Malice

"What... was I doing?"

"If I hadn't broken free just now..."

Zhou Kai felt a chill creep through him.

He'd had a dream within a dream before, but this was the first time that sense of losing control had seeped so completely into reality.

That indescribable eeriness, and the suffocating helplessness...

Zhou Kai felt inexplicably irritable.

But just then, Chen Ping's words exploded in his mind.

"The key to wielding greater power is learning to control your own body."

Perhaps improving every inch of muscle and every nerve would help him break free of this state.

Whether in a dream or in reality.

"Get some rest, sis."

Zhou Kai studied Lu Yan's face and hands.

For a moment, he thought he saw her palms slick with clammy sweat...

But when he looked again, her fair, flawless skin was perfectly dry.

A few minutes later, Zhou Kai tucked the blanket around Lu Yan and turned to leave.

On the sofa, the furrow in Lu Yan's brow slowly eased.

A midnight taxi rolled along the silent streets.

The driver was a chatterbox. Since Zhou Kai had gotten in, he'd been griping about layoffs at his company, then moved on to the job market slump.

Normally, Zhou Kai might have chimed in with a few words.

But right now, he was figuring out how to squeeze every second out of his day to get stronger. He had no energy for small talk.

The driver rambled on for a while, but when he got no response, he lost interest and fell silent.

Only the steady rumble of the car remained.

As they neared their destination, the driver clearly couldn't hold back any longer.

He peeked at Zhou Kai through the rearview mirror. "Young man, heading to a gym to train this late at night?"

There was a note of hesitation in his voice, as if he wanted to say something but didn't dare.

Zhou Kai grunted. "Is there a problem?"

The driver gave an awkward laugh. "Nah, boxing's a good thing. It's just..."

He searched for the right words, then lowered his voice. "Quite a few people have gone missing in Xishan City over the past couple of years. You've heard about it, right? Better not wander around alone at night."

Zhou Kai filed that away, then asked, "What about you? You're out working in the middle of the night, too."

The driver laughed and said breezily, "I've got a car. If there's a criminal out there, it's easier to grab someone on the street than a driver. I can just hit the gas. Who's gonna catch me?"

Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow and asked evenly, "What if your passenger is the criminal?"

The smile froze on the driver's face, as if someone had shouted "The World."

He couldn't help sneaking another look in the rearview mirror. Zhou Kai's face was expressionless, his eyes as still as a deep well.

In an instant, the driver's hands were slick with sweat on the steering wheel.

"Young man, d-don't joke like that... Ha... ahahaha..."

The driver hurriedly forced out a laugh.

Zhou Kai said mildly, "Just kidding. Take care of yourself, sir. If you can get some rest at night, you should."

"I'm here. Just pull over."

At half past one in the morning, Zhou Kai pushed open the door to the Chen Ping Training Room.

Chen Ping was practicing with a blade.

The plainest steel sword seemed alive in his hands.

Its edge cleaved the air with a ringing hum, and every swing unleashed an invisible wave of force.

Zhou Kai stood in the doorway for a while before asking, "Does this gym teach weapons, too?"

Chen Ping didn't even raise his eyelids. He spun the sword behind his back. "You're here?"

"A gym needs more than just fists and feet to make a name for itself. There are a few weapon styles worth learning... but we'll talk about that after you become my student."

Zhou Kai nodded and changed into his training clothes. "I've recovered my stamina. Coach Chen, please teach me."

Chen Ping casually tossed the sword into the air. Before it could fall, his right toe flicked the end of the hilt with lightning speed.

Whoosh!

The steel sword became a streak of silver, flying across the training room before embedding itself in the center of a distant target.

The hilt trembled violently, ringing like a swarm of bees.

Chen Ping had already turned around and beckoned Zhou Kai with one finger.

"Come!"

[Comprehensive Combat Experience Points +6]

[Light Footwork Experience Points +8]

[Your skill: Light Footwork has leveled up!]

The sky had begun to brighten. Only then did a little sweat appear on Chen Ping's forehead, and he finally seemed a bit tired.

He looked at Zhou Kai, who was staring blankly at the air, and assumed the kid was finally tiring out and losing focus.

Chen Ping waved a hand. "All right, go get some rest."

"Thank you, Coach Chen!"

Zhou Kai closed the panel in front of him and bowed solemnly.

Chen Ping yawned and waved impatiently. "All right, quit bothering me. I need to get some sleep, too."

Zhou Kai nodded and left the training room.

As soon as he was gone, the exhaustion vanished from Chen Ping's face. His eyes flashed with sharp light.

"I thought he was just a physically weak good-for-nothing. Who knew... he's a diamond in the rough."

"Exceptional coordination... and boundless energy. He's like an animal."

"This kid was born to train in martial arts."

"I, Chen Ping... actually misjudged someone for once."

Chen Ping's gaze passed over the weapon rack and settled on a row of dusty trophies.

He gave an unreadable smile, then looked away.

[Character: Zhou Kai]

[Status: Erosion, Clear-Headed]

[Skills: Comprehensive Combat lv2 (18/25), Light Footwork lv3 (3/50), Soraka Swordsmanship lv1 (3/15), Occultism lv1 (0/15)]

[Items: Residence Permit, Blood-Stained Axe, Rusted Chef Knife, Morning Star Notes, Moonlight Orchid Seed (Plump), Drying Oil Lamp, Rusty Two-Handed Sword]

[Universal Experience Points: 7]

"My first level-three skill."

As he left the training room and headed for the first floor, Zhou Kai's steps felt strangely light.

At level three, the skill had finally revealed its extraordinary qualities.

Light Footwork seemed embedded in his muscles, becoming second nature. He didn't need to consciously activate it; his body stayed in peak condition at all times.

His thoughts drifted back to the Nightmare.

As he remembered it, the Chain-Hammer Armored Soldier who had smashed him into a pulp with its chain hammer wasn't all that fast.

With level-three Light Footwork, he should be able to keep the soldier at bay for a while.

"Move! Out of the way!"

"Damn it, are you blind?"

Just as he reached the second-floor landing, several students came toward him, surrounding a short, stocky guy.

The stocky student was the loudest of them all. The moment their eyes met, he charged straight at Zhou Kai like a bull.

Looking for trouble?

Zhou Kai's eyes turned cold. His muscles tensed instinctively, ready to crash into him head-on. But then he changed his mind, sneered, and swayed lightly to the side.

Thud!

The stocky student lost his balance and slammed headfirst into the wall. Plaster dust shook loose and rained down.

The few lackeys around him immediately erupted. "Fuck! You dare run into Brother Wang? You wanna die?"

Zhou Kai spread his hands and shrugged. "He hit the wall. What's that got to do with me?"

"Shit!"

One of the lackeys glared and reached for Zhou Kai's collar.

But after being put through the wringer by Chen Ping all night, Zhou Kai saw the move in slow motion. He could've even struck a pose while dodging at the last second. The guy was full of openings.

"Can you not cause trouble?"

Zhou Kai shifted to the side. The other man's fingers brushed his clothes and grabbed at empty air.

The instant the man lost his balance,

Zhou Kai's right hand shot out like lightning and clamped around his wrist like an iron vise.

In a flash,

the man felt as if his wrist were about to be crushed. Zhou Kai pulled him off balance, and he stumbled forward uncontrollably.

"You fucker! You're gonna break my hand!"

"Get him! What are you just standing around for?"

He shouted for help.

But Wang Jinquan and the others stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move.

The man gritted his teeth against the pain and looked up. Following his companions' gazes, he saw a stern face slowly emerge from the shadows behind Zhou Kai.

"You useless idiots, fighting among yourselves. Get lost!"