Shackles of Humanity

Erya’s father was a quiet, reserved man whom neighbors and friends called Old Geng. He worked at a lumber mill, and the long hours of physical labor had left his body stooped. Though not yet forty, his face was already covered in wrinkles and his hair was graying. All the spirit and Essence Qi in him had been extinguished by the crushing weight of life.

Old Geng worked in the Commandery City year-round and had never met Luo Kai. However, he had heard from Erya about what happened at the fishing village and knew Luo Kai was the one who had saved her life. He enthusiastically pulled Luo Kai into the house, rummaging through all their chests and cupboards to find something for him to eat.

Machinery was not yet widespread in this world, resulting in low productivity and scarce resources. What little wealth was created was siphoned off, layer by layer, by the upper classes—merchant guilds, Farmers, and the nobility. Compounding this, the various Lordship Kingdoms were aggressively militaristic, making life for the common people exceptionally difficult.

Luo Kai looked at the coarse grain flatbreads before him, knowing a big eater like himself could bankrupt this poor family in a single meal. ’There’s a special bond between people from the same hometown,’ he thought, recalling an old saying. The people from the fishing village were his people. Since he was quite wealthy now, he insisted on taking Old Geng out to a proper restaurant.

On the street, they ran into Old Geng’s eldest son, a young man in his twenties named Geng Daqiang who wore thick-rimmed glasses. He had just started working this year. Old Geng had spent his entire life’s savings to get his son a job as a proofreader at a newspaper in the Commandery City.

There were many small restaurants outside Lobster Lane, most of them dirty, greasy, and littered with trash. They found a roast duck shop, where Luo Kai immediately ordered ten whole roast ducks and a pile of flatbreads, completely covering a large table.

Having just entered the workforce, Geng Daqiang usually interacted with well-dressed businessmen and white-collar professionals, and he considered himself a cut above others. He had been disdainful the moment he saw Luo Kai in his tattered overcoat, and his scorn only grew when his father dragged him into such a filthy little restaurant. It wasn’t until the table was laden with ducks glistening with oil that he finally cracked a smile at Luo Kai.

”Since it’s my first time meeting Brother Luo, we have to have a drink!” Geng Daqiang’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and he hurried off to get some alcohol. In his haste, he accidentally bumped into a passerby. The man was burly and thuggish-looking, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He sent Geng Daqiang staggering with a single slap and roared, ”You bastard, are you blind?”

Fear washed over Geng Daqiang’s face, and he immediately began to apologize profusely.

The burly man, however, was still seething with rage. He raised a fist the size of a sandbag, ready to beat him.

Luo Kai shot to his feet, seized the big man by the scruff of his neck, and hurled him outside.

The burly man didn’t even have time to react before he felt himself flying through the air as if he were Riding the Clouds and Mist. By the time he came to his senses, his face was just inches from the ground.

”AH!” With a bloodcurdling scream, the burly man face-planted hard onto the street. He was dazed for a long moment before he regained consciousness. Scrambling to his feet, he wiped the blood from his mouth and nose and stared at the small restaurant in utter disbelief. ’He must have thrown me at least seven or eight meters. Is that kind of Power even humanly possible?’

As if he had done nothing more than a trivial chore, Luo Kai sat back down and urged Old Geng and his daughter to eat. Old Geng looked at him with shock and terror, but Erya’s eyes shone with adoration. She often woke in the middle of the night, recalling the scene from that evening—Luo Kai’s nimble figure, dodging and weaving atop the giant boulder, was now firmly etched into the depths of her Mind Spirit.

All traces of arrogance vanished from Geng Daqiang. He eagerly poured Luo Kai a drink and asked, trying to curry favor, ”Brother Luo, you must be a security guard at a big factory, right?”

Luo Kai shook his head. ”I pedal a tricycle.”

...

Luo Kai was actually quite lazy by nature. Now that he had money, he had no desire to be out and about, preferring to spend his days sleeping soundly in his rented room.

One day, Old Fu showed up at his door again. Luo Kai was a bit surprised. ”How did you find me?”

”Heh,” Old Fu chuckled. ”There’s no one in Longyang City we can’t find!”

