"..."
The sudden scene in the alley left everyone momentarily stunned, eyes wide as they took in Xue Jing's sudden appearance. Yunqin, her voice barely above a whisper, muttered, "...So handsome."
Ning Fengwan's surprise quickly turned into exasperation. "A'Jing, what are you doing here?"
Xue Jing scratched his chin with a playful groan. "If I said I just happened to pass by, would you believe me?"
Ning Fengwan rolled her eyes, urgency creeping into her tone. "Stop joking around and go home. It's the middle of the night. What are you doing wandering around?"
Mr. An, who had been silently observing the interaction, narrowed his red, vertical pupils as something clicked in his mind. "So, the leader has been staying at this young man's residence."
He shook his head, turning his attention back to Ning Fengwan. "Master, there's no point in staying in Qingcheng. You should come with me to the headquarters. Once we're there, not even Kant Security Company can touch us. And after you receive His Majesty Anandashesha's infinite grace, it won't be long before Kant is wiped out entirely."
But Maomao with her smaller figure, interjected in a childish voice, "No, I don't want to go."
Mr. An's face tightened with confusion. "Why?"
His eyes flicked back to Xue Jing, scrutinizing him for a moment before a realization seemed to dawn. Ning Fengwan, ready to respond, froze when Mr. An spoke again.
"You don't want to leave this young man behind, do you?" His tone grew serious.
Ning Fengwan, Yunqin, and Xue Jing were all taken aback by the statement. Yunqin muttered softly, "...get down."
A cold, dangerous expression crossed Ning Fengwan's face. "You're threatening me with him?"
Xue Jing stepped forward, eyes narrowing, his voice sharp. "I don't think I can ignore that."
Sensing the shift in tension, Mr. An quickly raised his hands in defense. "No, no, I'm not threatening you. I simply mean that if you stay here and Kant Security Company finds out, this young man will be in danger. It's safer for everyone if you come with me."
Ning Fengwan clenched her fists, cursing under her breath. "If you hadn't shown up, nothing would've happened! I told you to leave me alone for now!"
She let out a frustrated sigh. "I never wanted to be the leader of the Dragon Cult. That old fool made me his successor without my consent! And now you want me to take on this grand role and receive divine grace? Go and take it yourself. Leave me out of it!"
Yunqin shrank back, looking guilty, while Xue Jing listened intently, still not fully grasping the backstory of Ning Fengwan and the Dragon Cult.
After a long pause, Mr. An spoke softly, "Very well. We'll leave it here for today. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."
Ning Fengwan didn't respond, her expression hardened. Mr. An turned on his heels and walked away, Yunqin following reluctantly behind him.
Left alone in the alley, Xue Jing gave Ning Fengwan a gentle smile. "Come on, Teacher Wan, let's head home. I'll whip up some late-night snacks."
The black cat blinked its emerald eyes at him, a soft hum escaping her as she followed along.
---
The next morning, Xue Jing woke up and immediately checked his wounds. To his surprise, they had already scabbed over, healing much faster than he had expected. The thought of needing to take a break from martial arts practice now seemed unnecessary.
Stretching, he glanced at the black cat still curled up beside him. He gently stroked its cheek, pondering the events of the previous night. Though neither of them had spoken much after returning home, Xue Jing had a sense that Maomao was considering leaving to avoid putting him in further danger.
The risk had indeed increased now that the Dragon Cult had come knocking.
'Kant Security Company,' Xue Jing thought, scratching his chin. Security companies like Kant weren't just ordinary firms. In a world brimming with martial artists, cyborgs, and other powerful beings, maintaining public order had become a task far beyond the reach of traditional law enforcement.
At some point, the government had outsourced portions of its law enforcement responsibilities to private security companies, allowing them to form their own armed forces. These companies, equipped with limited law enforcement powers, had grown into behemoths, virtually untouchable, even by government standards.
Facing an enemy like that... Xue Jing's scalp tingled at the thought.
Shaking his head, he muttered, "No use worrying about it. As long as I keep getting stronger, everything else will fall into place. If I can't solve the problem, I'll deal with the people causing it."
A flicker of determination lit his eyes. "Screw it. Just punch and break them all."
---
Later, at the Canglong Dojo's training room, Xue Jing focused on practicing the Armor-Shaking Technique, particularly the "blood training" movements, the most challenging among the five exercises.
Each tremor of his body stirred the dragon energy within him. This energy, now specialized as Hidden Dragon Strength, felt almost sentient—an extension of his being, easily controlled.
With every motion, Xue Jing felt his blood flow with a strange viscosity, as though it were being refined from within. The dragon energy tempered his body in a way that felt both alien and natural.
After an intense session, Xue Jing's body radiated heat, steam rising from his skin. He finished with a sharp straight punch, and the air around him exploded with the force of a dragon's roar. The impact was so strong that it caused the curtains in the room to ripple.
"This technique corresponds to 'Shaking Star Fire,' one of the five killer moves of the Hidden Dragon Style," Xue Jing mused. It was designed to break through an opponent's defenses by releasing explosive power directly into their body.
He threw another punch, feeling the force surge out in another burst of dragon power.
"Using Hidden Dragon Strength makes it feel like I'm sending an actual dragon into my opponent's body," Xue Jing thought.
Satisfied with the session, Xue Jing glanced at his panel to check his progress.
---
[You have practiced the Armor Shaking Technique. Fitness Experience Points +331]
[You have practiced the Armor Shaking Technique. Hidden Dragon Strength (Qi/Internal Force) Experience +367]
---
As he absorbed the mist from the medicinal nebulizer, footsteps approached.
"Junior brother, junior brother!" called out Chen Fuguang from the corridor.
Xue Jing stepped out of the practice room and met his senior brother, who quickly slung an arm around his shoulders.
"Junior brother, you've made a fortune," Chen Fuguang said with a grin.
Xue Jing raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Chen Fuguang's smirk widened. "You killed that monster at Ruizhu Hotel and saved all those rich kids, right? Well, today, the dojo received a bunch of donations from their parents."
Xue Jing's eyes lit up. "How much?"
Chen Fuguang checked his phone. "Most of the donations were over a million. We've received 22 million so far."
Xue Jing's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I'm rich?"
Chen Fuguang chuckled, nudging him playfully. "Don't get too comfortable, though. Martial arts training will drain that money fast. You've only just started the Five Great Practices. Soon, you'll need medicines to nourish your organs and essence. They're ridiculously expensive."
Xue Jing's excitement dimmed slightly. "Poor in literature, rich in martial arts..."
"Oh, one more thing," Chen Fuguang said, holding up his phone. "Check this out."
Xue Jing took the phone and saw the headline:
---
[Sunny City Morning News]
[17-year-old high school student kills inhuman monster with his bare hands. Is he a martial arts genius at Qingda High School?]
Xue Jing's eyes narrowed as he read.