Mystical Journey

Dawn .

Garen was strolling alongside the street next to the river wearing his black coat .

On his left, sounds of river colliding against the bank could be heard . The midnight wind blended itself with the gloomy surroundings; one cannot help but to feel as if winter was just around the corner .

Garen had his hands inside the pockets of his pants while strolling; the coat masking the torn shirt that he was wearing inside . He unbuttoned his shirt and looked down on his chest, only to find the red mark on his exposed skin slowly fading away .

His hands reached to his stomach . Still can’t shake off the pain .

At the corner in front of the street, an old lady appeared in her gray gown, gently pushing her cart . On her cart stood a cylinder-shaped black container, and on the container’s surface were the words: 2 yuan milk .

A girl in a thick white fur coat rushed over to the cart . She took out some money and gave it to the old lady . In exchange, she left with warm milk in between her palms .

Garen tightened his shirt due to the decreasing temperature around him . He too hurried towards the old lady .

"Can I have one please?"

"Of course," The old lady answered . Her face wrinkled with age, so was her skirt, but she looked surprisingly neat . She took a small yellow cup from under her cart and put it under the container . She poured the milk into the cup and passed it to Garen .

He gave the old lady two yuan, carefully holding the cup in his hands, and headed off to the arc just by the corner . The billboards at the each side of the closed shop had coincidentally formed an enclosure that prevented the wind from blowing onto Garen .

Garen laid his back against the wall, looking at the milk cart that was going further away from him . Every now and then, residents came out of their houses to buy milk from the old lady . She handed them their drinks, they handed her the money, and she continued her journey .

The scene of him bursting No . 101 with one blow recurred in his mind .

"I’ve murdered again…" Garen closed his eyes, seemingly stuck in recollecting his thoughts . "I was born with a talent that none others have: the ability to swiftly cross the gap others spent years to build . But is it a blessing or a curse? Because of this, I have no progress in sculpting my heart and soul . "

"Abruptly increasing strength, causing my desires to be set loose and spiral out of control… Is this what I’m facing? Am I going down the righteous path or the demonic path?"

Coming back from his senses, he immediately discontinued his thoughts . He took a sip of the warm milk, the vapor from the drink steamed onto his face . The rich aroma of the milk seeped itself into his nostrils and left him feeling oddly satisfied .

"The fight with Golden Hoop 101… It was obvious that my speed could not match him, but my strength and defenses were enough to endure his hits . It didn’t matter how many blows he laid on me, one blow from me was enough to seal the deal… Which was also one of the perks of strength-based fighters . Even then, my combat techniques are still not up to class . If my techniques were at a certain level, I’m confident that I’m able to strike first no matter how swiftly he moves . Until I’m certain I’m able to face these types of opponents with ease . . " Garen concluded while taking another sip from his milk .

"It seems as though the choice I made to strengthen my body first was right . No matter how fast a person is, a bullet is all that’s needed to end a battle . This type of approach is safer, to say the least . Too bad I’m still fighting at the basic level . I still need to focus on solidifying a general move set before moving on . "

He crumpled the cup and threw it into a nearby trash bin after finishing his milk .

"Now, I’m simply strengthening my body and throwing it onto my opponent to see what happens . Things will be different, though, when my combat skills mature . "

Garen walked out from his hiding spot and headed towards the stone bridge . After crossing it, it took another ten minutes for Garen to reach his house at Bluetree Street .

From this point on towards the whole area within Bluetree Street was considered as the suburbs .

Ding-a-ling…

A bell rang from afar, signaling that the clock had struck ten .

"It’s ten already?" Knowing this, Garen hastened his pace . The hills were especially empty during the night, except for the occasional carriage and cars along the road . It looked as though no one had ever set foot around here during the night .

After coming out from an intense battle, Garen was exceptionally relaxed, having this silent night to accompany him .

He walked without a worry along the main street, knowing that no one knew who he was and, naturally, will not have any intentions towards him . If it weren't a scheme specifically set against him, normal people would be just like chicks on his palm if they went up against him .

Over at the stone bridge, a few drunkards sat on the floor boasting about their stories . A sharp smell of alcohol ran up to Garen’s nostrils as he passed by .

Garen had one of his hands on the stone bridge’s rail . The cool rough surface of the cement that he felt from his touch transmitted into an image that was projected in his mind . Suddenly, he felt some pain surging from his chest to his abs .

Garen was surprisingly calm because he knew it was the impact from the bullet that caused the internal pain .

He tore off his tattered shirt effortlessly and threw it into the trash bin at the side . He only wore his coat cover his body as he made haste towards the direction of his house .

Garen didn’t even get far before a white carriage appeared coming towards his direction . The carriage made a sharp U-turn on the main street and followed him slowly . The carriage window slowly wound down, exposing Grace with her tired, yet emotionless face .

"I have gotten the permission for the application . Now, regardless if it’s the Golden Hoop, if they set foot in our territory, they must follow the rules . They must give a clear explanation on why they ambushed us now," she whispered .

Garen jogged along beside the carriage . "101 died," he said calmly .

"Died?" Grace glanced Garen for a second and notice that he was showing no emotion . She immediately understood when she saw the cement powder on his face . "I understand . I will handle it . "

"I received some intelligence this time when I went back to the company . The Golden Hoop dared to order some of their henchmen to kidnap the son and daughter of Dale Quicksilver and the White Eagle . The current status of their children is still unknown . It is obvious there are some motives behind this action . "

Garen regained his breath before speaking, "I’ve already saved the two children . Too bad they weren't grateful . "

Grace was stunned by his reply . She did not expect so much to have happened when she was not around .

"Is it… Did they see your face?" Her eyes fixated on the cement powder on Garen’s face .

