The Message Aries Brought

"Then, Master, Senior Brothers, I'll be going now." Xiao Wang rose, respectfully cupped his hands to the three of them, and prepared to leave the martial arts hall.

"Wait a moment, Junior Brother."

Before he could leave, Linghu Ke suddenly called out to him. "Junior Brother Xiao, since this is our first meeting, as your senior brother, I ought to give you a gift. Consider it a meeting gift. Don't mind if it's nothing special."

As Linghu Ke spoke, he drew a dagger from his waist and handed it to Xiao Wang. "I've used this dagger for ten years. The sheath may look old, but it's sharp enough to slit throats and wrists. The outer city isn't safe, especially at night. Think of it as a weapon for self-defense."

"Second Senior Brother, this..."

"If I tell you to take it, take it," Linghu Ke insisted.

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother."

Xiao Wang's heart warmed. His second senior brother looked cold and spoke little, but unexpectedly, he was a warmhearted man.

After accepting Linghu Ke's dagger, Xiao Wang did not leave right away. It gave him an idea, and he turned his gaze toward Wei Zhongxing.

"Master, about that meeting gift..."

The tuition was ten thousand Federation dollars a month. Getting back even a little was better than nothing.

"Get lost."

"Ah, yes. This disciple takes his leave."

The difference between a human-faced beast and a beast-faced human was obvious at a glance.

After bowing once more, Xiao Wang left Zhongxing Martial Arts Hall and headed home.

After Xiao Wang left, Linghu Ke looked at Wei Zhongxing. "Master, can I buy a new dagger this time? Look, I don't even have a decent weapon for self-defense anymore."

"Buy my ass. How long has it been since we had any income?"

"Master, didn't you just collect ten thousand Federation dollars in tuition from Junior Brother?"

"Now that you mention it, I'm pissed. He pulled out ten thousand Federation dollars that easily, so we obviously charged too little. And you," Wei Zhongxing looked at Cheng Hu, "you spent so much time with him beforehand. Didn't you notice anything? Why didn't you remind me when I asked for tuition?"

Cheng Hu replied with an innocent look, "Master, I really couldn't tell he had money. Besides, he's still a student."

"No, we need to find a way to raise his tuition next month. What do you think? Would twenty thousand a month be too much?"

Cheng Hu said, "Master, that's a bit much, isn't it?"

Linghu Ke said, "I don't think it's a problem."

Xiao Wang put the dagger into his backpack, still in a good mood. This trip had gone smoothly. He had found a martial arts hall, taken on a master, and his master and senior brothers all seemed decent.

Especially his second senior brother. Though he did not talk much, he was clearly the type who seemed cold on the outside but was warm within.

Still, tuition of ten thousand Federation dollars a month was quite a burden. There were four months left until the Mount Yuan Martial Arts Academy entrance exam. Between the martial arts hall tuition and the Martial Arts Academy tuition, he needed at least one hundred and thirty thousand Federation dollars.

I'm still far from it. Xiao Wang sighed inwardly.

As he thought, his pace unconsciously quickened.

Xiao Wang tried to walk along the shadows beside the street and pulled the hood of his clothes over his head. Under the dim yellow streetlights, his face was nearly impossible to make out.

The outer city was far from peaceful at night. Although the Patrol Bureau conducted patrols, criminal cases occurred frequently. Fights, brawls, and robberies were one thing, but even murder cases were not uncommon.

Sometimes, reports of shootings could even be heard on the radio.

After all, firearms were officially controlled weapons of the Federation.

After walking through the shadows for a while, three figures suddenly darted out of an alley as he reached a corner.

They blocked Xiao Wang's path.

Xiao Wang glanced at the three of them, then changed direction, intending to take a wide detour around them.

But just as he had taken two steps in his new direction, one of the three stepped forward and blocked his way.

"Little brother, hand over all the money you have. We don't want trouble either. Less trouble is better for everyone, don't you agree?"

