith lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling while reflecting. "My life is still long... I know Daro is safe," he thought to himself with a warm smile. The silence of the night enveloped his room, providing a serene atmosphere for his thoughts.
Meanwhile, in Himzed's room, the atmosphere was very different. Himzed's room was also made of wood, with more basic furniture. Although Himzed's bed was comfortable, it lacked the luxury of Harith's room. Himzed slept soundly, wrapped in a blanket with a peaceful expression. The day had been full of wonders for him—meeting the genius child who defeated an experienced gambler, and how Harith manipulated Hector and deduced details about his family. The success and surprises of the day made Himzed feel happy and relieved, leading him to a deep sleep.
In a quiet wooden temple where monks worship the god Hyaman, Daro lay on a mattress placed on the floor. The mattress was simple but comfortable enough to keep his body warm from the cold of the night. Surrounding him, the wooden walls of the temple added to the peaceful atmosphere with the soft scent of wood and incense. The only monk in the temple had already gone to his room, leaving Daro alone with his thoughts.
Daro, lying on the mattress, pondered in the silence of the night. With strong determination, he clenched his hand and raised it up, even while lying down. "Training will begin tomorrow; I must be serious. I must hold on to my resolve to eradicate Faruza's followers..." Daro thought to himself, his eyes filled with passion and determination. The serene atmosphere around the temple gave Daro the space to focus his mind on the great and challenging goal ahead.
On a bright morning, Daro woke from his sleep. He immediately looked around and found Monk Joshi standing in front of him with a stern expression. "You're late; don't let this happen again. Discipline, understand!" Joshi's voice was loud and authoritative.
Daro swallowed nervously. "Y-yes, Monk Joshi..." Daro replied with a slightly trembling voice.
"Get up and take a bath, then prepare yourself outside. I'll be waiting for you," Joshi continued before walking out of the temple.
Daro took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before following Monk Joshi's instructions. Today, discipline was key.
Joshi was waiting outside, sitting on a large stone with a steaming cup of green tea in his hand. The clear blue sky stretched above the wooden temple, surrounded by green trees gently swaying in the morning breeze. In the distance, birds chirped to welcome the day.
Daro, freshly bathed, stepped out of the temple and saw Monk Joshi waiting for him. Joshi immediately noticed Daro's presence and called him over. "Come here," he said.
Daro approached and sat next to his teacher. "Sit down and drink this green tea before we start the intense training," Monk Joshi said in a low but authoritative tone.
Daro accepted the cup of tea from Joshi and sipped it slowly, allowing the warmth to spread through his body.
After finishing his tea, Daro said enthusiastically, "Thank you, Master!"
"I'm looking forward to the training you're going to give me," Daro added while standing and clenching his fist with enthusiasm.
Joshi chuckled at his student's enthusiasm. "Alright, let's begin now."
Joshi then stood up, approached Daro, and demonstrated the Shaolin warm-up exercises. "First, do arm circles repeatedly in a circular motion. Do you understand?" Joshi said firmly.
"Alright, I understand. I'll do it!" Daro responded with confidence.
Daro immediately started the arm circles, swinging his arms in large circles with a steady rhythm.