Observing Wu Hei's eager posture, Ye Xing offered a benign smile.
"That's right. What about it?"
Without hesitation, Wu Hei's formerly handsome features contorted like an evil spirit's.
"Let's slaughter each other!"
Ye Xing's first thought:
Are you fucking mental?
Then reconsidered:
Wu Hei's mind genuinely wasn't right.
This Wu Clan genius could be summarised with two words:
Lunatic.
Killing maniac.
Judging by the character's original storyline, it made perfect twisted sense that he'd pick a fight here simply because of gym-goers discussing and admiring Ye Xing.
He wasn't truly a fighter - that title merely served Wu Hei as an excuse to find strong opponents and sate his bloodlust.
Nothing else mattered.
"I'm not really in the mood today."
Ye Xing yawned dismissively.
"So step aside."
This reaction, reflected in Wu Hei's gaze, instantly ignited his fury and bloodthirst.
"Interesting. Very interesting indeed."
Wu Hei let out a maniacal laugh, his teeth clenched like a beast lying in wait as his gaze locked onto Ye Xing's shoulder area.
"Still want to fight, huh..."
Ye Xing knew that professional killers like Wu Hei, trained to perfection, would focus on an opponent's shoulders and hips during combat to predict their next move.
This was proof enough.
His opponent was already prepared to engage in a life-or-death struggle.
"What a bother. Fine, let's do this."
The moment Ye Xing's words fell, Wu Hei - his face twisted into a grotesque expression - had already flashed forward to close the distance between them.
Bending slightly at the waist to gather power, Wu Hei launched a deceptively simple yet devastatingly powerful straight punch towards Ye Xing's chest, the force creating a whistling sound through the air.
Thwack.
To Wu Hei's surprise.
Before his punch could fully extend, while his elbow was still bent, Ye Xing proactively stepped forward and caught the fist squarely in his palm.
"That's it?"
Hearing Ye Xing's light chuckle, Wu Hei's eyes flashed with a calmness that starkly contrasted his frenzied expression.
"You bastard..."
The killing intent radiating from Wu Hei intensified.
This first exchange had made one thing abundantly clear.
His opponent was no ordinary person.
To intercept and neutralise his straight punch before it reached maximum power by meeting it head-on with a palm block...
This was genuine martial arts.
It sounded simple, but given Wu Hei's strength and explosive power, how could an ordinary person possibly neutralise his punch so effortlessly?
Achieving this required perfect timing, judgement and strength in equal measure.
His movements had been predicted.
'Jeet Kune Do?'
Wu Hei thought to himself, even as his left hand formed a claw, immediately striking towards Ye Xing's lower abdomen.
As mentioned before, Wu Hei wasn't exactly a martial artist.
The Wu Clan were professional assassins with centuries of inheritance.
What Wu Hei specialised in wasn't martial arts, but killing arts - unrestrained by rules, aimed solely at taking lives, with every strike being lethal.
What happened next was something he found hard to accept.
Before Wu Hei's claw could reach its target, he felt his body inexplicably lifted into the air.
Then the white wall ahead grew rapidly larger in his vision.
CRASH!!!
His head smashed violently into the wall with enough force to knock out any normal person.
Even for Wu Hei, the combined forces from Ye Xing's throw and his own momentum left him seeing stars, waves of dizziness washing over his brain.
"Tai... Taijiquan?"
Wu Hei had encountered martial artists trained in multiple styles before.
But judging by Ye Xing's appearance, he couldn't be more than seventeen or eighteen.
To master two martial arts to such a level at such a young age?
This guy...
Could he be some kind of martial arts genius?
Looking down at the dazed Wu Hei, Ye Xing maintained his gentle smile as he softly asked:
"Still want to fight?"
Of course, Ye Xing had never formally trained in any martial arts.
But.
He had his cheat.
To date, the number of evil spirits Ye Xing had devoured likely numbered in the thousands.
Among these thousands of evil spirits were martial artists who had practised martial arts in life.
As fighters, their greatest obsession in life had naturally been the advancement of their martial arts and personal strength.
After these evil spirits were devoured, their memories became Ye Xing's possessions.
Ye Xing could repeatedly observe these individuals' training processes from a third-person perspective, even adjusting playback speed or zooming in on specific details.
It was like watching a 3D film.
This was a technical enhancement.
Meanwhile, the physical improvements gained from continuously devouring evil spirits provided the foundation for perfectly executing these martial arts.
The blade and sword techniques Ye Xing employed when slaying evil spirits originated from this very process.
He'd never used martial arts before because there'd been no need.
With his raw power, flashy techniques were unnecessary - sheer force alone sufficed.
But when situations demanded such skills, he wouldn't hold back.
"You bastard..."
Wu Hei gritted his teeth, swiftly rising from the floor with his back hunched lower, resembling a quadrupedal beast.