"Supposedly no… But still, she is the daughter of Dale Quicksilver . She can easily see through the disguise . She is indeed a tough one . " Garen recalled the moment the little girl stood up out of nowhere and questioned his expression .

"Right, do you know how the factions divide themselves in the martial arts community?" he added .

"The division of the sects?" Grace was puzzled . "I’m not particularly sure about that, but from what I’ve heard it is separated into two groups: the official ones that train accordingly to build their physique and mentality; and the unofficial ones who train people to morph themselves into a human weapon to take lives . "

"Is that true?" Garen’s eyes light up suddenly . "Then, do you know anyone well-known sects that train using the unofficial way?"

"Give me a sec…" Grace frowned . She went silent for a moment before continuing, "Your master is one of them . There are a few martial artists inside the province that follows this philosophy . It has quite an impact on the underground community there . "

"It seems that they are quite accepted . What about the martial artists that trained formally?" Garen asked .

"Almost similar, besides the fact that they don’t dwell in the underground community, they are quite in common with the unofficial ones . Didn’t your master or senior mention anything about this?"

"I’m heading back first . Be careful when going back, Grace . "

"Relax, I’ve gathered enough human resources to deal with this situation . " A killing intent could be seen in Grace’s eyes as she continued, "I even have the police department on my side . This time I will give the Golden Hoops an unforgettable lesson!"

Garen saw the determination from Grace’s eyes so he didn’t bother to continue . Garen passed by the village’s main gate and saw the old guard watching him . The guard then scribbled on a piece of paper, faced down .

Before going up the stairway, he heard sounds of children crying coming from above, as well as a hoarse male voice coming from the record player .

Garen skipped a few stairs and got to his floor in no time . The hallway was dark and almost pitch black, so Garen had to move slowly to avoid bumping into anything or anyone . He reached the door, took out the key, and inserted it into the keyhole .

Ka-chak

The doorknob unlocked . The inside was dark and silent .

Garen closed the door softly and changed his shoes before entering the living room . From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a shadow sitting on the couch . He could barely make out the shape of a human under the low lighting

Garen paused, before slowly realizing the shadow was of his sister .

"Ying Er? What are you doing sitting here?"

Ying Er sat silently on the couch facing down; her expression shrouded in the dark . The only light source was the faint light coming from the opposite building, shining through the window onto her .

Garen noticed that her sister wore a black high-waist skirt with a dark colored bow on her head . She even wore a pair of thick stockings underneath her skirt . She sat unmoved on the couch, without replying .

Ever since he came to this world, Garen has always cared for his sister . Judging from his sister’s personality, he knew something was up .

He then shifted himself and sat beside his sister on the couch .

"What’s up? What happened today? Aren’t you going to the Jaderipple Lake with your friends tomorrow?"

Grace only replied after what looks like an eternity .

"I’m not going tomorrow . "

"What happened?" Garen frowned . For Garen, he always thought that the world was different inside and outside the house . To him, home was a place where he could free himself from all his worries . He could only be himself when he was with his innocent sister who only knew how to treat him well .

Plus, Ying Er was the last one he wished to hurt .

"It’s nothing, stay out of it!" Ying Er turned her head away . "I’m just a little bit tired that’s all . "

Garen grinned, stretched his hands out to both sides of his sister’s cheek, and pulled .

"Ah… Owh . What are you doing!?" Ying Er erupted . She tried to pull Garen’s hands away from her cheeks but despite her best efforts, her struggles were ineffective .

"Don’t worry so much when you’re inside the house . Take some rest . I’m sure after a good night’s rest you’ll be fine . " Garen let go of his hands . "Don’t forget you still have me, Pa, and Ma in the house . "

"Do you want me to kill you!?" Ying Er stood, punching and kicking Garen in a completely arbitrary manner . Nonetheless, she didn’t exert too much force to prevent hurting Garen by accident .

"You shouldn’t look down on your brother," Garen smirked, steadying his body to let Ying Er hit him . "Are you tickling me by any chance?"

"Gahhhh!!!" Ying Er was truly angered now . "It seems as though you won’t know wrath if I don’t use my true power!"

Thump

She threw a heavy punch at Garen’s face .

"Hey! Not the face!" Garen was caught off guard by his sister . He quickly avoided his sister’s incoming punches, dug his head in between his arm, and hid somewhere in the living room .

Ying Er followed closely behind him, chasing and trying to beat him . Both of them made a fuss in the living room .

After quarreling for a while, Ying Er was finally exhausted . She then dropped bum first onto the couch .

"Huff… It has only been months and already your body has grown bigger . What do you eat every day? It’s absurd!" She caressed her fists . Garen felt nothing, yet her fists were red with bruises

"I told you I’m practicing martial arts . I’m even a formal disciple of a master . I’m different from amateurs like you . " Garen purposely showed off his proud face to his sister .

"You… are really getting on my nerves!" Ying Er felt a sudden urge to give her brother more beatings . She inhaled deeply, suppressing her urges . "Speaking of which, you had been gone all day for weeks now . What have you been doing outside? Did you found a job outside because it’s the holidays now?"

Garen scooted over to his sister’s side . "Nothing much, I usually jog around evening, right? Plus, I need to train some of my basic techniques at the dojo . It’s normal if I came home late . "

"It’s not good if you come home too late . " Ying Er said, pouting her lips, "And I heard a rumor about you and Ai Fei in school…"

"I swear I’m innocent…" Garen was obviously in a predicament . He then started giving a detailed explanation to his sister about what had happened .

Both of them cuddled up on the couch, chatting away . By the time they came to their senses, it had been two hours past midnight .

Ying Er sat still on the couch, without any intention of going into her room . It could be seen from her face that she was tired . She sneaked a yawn when Garen wasn’t paying attention .