Beast

"Enough, stop talking nonsense. I only see Lin Rong as a younger sister."

Song Jian shook his head, completely failing to notice the flicker of disappointment in the young girl's eyes.

"I came here for my own reasons. To tell you the truth, this Red Scale Fighting Club is not as simple as it seems.

"Since you've joined, take it seriously. If you can master Combat Technique, there will be plenty of benefits in the future."

At that point, as though he had remembered something, his gaze swept around the room and his words abruptly came to a halt.

No matter how his companions questioned him, he did not say another word.

Hu Qi, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. Though he found it somewhat regrettable,

he could only give up on eavesdropping and focus on eating.

Time slipped quietly by.

After eating, Hu Qi ordered a cup of milk tea at a nearby mall and sat inside enjoying the air conditioning.

Only when it was about time did he get up and head toward the Red Scale Club.

The afternoon trial class ended quickly. Checking the time, he saw it was exactly two thirty.

The weather was oppressively hot, and the sunlight blazed fiercely.

A few white clouds drifted across the azure sky. Walking outside felt like standing beside a roaring furnace.

Even his skin felt taut from the scorching heat.

The weak cries of cicadas occasionally drifted from the trees in the distant greenbelt.

When he reached the roadside, he discovered that the electric scooter he had originally parked beneath the shade of a tree had become fully exposed to the sun as it slanted westward. Its black seat had been baked scorching hot.

Seeing this, Hu Qi unscrewed his bottle of mineral water and poured some over it. Visible to the naked eye, the water stains vanished in an instant.

Fortunately, the temperature dropped.

Hu Qi immediately mounted the electric scooter and sped toward home.

He had spent another few dozen yuan today.

Looking at the delivery box on the back of the scooter, an idea rose unbidden in Hu Qi's mind. Was he going to deliver takeout?

But if he did that, his plan to study Combat Technique would very likely have to be postponed.

Over the past few days, Hu Qi's thoughts had already changed somewhat.

In this world, fighting seemed to be held in extremely high regard, even included in national competitions.

As long as one's strength reached a certain level and one obtained certification, monthly salaries ranged from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand.

Some fighting experts could even earn prize money of several hundred thousand from a single match.

It could be said that the speed of making money was closely tied to one's own strength.

In other words, the stronger one was, the faster one could make money.

Though Hu Qi did not know why the Xiya Federation operated this way, that did not stop him from making it his goal.

He could choose to find a job, earn some money, then use Modification Points to improve his Culinary Arts. In the future, he could still build up a considerable family fortune.

But that was not what his heart desired.

Working for others had once been something he had no choice but to do.

But now that he possessed the Scarlet Modifier, he longed for a different way of life.

Therefore, working for others was absolutely impossible. It would be impossible for him to work for others again in this lifetime.

"If it really comes down to it, I'll go back and write out those song lyrics I remember, see if I can sell them for some money, or borrow some from the original owner's aunt..."

Just as Hu Qi was pondering his grand plan to make money, the traffic light at the intersection ahead turned red.

He squeezed the brakes and pulled over to wait.

At that moment, a young man carrying a gray crossbody bag and looking down at his phone passed by on the right.

"Hey, have you heard?... Paper Crane Payment has now changed to Paper Crane Service. My credit limit is eighty thousand. Hurry up and check yours!"

The advertisement playing faintly from the phone sounded very cheerful.

Yet it was accompanied by the man's curses as he walked farther away.

"What a moronic ad. Laughing so happily, as if borrowed money doesn't need to be repaid. What a joke!"

Hu Qi watched the scene, and his expression shifted slightly.

He fell into thought.

Right. Why hadn't he thought of that?

If he had no money, couldn't he just borrow some?

The Paper Crane app was one of the top-ranked social apps in the Xiya Federation, and the original owner had an account too.

With that thought, he immediately twisted the handlebar and accelerated.

Before long, he returned home.

"Dear user, hello. Your savings card account ending in 5969 was activated through UnionPay at 4:26 on July 12. Your current credit limit is thirty thousand yuan, and the repayment date is next month..."

Inside the rented room, the cold air from the air conditioner carried a white mist, bringing a refreshing, bone-deep chill.

On the bed, Hu Qi smiled as he looked at the notification that his newly activated credit limit had arrived.

Not bad. These thirty thousand yuan were enough to solve his pressing needs.

As for repaying it next month, when the boat reached the bridgehead, it would naturally straighten itself out. What was there to worry about?

As long as he raised his strength,

he could take a professional certification exam then. Repaying this little money would be easy.

With that in mind, he immediately got up and went to the center of the room, clearing the clutter to one side. Then he took off his shirt, leaving his upper body bare.

With a thought, he summoned the panel.

His gaze fell on Comprehensive Combat Technique.

At once, the information and images from Chen Wu's earlier explanation surfaced in his mind.

This counted as a hidden function of the modifier.

It could record information about the most basic skills, allowing someone to grasp them without practicing.

However, compared with being taught by someone, this method still fell far short. Some movements might not be observed effectively.

He immediately raised his arm and assumed the opening stance of the first move of Comprehensive Combat Technique: Cannon Fist!

Time passed.

The Golden Crow slanted westward. The lingering light of dusk shone diagonally into the room through the gap in the curtains, dyeing it in a layer of sunset glow.

"Phew..."

Hu Qi panted heavily and picked up a tissue to wipe his face.

At this moment, his entire body was drenched in sweat. His black shorts clung tightly to him, and a swollen, aching soreness ran through his body from practicing Comprehensive Combat Technique for too long.

After he stopped, the Nourishing Origin Breathing Method began operating automatically. It was as though every breath expelled the stale air from within his body, allowing him to take in the fresh oxygen in the air.

Hu Qi could clearly feel the exhaustion in his body easing.

He then began kneading and pressing his body. This method could speed up the loosening of sore, swollen muscles.

Together with the Breathing Method, the two complemented each other.

A few minutes later, the exhausted, sore feeling in Hu Qi's body had vanished without a trace.

After taking a quick shower, Hu Qi lay on the bed and ordered takeout.

Practicing fighting consumed a great deal of stamina, so naturally he had to eat something good.

Otherwise, if this continued over a long period, his body definitely would not be able to take it. His qi and blood would inevitably become depleted, and that would be putting the cart before the horse.

While waiting for the takeout, Hu Qi picked up the clothes he had changed out of and prepared to wash them.

Ding-dong!

Suddenly, the phone placed to one side vibrated. Its screen lit up automatically, and a message popped up.

Seeing this, Hu Qi shook the water off his hands and tapped it open.

"...A beast is suspected of having entered the city, causing injuries to multiple people. A citywide search has now begun.

"During this period, residents are requested to go out less at night and travel in groups whenever possible, in order to avoid unforeseen danger.

"If you have any leads, please call the police..."

Judging by the sender, it was clearly an official mass message.

"A beast?"

Hu Qi's expression shifted slightly as he thought of the woman missing a leg whom he had seen before leaving the hospital yesterday.