We Are Different

Rumble, rumble...

The sky darkened, faint thunder rumbling ominously.

The crowd scattered, glaring angrily at the man ahead.

The one-eyed man held a little girl in his grip, squeezing her bottom so hard it hurt, making her struggle in terror.

The girl's tender neck was bright red from the force, and the white sweater she wore was stained with black grime.

Her eyes were full of fear as she looked around, tears streaming down.

"Wah wah... I'm scared..."

Beside the little girl, an old woman's face was full of anxiety.

"What do you want? I can give you anything—money? Or something else?"

The man ignored the old woman, carrying the little girl as he walked away.

"Wah wah... Mom, Dad, save me..."

The one-eyed man pulled out a bucket from a corner, twisted off the lid, and a strong smell of gasoline wafted out.

At that moment.

The Cloud Water Mall security guards had already surrounded them. After a brief inquiry, they understood the situation.

The leader was the captain of the Cloud Water Mall security team. He held a knife in his hand and tried to speak in a gentle tone.

"Brother, don't get worked up. Don't do something that hurts others and yourself."

The one-eyed man held the little girl, his emotions calming slightly.

"Stop right there. Stay ten meters away from me."

The security captain nodded and backed off repeatedly.

This girl was no ordinary child—she was the daughter of the Cloud Water City Martial Arts Education Bureau director.

If he couldn't save the little girl from this cultist, he'd lose his job.

The one-armed man pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

Cigarette dangling from his lips, he then picked up the gasoline and poured a circle around himself and the little girl.

"When this cigarette burns out, this little girl and I will enter reincarnation together."

The man blew out a puff of smoke, ignoring the girl's sobbing.

The security captain panicked.

How long did it take to smoke a cigarette? Just a matter of minutes.

"Brother, think about your wife..."

"Ran off with someone else."

"Think about your son..."

"He's the other man's."

"Think about your parents..."

"Beaten to death by bullies. I had no one to turn to, no one helped me. I'm taking someone with me to die!"

A nearby guard whispered to the security captain.

"Captain, stop talking. The more you console him, the more agitated he gets."

The security captain was frantic.

He was a Level Thirteen Martial Artist, not a Level Thirty or above who could project blood and qi outward.

If it came down to it, he'd have to force an attack.

They only had the time it took to smoke one cigarette to save her.

The one-eyed man seemed stirred up by the security captain's mention of painful memories, making him even more emotional.

Seeing the guards huddling together, he immediately shouted.

"I'm a Level Ten Martial Artist too. I can react to your little tricks."

With that.

The one-eyed man released his Level Ten Martial Artist aura.

His blood and qi blazed like a furnace; the fine drizzle drifting in the sky evaporated before it even got near him.

The security captain froze. A Level Ten Martial Artist—if he made a move, the other could indeed react.

And in the moment he acted, he could strangle the director's daughter to death.

"Security captain, think of something fast! The cigarette's already half-burned."

"Auntie, we're thinking, don't rush us."

"This man is a Level Ten Martial Artist. Our security team has no long-range options."

"I've already notified the Public Security Bureau. The sniper will be here soon."

The old woman watched her granddaughter being choked by the man, the little face full of terror, and grew more and more anxious.

"Who can save my granddaughter..."

The old woman was at her wit's end, watching the cigarette burn shorter and shorter, collapsing limply to the ground.

A youth stepped out from the crowd, walking toward the one-eyed man.

"Stop right there. Come any closer and I'll kill her."

The youth was none other than Xu Zhiming.

He had been standing in the crowd, watching the little girl cry, unable to hold back any longer.

When he heard the man say he had been bullied and no one helped him, a thought flashed through his mind.

So, he stepped forward.

"You said you were bullied by thugs and no one helped you."

"Funny thing—I've been bullied too, and no one stood up for me."

The man watched Xu Zhiming warily, not believing a word he said.

"You look like a high school student. Who would bully you? At worst, some classmates shake you down for protection money."

"Child's play stuff."

All around.

Some people pulled out their phones to record video.

