Chapter 13 - Chapter 13 Why... Is There No Poison on You?

Fewer and fewer students remained on the field. Luo Tian, half-asleep, lifted his head with effort. "You two—step up." Yu Sheng did not move. Instead, he looked at Luo Tian with curiosity. "Excuse me, are weapons allowed?" When Luo Tian saw he had pointed at Yu Sheng, he roused himself a little, eyeing the thin, empty-handed boy. "Sure, use whatever you want." "Alright, thank you." Yu Sheng nodded earnestly, then stepped onto the makeshift arena. The eliminated students immediately began pounding their chests and stamping their feet in frustration. Damn it! Weapons were allowed! If they'd thought to ask earlier, would they have lost out because of their lack of strength? The thing was, they were all just students. Sheltered and protected in the rear, they'd never had to fight and kill while still unawakened. It was only natural that weapons never crossed their minds first. After all, drawing weapons meant the fight would turn dangerous. His opponent stepping onto the arena was none other than Du Xu—the one Zhao Zicheng had been warning about nonstop. Du Xu had already lifted his foot to step onto the ring when he heard Yu Sheng's question. He froze mid-step, pulled his foot back silently, and scanned his surroundings. Finally, he found a wooden stick in a pile of junk and only then entered the arena. Surprisingly, Yu Sheng—the one who'd asked about weapons in the first place—had no intention of grabbing one. Everyone stared at him as if he were a fool. Was he just giving his opponent an unfair advantage for no reason? Zhao Zicheng, ignoring his swollen face, took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs. "Go Yu Sheng!" "Don't bring shame to No. 2 Middle School!" ... The fight began. This was Liu Qingfeng's student, after all—and he'd been unfazed by Luo Tian's aura earlier. Luo Tian felt a flicker of interest in Yu Sheng, and he watched with a hint of anticipation, cigarette in hand. But in an instant, his eyes bulged wide. He didn't even notice the ash from his cigarette falling onto his clothes. "F-Fuck me!" An exclamation slipped out unconsciously. Du Xu—feared by Zhao Zicheng, his reputation known across all three schools in Mobei City—had barely raised the wooden stick in his hand when Yu Sheng closed in and slammed into his chest. Du Xu's frame was stocky and strong, a stark contrast to Yu Sheng's gauntness. The impact only made Du Xu stumble slightly. But before he could steady himself, a blade appeared between Yu Sheng's right fingers. The blade was badly worn on both sides, so dull it didn't glint at all in the light—yet it was razor-sharp. With a single light slash, Du Xu cried out in pain, his hand opening instinctively. The wooden stick clattered to the ground, and he stumbled back two steps, clutching his wrist. The blade vanished as if by magic. A dagger slid down Yu Sheng's sleeve, and he caught it firmly, pressing his finger against the back of the blade to expose only a little over a centimeter of the sharp edge. He stabbed Du Xu repeatedly with it. That tiny centimeter was enough to inflict agonizing pain—without causing any serious injury. But the visual effect was nothing short of shocking. Blood oozed nonstop from Du Xu's wounds, quickly staining his clothes in red splotches. Du Xu looked dazed. Clearly, he couldn't fathom why someone would pull a knife in a mere assessment. But he'd earned his reputation in Mobei City for a reason. Despite the searing pain, he had a fierce streak. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists and charged at Yu Sheng, ignoring the dagger, trying to pin the smaller boy to the ground with brute force, like a bear pouncing on its prey. And that was when Luo Tian saw something that left him utterly dumbfounded. Yu Sheng's expression remained calm the entire time. He tossed the dagger aside without hesitation, stepped back just one pace, and dodged Du Xu's pounce with pinpoint precision. Then he lifted his right foot slightly. With the force of his own charge, Du Xu tripped and crashed face-first into the ground. Yu Sheng dropped to one knee, pressing it into Du Xu's back, and rolled up his sleeve. Revealed on his arm was a crossbow—already cocked, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Instinctively, he aimed it at Du Xu's heart. But after a brief pause, he holstered the crossbow and slammed a fist into the back of Du Xu's head. Du Xu never stood a chance of getting up. He blacked out on the spot. "H-Hahaha... Kid, you're..." Luo Tian was in a daze. Was this really something an eighteen-year-old could do? Not even some soldiers with only a few years of service under their belts could pull off moves like that. For a moment, Luo Tian was filled with admiration. But... Yu Sheng didn't spare him so much as a glance. Instead, he silently rolled Du Xu onto his back and pried his mouth open. A length of iron wire appeared in his hand; he wrapped it around his fingers, reached into Du Xu's mouth, and forcefully wrenched at his left cheek. The whole sequence was smooth and seamless, like a well-rehearsed routine. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a blood-stained tooth. For the first time, Yu Sheng—who'd been unfailingly calm this entire time—looked genuinely surprised. He held the tooth up and examined it closely, muttering to himself. "Why is there no poison on it?" "Did he hide it somewhere else?" Yu Sheng began patting down Du Xu's collar and cuffs, searching for something. Luo Tian's mind finally pieced together a vague guess. He ventured a question, his voice tentative. "Are you looking for..." "Poison?" Yu Sheng paused his search, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. "Yes. It's strange. I can't find where he hid it." ... Luo Tian took a sharp breath, staring at Yu Sheng as if he were a freak of nature. "Have you ever considered the possibility that... he might not have hidden any poison at all?" "Impossible!" Yu Sheng shook his head firmly. "If you're captured by an enemy and can't kill yourself, you'll be tortured until death is a mercy." Recalling his days in Sin City, he spoke with utter solemnity. Du Xu had just regained consciousness when he heard Yu Sheng's words. Wisps of gray energy drifted off him, sinking one by one into the scroll within Yu Sheng's body. His gaze toward the sky grew vacant and confused. Yeah... why didn't I hide any poison? Then I could kill myself anytime I wanted. Wait a minute! Why the hell would I hide poison in the first place?! I'm alive and well—what the fuck would I need to kill myself for? This guy's a psychopath! Fuck! Luo Tian's expression turned grave in an instant. He tossed his cigarette to the ground and stared at Yu Sheng intently, his voice slow and deliberate. "You're... from Sin City, aren't you?" His strikes were crisp and decisive. He had the habit of hiding poison in his teeth and cuffs. He always carried weapons on his person, almost unconsciously. All these little details pointed to one thing: Yu Sheng was from Sin City. The only jarring detail was his age. "Yeah." Yu Sheng nodded slightly, then asked the question that had been bugging him this whole time. "Do people really not hide poison outside of Sin City?"