Shackles of Humanity

Night had fallen, and business had been dead all day. With the weather turning cold, people were reluctant to venture out. The docks along the Nili Long River were empty of merchant ships. For Luo Kai, life was growing more and more difficult. He anxiously counted the cash in his pocket. ’I’ll have to be late on the rent,’ he calculated. ’I’ll spend the rest on rice and flour and see if I can make it through the winter.’

After chewing on a tough piece of flatbread, he couldn’t be bothered to go home. He pushed his tricycle under the eaves of a building, ignored the biting wind, pulled his coat tighter, and curled up in the cargo bed to sleep.

He was drifting in and out of sleep when he suddenly heard someone rapping on the tricycle’s metal frame. He opened his eyes to see a man in his thirties with a long, horsey face. A cigarette dangled from his lips, revealing a mouth full of large, tobacco-stained yellow teeth. When he saw Luo Kai was awake, he asked, ”Taking a night fare?”

”Where to?” Luo Kai’s spirits lifted. Finally, some business.

”Ningye County.” The horse-faced man offered him a cigarette with a grin.

Luo Kai took it and pulled a flint-wheel lighter from his pocket to light it. The cigarette tasted smooth; it couldn’t have been cheap. He did a quick mental calculation. Ningye County was a good forty to fifty li from the commandery city of Longyang County. A round trip would probably take all night, and on unlit roads, too.

”Two hundred.”

The horse-faced man didn’t haggle. He turned and beckoned, and two more men emerged from a dark corner in the distance, carrying a large trunk between them.

”Three of you?” Luo Kai felt a pang of reluctance. ’Three grown men plus a trunk... my little tricycle probably can’t handle that.’

”Don’t worry, my friend. If you get tired, we can take a turn.”

The men heaved the trunk into the cargo bed and sat down on the frame. The small tricycle immediately let out a strained CREAK.

Luo Kai quickly shook his head. ”No, it won’t work. My tricycle can’t handle this weight. You’ll have to find someone else.”

The horse-faced man glanced around. It was the middle of the night, and the streets were completely deserted. There wasn’t another driver in sight.

”How about this? I’ll add another fifty.”

Luo Kai had been living on nothing but flatbread for the past two days. This fare would be enough to afford a change of pace. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. ”Fine. But this vehicle isn’t solid. Don’t blame me if it breaks down on the way.”

The horse-faced man clapped his chest. ”Don’t worry. Even if the vehicle breaks, we’ll still pay you in full!”

The three men boarded, and Luo Kai began to pedal, HUFFING and PUFFING with the effort. They slowly made their way out of the city proper. The light faded, and the road grew pitted and uneven. None of this was a problem for Luo Kai, however. His eyesight was superb and his strength was immense, so he didn’t find the ride particularly strenuous. His only concern was that the little tricycle might give out under the load. ’Then again,’ he thought, ’even if it breaks, this fare is enough to buy a new one.’

At first, they passed a number of suburban villages, but soon the landscape gave way to an endless, desolate wilderness. After the Great Cataclysm, the sprawling city-clusters that once represented human civilization had crumbled to dust, and now, wild grasses and trees had reclaimed the world.

Beyond the shelter of the city, the north wind raged across the wilderness. Luo Kai pedaled on against the gale, his blood beginning to circulate faster to drive away the chill.

The three men in the back were strangely silent the entire way.

As they passed a small grove of trees, the horse-faced man spoke up. ”My friend, want to take a break? I can take over.”

Luo Kai didn’t answer. He had just heard a strange stirring from the large trunk in the back. ”What do you have in this trunk?” he asked, his voice laced with suspicion. Before the words were even out of his mouth, the man to his side struck. A thin iron wire, already concealed in the man’s rough hands, whipped around Luo Kai’s neck and was yanked back with brutal force.

Caught completely by surprise, Luo Kai felt the wire bite deep, as if his neck were about to be severed. He instantly tensed the muscles in his neck and threw his head back. In the split second that the pressure eased, he grabbed the wire with both hands, matching his strength against his attacker’s to keep himself from being garroted.

Before he could even catch his breath, the other two men attacked, each lunging at him with a dagger that glinted coldly in the dark.

