Chapter 79: The Grove

As the afternoon wore on, Yan Luo’s Heartless Doll finally accumulated enough emotional energy to reach 100 points. Most of it was shock, with a small, chaotic mix of other emotions. The fusion failed. However, this time he obtained 18% of the fragments! With the total now at 88%, it was an auspicious number; only 12% more and he could forge a second Heroic Soul Mask—if luck was with him, perhaps a single more attempt would suffice. This meant that regardless of whether the next fusion succeeded or failed, Yan Luo would secure another mask.

School was over. As the classroom emptied, Yan Luo finished sweeping, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and prepared to head to Old Chen’s house—his cream-filled chocolate was waiting there. But then he noticed a small knife stuck in the wooden door of the classroom, a note attached: “Meet at the woods outside school.”

Yan Luo paused. The woods inside the school were a lovers’ rendezvous spot, but those outside were infamous for settling scores.

Instead of heading for the stables, he turned toward the woods outside the school. After walking a short distance, he spotted Zheng Hong, accompanied by two female classmates—one plump, one thin, neither of whom he knew by name.

“Yan Luo, we came to find you!” Zheng Hong approached. “When we left school earlier, we saw An Zixuan and some rough-looking guys go into the woods. I figured they might have called you out, so I came to warn you… Are you heading to the woods?”

Seeing Yan Luo nod, the plump girl said anxiously, “Don’t go! One of those guys dyed his hair yellow, and another wore a nose ring. They looked scary!”

“It’s fine. They might just look fierce but be kind inside.” If you’re going to attend this school, there’s no avoiding these things—better to settle it early. Yan Luo had no intention of letting anyone hold a grudge against him day after day.

His classmates were left speechless by his calm. As they tried to persuade him further, Yan Luo said, “I’ll make things clear with An Zixuan. I don’t know Chen Beixue at all, haven’t even spoken a word to her. This way, he won’t bother me again.”

Zheng Hong frowned. “Those guys might be with the Azure Dragon Gang. They won’t listen to reason… Oh well, if you insist on going, we can’t stop you. The three of us will wait outside the woods—if you get beaten up, we’ll at least carry you to the school clinic out of classmate loyalty.”

The group stopped at the edge of the woods; Zheng Hong and the two girls dared not go further. Solemnly, they advised Yan Luo, “If you meet the gang leader, be sure to keep a low profile! Otherwise, you’ll suffer for it.”

“Don’t worry, I’m known for my sweet tongue.”

With his backpack on, Yan Luo entered the woods.

He soon found four people waiting deeper inside. One, a cream-faced youth with distinctly Korean features, must be the school heartthrob, An Zixuan. The other three were all rough and streetwise: one with long hair, one with yellow hair, and one sporting a nose ring.

“Yan Luo?”

An Zixuan’s face twisted with irritation as soon as he saw him. He’d always prided himself on his looks—when had there ever been a taller, more handsome boy at school than him?

“That’s me. You’re An Zixuan?”

Seeing Yan Luo’s calm demeanor, the three gangsters grew annoyed. Just a mere student, and yet he showed no fear in front of three Azure Dragon Gang members. The long-haired one sneered threateningly, “Kid… who do you roll with?”

“I roll with the high schoolers,” Yan Luo answered earnestly. “Didn’t you see my backpack?”

He turned to An Zixuan. “Listen, I have nothing to do with Chen Beixue. If you’ve been rejected, that’s your own fault. I suggest you read up on the Eight Honors and Eight Disgraces, improve your manners, your character, and your appeal.”

“My own fault?” An Zixuan nearly lost his temper.

“I’ve been with the Azure Dragon Gang for over three years, and I’ve never seen a student with such guts,” the long-haired one said coldly.

“Looking to die, aren’t you?” Yellow-hair grinned, revealing a mouthful of crooked teeth.

“Hmph.” The nose-ringed youth scowled.

Yan Luo regarded the three so-called gangsters.

“How long has it been since you washed your hair?” he asked the long-haired one. “You smell worse than stinky tofu. Don’t tell me you spent a month in an internet cafe without showering? You should clean up… Otherwise, when you eat, you’ll sprinkle dandruff all over your food. Aren’t you afraid of eating your own scalp oil?”

Then to Yellow-hair: “Your hairstyle is… distinctive. But I once knew a guy whose hair was even flashier than yours—six colors besides yellow. Pity he’s dead. Don’t follow in his footsteps.”

Finally, he eyed the nose-ringed youth: “Are you born in the Year of the Ox?”

“I’m a Pig.”

“Then why wear a bull ring?”

No sooner had he spoken than the Heartless Doll prompted him:

You’ve sensed a surge of emotion:
Anger +1
Anger +1
Anger +1
Anger +1

Each of the four contributed a single point of rage.

“I’ve come from West District to East District, and I’ve never met a student this reckless! You’ve got guts!” The long-haired one raised his right hand, first flashing his middle finger, then spreading it into a palm, ready to slap Yan Luo.

But before he could reach his target, his hand was stopped.

Yan Luo’s own right hand had shot out, pinching his middle finger with uncanny precision. The pressure made the gangster howl, “Ow—damn it, let go! Please, big brother, let go, it’s going to break—ahhh!”

Crack!

A clear snap echoed through the woods as Yan Luo broke the gangster’s finger. “A little something to help you remember not to point your finger at others so casually,” Yan Luo said, releasing the hand and then slapping the man twice across the face. Instantly, his lips swelled up like sausages.

“And in future, watch your mouth.”

An Zixuan, Yellow-hair, and Nose-ring stared in shock as the long-haired gangster, clutching his broken finger, wept with pain, tears and snot flowing freely. Yan Luo remained impassive, utterly calm.

Yellow-hair’s eyes turned vicious and cold. He fished out a weapon from behind his belt.

When Yan Luo saw it, he was almost speechless. If it had been a knife or a metal rod, he would have understood, but it was… a brick. Apparently, this gangster was strictly low-tier.

Without hesitation, Yellow-hair swung the brick at Yan Luo’s head—a move both swift and fierce, the hallmark of a street brawl.

But Yan Luo’s physical strength far surpassed his opponent’s, and with absolute composure—having survived wars in the ancient Greek world, dozens of lives on his hands, and practiced the Six Thirty Staff and the Ten Directions Staff techniques—he caught Yellow-hair’s wrist with ease.

With a smack, Yellow-hair’s own brick crashed into his forehead. He staggered as if drunk, then collapsed to the ground—not dead or unconscious, but dazed by the blow, unable to regain his balance.

Before Nose-ring could act, Yan Luo darted forward, seized him, and gave the nose ring a vicious yank.

“Aaah!” the youth screamed as blood dripped from his nose where the ring had been torn free.

An Zixuan’s eyes were wide as saucers, almost petrified with fear.

You’ve sensed a surge of emotion:
Fear +2

These three, after all, were members of a gang, bold and not easily cowed. The long-haired one, writhing in pain, sent a shower of dandruff fluttering down, quickly forming a white patch on the ground. His swollen lips mumbled, “You’re ruthless! Kid, just wait here—if you dare, don’t run. I’ll call reinforcements!”

Yan Luo exhaled. “You know what? There’s no need. At your level, I doubt you could rally many. I’ll just have to teach each new batch a lesson as they come, like the Calabash Brothers rescuing their grandpa—I don’t have time for that. Why don’t you tell me where your Azure Dragon Gang headquarters is, and I’ll pay them a visit myself?”