"I'll kill you!"
Veins bulged across Wu Hei's neck as faint black Qi shimmered around his body.
"Guihun, output percentage..."
BANG!
Before Wu Hei could finish, the changing room's door was suddenly kicked open.
A girl with straight black hair in the hime-cut style entered briskly. Like Wu Hei, she possessed black irises and white pupils, dressed in sportswear.
Her gaze swept across the changing room, flashing with surprise upon seeing Ye Xing standing there.
But when she noticed Wu Hei's bulging neck veins and the dark Qi swirling around him, that surprise turned to shock.
"Stop this!"
The girl planted herself before Wu Hei, hands on her hips, speaking in a commanding tone.
"Great-grandfather is furious you sneaked out. Everyone's looking for you - go back immediately!"
"Tch... that damned old man."
Wu Hei wiped his mouth. Despite his words, he straightened up, the faint black Qi dissipating from his body.
He walked towards the exit, gritting his teeth as he passed Ye Xing.
"Kid, just wait... next time I see you—"
"Hah."
Before Wu Hei could finish, Ye Xing interrupted with a disdainful chuckle.
"Look at the state you're in, still spouting tough talk? Hurry home before your elders spank you again."
"You bastard—"
Wu Hei's teeth ground together, his face turning purple with rage.
Simple mockery wouldn't normally affect him like this.
But moments ago, Ye Xing had thoroughly beaten him. Though he hadn't used his secret technique, Guihun, meaning it wasn't his full power, the humiliation still stung.
And more importantly...
As a child, Wu Hei had indeed been frequently spanked by the current head of the Wu Clan.
Ye Xing's words had dredged up those painful, shameful memories.
After giving Ye Xing one last glare, Wu Hei merely snorted and strode out the door.
This humiliation—he would personally repay it someday.
He'd tear this brat apart piece by piece; only then would his hatred be satisfied!
After Wu Hei left, the girl with straight black hair in the hime-cut style approached Ye Xing with an innocent smile, extending her right hand.
"I'm Wu Garuda. Sorry for my clan member's behaviour."
"Mm, no problem."
When Ye Xing didn't offer his own name, Garuda didn't seem bothered.
But as she reached the changing room door, she heard his voice behind her.
"A word of advice."
Ye Xing spoke calmly.
"That guy earlier should leave Kyoto City as soon as possible."
Garuda turned back, studying Ye Xing with interest before smiling sweetly and nodding.
"Noted. Thanks for the warning."
With that, she departed.
Surveying the wrecked changing room, Ye Xing shook his head and muttered.
"What a hassle."
Though Wu Hei was a fighter, he remained merely human.
Without using any special abilities—relying solely on physical prowess and martial arts—Ye Xing could still hold his own against him.
But if he unleashed the pale ghost hand's power? Even without merging, simply summoning it would render Wu Hei completely helpless.
Soul Materialisation abilities, even just Miko Yotsuya's Hyakume, represented absolute superiority against martial artists.
Thus, Ye Xing felt no fear towards Wu Hei's promised retaliation.
His concern lay elsewhere.
Kyoto City was different from other cities.
Here, Gates existed.
Humans with distorted desires could be controlled by increasingly powerful evil spirits—their very souls merging with them.
Twisted desires.
Wu Hei was the most mentally unstable, warped human Ye Xing had ever encountered.
A living killing machine, his heart overflowing with murderous insanity.
The perfect candidate for evil spirit possession.
Moreover, as an elite fighter, Wu Hei could effortlessly slaughter dozens of armed Metropolitan Police Department officers barehanded.
Within Kyoto City, if such a vicious criminal who's difficult for ordinary people to restrain were to appear, what severe impact would it have on the Gates?
'Find an opportunity to kill Wu Hei?'
The moment this thought emerged, Ye Xing shook his head and dismissed it.
He'd already clashed with Wu Hei. If the latter were to die within Kyoto City, the Wu Clan's first suspect would be himself.
The Wu Clan wasn't the Metropolitan Police Department. As a lineage of generational assassins, they didn't need evidence—mere suspicion was reason enough to act.
Ye Xing didn't fear the Wu Clan, but avoiding unnecessary trouble was always preferable.
'I'll consider it later.'
Ye Xing shook his head and set the matter aside for the time being.
In any case, if Wu Hei were possessed and controlled by evil spirits, he'd act immediately and kill the man without hesitation.
And to prevent future troubles...
The entire Wu Clan could accompany him to the grave.
...
Meanwhile, in the Criminal Affairs Bureau Chief's office at the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department.
Soichiro Yagami, having just concluded a meeting, massaged his temples as he sat behind his desk and heaved a heavy sigh.
"The Onimaru Kunitsuna exhibition... of all times."
With personnel reinforcements from various city police departments and increased patrols these past weeks, Kyoto's crime rate had finally shown some decline.
