Following

Wang Tianyu accepted the martial arts class's invitation to dinner.

Although Chen Yongguo was the only person in the martial arts class Wang Tianyu was somewhat close to.

They were classmates, after all, and the gathering was meant to celebrate Wang Tianyu's victory.

Under such circumstances, Wang Tianyu could hardly refuse them and spoil everyone's mood.

Chen Yongguo had already told Wang Tianyu the dinner location over the phone.

"Banquet Encounter!"

That was where Wang Tianyu and the others would be eating that evening.

Banquet Encounter was a high-end restaurant, with an excellent decor style and dining environment.

Wang Tianyu knew of this restaurant. It was already among the best in Qingjiang City.

The prices here were steep, and this was Wang Tianyu's first time dining there.

Wang Tianyu's family circumstances were far from good. In the past, he had never had the money to spend at places like this.

There were ordinary students from families like Wang Tianyu's in Second High's martial arts class, but there were also quite a few rich young heirs from wealthy families.

So it was hardly strange for them to choose this place for their gathering.

Although the restaurant had quite a few private rooms, even the largest could only seat around twenty people.

There were more than thirty people in Wang Tianyu's group, and the restaurant simply had no private room large enough to fit them all.

But if they sat separately, the atmosphere would be lacking.

So Luo Xiao, who was treating everyone, simply decided to reserve four tables in a corner of the restaurant hall.

The servers pushed those four tables together, giving Wang Tianyu and the others one enormous dining table.

As the host, Luo Xiao was extremely enthusiastic. Only after he had greeted everyone and gotten them seated did he tell the servers to bring out the dishes.

Luo Xiao had ordered many dishes, filling the table formed by the four joined tables.

Once the food and drinks had all been served, Luo Xiao, the one paying, was the first to speak.

"It truly is fate that we can gather here together. We used to be classmates at Second High, and now we're classmates in the martial arts class as well. First, I propose a toast to this fate."

"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses. Wang Tianyu was no exception, draining the wine in his cup in one go.

Luo Xiao's opening toast clearly was not going to end there. After a server refilled his glass, Luo Xiao continued.

"For this second cup, we should toast Wang Tianyu. Today, he really brought honor to all of us. Everyone saw it—the faces of those people across from us changed."

As he spoke, Luo Xiao took the lead, and everyone raised their glasses toward Wang Tianyu.

Wang Tianyu did not say much. He raised his glass in acknowledgment, then drank it down cleanly and decisively.

"Haha, straightforward."

Luo Xiao praised Wang Tianyu before speaking again.

"For this third cup, let's toast Senior Su and the others who aren't here. Thank them for the guidance they've given us these past few days."

Before they had even picked up their chopsticks, three cups of alcohol had already gone down their throats.

Fortunately, Luo Xiao finished his speech then, and everyone began eating and drinking.

Wang Tianyu did not eat much, but it was not because the restaurant's food tasted bad.

On the contrary, for Banquet Encounter to become such a famous restaurant in the city, its dishes were naturally quite good.

Wang Tianyu did not eat much because he had no time to eat.

People kept coming over to toast him, and Wang Tianyu had no chance to touch his food.

"Wang Tianyu, let me toast you."

Wang Tianyu had just sent off one person who had toasted him when another immediately stepped forward.

Wang Tianyu looked at the person before him in surprise. He had not expected this person to come toast him.

The one toasting Wang Tianyu now was Deng Rensheng.

Earlier, because they had competed for a spot to fight, Wang Tianyu had beaten Deng Rensheng badly enough to put him in the hospital for several days.

Wang Tianyu had thought he had thoroughly offended Deng Rensheng because of that.

Even if Deng Rensheng did not resent him, they should at least have been the sort to never cross paths again until they were old and dead.

Wang Tianyu had not expected Deng Rensheng to come toast him as though nothing had happened.

Was he truly that unconcerned and broad-minded, or did he have some other scheme?

As he lifted his glass, Wang Tianyu secretly observed Deng Rensheng, hoping to spot something in his expression.

However, Deng Rensheng's face held nothing but a smile at that moment, and Wang Tianyu could not make anything out.

"We can say we got acquainted through a fight. Come, let's have a drink."

Seeing the puzzled look on Wang Tianyu's face, Deng Rensheng continued inviting him.

