Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 20: Chapter 19: She’s Not a Bad Person

10:00 PM.

Wan Ze finally rushed home. Thankfully, Lei Ming’s incessant talking on the way back had helped him come to terms with the shock of having killed someone.

The door closed softly behind him.

The room was pitch-black.

He didn’t turn on the lights and walked quietly into the room. But just as he stepped inside, he heard a sudden noise behind him. He subconsciously raised his arm, his fingers curling into a fist, but stopped abruptly just before it landed.

It was his sister.

Wan Xiaoyu, still groggy with sleep, was rubbing her eyes and didn’t see what happened. Otherwise, she would have been scared to tears.

”Brother, you’re back?”

Wan Ze’s fist instantly relaxed, and he used the motion to pat her on the head. ”Go back to sleep. You have school tomorrow.”

”Good night, Brother.”

After watching his sister return to her room, Wan Ze gently closed the door. He took off the new jacket his senior brother had bought for him, lay down on his bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

’I killed someone...’

’But just how strong is the Secret Palace...?’

’Will they come to Holy City to cause trouble?’

’Will they go after my family?’

Amidst the pitch-black darkness outside the window, a single star shone with immense brightness.

...

...

The classroom was filled with clamor, but for a moment, the soft rustle of pens on paper became exceptionally clear.

”Ah Ze, where on earth did you go yesterday? You didn’t even show up at the martial arts hall.”

It wasn’t until class was over that Zhou Xianchuan’s voice jolted Wan Ze back to his senses. He continued rubbing the bridge of his nose and said, ”I went out with my senior brother. Did anything happen yesterday?”

”Nothing much. Senior Sister Sun Fan just stopped by. She left when she didn’t see you,” Zhou Xianchuan said.

Wan Ze opened his eyes and shot him a glance. ”You already found out her name? Not slow, are you?”

Zhou Xianchuan coughed dryly. ”Don’t even. I really wouldn’t dare mess with that senior sister.”

”Why’s that?”

”Yesterday, a few wannabe gangster girls were looking for trouble with her. She cornered them in the girls’ bathroom and beat them up for a whole class period.” Just thinking about the scene made Zhou Xianchuan’s legs feel weak.

’That’s a senior sister?’

’That’s clearly a tigress!’

”She’s not a bad person,” Wan Ze said instinctively.

Zhou Xianchuan froze for a second, then a realization seemed to dawn on him. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. ”So what’s the deal with you two now?”

”There’s no deal. I’m just her sparring partner. You want to join?” Wan Ze looked at him.

Zhou Xianchuan shook his head frantically. ”No way, no way. My life is more important. By the way, the homeroom teacher said we have midterm exams tomorrow. You should play it safe, get on the class president’s good side so we can sit next to her during the test.”

”I don’t need to. You might as well just sit next to me.”

”Sit next to you? No thanks. I can’t afford to fail another class, bro.”

”I told you before, I’m a genius... I just wasn’t trying before. Now that I’m getting serious, I’ll let you witness the power of a top student,” Wan Ze said, shaking his head.

Zhou Xianchuan couldn’t hold it in any longer. ”Damn, from now on I’ll have to call you the ’King of Bragging’.”

”Believe it or not.”

...

In the afternoon, during Swordsmanship class.

Wan Ze clearly noticed the Swordsmanship teacher, Old Song, casting occasional glances his way. With his current level of Perception, he couldn’t miss the man’s gaze.

However, he had no interest in stealing the spotlight and simply pretended not to notice, acting as if he were just another face in the crowd.

Soon enough, Old Song’s gaze shifted away.

After half the class, it was free practice time.

Wan Ze started jogging around the athletic field when a familiar voice suddenly sounded beside him. ”You’re back.”

He turned his head to look.

It was Sun Fan, as expected.

”I heard from Fatty that you were looking for me yesterday?”

”I wanted to ask how you were getting on with the book. But since you were gone all day, I figured you probably hadn’t read much,” Sun Fan said with an unsurprised expression.

Wan Ze chuckled. ”I just finished the ’Science Academy Investigation Report’. Its theory posits that the universe is a form of intangible ’animal magnetism,’ that blockages in the human body cause disease, and that hypnosis can clear these blockages to cure illness... This angle on suggestive therapy is quite interesting. If you have any similar books, bring them for me next time, if it’s convenient.”

Sun Fan’s eyes visibly lit up. She was clearly pleased that Wan Ze had read the book she gave him. She wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, but she still hesitated for a moment before asking, ”Are you trying to use the principles of hypnosis to study Deep Meditation?”

