Clear Cognition

By the time he returned to the martial arts hall, it was already nearly seven in the evening.

The many disciples in the hall had finished their daily greetings and Q&A sessions, and had all gone home.

The teaching method of this hall was different from the norm; it required disciples to practice on their own, then gather their questions for Wang Xinlong to resolve together.

This was because the disciples in the hall had long since moved past the foundation-building stage.

Most of them were at a level where they could stand on their own, so their questions were mostly theoretical.

Or rather, these disciples came to ask questions primarily as an excuse to visit Wang Xinlong.

Of course, some had simply made it a habit; as long as they weren't out of town, they liked to gather at the hall.

Wang Yiyang was not part of this circle and didn't understand these dynamics, but because he was Wang Xinlong's grandson, the disciples were all very friendly toward him.

A few disciples exchanged polite words with him, but due to a lack of common topics, they eventually parted ways courteously.

In the end, it was the eldest disciple Zhong Can, who also rarely had anything to say to others, and Wang Yiyang who occupied opposite corners of the courtyard.

Their gazes met for a moment, and both saw that the other was completely alone.

Unlike Wang Yiyang, Zhong Can possessed a temperament that was too intense and oppressive. No one liked feeling naturally inferior to someone else, so it was normal that he wasn't popular.

Aside from asking for advice, no one wanted to spend much time with him.

Taking advantage of the old man seeing off the last two disciples outside, Zhong Can walked straight over to Wang Yiyang.

"When are you leaving tomorrow?" He was hesitating whether to make his move today.

"Yeah, it's about time to head back. I only came back to clear my head because I was feeling restless." Wang Yiyang smiled.

He had confidence now; as a member of the Security Department, he naturally had some self-defense measures.

According to the data in his brain, the chip implanted under his skin possessed a certain neural signal induction function.

The principles were complex, but the specific effect was that if Wang Yiyang felt his life was threatened, the chip would immediately release a high-energy pulse of bio-magnetic field.

This pulse was harmless to him, but it would have a strong fainting effect on all living creatures in the vicinity.

"I'll see you off then," Zhong Can said calmly after a moment of silence.

"No need, just spend more time with Grandpa. He's getting on in years, and his health isn't what it used to be," Wang Yiyang smiled.

He looked at this eldest disciple—who had been extremely mysterious before his rebirth and was suspected of killing everyone in the hall—and a strange thought suddenly welled up in his heart.

"Brother Zhong Can, have you ever thought that martial arts actually have an end? The only thing that is truly endless is technology."

Zhong Can frowned slightly. "What are you trying to say?"

"I can tell you have something on your mind," Wang Yiyang said steadily. "Since the path you pursue isn't understood by those around you, why not..."

"What are you two chatting about?" Wang Xinlong pushed the door open and returned, perfectly interrupting Wang Yiyang.

"You're heading back tomorrow, come, have a drink with me!" Wang Xinlong grabbed his grandson by the shoulder and dragged him off to the front hall of the martial arts hall.

He left Zhong Can standing there, silently watching Wang Yiyang leave without saying a word.

By the time the nanny began setting up the second banquet table in the front hall, Zhong Can had returned to his room, taken his phone from the drawer, and quickly sent a message.

'Come tomorrow.' -- Black Silkworm.

'Understood.' -- Dada.

Wang Yiyang was caught by his grandfather and forced to drink quite a bit of alcohol before he was finally allowed to go rest.

Although he had been drinking, he never got drunk, remaining on guard the entire time against a potential attack.

Yet, until late at night, Zhong Can showed no signs of making a move.

It seemed that, just like the time before his rebirth, the other party had not chosen to strike now.

This made him heave a sigh of relief while simultaneously granting him more buffer time.

Early the next morning, Jian had already led all the team members to send a "everyone has arrived" message to Wang Yiyang via phone.

Even after breakfast, when Wang Xinlong and Zhong Can accompanied him to the bus station to board the long-distance bus to the city, Wang Yiyang didn't sense any intention from Zhong Can to act.

"Remember to call me when you arrive safely," Wang Xinlong instructed while standing at the bus door.

"I know, I know. You go back and rest; it's only a two-hour drive, very close," Wang Yiyang said, waving his hand from his seat.

Wang Xinlong gave a few more careful instructions before reluctantly turning to leave with Zhong Can, squeezing through the crowd to exit the station.

Watching his grandfather and Zhong Can walk away, Wang Yiyang finally let out a breath of relief. He had to admit, being around a guy who could crush him with one claw at any moment was not a pleasant feeling.

Even though he had a slight trump card, the proximity had been too close for comfort.

Now, at least, he was finally far away.

While relaxing, he also vigilantly scanned the environment on the bus.

Some people on the bus were smoking, some were playing on their phones, and others were eating pre-cut fruit.

A few children were shouting loudly, demanding the snacks held by the vendors outside the bus window.

The driver was wiping sweat from his brow with a discolored white towel.

The bus was already a third full.

Wang Yiyang was lucky enough to snag a window seat in the middle section.

In the seats next to him, two young women who looked like fresh graduates were playing a tile-matching game on their phones.

