Martial Saint!

During the break, at the back of the classroom, Qin Zheng and Lu Chenzhou were gazing out the window.

"Did the teacher speak to you?"

Lu Chenzhou said,

"No... I remember you train at Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall, right?"

Qin Zheng nodded,

"I heard that you found a coach at the Martial Arts Hall. As someone who's been through it, I'd suggest you better sign up directly at the academy. The quality at Martial Arts Hall is inconsistent."

"I didn't renew my classes, and I'm planning to go to Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall this weekend as well."

"Oh, but that's not cheap."

Qin Zheng was somewhat surprised; he knew Lu Chenzhou's family wasn't wealthy.

Lu Chenzhou said,

"I didn't sign up for many, just thirty classes. If I can't make some progress, I probably won't continue there. I'll just study on my own at home."

Qin Zheng patted Lu Chenzhou on the shoulder,

"I heard your Basic Boxing has reached Great Success. That shows you've got good comprehension. I have private lessons at home and also signed up for the academy. I only reached Great Success in my junior year, not much faster than you. We really have talents in our Martial Arts Society!"

He had whimsically founded a Martial Arts Society. He thought many people would join, but only two came: Lu Chenzhou and one named Li Linling. The latter was a senior. The senior had a heavy academic load, and they had only met once.

During the break, Qin Zheng and Lu Chenzhou chatted casually. Learning that Lu Chenzhou planned to go to the Inner City Martial Arts Youth Palace to test his Qi-Blood, he said, "Just going straight to the academy would be enough."

Lu Chenzhou hesitated,

"I heard it's only available to annual members."

Qin Zheng smiled,

"No worries, my dad is good friends with the academy manager. You've already got the card, getting a free test is no problem. We can go together after school."

"Thanks a lot."

The Youth Palace was far, and Lu Chenzhou also wanted to save some time.

"Also, tell your mom not to prepare dinner for you tonight. The academy provides meals for members, and the nutrition is better balanced than ordinary home-cooked meals."

"I can eat there too?"

"Just stick with me."

Having a familiar sparring partner made Qin Zheng happy.

He couldn't resist sending a message in their Martial Arts Society's group chat of three.

[Sister, I'm going to train at Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall with Chenzhou tonight. Coming?]

Lu Chenzhou sent an [smiley.jpg] emoticon.

He wasn't familiar with this senior, having only met during the Martial Arts Society's inauguration dinner. It was said her family was also well-off, apparently also signed up at Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall.

No wonder she's already Second Rank. It's nice to have money.

Qin Zheng teased,

"Lu Chenzhou, your emoticons are just like my dad's style."

Lu Chenzhou didn't say much, he rarely chatted with others.

His phone was merely a tool for researching martial arts and studying.

[Li Linling: Wow, Junior Lu also signed up at Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall?]

[Qin Zheng: What do you think, you coming? It's a good chance for a small Martial Arts Society gathering.]

[Li Linling: Yes, see you tonight.]

Lu Chenzhou looked at Qin Zheng giggling at his phone screen.

He felt like the society's president didn't have a very pure motive for learning martial arts.

Of course, that didn't concern him; he just wanted to train.

...

As the sun set, at the school gates.

"Mom, don't wait up tonight, I'll eat at the academy."

"They provide meals? Are they good?"

Qin Zheng is taking me, and we'll be eating the martial arts meal, so don't worry."

"Qin Zheng is such a good kid."

Before hanging up, Lu Chenzhou said, "Mom, ask dad to work less overtime. Take some time to take him for a health checkup, and get his Qi-Blood tested too."

On the other end of the phone, Li Xianghua remained silent for a moment before saying,

"Don't worry, I'll take him this weekend. Just focus on your training. You've always made us proud since you were little. But remember, safety first!"

After hanging up, Lu Chenzhou caressed the Feiyan Card in his pocket.

After hailing a ride, Qin Zheng's gaze remained fixed on the crowd exiting the school gates until a petite girl with long ponytail stepped out. She clearly looked like a seasoned practitioner, with a presence that stood out starkly from her classmates.