Old Fu took another piece of paper from his backpack and handed it over. ”I was in the wrong last time. How could a man like Brother Xiao Luo be content to serve under another!”

Luo Kai frowned. ”What is this?”

”Take a look and you’ll see.”

Luo Kai patiently took the paper. It was covered in elegant, fine script: ”Luo Kai is hereby employed as Xiaozhuo’s bodyguard. The monthly salary is 10,000 Star Dollars. During his employment, Luo Kai will not be subject to any authority and may dispose of his time as he sees fit. Employer: Xiaozhuo.”

In the bottom right corner, another small line of text was written: ”Big Brother, I’ve already paid your salary in advance. You can’t back out now!”

Luo Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he also felt a touch of warmth in his heart. ’This isn’t hiring a bodyguard,’ he thought. ’This is just an excuse to give me money.’

”So, what do you say? Are you taking the job this time?” Uncle Fu asked with a broad smile.

Luo Kai signed his name without a moment’s hesitation. ”Please thank Xiaozhuo for me.”

Uncle Fu then pulled a small booklet from his bag. ”This is an entry-and-exit pass for the Xingma Kingdom. It would be best if you didn’t leave the country for the time being. Just wait for the war to end. It probably won’t be much longer.”

”Thank you.” Luo Kai finally felt his worries ease. The pass was essentially a passport—a proof of identity that would be required no matter what country he traveled to in the future.

Since he had made a promise, Luo Kai didn’t plan on doing nothing. He followed Old Fu to find Xiaozhuo. At the platform, the two of them boarded a public railcar. It was really just a single, spacious train carriage, but it moved at a leisurely pace and the noise was grating, which made for an uncomfortable ride.

Along the way, Old Fu explained some things Luo Kai needed to know. Xiaozhuo was a student at Pan Shi Sports School, the only school for Body Techniques training in Longyang City. It was filled with the children of wealthy families from all over Longyang County.

A Physical Martial Arts Academy, unlike a School of Engineering, employed a lifelong education model. Students enrolled around the age of seven or eight and had to pass the First Rank, Middle Stage, and High Rank exams to graduate. The sole condition for graduation was to become a Martial Artist!

Pan Shi Sports School had been established for several decades, yet fewer than one hundred of its students had ever passed the Body Technique Association’s assessment to become Martial Artists. In other words, fewer than one hundred people had ever truly graduated. Most students were unable to graduate in their lifetimes, hence the ”lifelong” education system. However, students were free to leave and find work once they reached adulthood and were not required to remain at the school.

Luo Kai was puzzled. ”Xiaozhuo doesn’t look like she’s practiced Body Techniques.”

Old Fu chuckled. ”Xiaozhuo is still young. She’s just learning theory and some basic fist and footwork.”

Luo Kai had never systematically studied Body Techniques. Shisan had only taught him a set of boxing techniques for power generation and briefly mentioned the Body Refining Skill. ’What is the true Cultivation process for a Martial Artist like?’ he wondered, immensely curious. He asked, ”How do they teach Body Techniques at the school?”

”You’ve never attended a sports school?” Old Fu was astonished.

Luo Kai shook his head. ”Never.”

”Then where did you learn your skills?”

Luo Kai hesitated for a moment before saying, ”A sworn brother taught me.”

Old Fu’s mind raced with the thought of getting to know this mysterious brother. ’If this kid is so formidable, the one who taught him must be on another level entirely.’ He was about to press for details, but Luo Kai answered perfunctorily, ”I lost contact with my brother a long time ago. I’m looking for him, too.”

Finally, Old Fu seemed to remember something else. ”Oh, right, there’s something I need to tell you. We’ve identified the three men who kidnapped Xiaozhuo. Their leader went by the nickname Ma Hou, and he was most likely a member of the Slave Trade. The Slave Trade has branches in every human nation, has deep connections with some of the major Farmers, and operates entirely from the shadows, dealing in human trafficking and information brokering. It’s an immensely powerful organization.

”Although you killed those three, the organization behind them has likely already identified you. Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold may not dare to make a move in Longyang City, but that doesn’t mean the Slave Trade won’t. You need to be careful from now on.”

Luo Kai’s expression grew grim, and he nodded.