I had spent the entire afternoon wandering outside and hadn't returned to Qingcheng at all.
Life outside was so vibrant and colorful, and it angered me to realize I had only now discovered it. Perhaps it was because I had grown accustomed to the unusual life I led within Qingcheng, that I had long forgotten what it was like to live as an ordinary person—those carefree days, rich in variety and devoid of worry.
Occasionally, I would indulge in such moments of "sneaking out," like I was doing now. But the last time I did something like this was years ago. Back then, I hadn't yet joined Qingcheng and was still under my master's strict training. I had long envied the world beyond. I once sneaked out from under my master's nose just to taste a candied hawthorn stick, something I couldn't ordinarily have.
I spent all the money I had—playing games, eating, trying anything and everything I could think of—until I was completely broke. Only then did I consider whether I should return to Qingcheng.
By the time I started thinking about going back, the sky had already turned completely dark. I didn't even realize when that had happened. The city lights were bright, so I figured it was around seven or eight o'clock. I wiped the grease off my mouth when my phone suddenly rang.
It was Lao Ba. When I picked up, I could hear him panting slightly on the other end. "Hongkeng, where are you? Hurry back to Qingcheng. Someone wants to see you."
"Who? Is it a guy or a girl? And why do they want to see me?" I asked, puzzled.
Lao Ba urged, "It's hard to explain over the phone. Just get back here as soon as possible..." And then, the line went dead.
Seriously? He hung up on me? I put my phone away, feeling a bit confused, but I still began making my way back to Qingcheng, albeit slowly.
Qingcheng wasn't far from here—about a fifteen-minute walk—but for some reason, I was dragging my feet tonight. It took me almost half an hour to make it back.
I stopped by the big mall on the first floor of Qingcheng to grab two bottles of cola, and then took the elevator up. The closer I got, the more curious I became. Just as I reached my floor, my phone rang again. Lao Ba told me they were waiting for me at the clubhouse and that there was a surprise for me.
My curiosity was thoroughly piqued by this point, so I made my way to the clubhouse. When I opened the door, I saw that Lao Ba and the others were already there.
Lankai, Lao Lu, Jingwen, and a few others were all gathered, and it seemed like they had all arrived simultaneously. They were giving me these strange looks. I blurted out, "What's going on? Why did you need me here in such a rush?"
Lao Ba chuckled. "Hongkeng, someone really wants to meet you. Aren't you curious who?"
"Who could possibly want to see me? Tell them to come out."
"Heh…" Everyone in the room was smiling at me, and their gazes seemed to be shifting toward something behind me. Just as I was beginning to figure out what was going on, I felt two warm hands cover my eyes.
"Hongkeng… guess who…"
My body trembled. That voice was so familiar, yet I never would have imagined hearing it here.
"Is it you? Ling Xuan…" I knew I wasn't mistaken. I spun around and hugged her tightly.
Everyone around us was watching, amused. Lankai even whistled.
Ling Xuan's face flushed red as she wriggled free from my arms, scolding me playfully, "There are so many people here... what are you trying to do?"
I glanced around at the others, grinning. "Don't worry, they're all my friends."
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and although she could sense the teasing gazes from the people around us, her heart felt sweeter than ever.
"By the way…" I took her hands in mine, and this time she didn't pull away. "How did you end up here? I thought I was supposed to come and get you."
Ling Xuan seemed to recall something and stepped aside, revealing a tall man standing behind her, someone I didn't recognize. She said, "It was Brother Bangzhi who brought me here. He even saved me."
"Oh?" Ling Xuan glanced at me and began recounting what had happened. I listened patiently, nodding as she explained. Once she finished, I turned to Bangzhi and said flatly, "I understand the situation now. Thank you for bringing her here. I appreciate it. But now that she's safe, you can leave."
Bangzhi was stunned. Actually, everyone else was too. Ling Xuan looked at me with clear disapproval and said, "He got me here safely. How can you treat him like this?"
Lao Ba came over to my side and whispered, "Hongkeng, isn't this a bit harsh? He's not like an ordinary person, just like us. Besides, he's homeless."
I gave Lao Ba a glance, then turned back to Bangzhi. After a moment, I bit my lip, then walked out on my own. When I returned, I asked both of them, "So, what do you want me to do? Qingcheng isn't some charity."
Ling Xuan stared at me, clearly unhappy. "At least help him out! It's late, and you can't just let him go wandering. He doesn't have a home. Where is he supposed to go?"
I thought for a moment, then said to Bangzhi, "Alright, I heard you're pretty good at fighting. How about this—we'll have a match. If you beat me, I'll let you stay in Qingcheng. You won't have to worry about food ever again. How's that?"
Everyone's eyes were on me. Those who knew me didn't protest, because they were well aware of my usual behavior in Qingcheng. The only one who seemed shocked was Ling Xuan. She looked between me and Bangzhi and said, "No way! You can't do this. I absolutely don't agree."
I shook my head at her and said, "Stay out of this. I'll handle it. Don't worry, I won't hurt him." Then I turned to Bangzhi and asked seriously, "So, do you agree?"
Bangzhi hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. "Alright, I agree. But you can't trick me."
I chuckled without saying anything further.
Qingcheng had several places specifically designed for combat training. We found an empty arena, similar in size to a boxing ring, with several tiers of seating surrounding it. The only difference was that there were no ropes around the ring, so if you weren't careful, you could fall out. Additionally, the whole place was monitored by hidden cameras.
The sealed training ground didn't feel stifling at all. Once the large door slammed shut with a loud "boom," the only way to see what was happening inside was through the large screens in the control room. At that moment, a crowd had gathered, and Wen Ning was sitting in front of the screen, watching intently. Ling Xuan seemed nervous as well, staring at the screen and asking Lao Ba beside her, "Will they be alright?"
Lao Ba smiled and said, "Don't worry. Hongkeng knows what he's doing."
I shrugged, cracking my knuckles as I smirked. "Come on, let's see what you've got."
Bangzhi chuckled sheepishly. "I won't lose." With that, he charged toward me, his iron fists whistling through the air.
And just like that, the fight began.