Ren Gun had a head of golden hair, now dirty and matted, resembling a yellow rag.

The key was his face. It was the very same handsome man Li Cheng Yi had just seen drugging Zhao Xiaoli.

"It's you?"

Li Cheng Yi scanned the surroundings. The walls were splattered with blood, and the man's wounds had been meticulously treated and bandaged.

But his question was destined to go unanswered.

The handsome man raised his head, as if sensing someone in front of him, revealing his face.

Both of his eyes had been gouged out, and blood streamed from his ears.

He was obviously blind and deaf.

"..." Li Cheng Yi was speechless. He turned and walked out.

The prosperity and liveliness of Chao Yu during the day were replaced by bloodshed and cruelty at night.

But as he reached the alley entrance, two tall men wielding black cleavers blocked his path.

They glanced at him, as if assessing something.

After a few seconds, they parted to create a path, wordlessly waving him on.

Li Cheng Yi understood immediately and quickly walked out of the alley, blending into the evening crowd.

The next morning.

He returned to the Catherine Bar.

The same location, the same person, the same honey milk.

Zhao Xiaoli also arrived, taking the same seat next to him. "Hi."

She was still wearing a mask, her eyes smiling as she greeted him.

"The man from yesterday is crippled. Was that you?" Li Cheng Yi asked as he sat down.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zhao Xiaoli said, shaking her head.

Li Cheng Yi suddenly felt the milk was a bit too sweet. He looked up at the bartender serving them and noticed it was a different person.

"Are you looking for the previous bartender?" Zhao Xiaoli asked.

"Yes. Today's isn't as good as yesterday's," Li Cheng Yi said.

"He's dead," Zhao Xiaoli said with a smile.

"Dead?"

"Yes. Some good Samaritans ran him over with a car."

"..." Li Cheng Yi stared at her. Although she was talking about someone's death, Zhao Xiaoli's face showed no trace of sorrow or solemnity, only happiness.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because he saw, but chose to remain silent," Zhao Xiaoli said.

"Why do that? He didn't deserve to die," Li Cheng Yi frowned.

"Li-dage (big brother), have you ever heard a saying?"

"What?"

"When there are very few people in this world who agree with you, then get rid of those who don't. That way, only friends with the same values as you remain. The world will become a better place," Zhao Xiaoli said with a smile.

Li Cheng Yi was speechless.

However, looking closely at the girl in front of him, she seemed to meet his criteria for a holy infant (Sheng Ying).

He thought for a moment.

"But that way, you'll encounter many, many enemies. You might get hurt, you might die."

"It doesn't matter. As long as we good people kill one bad person every day, the world will become a better place."

"..." Something about that sentence felt off.

Li Cheng Yi was speechless.

"Aren't you afraid of death?" he asked.

"Not afraid. Life itself is very boring anyway. Death might not be eternal sleep, but reincarnation, going to other different planets and worlds, living different lives. Sometimes I think it's quite exciting," Zhao Xiaoli said, still smiling.

But now Li Cheng Yi could clearly sense her abnormality.

He had met many people in his life, but this was the first time he had encountered someone so twisted and abnormal.

Even Bai Kulou wasn't this twisted.

But wasn't that even better? It just so happened to fit the selection criteria for a holy infant (Sheng Ying).

He pondered for a moment.

"But there are too many bad people in this world. Even if you work hard, you can't do much alone."

"Yes... sometimes I do feel very powerless," Zhao Xiaoli agreed.

"Have you ever thought about becoming stronger, instead of relying on your family's power?" Li Cheng Yi asked.

"Yes, I've been exposed to flying instruments, martial arts, firearms, combat aircraft, etc. But none of them reach the level I want," Zhao Xiaoli sighed.

"They, everything, requires the cooperation, assistance, and support of many people. It can't purely implement one person's will. Once the team behind abandons support and maintenance, I can't do anything..."

Clearly, she had also been restricted and constrained by others.

"So, only one's own strength is the fundamental way to survive," Li Cheng Yi said softly.

"That's right."

"Since you have ideas, wealth, and resources, why not learn boxing from me?" Li Cheng Yi suddenly said.

"Learn boxing?"

"Yes. I can see that you are a good person with ideals and aspirations. In this era, good people are always criticized, misunderstood, and misinterpreted. So, the more you do good, the more power you need!" Li Cheng Yi said.

"...Li-dage (big brother)... do you think martial arts are strong?" Zhao Xiaoli asked doubtfully.

"Martial arts are not strong. It is always the person who is strong," Li Cheng Yi said.

He picked up the milk and drank it all in one gulp, then turned and left the bar.

Leaving Zhao Xiaoli sitting on the side, lost in thought.

And not far from their seats, a short-haired girl was quietly listening to their conversation, her body covered in cold sweat.

What Zhao Xiaoli? It was clearly Zhao Xianrou!

Among the younger generation of the entire Chao Yu aristocracy, there were only four people who were most disgusting and frightening.

Zhao Xianrou ranked third among them.

She was a well-deserved neurotic noble lady who was capricious and often wanted to harm people's lives.

The key was that this guy had extremely strong talent, excelling in flying instruments, martial arts, and firearms. No one knew how much strength she really had, but several assassinations by fifth-level assassins had failed to even get close to her, let alone kill her. One could imagine how strong her hidden strength was.

And now, a mysterious man from out of town suddenly said he wanted to teach her martial arts?

Da Zhuang's mind was racing, not knowing what to say.

She wanted to get up and leave, but a strong curiosity made her stop and continue observing and eavesdropping on Zhao Xianrou.

Unfortunately, after Li Cheng Yi left, Zhao Xianrou did not make any unusual moves. She just quietly drank her milk, as if thinking about something.

More than ten minutes later, a tall man in a silver jacket walked into the bar and whispered a few words to her.

