Su Qingxue's "Intelligence"

Behind the back door of the flea market, the afterglow of dusk painted the sky a murky orange-red.

The air was a mix of dust, rotten vegetables, cheap paint, and the musky odor of some animal fur.

The narrow alley was lined with piles of dusty "antiques," rusted mechanical parts, and faded old furniture, like the city's indigestible dregs, exuding their final decay.

Lin Xiao leaned against a mottled, peeling utility pole at the alley entrance, the hood of his oversized sweatshirt pulled low, obscuring most of his face.

The brace on his right arm was hidden beneath his sleeve, and the wound on his back, slashed by a dart, had been crudely bandaged. The stinging pain was still sharp.

But what troubled him most were the two scorching, chaotic warm currents he had just absorbed from the low-grade energy stones, and the glaring yet somewhat comforting number in his mind: [-1.3].

A sliver of strength had returned, and the depletion of his soul was temporarily halted, but at the cost of his body feeling like a chaotic mess. The heat and sluggishness of fire and earth attributes clashed within his meridians, making him feel as if he'd swallowed two red-hot iron brands.

What was more troublesome was that he had been waiting here for nearly half an hour, and the "Old Ghost," rumored to be missing a pinky finger on his left hand and reeking of sulfur and rust, hadn't shown his face.

Fatty Wang crouched nervously behind an overturned, broken basket nearby, his small eyes darting uneasily at the sparse, suspicious figures moving through the alley. He muttered incessantly, "Brother Xiao... Skinny Monkey isn't going to screw us over, is he? What time is it... If we stay any longer, it'll be dark, and Scarface Qiang's men..."

"Shut up." Lin Xiao's voice emerged from under the hood, carrying a subtle hoarseness and irritation.

He knew this place was no good for lingering.

The masked man Scarface Qiang had sent was just incapacitated by him, and retaliation could escalate at any moment.

But the temptation of Source Energy Points was like a devil's whisper, making it impossible for him to easily abandon this opportunity so close at hand.

Just as Lin Xiao was debating whether to wait another ten minutes, his phone vibrated in his pocket. It wasn't a call, but a text message.

He pulled out the old phone with its cracked screen. The screen lit up, displaying a number with no contact saved, but one that made his pupils contract – Su Qingxue.

The message was extremely brief, just one line:

[After school, rooftop.]

No greeting, no reason, as cold as an order.

Lin Xiao gripped the phone, the corner of his mouth beneath the shadow of the hood slowly curling into a playful arc.

This ice queen... was actively seeking him out?

Did she already know about Scarface Qiang blocking him outside of school?

Or was it about those "azure eyes"?

"Fatty," Lin Xiao put away his phone, his voice returning to its usual lazy tone, but with an undeniable decisiveness, "Let's go."

"Huh? We're not waiting anymore?" Fatty Wang blinked in surprise.

"Not waiting. I have a 'friend' looking for me."

Lin Xiao deliberately emphasized the word "friend," his roguish grin carrying a hint of deeper meaning. "Good things won't run away. My life is more important."

The rooftop of Tianhai Third High School.

The wind whistled, carrying the cool air of the city evening, dispersing the foul smell of the industrial district.

The last rays of the setting sun stretched the shadows of the discarded tables and chairs long and slanted.

Su Qingxue stood at the edge of the rooftop, her back to the stairwell.

The hem of her plain, light blue martial arts uniform fluttered in the wind, outlining her slender figure.

She didn't turn around, as if surveying the campus below, where the clamor had subsided and lights were beginning to flicker on.

The golden glow of the sunset fell on her cool profile, her skin smooth and luminous, yet carrying an indescribable sense of distance.

Lin Xiao sauntered up, his footsteps sounding particularly clear on the empty rooftop.

He stopped about three meters away from Su Qingxue, leaning against a peeling metal table. His right arm remained hidden in his sleeve, and his face wore his usual smile, a blend of casual arrogance and playful amusement.

"Great martial artist Su, summoning me in such a hurry, did you miss me?"

Lin Xiao's voice was deliberately flippant.

Su Qingxue slowly turned around.

The afterglow of the sunset flickered in her cool eyes but couldn't melt the icy chill.

She looked at Lin Xiao's face, etched with a cynical smile, her gaze sharp as a blade, as if trying to pierce through his skin to see those non-human, azure eyes from that night.

"Lin Xiao," her voice was colder than the evening breeze, devoid of any pleasantries, cutting straight to the point, "You've gotten yourself into big trouble."

"Oh?" Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow, his smile unchanged, but his eyes grew a bit more serious. "Such as?"

"This afternoon, in the western industrial district, near the abandoned container stacks," Su Qingxue's gaze was like a cold probe, locked onto Lin Xiao's expression, "Ah Qi, nicknamed Viper, an elite enforcer from the Blood Wolf Gang's outer circle, had both his arms crippled. He specializes in darts and stealth, with strength close to a two-star martial artist."

