Liu Si

Song Chen had seen Liu Si a few times before, but they had never spoken.

"Liu Si, right?"

Liu Si's face turned even paler. "Y-you know me?"

Song Chen did not answer. He took a step forward, and Liu Si instinctively backed away. But there was a wall behind him—there was nowhere left to retreat.

"What are you doing downstairs from my home?"

"I... I was just passing by..."

Slap!

Song Chen slapped him across the face. He had only used thirty percent of his strength, but for an ordinary person like Liu Si, who was not even a martial artist, it was more than enough.

The blow sent his whole body crashing against the wall. His face swelled up instantly, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"I..."

Slap!

Another slap. This one came from the other direction, and Liu Si's other cheek swelled as well.

Liu Si clutched his cheek, his voice taking on a tearful quaver. "I'll talk, I'll talk! Zhao Wei told me to come."

Song Chen stopped. Just as he had guessed.

"Zhao Wei?"

Liu Si nodded desperately. "Yes, him! He told me to watch your home, see whether you'd come back, see what your parents were doing..."

Song Chen's gaze turned cold. "How long have you been watching?"

Liu Si's voice grew quieter and quieter. "J-just... just started today... I'd only been here a little while when you came out..."

Song Chen stared at him. Liu Si trembled all over beneath his gaze, shrinking into the corner like a frightened rat.

"What else did he tell you to do?"

"N-no, nothing else. Really, nothing else. Just watch, then report back."

Liu Si raised his hand. "I swear, I'm just a runner! I don't know anything!"

Song Chen fell silent for a few seconds. Then he moved.

He grabbed Liu Si by the collar and yanked him out of the corner before driving a fist into his stomach.

"Pugh..."

Liu Si doubled over like a shrimp, stomach acid surging up as he nearly vomited.

"This punch is for skulking around downstairs from my home."

The second punch.

"This punch is for running errands for someone like Zhao Wei."

The third punch.

"This punch is because you fucking scared me."

Liu Si collapsed to the ground, curled into a ball, muffled pleas spilling from his mouth.

"D-don't hit me anymore... Please, don't hit me... I really didn't do anything..."

Song Chen looked down at him. His eyes were calm, so calm that he seemed to be looking at an object. "It's martial law right now. Zhao Wei told you to watch my home, and you just came?"

"I, I..."

Liu Si stammered, unable to get the words out.

Slap!

Song Chen kicked him in the leg.

"Talk."

The pain brought tears to Liu Si's eyes. He cried out, "Big brother, I had no choice! Zhao Wei's grandfather is a Third Rank martial artist and a captain in the City Defense Force! I don't dare disobey him! If I don't listen, killing me in this city would be as easy for him as crushing an ant!"

Song Chen frowned. Zhao Wei's grandfather? A Third Rank martial artist? A City Defense Force captain?

He remembered Zhao Wei's expensive equipment, the things he had bragged about—Blood Vitality Potions, energy shields, battle sabers set with crystals. So that was it. No wonder Zhao Wei had been so arrogant in class, no wonder he could bully people and no one dared do anything about it.

With a Third Rank martial artist for a grandfather, he truly could strut through Anning City sideways.

Song Chen pressed on. "What else did he tell you to do?"

Liu Si lay sprawled on the ground, tears and snot smeared all over his face. "Really, nothing else! He only told me to watch. If you came back, tell him. If your parents left home, tell him. I really don't know anything else."

Song Chen looked at him. Liu Si's eyes were filled with terror. It did not seem fake.

"Where is Zhao Wei now?"

Liu Si answered with a shudder, "D-don't know... After he came back from the last field training, his grandfather gave him a vicious beating. I think he got dragged off for special training..."

Song Chen was silent for a few seconds, then let go and stood up.

Liu Si lay limp on the ground, gasping for air, his whole body trembling.

Song Chen looked down at him. "If you tell anyone about what happened today..."