Lu Chenzhou recalled the words of Master Shi Ruyu:

Martial Artists should always carry their own presence, no matter the time or place!

"Hello, President."

"Senior sister, just call me Qin Zheng or junior brother," he said.

Li Linling looked towards Lu Chenzhou.

"Are you... Junior Brother Lu?"

Lu Chenzhou nodded.

"Lu Chenzhou. We met before during a meal."

"Junior brother seems to have gotten stronger."

Li Linling recalled their last meal together.

Qin Zheng interjected with a self-deprecating remark,

"Sister, you've been busy studying, so you don't know. Lu Chenzhou's Basic Boxing has reached Great Success. Among the three of us, it's probably just me who have average comprehension…"

At that moment, the car Qin Zheng had hailed arrived.

Lu Chenzhou consciously sat in the front seat.

There was silence throughout the ride, but Qin Zheng and sister were chatting joyously in the back seat.

As they passed a block, Lu Chenzhou noticed the entrance to an alley was sealed off. A group of fully armed individuals, equipped with special firearms, were stationed there, and a muscular officer, whose uniform was bursting at the seams, was on a call.

He was nearly two meters tall, towering like an iron tower.

It might have been an illusion, but Lu Chenzhou saw what seemed like a giant black-furred tiger's phantom, about three meters long, lazily coiled behind the officer like a sleepy cat.

"It seems like this is what Ru Yu described as 'Qi Po…'"

He withdrew his gaze.

He had a feeling the giant tiger might look over at any moment.

"This is definitely a Martial Artist!"

Su City is a metropolis, teeming with mighty individuals. Lu Chenzhou had seen Martial Artists more than once, but this was the first time he felt such an awe-inspiring presence.

"He might have broken the second shackle or even stronger…"

Lu Chenzhou was even more convinced of his chosen path.

Qin Zheng and Sister Li behind him clearly noticed the situation too.

"It looks like there was an accident here."

"We'll wait for the news, there might be another case."

"With a Martial Artist on scene, could it be related to Virtual Disaster?"

"It likely is. Sigh, better stay indoors more during this time."

Lu Chenzhou felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

His mother's desire to buy a house in the Inner City wasn't without reason.

With advancements in technology, most illegal activities can be dealt with, but the city is too vast. Supernatural forces that appear out of nowhere are always hard to fend off.

The Inner City, bustling with Martial Artists, was relatively safer.

Meanwhile,

The muscular giant's eyebrows were furrowed.

In front of him was an old residential building, its 40 cm thick concrete walls were fissured radially, with a hole carved right through the center.

Looking through the hole, a humanoid dark red blood stain spread across the dim wall, and the ground was littered with shattered bones and viscera, the stench unbearable.

A police officer, wearing white gloves, spoke gravely,

"The victim was probably against this wall when the perpetrator broke through and smashed him into it, causing him to burst on impact. It's unclear whether it was a Martial Artist or a Void Thing."

The hulking officer asked,

"Have the surveillance videos been retrieved?"

"At around four in the morning, there was a strong, unidentified bio-magnetic field interference; the cameras malfunctioned and nothing was recorded."

The burly man commanded with a deep voice,

"Secure this area and wait for the Void Department to conduct an examination."

The last Virtual Disaster in his jurisdiction occurred two years ago.

Ding-ding-ding~

The burly man's vein-covered hand picked up the phone.

[Dad, haven't you finished work yet?]

"Baby, Daddy will be home late."

[Okay, then come back soon.]

"Will do, sweetheart."

He put away the phone, a nameless fire burning in his heart. No matter what demon or specter was causing trouble, it had delayed him from celebrating his daughter's birthday—he must eradicate it!

Unbeknownst to the time, the black tiger phantom behind the burly man also stood up and stretched, its tiger head fierce and hairless, with green-faced fangs dripping with drool.

What kind of tiger was this?

This clearly was an evil Yaksha!

The officers shuddered instinctively as if facing a wild beast, recalling the burly man's moniker before he joined the police: Evil Tiger Lufang!