Xiao Wang heard them but ignored them, changing direction again as he tried to continue onward.

However, they blocked his path again. One of them grabbed his collar and shoved him backward.

Xiao Wang stumbled back several steps.

"You can't understand human speech, can you?"

Xiao Wang stood where he was and swung his backpack from his back to his front. He slowly unzipped it and reached his right hand inside.

By then, the three had already surrounded him.

Xiao Wang looked at them. From observing their footwork earlier, he had already determined that they had probably only learned a few days of basic fighting techniques.

For some reason, his master Wei Zhongxing's words suddenly popped into his mind: the most important thing in martial arts was to have no martial virtue.

When the three saw him unzip his backpack, they initially thought Xiao Wang was taking out money. But when they saw his hand remain inside for a long time without moving, they immediately became wary.

"Rob him."

Suddenly, one of them spoke.

The three immediately closed in on Xiao Wang.

Xiao Wang instantly pulled out the dagger, gripping it tightly in his right hand while his left seized the hand of one attacker lunging at him.

As he turned sideways, the dagger's edge slashed forcefully upward along the man's wrist.

Slash!

The sound of a blade cutting through flesh rang out.

It was incredibly fast, the movement smooth as flowing water.

The next second, blood spurted out.

Then came a scream.

It echoed through the empty street.

But Xiao Wang did not stop. He spun twice more, slipping past the other two men. As he passed them, the dagger in his hand stabbed each of them in the kidney area.

Then he put away the dagger, returned it to his backpack, and continued toward home without looking back.

Behind him, anguished cries rose one after another.

"Quick, quick, quick! Tear up your clothes and tie it around me to stop the bleeding!"

"Fuck, my kidney!"

Xiao Wang listened to the painful wails behind him and kept walking without turning back.

Damn it, you really can't have martial virtue.

Looks like Second Senior Brother wasn't lying. This dagger really does work.

With that in mind, Xiao Wang quickened his pace. Before long, he reached Resistance Avenue.

It was much safer here. It faced the inner city gate directly, and people had caused trouble here before, only to be shot dead on the spot by snipers atop the city walls.

Xiao Wang turned to look at the inner city wall. Against the night sky, the towering wall seemed even more oppressive. Searchlights swept back and forth overhead, while Federation soldiers armed with live ammunition patrolled along it.

Turning left at the fourth intersection on Resistance Avenue brought him onto Defense Road, where his home was located. Only then did Xiao Wang relax his guard slightly.

Using the streetlight, he checked himself from head to toe. Only after confirming that he had not gotten any blood on himself did he continue forward.

"Hmm?"

As he walked, he saw a white figure standing not far from the base of his apartment building.

Xiao Wang slowed down. Looking at the white figure, he found it somewhat familiar.

When he got closer, he discovered that his guess had been right. It was Aries.

Aries was still dressed in a white suit, wearing a white hat and white leather shoes, leaning on a black cane.

Xiao Wang walked up to him. "Why are you here?"

Xiao Wang was not surprised in the slightest that Aries knew his home address.

"Didn't I tell you last time that I would give you another gift?"

"You found the second person?" Xiao Wang asked eagerly.

Aries took a slip of paper from inside his suit and handed it to Xiao Wang. "In a month, he may be transferred to the inner city. So if you don't think you can get into the inner city, you only have one month."

After saying that, Aries turned and walked away, leaning on his cane.

"Wait." Xiao Wang called after him.

"Anything else?"

"Can you help clean up afterward this time too?"

Aries glanced at Xiao Wang. "You don't have anything to trade."

With that, Aries continued walking away.

"One last question."

Aries stopped again, turned around, and looked at Xiao Wang.

"With such conspicuous clothes, are you really an undercover rebel?"

"Great concealment lies in the marketplace."

After saying that, Aries quickly disappeared from Xiao Wang's sight.

Xiao Wang withdrew his gaze and unfolded the note Aries had given him. As he read the information on it, a trace of shock appeared amid his killing intent.