Chapter 31: The Unreachable Cold God (6)
The bell signaling the end of evening self-study rang, instantly enlivening the entire school building.
Mei Heng, attending evening self-study for the first time since the start of school, rested one hand on the back of Huo Xian’s chair, looking down at Huo Xian, who was packing his bag, and said in an unavoidable tone: “See you outside school later. If you dare run, I’ll make sure you can never come back to school.” The latter half of the sentence was laced with danger.
Before Huo Xian could speak, He Wenqu questioned, “Mei Heng, what do you want?”
Mei Heng challenged, “What? Want to rescue the damsel?”
He Wenqu’s face turned cold, “So what if I do?”
Mei Heng sized him up, then sneered, turning to Huo Xian: “Hey, Huo Banchang, there’s a hero who wants to save your ‘damsel.’ Are you moved? Do you want to repay him with your body?”
“Mei Heng!” Hearing Mei Heng’s words, He Wenqu immediately darkened his face and shouted.
Mei Heng was about to continue his provocation when Huo Xian, who had remained silent, suddenly interjected, “I need to be home by 9:30. If we’re going to settle this, can we hurry up?”
Hearing this, He Wenqu frowned disapprovingly, “Huo Xian…”
“I’m short on time. Are we going?” Huo Xian asked Mei Heng.
Mei Heng had never been challenged like this before, but since Huo Xian was in such a hurry… he certainly wouldn’t go easy on him.
Although Mei Heng had been in school for only a handful of days since the start of school, his familiarity with the school’s layout for fights far exceeded that of a scholar. Experimental No. 1 High School had a long history and was located in the city center, at the junction of the old and new districts. East was the new district where Huo Xian lived, and west was the old district with its many alleys and chaotic atmosphere.
Mei Heng’s chosen location was, without a doubt, an alley. Some parts were dimly lit, with damaged surveillance cameras—perfect for petty thugs and hooligans to engage in petty crimes and fights.
True to his reputation as a school bully with extensive fighting experience, Mei Heng called several delinquent-looking students with one phone call.
“Mei Heng, are you shameless? You call for backup in a fight? Are you afraid of getting beaten up because you’re too weak?” He Wenqu followed them, but by the time he realized there were people ambushing them from behind, it was too late to take Huo Xian away.
Even when mocked, Mei Heng didn’t get angry, instead retorting, “What era is it? Still sticking to one-on-one fights? Are you stupid, or do you think I’m stupid?” He looked at Huo Xian and said with a cocky smirk, “Huo Xian, I’ll give you a chance too. If you…” Before he could finish, he received a solid kick to the abdomen, stumbling back several steps before falling on his butt.
As Huo Xian retracted his long leg, he grabbed the closest startled blond-haired boy and threw him backward with force, hitting another boy. The impact sent the two flying two meters, causing them to writhe in pain.
But Huo Xian didn’t stop. As he flung the blond-haired boy, he was facing the alley entrance. Two boys were there, one already sent flying by the blond-haired boy. The other, though quick, was no match for Huo Xian. Huo Xian stepped forward, seized the boy’s wrist holding the steel pipe, performed a swift backhand, and threw him over his shoulder.
In the blink of an eye, three and a half of the six boys, including Mei Heng, were significantly weakened.
He Wenqu was stunned, as were Mei Heng and his two remaining companions. This…
Huo Xian picked up a steel pipe from the ground, his voice still the same indifferent tone familiar to He and Mei: “Villains die from talking too much.” The words were not harsh, but extremely insulting.
The alley outside was noisy, but the alley inside fell into an eerie silence. Mei Heng and his two remaining companions dared not act rashly. Huo Xian looked too dangerous, his attacks were merciless, and the three on the ground hadn’t even gotten up yet.
After a long silence, Huo Xian broke the quiet, “Still fighting? I’m short on time.”
“You! @#￥％…” Mei Heng finally snapped back to his senses, cursing incomprehensibly as he lunged at Huo Xian.
He, Mei Heng, was never afraid of a fight.
Mei Heng’s two followers also reacted at almost the same time. He Wenqu’s scalp tingled, he stepped in front of Huo Xian: “Careful…”
Before he could finish, he heard a crisp “Move,” and was brushed aside. He saw four people engaged in a fight.
What shocked He Wenqu was that Huo Xian, despite being outnumbered, was the most relaxed. His moves were extremely simple, without any unnecessary movements, and his body was flexible. He weaved between the three, not only avoiding attacks, but also using them to his advantage.
Three minutes later, Mei Heng was thrown down by Huo Xian’s long arm. As he tried to get up, a steel pipe landed “bang” in the cement ground next to his head, splashing debris on his face, forcing him to close his eyes.
“Huo… Huo Xian, are you okay?” He Wenqu finally managed to reset his jaw, regained his senses, and asked in disbelief.
Huo Xian didn’t answer, but looked down at Mei Heng lying at his feet.
The streetlights were dim, and he stood against the light, his handsome face mostly in shadow. Mei Heng could see the calmness in his faintly visible left eye—an indifference that disregarded everything. He was like a god from the heavens, neither happy nor sad, neither compassionate nor emotional, powerful and awe-inspiring.
Fear?
Mei Heng, who had never feared anything his whole life, what was fear?
“It’s getting late, Mei Heng. Go home early, and don’t be late for school tomorrow,” Huo Xian said.
Mei Heng almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Before he could catch his breath, Huo Xian retracted his hand from the steel pipe and looked towards the alley entrance, where a boy holding a phone was standing.
