Not far from Z-City stood a mountain.
On that mountain was a dojo.
It wasn't run-down, nor was it small. It even had a dedicated training hall and complete facilities.
Ordinarily, a dojo like this would have more than enough appeal to attract students, even if it were hidden deep in the mountains.
What's more...
It wasn't obscure at all.
On the contrary, it was extremely famous.
This was the dojo of the 'Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist', the martial arts school founded by 'Silver Fang (Bang)', the 'S-Class Rank 3 Hero'.
Within the martial arts world, this style was renowned. At its peak, the dojo had been filled with disciples, and many outstanding students had started their journeys here before making names for themselves throughout the world.
Yet today...
Despite its impressive size and prestigious reputation...
Not a single disciple could be seen.
At least, during the entire walk through the dojo grounds, Fang Li didn't encounter anyone.
Only after entering the main hall did he finally see a lone figure.
The instant he saw that person...
Fang Li narrowed his eyes.
"Hm?"
As if sensing someone's approach, the other person also turned around and looked toward Fang Li.
The moment their eyes met...
His expression changed as well.
A faint but unmistakable aura of hostility began to radiate from him.
Then he questioned Fang Li.
"...Why are you here?"
His tone carried open hostility.
Fang Li wasn't surprised in the slightest. If anything... it would have been strange if the man 'hadn't' been hostile.
After all... Fang Li had very nearly killed him.
So Fang Li curled his lips into a faint smile.
"I think I'm the one who should be asking that," he spoke casually. "So... you're still alive, Sweet Mask."
That's right.
It was 'Sweet Mask'.
The perfection-obsessed hero who had stood in Fang Li's way when he was about to be promoted to S-Class.
Now... he was standing directly in front of Fang Li once again.
Looking at the man opposite him, who wore an unconcerned expression and seemed completely unsurprised to find him alive, Sweet Mask stared intently at Fang Li.
Meanwhile... his fists slowly tightened.
At that moment... the battle they had fought not long ago replayed vividly in Sweet Mask's mind.
Back then... he had never imagined things would end that way.
How could he have?
As the long-standing 'Rank 1 A-Class Hero', Sweet Mask had always stood as the final barrier preventing ambitious heroes from advancing into S-Class.
He possessed strength comparable to an S-Class Hero and was admired by countless heroes. Naturally... he had absolute confidence in his own abilities.
It wasn't blind arrogance.
In Sweet Mask's eyes... a true hero was someone powerful and beautiful, someone capable of eradicating all evil while carrying out justice flawlessly.
A hero who couldn't defeat evil... wasn't worthy of being called a hero at all.
Therefore... heroes had to be strong.
And Sweet Mask believed that he himself was a hero. So his strength was only natural.
Of course... he had never believed himself to be the strongest hero alive. Even among the S-Class, there were several heroes whom he regarded as impossible to surpass.
Nevertheless... he had never once believed himself unworthy of standing alongside them.
Yet... not long ago... in his duel against the man standing before him, a man he refused to acknowledge, Sweet Mask hadn't even had time to react.
He hadn't even realized what had happened.
Before he could perceive anything at all... he had been cut cleanly in half at the waist.
Even now... Sweet Mask still couldn't understand how he had lost that battle.
Or how he had come so close to dying.
No... it wasn't that he had 'almost' died. He had truly suffered a fatal wound.
If not for his unique physique... if not for his extraordinary regenerative ability, which allowed him to reattach severed limbs and regenerate them in an incredibly short amount of time, he would already be dead.
The memory of lying on the operating table flashed through his mind.
At the time, his injuries had been so severe that he could barely continue breathing, surviving only because of his abnormal regenerative powers while Hero Association medical staff desperately operated on him.
Only then had he managed to survive.
Remembering that experience... Sweet Mask unconsciously clenched his fists tighter and tighter.
Veins bulged across his arms... across his neck... even at his temples.
The oppressive aura leaking from his body steadily intensified.
Fang Li noticed all of it. Yet his expression didn't change in the slightest.
"What?" Fang Li asked calmly. "Want a second round?"
He spoke with complete composure.
"Then go ahead."
The utter indifference in his voice caused the veins at Sweet Mask's temples to bulge even further.
His gaze grew ice-cold as he spoke in a low voice.
"...Are you looking down on me?"
In response... Fang Li merely sighed.
"I'm actually trying to spare you." His tone became openly sarcastic. "Because if you don't make your move now... you won't get another chance later. Wasn't that exactly what happened last time?"
Those words pierced straight through Sweet Mask's heart like a sword.
Yes. Wasn't that exactly what had happened?
If they fought again... would he actually be able to see Fang Li attack this time?
Or... would he simply be cut in half once again, receiving injuries so severe that even his regeneration couldn't save him?
The moment those thoughts surfaced... Sweet Mask finally regained a measure of composure.
But with that composure... came fear.
The experience of being bisected had become a lasting scar in his heart.
If he had merely been defeated in an ordinary fight... that would have been one thing. Instead... he had suffered a fatal blow without even understanding what had happened.
Even now... he still couldn't figure it out.
How could anyone not fear something like that?
As though seeing through Sweet Mask's hesitation, Fang Li shrugged.
"What? Not attacking after all?" A faint smile appeared on his face. "Then... I'll make the first move."
The instant he finished speaking... the pure white nodachi suddenly appeared in Fang Li's hand.
Just like the last time... Sweet Mask hadn't noticed how the weapon had appeared. Not at all.
"...!"
Sweet Mask's expression changed drastically.
Every pore on his body seemed to explode with tension as he instinctively assumed a defensive stance. His eyes locked firmly onto Fang Li.
A bead of sweat slowly trickled down his face. Even his breathing became hurried.
Seeing that... Fang Li narrowed his eyes.
A cold smile spread across his lips as his hand settled onto 'Bo Xie's' hilt.
At that very moment... a third person appeared.
"Young men..."
"There's no need to be so impulsive."
Bang had appeared without either of them noticing.
Walking toward them with his eyes closed, he spoke in his usual calm tone.
"This may be a dojo... but it's a place for practicing martial arts... not for trying to kill one another."
He slowly opened his eyes.
"For this old man's sake... could you two set aside your personal grievances for the time being?"
'(End Of This Chapter)'
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