Lin Xiao's smile didn't falter in the slightest; it even became more brilliant. "Really? That's truly unfortunate. The Blood Wolf Gang has been having a rough time lately, first Zhao Hu, now this Ah Qi... seems like they've done too much bad, and karma's catching up?"

Su Qingxue was not surprised by Lin Xiao's feigned ignorance. The chill in her eyes intensified. "Ah Qi is one of Scarface Qiang's most capable men. Scarface Qiang, the leader of the Blood Wolf Gang in the western industrial district, is ruthless and vindictive. He has over a dozen fighters under him, most of them martial artists. More importantly, he has the entire Blood Wolf Gang backing him!"

She paused, her cool tone carrying a warning. "The Blood Wolf Gang is one of the long-standing underground forces in Tianhai City, deeply entrenched and notoriously brutal. They control a significant portion of the black market in the western district, engaging in smuggling, protection rackets, and even dealing in illicit drugs and weapons! They might fear the Su family's name and not dare to act against you openly at school. But once you're off campus, especially on their turf..."

Su Qingxue didn't finish, but her cold gaze said it all – Lin Xiao's current situation was extremely perilous!

"Scarface Qiang... the Blood Wolf Gang..." Lin Xiao mulled over the names, the playful smile on his face finally receding slightly, his eyes becoming deep and sharp. "Sounds... pretty troublesome."

Though he said it was troublesome, his tone held little fear, instead carrying the ferocity of a provoked wild wolf.

"It's not just troublesome, it's a path to a very miserable death!"

Su Qingxue's voice suddenly grew heavier, laced with suppressed anger. "Lin Xiao! I don't care what 'secret method' you used to cripple Ah Qi! But Scarface Qiang isn't some nobody like Zhao Hu! His subordinates aren't lone wolves like Ah Qi! They'll stop at nothing! Poison, kidnapping, ambushes... they might even use illegal weapons! You can defend against it once, but not ten times!"

Seeing Lin Xiao's stubbornly indifferent expression, like a "dead pig unafraid of boiling water," her nameless rage intensified. She couldn't help but question him with a hint of mockery and deep weariness, "Do you even understand the seriousness of this? Do you really think your life-draining 'secret method' can stand against a decades-old underworld force?"

Lin Xiao was silent for a moment. The wind on the rooftop seemed to pick up, ruffling the messy strands of hair on his forehead.

He looked up, meeting Su Qingxue's eyes, which were frozen with anger and confusion. The rogueish smile on his face completely vanished, replaced by an almost chilling calm.

"Su Qingxue," his voice was low and clear, carrying a ruthless edge honed by street brawls. "I know better than anyone how many people want me dead. Zhao Hu does, Scarface Qiang does, and perhaps... some people in your Su family do too."

He paused, his gaze as unfathomable as a deep, cold pool. "But I'm still alive. And it's not because of luck, nor is it because of your Su family's name."

His words were like a cold dagger, piercing straight into Su Qingxue's heart!

A flash of pain and anger crossed her usually serene face, but Lin Xiao's resolute and dangerous calm left her momentarily speechless.

"As for Scarface Qiang and the Blood Wolf Gang..." Lin Xiao's lips curved into that signature, yet utterly cold, rogueish smile. "Thank you for the 'information,' Great Martial Artist Su. I'll be careful."

He deliberately emphasized the word "information," his eyes holding a knowing hint of playfulness.

It was both a thank you and a reminder—don't forget our "deal." You provide intelligence and protection, and I'll keep your secrets.

Lin Xiao's unyielding, stubborn attitude infuriated Su Qingxue, causing her chest to rise and fall slightly. The frost in her clear eyes deepened.

She felt like she was venting her anger at a stubborn, unmoving rock, completely futile.

She took a deep breath, forcing down her churning emotions.

The last rays of the setting sun dipped below the horizon, and the rooftop's shadows rapidly spread, engulfing her cool, elegant figure.

"Take care of yourself!"

She coldly dropped her final words, as if staying another second would be torture. Turning, she walked towards the stairwell without looking back.

Her white martial arts uniform, in the deepening twilight, resembled a rapidly wilting ice lotus.

Lin Xiao stood in place, watching Su Qingxue disappear into the shadows of the stairwell.

The rooftop plunged into complete darkness, and the city's neon lights began to flicker in the distance.

The smile on his face slowly faded, his eyes becoming as deep and cold as the night.

Scarface Qiang... the Blood Wolf Gang...

Su Qingxue's information confirmed his suspicions and painted a clearer picture of his enemies.

Dangerous, but also an opportunity!

The chaotic underworld often held immense wealth and Energy Stones!

His left hand, tucked into his pocket, tightly clenched the few crumpled bills and the small glass vial containing the strange pills (confiscated from Ah Qi).

Source Energy Points: [-1.3].

A chaotic energy flowed slowly within his body, like restless embers.

"Careful?" Lin Xiao gazed at the city divided by neon and shadow in the distance, muttering to himself, the corners of his mouth pulling into a cold, wild curve again. "Just being careful won't be enough."