Wan Ze wasn’t surprised she would guess that. Anyone who wasn’t a complete idiot could have inferred it from his earlier comments, so he didn’t deny it. ”Do you think it’s possible?”

Sun Fan pondered for a moment, then spoke frankly, ”I can’t say for sure. But success depends on the person. Just because others have failed doesn’t mean you can’t succeed.”

”That’s what I was thinking, too.”

The two of them shared a smile.

...

Not far away.

Zhao Hexiang stared blankly at the scene. Suddenly, Zhou Xianchuan’s voice came from beside him, ”Xiang, my man, don’t even think about that senior sister. She’s way out of our league.”

”...”

Zhao Hexiang’s mouth twitched. He said, mortified and angry, ”What nonsense are you talking about!”

Zhou Xianchuan paid him no mind and just said lightly, ”You don’t know what happened in the west wing girls’ bathroom yesterday?”

”I do.”

”She’s the one who did it,” Zhou Xianchuan said slowly, enunciating each word.

Zhao Hexiang froze completely. He looked at Zhou Xianchuan, then back at the senior sister with the gentle smile on the track. He instantly flew into a rage. ”You damned fatty! She has no beef with you, why are you slandering her!”

”Huh??? What the hell...” Zhou Xianchuan was stunned. After a moment, he looked at the poor guy with pity and said earnestly, ”Simps never have a happy ending, bro. You’re on your own.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

On the track.

Sun Fan stretched her wrists and said, ”I should be able to achieve Qi Blood Transformation around the end of the month. You need to pick up the pace, too.”

Wan Ze paused, hesitating whether he should tell her or not.

’Will telling her just provoke this ’young miss’?’

Just then, a group of people walked toward them, led by none other than Fu Min, who hadn’t been around for a few days.

The color instantly drained from Sun Fan’s face, her expression turning cold.

Fu Min looked at the two of them with a smirk, then suddenly shot Wan Ze a seductive glance. She didn’t say anything threatening, but after walking a short distance away, she seemed to say something that made her group of girls burst into shrill laughter.

Sun Fan stopped in her tracks and spun around. ”Fu Min! The martial arts hall tonight! Come if you’ve got the guts!”

”Fine by me! Who’s afraid of who?” Fu Min turned back, looking at her with a sidelong glance, completely unafraid.

The group left.

Sun Fan took a few deep breaths.

After a moment, Wan Ze pulled his gaze back and said softly, ”Although I don’t know the history between you two, I just want to say... good luck tonight!”

Sun Fan was taken aback, then let out a snort of laughter. She said haughtily, ”Just you wait. Tonight, I’ll make her get on her knees and call me ’Grandma’!”

As Zhao Hexiang watched this unfold, he thought his goddess was just the cutest thing ever!

...

A cool breeze blew, sending countless ripples across the lake on the west side of the school, blurring the reflection of the continuous rockeries.

Wan Ze took a deep breath. Listening to the noisy chatter and roughhousing of the students, the texture of the world around him rushed in, and the after-effects of the killing seemed to vanish completely.

His far-beyond-ordinary Intelligence made him increasingly clear-headed.

’First, I acted out of necessity.’

’Second, they weren’t good people.’

’If I run into them again...’

’They won’t let me go!’

’So, they deserved to die!’

’I was carrying out justice on behalf of Heaven!’

A few boys whistled. Wan Ze glanced over in their direction. Under the shade of a tree stood several long-legged girls. When the wind blew, their white, cinched-waist dresses fluttered in the breeze—a beautiful sight.

But in the next second...

Wan Ze’s gaze froze.

...

”Luoshu, I have to go. You must be careful these days. The people from Tie Shizhe want to make a move against you...”

”Where are you going?”

”I... I don’t know either. But I have to leave. I’ve done something terrible. If I don’t go, I might die.”

”Come to my house.”

”I can’t. Tie Shizhe is hunting me. I risked sneaking into the school just to tell you... they want to target your family.”

Ah Qi exchanged a glance with Wan Ze, who was on the stone bridge not far away, then quickly pulled his hat brim down low. It wasn’t until after Wan Ze had left that he said to the handsome boy in front of him, ”Go to a martial arts hall. You have to go to a martial arts hall... Find those Martial Artists for help. Tie Shizhe has Martial Artists... Their purpose in kidnapping you was to deal with your father, but I don’t know the details of the conflict.”

”A martial arts hall? But there are so many in Holy City. Which one should I go to?”

”Go to... the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall! They’re the strongest!”