Yet before Soichiro could report these results to his superiors, this new complication arose.
A national treasure like Onimaru Kunitsuna transcended monetary value.
Should anything happen during the exhibition, it wouldn't just concern Kyoto's Metropolitan Police Department.
It would become one of Japan's most sensational news stories.
At this critical juncture, absolutely no mishaps could be permitted.
Just then, Soichiro's phone rang.
His furrowed brows relaxed slightly upon seeing the caller ID.
"Light."
"Father."
Light Yagami's voice carried warmth through the receiver.
"How's work been recently?"
Soichiro smiled, replying calmly.
"Not bad."
He couldn't be more satisfied with this son of his.
Handsome, academically brilliant, excelling in sports—teachers praised him as the perfect student.
Moreover...
Light had once declared his ambition: first to enter To-Oh University, then, through persistent effort, to become a Metropolitan Police Department officer, like his father, acting for justice.
With such a son and an adorable daughter too, Soichiro considered himself extraordinarily fortunate—a true winner in life.
"Father, after my spring term exams finish and the break begins, I'd like to visit you in Kyoto."
Soichiro chuckled at this.
"Of course. It's been nearly half a year since I transferred to Kyoto's Metropolitan Police Department. Why not bring your mother and sister too? I'll take some leave then—we'll have a proper family holiday in Kyoto."
Then he added pointedly.
"Provided you achieve good results in those spring exams, of course."
"Rest assured."
Light Yagami's voice carried absolute confidence.
"This time, just like in middle school, I'll be ranked first in the entire school."
"That's good to hear."
"Alright, I won't disturb your work any longer, Father."
"Mmm."
After hanging up the phone, Light Yagami set down his mobile in his Tokyo bedroom. His gaze shifted to the news photo on his computer screen showing Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten.
The image depicted Metropolitan Police Department members on high alert, radiating a tense, oppressive atmosphere.
And...
In the empty space stood an ancient, dilapidated wooden Gate that seemed utterly out of place, emitting thick black Qi from within.
Light studied the photograph on screen, his mind working through the details.
All hostages had escaped successfully, yet the building had been destroyed - this defied all logical explanation.
He'd attempted to inquire about specifics regarding the Kyoto kindergarten incident.
Though the response cited confidential police information that couldn't be disclosed, that very reply told him everything he needed to know.
Light could discern that his father was withholding something.
If the investigation had concluded officially, why the secrecy?
Even now, the Metropolitan Police Department hadn't released full details of the hostage rescue.
Online searches revealed urban legend-like rumours claiming the rescuer wasn't police at all, but a mysterious figure wearing a black mask.
Normally, he'd dismiss such claims outright.
But combined with his father's odd behaviour, the case's illogical elements...
And most crucially...
This news photo containing anomalies that no one else seemed to notice.
"Could it be... someone in Kyoto possesses abilities similar to mine?"
"How fascinating. This previously dull, decaying world grows ever more interesting."
...
Wednesday at noon, Class 1-A classroom.
The first day of the two-day spring examinations.
For Ye Xing, first-year high school tests presented no challenge whatsoever.
The allotted two-and-a-half-hour exam period? He'd finished in under twenty minutes.
The remaining time he spent resting with his eyes closed.
He'd have preferred sleeping, but couldn't risk entering deep sleep and forgetting Mai Sakurajima's existence, so he merely eased his fatigue instead.
To classmates, of course, he simply appeared to be sleeping.
But an even more remarkable contender had been asleep since the exam papers were distributed.
Kazusa Touma.
Unlike Ye Xing...
She'd abandoned the test completely, not even writing her name.
Given Kazusa's academic record, writing answers would have been pointless anyway.
"Those two... they're definitely going to be bottom of the class this time, aren't they?"
"No doubt about it. Who do you think will be last?"
"Isn't it obvious? It's got to be Touma. Ye Xing at least wrote for twenty minutes before giving up. Even if he just guessed a few multiple-choice questions, he shouldn't get zero."
"Whatever. We've got more exams this afternoon and another full day tomorrow. Exhausting."
"After exams finish on Friday, let's go somewhere to relax. Karaoke?"
"I heard the famous sword Onimaru Kunitsuna is being exhibited here recently. Want to check it out?"
"Nah, what's so interesting about that? Just a sword."
Clearly.
In their classmates' eyes, Ye Xing, who slept through classes all day, even if he had recently stayed awake during lessons, was still openly playing with his phone.
How could someone like that possibly achieve good grades?
Little did they know, their perspectives were too narrow.
Ye Xing's mind was entirely occupied with solving Mai Sakurajima's Adolescence Syndrome, uncovering the Wu Clan's purpose in Kyoto, and planning how to return Onimaru Kunitsuna to its rightful owner.
As for exams?
There could only be one outcome - top of the year with full marks in every subject. No other possibility existed.