In the row behind sat a family of three; the parents were feeding their son something that looked like porridge, though its name was a mystery.

In the row ahead, one stout man and two thin ones sat together; the stout man was on a call, while the two thin ones were also glued to their phones.

Wang Yiyang pulled out his phone to check the time: 10:06.

An even number.

"Are you headed to Qiushang Park too?" one of the girls playing the game asked, looking with some surprise at the park access card hanging from the side of Wang Yiyang's phone.

"Ah... yes, I am. You too?" Wang Yiyang looked at her, a bit taken aback.

The girl who spoke was young, looking to be in her early twenties.

She wore a white blouse paired with a black professional skirt, her legs encased in ceremonial nude-colored stockings. She sat with her legs pressed together and angled to the side, a posture so stiff it was clear she had only recently finished professional etiquette training.

As for her appearance, on a scale of ten, this girl was about a seven.

Her features were delicate, with a high bridge to her nose and willow-leaf eyebrows, though her skin was a bit rough—she didn't seem to be from a place with high humidity and frequent rain.

A small white key tag was clearly hanging from the phone in her hand.

"I didn't expect to run into someone from the park just by catching a bus. Hi, which company are you with?" Su Ling put down her phone and looked at Wang Yiyang with a graceful, open demeanor.

"I'm with Xinda Network. It's not a big company," Wang Yiyang replied with a smile.

"Xinda Network is one floor above us, what a coincidence. I'm with Baiqiao Cosmetics. My name is Su Ling." Su Ling smiled and extended her hand, shaking Wang Yiyang's lightly.

She had long since grown tired of playing on her phone with her best friend, and happening upon someone from the same park—and even the same building—felt like a stroke of fate. She took the opportunity to put her phone away and strike up a conversation; anything was better than being dragged into more mobile gaming.

She was on this trip to accompany her friend back to her hometown.

Having heard that the hot springs in Guixi Town were exceptionally comfortable, they had come over to soak for a few days, specifically requesting one of their only two annual vacations to do so.

As it turned out, they had only been soaking for two days before the company cited an urgent matter and forcibly pulled them back.

Although her supervisor promised compensation, being yanked out of her vacation like that still left her feeling disgruntled.

"I'm Wang Yiyang. What brought you two here?" Wang Yiyang returned the smile.

"To soak in the hot springs and relax a bit," Su Ling replied.

"Hot springs, huh? There are quite a few good ones around here—Maple Leaf Hot Spring, White Crystal Hot Spring, and Fengshan Hot Spring are all decent."

Wang Yiyang casually mentioned a few spots, and they began chatting freely about the pros and cons of each.

As they talked, the conversation drifted from the hot springs of Guixi Town to local specialties, and eventually to the martial arts gym run by Wang Yiyang's grandfather.

Upon hearing that his grandfather actually ran a martial arts gym, Su Ling and the other girl became highly interested, beginning to press him for details and common knowledge about the gym.

In this day and age, a martial arts gym was an incredibly foreign concept to the average person.

Whatever Wang Yiyang said, it drew soft exclamations of wonder from the two girls. The girl who had been playing on her phone the whole time simply set it aside and joined their casual chat.

Before long, the three of them were well-acquainted.

Aside from Su Ling, the other girl was named Yuan Shasha. She had a baby face and a petite frame; if not for her professional attire, she could easily have been mistaken for a high school student based on her appearance alone.

Yuan Shasha's home was in Guixi Town, and she had returned to handle the renovation of her old family house. Since the property was registered in her name, she had to return in person to process the paperwork.

Just as Wang Yiyang was deep in conversation with the two girls, a crisp ringtone suddenly emanated from his pocket.

He quickly pulled out his phone and checked the message.

'Director, a suspicious individual is approaching you.' —Jian.

Wang Yiyang checked the bus departure time: 10:20. There were four minutes left until they pulled out.

"What is it? Someone looking for you?" Su Ling asked curiously, as Wang Yiyang had stared at his phone for a moment too long.

"No," Wang Yiyang replied, looking up as if nothing were wrong, while suppressing the rapid thumping of his heart.

Sure enough, from this moment on, the forces behind Zhong Can had already set their sights on him.

He pondered for a moment, preparing to send a quick reply.

Just then, another message came in from Jian.

'Should I take him out?' —Jian.

Take... take him out...!?

Wang Yiyang's heart hammered against his ribs.

His previously composed expression finally flickered.

If the system-implanted identity had only made him feel surprised and caught off guard—lacking any real sense of weight or understanding of what this status truly entailed—then this simple inquiry from his subordinate made him truly realize the power and authority he now commanded.

That was a human life, yet in Jian's words, it sounded incredibly light, devoid of any weight at all.

'The suspicious target has approached within fifty meters of you. Do you wish to mobilize official forces to resolve this, or shall we act in the shadows?'—Jian.

Wang Yiyang took a deep breath, pressed his back firmly against the chair, sat up straight, and narrowed his eyes.

'I want him alive,' he replied briefly.

'Also, try not to cause a commotion. This is the Mien Federation, not the Maria Islands where headquarters is located.'

'Understood.'—Jian.