At this moment of crisis, the veins on Luo Kai’s neck bulged as he unleashed his full strength, pulling on the wire. The man holding it was flung through the air. Simultaneously, Luo Kai’s body twisted like a serpent. He felt the searing pain of a blade sinking into his flesh, but he had managed to shift just enough to avoid a fatal blow. Blood gushed from the wound, but he hadn’t lost his ability to fight.

Having dodged the killing blows, Luo Kai was filled with rage. He threw a straight punch at the horse-faced man.

The horse-faced man’s face was a mask of astonishment; he clearly hadn’t expected this young driver to be so tough. But he was experienced, and his expression instantly reverted to a calm focus. He raised a hand to block. The moment they clashed, both men realized their opponent possessed extraordinary Power and combat skills.

For the past two years, Luo Kai had diligently practiced his Body Techniques and undergone the Body Refining of the Sea Tide. His body was finally being fully developed, undergoing strange transformations at almost every moment. For instance, his skin was growing more elastic, yet as tough as ox-hide. His digestive system had also become incredibly robust, allowing him to digest things that were previously impossible. Unbeknownst to him, he was already ascending to a higher state of being.

Now, even without activating a Qi and Blood Surge, his body could manifest the preliminary power of the Mighty Dragon Fist. A single punch from him could likely tear through a steel plate.

But the horse-faced man’s fighting style was also exceptional. Realizing he was no match for Luo Kai in terms of raw Power, he immediately opted to deflect rather than block. With a subtle rotation of his wrist, he managed to divert the powerful punch.

Luo Kai’s expression darkened. ’Looks like I can’t end this quickly,’ he thought. He began to throw punches in a steady, methodical rhythm. Each fist cut through the air with a WHOOSHING sound, a clear sign of their immense Power. The horse-faced man and his companion didn’t dare to counterattack, forced to rely on their unique blocking technique.

The tricycle had long since come to a stop. The man who had been thrown to the ground scrambled to his feet and rejoined the fray. His fighting style was similar to the horse-faced man’s, but as soon as they traded blows, he realized there was no shame in being thrown. This young driver’s strength was simply astonishing. After blocking a single punch, he felt as if his arm was about to snap.

For a moment, the fight reached a stalemate. The three attackers couldn’t believe that a mere tricycle driver was this difficult to handle. Even with a three-to-one advantage, they hadn’t been able to take him down. Instead, they were forced onto the defensive.

Luo Kai noticed the commotion from the large trunk in the back was growing more violent. He could faintly hear muffled sobs coming from within. His expression grew colder and colder.

”Who are you people?”

The horse-faced man signaled for his companions to stop. He said with a wheedling smile, ”A man with your skills, why are you just a humble driver? Let’s call a truce. Our master is always looking for talented individuals. He’s willing to offer you a brilliant future!”

Luo Kai was unmoved. ”A brilliant future? Bullshit,” he said coldly. ”You’re nothing but a pack of human traffickers. Leave now, and I’ll let this go. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

The horse-faced man’s expression turned grim. He let out a sinister laugh. ”Then you can just die!” A black revolver suddenly appeared in his hand, and he raised it and pulled the trigger.

But in that same instant, a small pistol appeared in Luo Kai’s hand as well. They fired at almost the exact same moment.

BANG. BANG. Two shots rang out. A small hole appeared between the horse-faced man’s eyes, and he collapsed to the ground.

A bloody gash appeared on the side of Luo Kai’s face; he had actually managed to dodge the bullet. His eyes were now blood-red as he turned his gun on the other two men. With a gun in his hand, he shot them down before they had any chance to resist.

When it was over, Luo Kai slumped to the ground. The wound under his arm had reached the bone, and he hissed in pain. ’That was too close,’ he thought. ’If I hadn’t been training so diligently these past two years, I would have died here tonight.’

Recently, his Perception Power toward danger had grown much stronger. That’s how he had sensed the horse-faced man secretly drawing his gun, allowing him to Dodge in advance and evade the fatal shot.

The gun in his hand was one he had taken after killing some men in black back at the fishing village. He had kept it hidden on his person ever since. This world was too chaotic; a weapon was necessary for self-defense.