I told you, in Chengdu, you could only count as... a loli!

Ma San's pupils contracted sharply, and his steps faltered. He nearly fell over. He stared wide-eyed at Bai Yushan, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.

How was that possible? He had just been behind me. When had he gotten ahead of me? How could this brat be so fast?

Ma San's mind was in chaos. Fear poured over him like cold water from head to toe. His hands trembled, and so did his legs. The strength his Gray Wolf Martial Soul had given him was draining out of his body.

He didn't want to die. He didn't want to be caught. He didn't want to end up in the public security station.

A trace of madness flashed through Ma San's eyes.

He gritted his teeth and stared at Bai Yushan, the scar on his face growing even more hideous as his muscles twisted.

"You little brat! Even if I die, I'm taking you down with me!"

He lunged at Bai Yushan, spreading his hands as the gray wolf's claws bared their sharp nails, his whole body like a starving wolf pouncing on its prey. His speed exploded to its limit at the very last moment. This was his final struggle, his final madness.

Bai Yushan watched Ma San lunge at him and smiled disdainfully.

He didn't even move his feet. He simply raised his right fist, electric current gathering around it as blue-white light flashed and vanished.

One punch smashed into Ma San's face.

The instant his fist met Ma San's face, the current burst apart. Blue-white arcs danced across Ma San's face, all his features twisting out of shape. Blood sprayed from his nose, and two teeth flew out of his mouth.

Ma San's body hung in midair for a second, then flew backward like a rag. He slammed into the ground and slid several meters, leaving a long bloody streak behind him.

He lay on the ground, his eyes rolled back as indistinct groans escaped his mouth. His fingers twitched twice, then he went completely still.

Bai Yushan withdrew his fist, the current around his body slowly fading.

He walked over to Ma San and looked down, confirming that he was still breathing. Then he grabbed Ma San by the ankle and dragged him back like a dead dog.

Ma San's head bumped and knocked against the ground, the blood on his face leaving a long trail, but he had completely lost consciousness and showed no reaction at all.

Bai Yushan dragged Ma San over to Liu Laosi and Wang Mazi and piled the three together.

The three were stacked in a heap, like a pile of garbage.

Bai Yushan walked to the roadside, picked up a rope from the ground, and tied all three to a roadside utility pole. He wound the rope around several times and bound them securely. All three were pressed tightly against the pole, unable to move at all.

As for their Soul Power, he had already crippled it with electricity.

When he sent the current flooding into their bodies, Bai Yushan had deliberately controlled its frequency and intensity, making it travel through their meridians and completely destroy their Soul Power Cores. From that day onward, these three would never be able to release their Martial Souls again.

This was a harsher punishment than severing their hands and feet. For a Soul Master, losing their Soul Power meant losing everything.

Bai Yushan looked at his handiwork and clapped his hands in satisfaction.

The three human traffickers were tied to the utility pole in a row, all in identical poses, like three wild boars bound to a tree. Ma San's head lolled to one side, blood and broken teeth hanging at the corner of his mouth. Liu Laosi's wrist was still swollen and bent at a bizarre angle. Wang Mazi's face was swollen like a pig's head, one of his tusks was broken, and blood was still welling from his nose.

Bai Yushan walked up to Ma San, crouched down, and patted his face.

"I told you, in Chengdu, you could only count as... a loli!"

Ma San showed no reaction. He had already passed out completely.

Bai Yushan stood and checked the sky. The setting sun had already sunk below the horizon, leaving only a dark red afterglow at its edge. The streetlights had yet to come on, and everything around him was shrouded in gray twilight.

He dusted himself off, slung his schoolbag back over his shoulder, and turned toward home.

In an excellent mood, Bai Yushan began humming that song of indeterminate tune again, his steps light, like a cat that had eaten its fill.

After a few steps, he stopped again and took out the pocket watch he had found on Ma San. He opened it and took a look. The hands on its face were still moving, ticking away. A line of small characters was engraved on the cover, but Bai Yushan couldn't be bothered to read it. He stuffed the watch back into his pocket and continued on.

After walking for ten-odd minutes, he returned to Bi Ji's estate.

The estate gates stood open, and the lawns on either side of the bluestone path gleamed dark green in the twilight. Warm yellow lights shone in the distant villa, spilling through the windows and casting a pool of light on the ground.

Just as Bai Yushan reached the door, it opened.

Na'er stood in the doorway, her short silver hair gleaming faintly under the light. Her amethyst eyes were wide open, fixed straight on Bai Yushan.

Then she threw herself at him.

"Big Brother!"

She buried herself in Bai Yushan's arms, her little hands wrapping tightly around his waist and her face pressed against his chest, her whole body hanging from him like a koala.

"Why did you only just get back! Na'er waited for you for so, so long! Na'er thought you weren't coming back!"

The impact pushed Bai Yushan back a step. He looked down at the little girl hanging from him and rolled his eyes.

"Didn't I say I'd come back after school? Well, here I am, aren't I?"

Na'er looked up, her amethyst eyes brimming with tears and her little mouth pouting, looking on the verge of crying.

"But it's already dark!"

Bai Yushan reached out and gave the back of her head a light pat.

"All right, all right, stop crying. I'm back, aren't I? Let go. I need to change my shoes."

Na'er reluctantly let go, only to immediately grab his sleeve again, clutching it tightly as she always did.

Bai Yushan changed his shoes and walked into the living room.

Bi Ji sat on the sofa with a cup of tea in her hands. When she saw Bai Yushan come in, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

"You're back?"

"Mm."

"Did something happen on the way?" Bi Ji's eyes swept over Bai Yushan and stopped on his arm. There was a shallow wound there, left by Ma San's short blade, and a cut in his clothes as well. "Did you get into a fight?"

Bai Yushan glanced down at the wound on his arm and waved a hand dismissively.

"Ran into three human traffickers and dealt with them while I was at it."

Bi Ji's brows furrowed.

"Human traffickers?"

"Mm. Three Soul Masters." Bai Yushan walked over to the sofa and sat down, tossing his schoolbag aside. "I've already tied them to a utility pole on the outskirts and crippled their Soul Power. Just have the people from the public security station pick them up."

Bi Ji looked at Bai Yushan, a trace of complicated emotion flashing through her eyes.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Bi Ji asked.

"Just a scratch on my arm. It's nothing," Bai Yushan said unconcernedly. "My clothes are torn, though. I'll need new ones."

Bi Ji smiled.

"All right. I'll have a maid buy you some tomorrow."

Bai Yushan nodded and leaned back on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other. He sank into its softness, his face filled with satisfaction.