"Sorry about before. My apologies!"

Since he had not discovered anything, Wang Tianyu did not want to make the atmosphere awkward, so he drank a cup with Deng Rensheng.

"It's nothing. Look, aren't I lively as a dragon and vigorous as a tiger now? Getting hurt in a spar is perfectly normal. But don't let your guard down either. When we spar next time, maybe you'll be the one getting hurt. Haha."

Deng Rensheng truly seemed not to care about what had happened before, even chatting and laughing with Wang Tianyu for a few moments.

The meal lasted nearly two hours. Though they had been drinking low-alcohol beer, Wang Tianyu still felt a slight buzz.

After dinner, Luo Xiao suggested they continue on to another venue, once again offering to pay the bill.

Wang Tianyu declined Luo Xiao's invitation and did not go along for more excitement.

Wang Tianyu was a rather restrained person. He would not drink himself into a senseless stupor.

After washing his face in the restroom, Wang Tianyu prepared to head home.

After taking a cab near his home, Wang Tianyu did not return directly.

He had promised to buy fruit for Wang Mengmeng, so he first went to a fruit shop not far from the residential complex.

After buying several kinds of fruit at the shop, Wang Tianyu decided to walk home since it was not far.

Wang Tianyu took a small road, because it would get him home faster.

It was an old district, and he was taking a side road. Under the dim streetlights, Wang Tianyu was the only person hurrying along at that moment.

Just as Wang Tianyu entered the dim alley, a man some distance behind him quickened his pace as well.

The man moved swiftly. Before long, only a few meters separated him from Wang Tianyu.

At that moment, Wang Tianyu heard footsteps behind him and instinctively turned around.

"Robbery?"

Wang Tianyu's first reaction was that he had encountered a robber, because the man's attire was far too abnormal.

Wang Tianyu could not see the man's face clearly because he wore a long-brimmed baseball cap.

The brim was pulled very low, obscuring almost all of the man's face.

Wang Tianyu's guess became reality when he saw the man pull something from his pocket.

The man took out a dagger around twenty centimeters long.

Under the light, the dagger looked even colder and more chilling.

Seeing Wang Tianyu turn around, the man slowly raised his head.

Even after the man raised his head, Wang Tianyu still could not see his face clearly.

Aside from the baseball cap concealing him, the man also wore a dark mask over his mouth.

All Wang Tianyu could see were the man's eyes and the scar on his forehead.

Perhaps the wound had been too deep, or perhaps the stitching had been poor, but the stitch marks across the man's forehead were extremely obvious.

The crisscrossing stitch marks resembled centipedes, adding several traces of viciousness to the man's appearance.

The man raised his head and smiled at Wang Tianyu, then charged toward him with frenzied eyes.

At the sight, Wang Tianyu's first reaction was to run.

Wang Tianyu was empty-handed, while the man opposite him held a weapon.

Moreover, the man had charged at him with a dagger without saying a word. No matter how he looked at it, he was a desperado.

An ordinary desperado would have been one thing, but Wang Tianyu discovered that the man's opening stance was actually a movement from the Basic Cultivation Method.

The man had trained in martial arts and had a weapon in hand. Wang Tianyu immediately made his decision.

If I don't run, am I supposed to stand here and wait to get stabbed?

Wang Tianyu could not concern himself with anything else. He turned and ran forward.

After running some distance, Wang Tianyu heard the man's voice from behind him.

"Kid, don't run. I only planned to take one of your arms. But if you keep running, I might take your life along with it."

The man's voice was somewhat hoarse. Hearing those words sent a chill down Wang Tianyu's spine.

His heart tightening with fear, Wang Tianyu's steps quickened by several degrees.

But even so, he could not shake the man behind him. The distance between them only grew smaller and smaller.

Hearing the footsteps behind him getting closer, Wang Tianyu knew he could not keep running with his back to the man.

So Wang Tianyu stopped and turned to face him.

"That's more like it. Just obediently let me cripple one of your arms. Don't worry, my hands are very quick."

Seeing Wang Tianyu stop, the man behind him stopped as well.

"Who are you? I don't know you, do I? Why do you want to cripple one of my arms?"

Looking at the man before him, Wang Tianyu forced himself to calm down and began probing for the man's background with his words.

P.S. Thanks to Longbow Eight and Drink Less Beer for their rewards.

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