"Go. Prove it. If he's really as strong as he boasts, then he's still a good person."

"If not, then he's a bad person. Liars are all bad people and must be dealt with," Zhao Xianrou said lazily.

Good people don't lie.

She had always firmly believed in this.

*

*

*

Chao Yu's streets.

Li Cheng Yi had just come out of the bar, looking at the silver flying vehicles constantly flying overhead, and for a moment, he felt a sense of disorientation.

Silver streets, silver buildings, a winding Milky Way. Half-human, half-mechanical pedestrians.

Bang.

Suddenly, a burly bald man wearing a metal exoskeleton, like a mantis clinging to his upper body, approached him quickly.

The man's right arm was drooping, and a section of metal mace popped out, trembling slightly.

The sound just now came from there.

"?" Li Cheng Yi stopped, looking at the man in confusion.

The bald man had no intention of speaking. He stepped forward and raised his right hand.

Rou Qi (supple energy) erupted, and his arm instantly burst out with exaggerated speed, far exceeding that of ordinary people, and slammed towards Li Cheng Yi's head.

Bang.

The mace was suspended in mid-air in front of Li Cheng Yi.

Frozen.

"Style-based martial arts?"

Li Cheng Yi grabbed the man's forearm with one hand. No matter how the man struggled or exerted force, he remained motionless.

"Let go!" The bald man immediately realized he had run into a brick wall. His face was horrified. "My master is..."

Bang!

His neck was strangled by a large hand, and his entire body was slowly lifted into the air by the huge force.

The following words naturally could not be spoken.

"Threats are the privilege of the weak. Do you want to beg for mercy?"

Li Cheng Yi exerted a little force, and there was a cracking sound. The bald man's neck instantly broke.

Such injuries would naturally have been fatal in the past, but here, as long as treatment was timely and appropriate, he would only have to lie in bed for a few months at most.

Tossing the man aside, Li Cheng Yi straightened his cuffs and walked away slowly, heading towards the hotel.

In the evening.

He came to the Catherine Bar again.

"How is it? Have you thought it over?"

He was still sitting in the same seat, with Zhao Xiaoli next to him.

"You're quite good, but it's not enough to be my teacher," Zhao Xiaoli said, shaking her head with a smile.

"Then what would be enough?"

"The limit of martial arts is gene modification to the extreme. The gap between them and flying instruments and cyborgs is too big. So, I don't think it's worthwhile to spend time and energy on that."

"I disagree," Li Cheng Yi said, shaking his head.

"What's the difference? The assassination fist in style-based martial arts, the prison dragon (Yu Long) of the Dragon Beard Sect (Long Xu Men) was only that strong when he was at his peak. Are you stronger than him?" Zhao Xiaoli asked.

Dragon Beard Sect (Long Xu Men)?

Li Cheng Yi instantly understood that she had investigated him.

"Since you know that Yu Long is my teacher, you should know that he has not been my opponent for a long time," Li Cheng Yi said calmly.

"Is that so?" Zhao Xiaoli smiled even more happily. "But I've also learned martial arts and entered the Goose Formation Bagua Sect (Yan Xing Ba Gua Men). If you want to be my teacher, you still have to ask if they agree."

She picked up the milk and took a sip gently.

"You know, in this Chao Yu, I don't know how many styles want me to join them and become their disciple."

"It seems you still don't understand." Li Cheng Yi's eyes darkened. "It's not that I want you to learn, but that I'm giving you an opportunity."

"Is that so? But for me, there are too many opportunities in this world. If it's not the strongest, then, for me, the rest is garbage..." Zhao Xiaoli said with a smile.

"What a pity..." Li Cheng Yi closed his eyes, picked up the cup, and drank it all in one gulp. "Originally, you should have been one of the best candidates, but now, I've changed my mind."

He left his seat and walked towards the door.

What he needed was a holy infant (Sheng Ying) who could respect his teacher and the Dao, not a lunatic like Zhao Xiaoli.

So, this time, the candidate had to be changed.

Zhao Xiaoli sat alone in her seat and sighed.

"Good people won't make a beautiful and lovely lady like me angry."

"Miss, should we send someone to deal with him?" A woman in a blue suit walked up to her.

"No... Li-dage (big brother) is still a good person, just not as good as before... It's too much to kill him..." Zhao Xiaoli thought for a moment.

"Isn't he proud of his martial arts strength? Send an invitation to his teacher, the Ji Wu Lie Bao competition is about to begin this year, requiring the Dragon Beard Sect (Long Xu Men) to participate, otherwise their style's privileges will be revoked."

The Ji Wu Lie Bao competition is a large-scale national competition held by many martial arts styles in the Yi Kingdom. It is used to select strong elites and absorb them into the military as talent reserves.

This competition is not only watched by the military, but also by many dignitaries who are quite interested in it and use it as one of their few entertainment projects.

Therefore, many by-products such as gambling have been derived.

And the top styles will generally receive apprenticeship requests from many noble children and genius flying instrument (Fei Yi) masters.

After all, although martial arts are becoming weaker, they are still very important as a close-quarters supplement for flying instrument (Fei Yi) masters.

Therefore, the top sects among them are also related to the Thirteen Fei Liu in the flying instrument (Fei Yi) master world.

"The Ji Wu Lie Bao competition does not allow the use of any mechanical or electronic equipment, only pure flesh and blood. Didn't he say he was very strong? Let's see how many levels his Dragon Beard Sect (Long Xu Men) can pass at that time," Zhao Xiaoli said with a smile.

"What if he's really strong...?" the woman in the suit asked.

"That doesn't matter. How strong can martial arts be? A single strike from a flying instrument (Fei Yi), and it's all an illusion," Zhao Xiaoli raised her eyebrows.

(End of this chapter)