This World Has Darkness, but Also Light

Na'er sat beside him, her little hand still clutching his sleeve, her amethyst eyes fixed on him without blinking, filled with admiration.

"Big Brother, you're amazing!"

Bai Yushan glanced at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Of course."

Bi Ji looked at the two children, shook her head, and rose to head toward the dining room.

"Come eat. The food's gone cold."

Bai Yushan sprang off the sofa and rushed into the dining room, taking the steps two at a time.

Na'er followed on her short little legs, her small hand still clutching his sleeve, unwilling to let go for even a moment.

Bi Ji's gaze flickered, but in the end it settled back into calm as she looked gently at the two little ones.

How she wished these days could last forever!

The weekend arrived as expected. Only after much coaxing did Bai Yushan get Na'er to obediently stay home, then he headed toward Red Mountain Academy. With classes out, Red Mountain Academy was rather quiet. But Bai Yushan still came to see Chen Qingquan as agreed.

The old gatekeeper at the academy recognized him and waved him inside. Bai Yushan crossed the sports field, entered the teaching building, climbed to the third floor, and arrived outside the dean's office.

The door was not shut, so he simply pushed it open and walked in.

Chen Qingquan was sitting behind his desk, reading a file. He raised his head, glanced at Bai Yushan, set the file down, and stood.

"Come with me."

Without wasting words, Chen Qingquan took a mask from a drawer and handed it to Bai Yushan.

Bai Yushan took the mask and examined it. It was black, leaving only the eyes and mouth exposed, with a simple design and no decoration. He put it on, and it fit just right.

Chen Qingquan put on a mask as well, then headed toward the academy's parking lot.

The parking lot was small, with a few cars parked inside, all old models. Chen Qingquan walked up to a black sedan, opened the door, and got in. Bai Yushan followed him into the car and sat in the passenger seat.

The engine started, and the car drove out of the academy.

Aolai City was a small city, inferior in every respect to the other cities in the East Sea region.

Despite being a coastal city, it had no large harbor, only a small one serving merchant ships that carried relatively little cargo, so its economy was not prosperous. Most shops lining the streets were closed, pedestrians were sparse, and the entire city carried an air of decline.

But Aolai City was secluded!

The more secluded a place was, the easier it was for filth and corruption to hide there.

After driving for about twenty minutes through more than half the urban area, they arrived near the docks. The air here was filled with the smell of seawater and fish. The roadside buildings grew increasingly dilapidated, with peeling walls and broken windows, while garbage and sewage lay everywhere.

Chen Qingquan parked on an empty lot and got out.

Bai Yushan got out after him and looked around. This place was completely different from the places he usually frequented. There were no clean, tidy streets or bright streetlights, only dark alleys and foul-smelling gutters.

Several people in rags squatted at the foot of a wall, wariness showing in their eyes when they saw Chen Qingquan and Bai Yushan approaching. But when they noticed what was fastened at Chen Qingquan's waist, they immediately lowered their heads and pretended they had seen nothing.

Wearing their masks, Bai Yushan and Chen Qingquan arrived at the slums not far from the docks. The place was filthy, chaotic, and run-down. The vast majority of its residents were thugs and gamblers who idled their days away, loved eating but hated working, and liked shady dealings and shortcuts.

Led by Chen Qingquan, Bai Yushan walked through the winding, maze-like area under those malicious gazes.

Those gazes pricked his skin like needles, carrying greed, viciousness, and probing intent.

Several times, someone emerged from an alley and blocked their path, only to silently retreat after getting a clear look at the token at Chen Qingquan's waist.

Bai Yushan did not say a word along the way, simply following Chen Qingquan forward. His eyes darted about, committing every alley, every corner, and the position of every person hiding in the shadows to memory.

After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a shrouded "paradise."

It was an enormous sheet-metal shed, its exterior tightly enclosed by black curtains that concealed everything inside. Two muscular men stood at the entrance, bare-chested and covered in tattoos, their arms thicker than Bai Yushan's waist.

Chen Qingquan handed over a written order. The two muscular men glanced at it, immediately nodded and bowed, and pulled aside the curtain.

Stench, sweat, and the reek of blood hit them in the face.

Inside, people screamed, cheered, and roared. The sound surged out like a tide, making their ears ache.

Chen Qingquan fell silent for a few seconds, but still led Bai Yushan inside.

"Don't you think the world is so dark? Then I'll show you the tip of the iceberg of the dark world."

His voice was soft, yet remained clear amid the din.

The two casually found somewhere to sit. Only then did Bai Yushan see clearly that this was an underground illegal boxing arena, excavated downward in a spiral like a beast-fighting arena.

Rows of seats descended in concentric circles, with an octagonal wire-cage ring at the very bottom. The lights above the ring were dazzling, illuminating the entire cage in brilliant white. The spectator stands were dark, revealing only densely packed silhouettes and pairs of gleaming eyes.

At that moment, two burly men were frantically beating each other inside the central octagonal cage.

Both men were covered in blood and sweat, with bruises and wounds across their faces, chests, and arms. Their punches had slowed, and their steps had become unsteady. Their Soul Power and stamina exhausted, only their will remained to fight their way out of the encirclement.

Punch after punch after punch!

One punch knocked a man senseless, and another knocked him awake!

It repeated without end, until one side fell and could no longer rise!

After who knew how many punches, one man finally went down.

Cheers and curses erupted throughout the arena, ringing out without cease. Some stood and waved their arms, some tore the tickets in their hands to shreds and tossed them into the air, and some crouched on the ground with their heads in their hands, weeping bitterly.

Those who had won money laughed, and those who had lost cursed. Madness and despair intertwined here like a boiling pot of poison.

Chen Qingquan spoke, explaining to Bai Yushan, "This place was originally just a simple dormitory for the crews of passing cargo ships to rest in. Later, it first became a casino and a brothel, then became what you see now-an underground illegal boxing arena."

Bai Yushan said nothing, staring straight at the loser being dragged out of the octagonal cage below. The man was covered in blood, one leg clearly broken and bent at a grotesque angle, but he was still alive, still groaning.

Looking at the silent Bai Yushan, Chen Qingquan could not bear it and raised a hand, resting it gently on his shoulder.

"Yushan, I know you think this world is full of malice, but in us humans, good and evil come from the same source. If you pay attention only to evil, then sooner or later, you'll become like them: fallen and rotten. You'll become human scum."

His voice was quiet, but heavy.

"This world has darkness, but also light. There are bad people, but also good people. You can't see only the bad side and ignore the good. If you stare only at the darkness, your eyes will go blind, and so will your heart."

Bai Yushan suddenly laughed.

His laughter was loud.