The man in white stood with his robes fluttering lightly in the breeze, his entire being radiating an ethereal aura. If this were ancient times, he would undoubtedly be hailed as a peerless master. But this was the 21st century—an age where people wielded guns like those in the hands of Liusha and his group—while this man still held a sword.
The sword's scabbard gleamed silver-white, its surface engraved with a delicate dragon. The hilt was a deep blue, and though the blade remained sheathed, a palpable murderous intent emanated from it.
"Yuanhong… the legendary sword Yuanhong," murmured the gray-clad leader, his voice trembling. A mask concealed his face, but if it hadn't, one could have seen the shock written all over it.
"Yin—the greatest swordsman in the world…" His voice faltered midway, and silence fell.
The atmosphere turned unnaturally still. No one spoke. Xia Tian looked at the gray-clad man in confusion. Why had he suddenly stopped speaking? Even the man beside him stood frozen in place.
Pfft!
Blood gushed from the throats of the two gray-clad men, their bodies collapsing onto the cold ground. The last remaining man in gray trembled as he stared at their fallen corpses.
"Take them away," said the man in white calmly.
The survivor hastily grabbed the two bodies and fled into the distance, not daring to look back. To him, this place was the very gate of hell—if he lingered even a second longer, he'd share their fate.
Even his captain had been killed effortlessly. How could he possibly hope to survive against such a man?
Everything had happened so quickly that Xia Tian couldn't even comprehend what had occurred. He hadn't seen the man in white move at all.
"When… did he attack?" Xia Tian thought, horror creeping into his chest. Though this man had just saved him, Xia Tian understood that if the stranger wished him dead, he would perish just as swiftly as the others.
"You're Xia Tian, aren't you?" the man in white asked, turning his calm gaze toward him.
"Yes, I'm Xia Tian." Xia Tian stared back without blinking.
"You look very much like him—and you have his courage." The man in white nodded approvingly.
"You knew my father?" Xia Tian asked. He could tell who the man was referring to. He had long noticed how much he resembled his father.
"Crush the largest gem in the center of the necklace around your neck," the man in white instructed.
Xia Tian frowned and held the necklace protectively. It had been left to him by his mother—how could he destroy it?
"Don't worry," the man in white said, noticing his hesitation. "That gem was added later by your father."
Xia Tian hesitated. He had always felt that particular gem was strange, unlike the others. He had dismissed it as decoration, but now, hearing this, he nodded and pressed hard. The gem shattered easily, not nearly as tough as he had imagined.
Inside was a thin wooden slip, no longer than a finger.
The sight of it stunned Xia Tian—it was what Liusha had been after. But why had his father hidden it inside his necklace?
"Your father wanted you to keep it safe," the man in white explained. "He also hoped you could live an ordinary life. Knowing you would always protect this necklace, he chose to conceal it there."
He recalled his father's words: 'Tian'er, if one day you face a crisis you cannot overcome or are gravely injured, wear this. It's what your mother left for you.'
Back then, Xia Tian had assumed the necklace possessed some healing ability. But now, he understood—his father had meant the wooden slip.
"What kind of man was my father?" Xia Tian asked quietly. It was a question he had long wanted to ask, yet no one had ever been willing to answer. Only his aunt had known anything, and she had always avoided the subject.
"He wished for you to live peacefully, so all I can say is this—he was a great man," the man in white replied, his eyes unwavering.
"Do you really think I can still live a normal life? My world has already changed." Since the car accident, Xia Tian had stepped into a different world entirely.
Once, he had been an ordinary student, working and studying quietly. But after that accident, everything had shifted.
"I know," said the man in white. "That's why I came." He took a few steps closer. "Become my disciple."
"You want me to be your disciple?" Xia Tian looked up, startled. He could sense the immense strength the man possessed. Compared to him, Mr. Fan, Ah San, or even the people from Liusha were insignificant.
Moreover, this man had known his father. If Xia Tian wanted to uncover the truth about his father's death, this was the only path forward.
"Xia Tian greets his master." He dropped to one knee.
"Good," the man in white said lightly. "There are fewer than six days until the college entrance examination. That was your father's wish—you must complete it. After school each day, come to me. How much you learn in six days depends on your comprehension." With that, he turned and walked away.
Xia Tian remained kneeling until the man's figure vanished. Then, Zeng Rou hurried over to help him up.
"Are you alright?" she asked. She didn't inquire who those people were—she only cared that he was safe.
"I'm fine. Let's get out of here," Xia Tian replied. The exams were approaching, and he couldn't afford any mistakes now. He had just taken a mock test the day before and wanted to see how well he'd done.
"I'll call a taxi," Zeng Rou said, pulling out her phone. She had hundreds of missed calls, but ignored them, dialing a driver instead.
Twenty minutes later, a car pulled up. Xia Tian got in, holding Zeng Rou's daughter gently in his arms.
The car was silent. Zeng Rou didn't know what to say, and Xia Tian didn't speak either. He only looked down at the sleeping child, careful not to wake her with the motion of the car.
"Her name is Tiantian," Zeng Rou said softly.
"Tiantian? Then we really are fated. My name is Xia Tian, and hers is Tiantian," he said with a faint smile.
"Yes—you've saved her twice now," Zeng Rou replied. "I'll pick you up this evening."
"No need. I can go on my own—he doesn't like crowds," Xia Tian said, referring to the man in white.
"Alright. Then after your college exams, I'll come celebrate with you," Zeng Rou said gently. She knew he would be training in martial arts with the man in white until then. "It'll also be a chance to thank you for saving us."
Seeing the tenderness in her eyes, Xia Tian felt embarrassed to refuse. "Alright," he agreed.
Zeng Rou handed him her business card. Xia Tian didn't bother about the police—he knew Zeng Rou would handle it easily.
He asked her not to drop him off at the school gate. He didn't want anyone seeing him arrive in such a luxurious car.
The car stopped on a side street behind the school, and Xia Tian walked the rest of the way. When he entered the campus, he immediately noticed people staring at him and whispering.
"That's Xia Tian. Did you hear? He harassed Huo Lazi, the top female star in school."
"Of course I heard! And he also beat up Xu Shaocong's four Vajra bodyguards."
"I heard Xu Shaocong was hospitalized yesterday. It's probably because of him."
Students avoided him like the plague, fear written all over their faces. Once, Xia Tian had been just another quiet, excellent student—but now, everyone at Jianghai High knew his name. From freshmen to seniors, everyone was talking about him.
The two most famous figures in Jianghai High were Huo Lazi and Xu Shaocong—and Xia Tian had managed to offend both in a single day. He had beaten Xu's men and supposedly flirted with Huo Lazi.
Ignoring the gossip, Xia Tian walked into the classroom. The room was unusually full today. As soon as Huo Lazi saw him, he ran over excitedly.
"Master! You're here early!" he exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look at Xia Tian in shock. Since when had he become Huo Lazi's master?
"Don't shout. I'm not your master," Xia Tian said, frowning. His eyes drifted to Wen Ya—she didn't look well, but he said nothing.
Xu Shaocong's condition wasn't easy to cure. Xia Tian had learned a lot from his father since childhood, including acupuncture.
The bell rang, and the homeroom teacher entered, followed by the school principal and three formally dressed teachers whom Xia Tian had never seen before.
The three were middle-aged men, all wearing glasses. They and the principal took seats in the back row.
Huo Lazi, however, didn't even pretend to pay attention. She lay sprawled across her desk, sleeping, completely ignoring the principal's presence. The visiting teachers frowned at her disrespect, but said nothing.