“Little Squid?” He Wenqu followed Huo Xian’s gaze, saw the boy at the alley entrance, hurried towards him, and asked, “Why are you here?”
Yu Zi’an’s phone screen still showed “110,” clearly intending to call the police, but it was no longer necessary.
He put away his phone and said, looking down, “I came for an interview, and I happened to hear the commotion and came to take a look.”
“An interview? What kind of interview?” He Wenqu frowned.
Yu Zi’an smiled, didn’t answer, but looked into the alley and asked, “Is Huo Xian okay? Why are you here?”
“…Long story short.” He Wenqu chuckled dryly, “I’ll tell you later. Huo Xian, let’s go.” The latter half was addressed to Huo Xian.
Huo Xian tilted his head, glanced at Mei Heng and his companions, who were already sitting up, walked out of the alley, and He Wenqu thought he was going to get his car, but instead he took a medicine box from his backpack and walked back into the alley.
Several teenagers showed alertness, except for Mei Heng, who felt a surge of blood rushing to his throat after seeing the familiar medicine box.
“Your injuries aren’t serious, use some medicinal oil to rub the wounds.” Huo Xian ignored their fearful apprehension, put down the medicine box, and left.
The teenagers looked at each other, then at their leader, Mei Heng.
Mei Heng didn’t speak; he was almost speechless with anger.
What was this?
After beating him up, he was humiliated with an act of kindness?
Huo Xian ignored Mei Heng’s thoughts. He put his backpack back into the frame in the back seat of his car. The frame had been added later when he went to the car shop; it was used to hold the backpack and also to prevent He Wenqu from sitting in the back seat.
It wasn’t as he said that only his partner could sit in the back seat or passenger seat, he simply didn’t want He Wenqu to sit there.
“Little Squid, are you going home?” He Wenqu looked at the back seat of Huo Xian’s car; hitching a ride was impossible.
“Mm.” Yu Zi’an nodded, withdrawing his complex gaze from Huo Xian. He understood He Wenqu’s meaning and asked, “Should I drive, or you?”
“I’ll do it.” He Wenqu willingly volunteered to drive.
On the way, He Wenqu asked Yu Zi’an about the interview, and Yu Zi’an simply said he wanted to earn some extra pocket money in his spare time, which made He Wenqu frown: “Now that there are nine main subjects, homework is so much that you can’t finish it every day. Do you still have time to earn extra pocket money? Little Squid, let me tell you, the three years of high school are the most important, you must study hard, and strive to get into a good university in three years.”
Yu Zi’an just smiled without speaking.
He didn’t say anything; He Wenqu didn’t know the truth about the “interview,” but Huo Xian did.
Yu Zi’an didn’t have an interview today. Although he lost his parents when he was young, his family conditions were not bad. His only remaining relative, his grandfather, received a high monthly retirement salary, all spent on him. So, the so-called earning extra pocket money was just an excuse to “save” He Wenqu.
In the original owner’s memory, he and He Wenqu were also ambushed. He Wenqu’s arm was broken protecting him, requiring a month in a cast. Yu Zi’an came to prevent He Wenqu from suffering a broken arm again and to prevent Huo Xian from being moved by it.
The three parted ways at the crossroads.
“Huo Xian, wait for me and Little Squid tomorrow!” Before parting, He Wenqu didn’t forget to remind him.
Huo Xian responded noncommittally.
After riding for ten meters, he heard Yu Zi’an ask He Wenqu, “If I hadn’t happened to ‘pass by,’ how were you going to get home tonight?”
“Ah… I forgot!” He Wenqu’s voice came from afar, “Thanks for meeting you tonight, Little Squid, you’re my lucky star!”
The voice gradually faded away, and Huo Xian put away his cold expression and hummed a cheerful song. The pleasant mood and the song drew out Huo Yuan, who curiously asked: [Huo Xian, are you happy?]
Huo Xian didn’t answer, but asked, “Huo Yuan, does Yu Zi’an’s destiny belong to himself?”
Huo Yuan replied: [Yes.]
“Then what about the future? If his destiny becomes stronger, does it count as taking it from me?” Huo Xian asked again.
[No, normal world laws wouldn’t disallow the emergence of those with strong destiny. But even the strongest destiny usually can’t surpass that of the Son of Destiny, and the appearance of those with great destiny will have a positive impact on the stability of the laws.] Huo Yuan replied, [Unformed gray worlds don’t belong to the normal world, so even for the Son of Destiny, destiny is easily taken.]
“Okay, I understand.” Huo Xian smiled.
[Hmm? Understand what?] Huo Yuan didn’t understand the meaning of his smile.
Huo Xian said cheerfully, “If Yu Zi’an doesn’t cause trouble, I’ll stay out of his way.”
[What about He Wenqu?] The original owner’s interaction with Yu Zi’an was through He Wenqu, and Huo Yuan clearly noticed Huo Xian’s dislike for He Wenqu.
“He…” Huo Xian parked his bike in the shed, locked it, and said slowly, “It depends on whether he’s smart enough.”
Author’s Note: There isn’t much conflict between the main characters in this world, Xian Ge focuses on his career. This world will probably have around 24 chapters. This is my first time writing a quick-transmigration story, so the pace may not be well-controlled. Forgive me, fairies!
=v=
Thanks to the little fairy Shang Yu Can for feeding me a landmine, muah =3=
Thanks to the little fairies “Winter Warm Sun” for watering the nutrient solution +5, “Husky Er” +1, “Account has been cancelled” +1, “Buddhist Fate” +2, and “Si Wu” +1. Thank you very much, bow!