Liu Si shook his head frantically. "I won't! I absolutely won't say anything! I didn't see anything! Nothing happened!"

Song Chen said nothing more. Of course, he would not believe Liu Si's words. But during martial law, murder was absolutely out of the question. He could only forcibly suppress the killing intent in his heart.

He turned and walked out of the alley.

Behind him, Liu Si was still sprawled on the ground, without even the strength to crawl to his feet.

Only after a long while did he finally recover enough to slowly stand with the help of the wall. His face was swollen like a pig's head, bruises covered his body, and everything hurt.

But he did not dare make a sound, nor did he dare think too much. He simply supported himself against the wall and limped away, with only one thought in his heart: stay away from that Song bastard—the farther, the better.

Song Chen walked along the street, narrowing his eyes as he looked into the distance. Liu Si's words kept circling through his mind.

"Zhao Wei's grandfather is a Third Rank martial artist and a captain in the City Defense Force..."

A Third Rank martial artist. A City Defense Force captain.

Song Chen clenched his fists, then slowly loosened them. He could fight a Second Rank martial artist now, but a Third Rank?

That was an existence with a Vitality Value over a hundred. He had seen videos of Third Rank martial artists in action—one palm strike could send flames soaring to the heavens, one swing of a blade could freeze ten meters solid.

If he went up against one now, he would only be throwing his life away. But he could not wait.

Zhao Wei had sent someone to watch his home. That meant that bastard was already plotting something.

Although the entire city was under martial law now and Zhao Wei would not dare make a move openly, martial law would be lifted someday. When that time came, his Third Rank martial artist grandfather could find any excuse and make sure Song Chen's family could not bear the consequences.

Before then, he had to become strong enough—at the very least, strong enough to protect himself.

Song Chen took a deep breath and turned toward the street. He needed to gather information. Where could he kill alien beasts? How could he leave the city?

Although Anning City was under martial law, martial artists should still be allowed out of the city. The problem was that he had nothing right now—no martial artist status, no squad assignment, not even the qualifications to leave the city. Sneaking out might have been possible before, but now it was absolutely impossible.

Song Chen looked around. Not far away stood a small martial arts gym, the only one in the slums. Its storefront was shabby, several old testing devices stood inside, recruitment advertisements were plastered across the walls, and an old man sat behind the counter dozing off.

Perhaps he could find out how to leave the city here.

With that thought, he walked inside.

"Boss, I want to ask something."

The old man opened his eyes and gave him a glance. "What is it?"

"How can I leave the city right now?"

The old man froze for a moment, then looked him up and down. "Kid, how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"A martial artist?"

"Not yet."

The old man sneered and waved a hand. "Why are you asking if you're not a martial artist? The outside of the city is under martial law. To leave, you need martial artist certification. You aren't even a martial artist—what are you going out there for? Looking to die?"

Song Chen ignored him and asked, "Then how do I get certified as a martial artist?"

The old man answered lazily, "Go to the Martial Arts Association. The Martial Arts Association headquarters in the city center has an official certification office. Reach a Vitality Value of 1.0 or higher, pass the practical combat assessment, and you can receive a Martial Artist Badge."

"What does the practical combat assessment test?"

"Killing an alien beast. They'll randomly give you a live alien beast. Kill it in front of the examiner, and you pass."

Song Chen fell silent for a second. Martial artists had once been far too distant from him, and he truly had never cared about how one obtained martial artist status.

"Just kill a First Rank alien beast? Is it that simple?"

The old man laughed. "Simple?"

"Kid, what do you think a First Rank alien beast is? A dog your family keeps? Every year, if not a hundred people die trying to get certified as martial artists, then at least eighty do. With your build, going out there would just be serving yourself up on a platter."

Song Chen asked no more questions and turned to leave.

Behind him, the old man was still muttering, "Young people these days, every last one more ignorant of the height of heaven and depth of earth than the next..."