Xu Zhiming gave a faint smile.

He took his student ID from his pocket and tossed it straight over.

"My name is Xu Zhiming. I'm a senior in the special class at Yunshui First High School."

"Take a look at our school's official account—the latest notice they put out."

The one-eyed man glanced down at the student ID. The information on it matched what Xu Zhiming had said.

For a moment, it sparked his curiosity.

Seeing that the man believed him, Xu Zhiming breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He swept his gaze around.

Good. Recording was exactly what he needed.

"Our school announced last year that the top scorer in academics and the one with the highest blood energy would split a reward of over a million."

"I got first place in academics."

"I should have received several hundred thousand in prize money. But the school just said a teacher misspoke, stripped me of that reward, and gave me three E-grade Potions instead."

The man stood there, speechless.

If it was true, he actually felt some sympathy for Xu Zhiming—barely one percent as miserable as himself.

"My son is a middle school student. He even brought this up at home. I thought it was fake, but it turns out it's real."

"If it were me, I'd already be furious. For the school to do something like this—damn disgusting."

Xu Zhiming's face burned with indignation as he took two more steps closer.

"You think that's the end? The three potions I was promised were stolen by a ninth-rank student from our school, and the school did nothing about it."

"Even my homeroom teacher spoke up for me, but the school tacitly allowed that guy to take my potions."

The man took a sharp drag of his cigarette, finishing half of it in one go.

The old woman beside him saw this and her heart leaped into her throat.

The crowd buzzed with noise. Her vision went dark, and she collapsed to the ground.

The nearby security guard quickly caught her.

The security captain stared at the cigarette butt on the ground—thankfully, it hadn't been tossed onto the gasoline.

Just hold on a few more minutes, and the sniper would arrive.

Hopefully, this student would keep talking—the more, the better.

The one-eyed man looked at Xu Zhiming. By now, Xu Zhiming was five meters away.

He didn't care. Instead, he felt a growing sense of kinship with Xu Zhiming.

"You think that's it? Not yet."

The man pricked up his ears. This guy was almost a third as miserable as him.

The hand gripping the little girl's neck loosened slightly.

"I worked hard, and in front of dozens of witnesses, I beat the student who stole my potions."

"Then, guess what happened."

The man couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"What?"

The surrounding crowd, which had been noisy, also quieted down, wanting to hear what had been sent to him.

Xu Zhiming took out his phone and read aloud the part of the Yunshui First High School notice concerning Yu Qingqing.

"They never asked a single classmate, not a single teacher who was watching at the time, and said I bullied the weak with my strength."

"They gave me a major demerit."

Xu Zhiming's voice grew more fervent, his eyes brighter and brighter.

"I really wanted to drag that person out and point at their nose to ask why."

"I didn't go."

Xu Zhiming took a deep breath. By now, he was only about three meters away from the man.

"Because I know they think I'm weak. I'm an orphan. I have no backing. I deserve to be bullied."

Xu Zhiming looked at the one-eyed man.

"Tell me, aren't our experiences a little similar?"

The man nodded. There was indeed a trace of similarity.

When he saw Xu Zhiming standing before him, the man snapped back to clarity.

The hand choking the little girl squeezed even harder.

The little girl's face flushed red. Her hands clutched desperately at the man, trying to break free.

How could a five- or six-year-old girl shake a Level 10 martial artist?

"You've suffered so much injustice. Join us. I'll introduce you. Together, we'll send everyone to heaven."

Xu Zhiming shook his head.

"Our experiences are similar, but we are not the same."

"I'll perform a set of fist techniques for you to watch. See if you can tell what makes us different."

Boom, boom...

Just then, thunder rumbled from the horizon.

Xu Zhiming assumed the stance of the Wind Thunder Fist.

With the thunderous fury in his chest, he slowly began to execute the Wind Thunder Fist.

Thunder roared. The crowd buzzed with noise.

They didn't understand—why was he practicing fist techniques at a time like this?

[You have diligently practiced one round of the Wind Thunder Fist...]

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