Era of Mist

"Hmph!" Teng Chaoguo stood in the depths of the grimy restroom. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, expertly tapping it with two fingers to pop one out. He clamped it between his lips. CLICK. A henchman beside him offered a lighter. With the air of a gang boss, Teng Chaoguo leaned in and lit his cigarette.

HISS—He took a long drag. WHOOSH—A thick plume of smoke billowed out, right into Shi Tiexin’s face. The smell of smoke mixed with the stench of ammonia was nauseating.

Behind him, two henchmen blocked the exit. In total, five people had Shi Tiexin completely surrounded.

At this point, Teng Chaoguo was certain victory was in the bag.

"Champion Scholar Stone, you’ve gotten real bold. I never thought a punk like you would have the guts to go against me." Teng Chaoguo glared at Shi Tiexin, trying his best to look down on him, but after several attempts, he just couldn’t pull it off. In the past, whenever this Champion Scholar Stone saw him, he would lower his head and hunch his shoulders, hiding his height. But today, the guy stood as imposing as a mountain, making it impossible for Teng Chaoguo to maintain his old domineering posture.

’Hmph, just putting on an act!’

Teng Chaoguo grew irritated. "You dare bring Zheng Big Head to investigate me? You’re fucking looking to die! You—"

Just then, Shi Tiexin suddenly cut him off. His voice was deep and his tone resolute.

"Your name."

"Huh?" Teng Chaoguo was stunned. His henchmen were stunned too. A moment later, Teng Chaoguo’s eyes narrowed. "Are you fucking sick in the head? Huh? You got shit for brains? You don’t know my name? Fine. Whatever the hell is wrong with you, I’ll make sure you little punk remember my name today!"

He whipped a student card out of his pocket, intending to slap it against Shi Tiexin’s face. But somehow, Shi Tiexin just raised a hand, and in a blur, the student card was suddenly in Shi Tiexin’s grasp.

Teng Chaoguo froze, not understanding what had just happened.

Shi Tiexin, however, was already looking down at the student card. After a moment, he read it out slowly and deliberately: "Teng... Chao... Gack."

"PFFT—!" Teng Chaoguo nearly spat. Forgetting the strange incident just now, he started cursing. "You’re the one who gacks! Your whole family gacks!"

’Oh? Did I read it wrong? I was so sure I got it right.’

’Oh well. As they say at Tumu Castle, a scholar only reads half the character. I must have misread it. Can’t be helped. My Basic Rhetoric grade is a fail, after all. It’s no surprise I can’t recognize all the characters.’

’Let me take another look. There is one character in there I’m not sure about. Maybe I did read it wrong. Let’s correct it and try again.’

"Teng... Chow... Gack?"

"Pfft-hahaha!" The four henchmen burst out laughing. "This guy can’t even read, hahaha! ’Teng Chow-Gack?’ That’s hilarious, hahaha..."

Shi Tiexin looked slightly embarrassed. ’Wrong again? Don’t tell me it’s Teng Go-Gack?’

Teng Chaoguo started laughing too, but after a moment, his face stiffened. The smile vanished, replaced by an ugly scowl. Who was this guy in front of him? Champion Scholar Stone, the First Ward’s top entrance exam scorer! He couldn’t read? This bastard was clearly messing with him, mocking him for being uneducated. He was looking down on him!

"What are you laughing at? This son of a bitch is looking down on us!" Teng Chaoguo slapped one of his henchmen across the face. Then, with a savage expression, he lunged forward, throwing a straight punch at Shi Tiexin’s face. "You motherfucker, die!!"

SWOOSH. The fist cut through the air, growing larger in his field of vision.

But Shi Tiexin was perfectly calm.

Not only was his expression placid, but his heart was also at peace. When it came to academics, he was no match for the geniuses here. Even in the trash class, the vast majority of students surpassed his level.

But in the short time he’d been here, especially during the moment he’d just taken to deliberately ask for the name, Shi Tiexin’s eyes had already scanned over all five of them. And he had discovered a fact.

’These guys are all weaklings.’

’My other self, when faced with aggression, you chose to endure. You thought that if you just tolerated it, the storm would pass. But I’m not like that. My principle is to answer a strong fist with a stronger fist, to meet violence with violence. A bloody fight to the death where the strong are victorious. And in this grimy restroom, we’re playing by my rules!’

SWOOSH. Shi Tiexin’s body was massive, yet he instantly moved with an agility that seemed to defy his size.

He dipped his shoulder and tilted his head, perfectly dodging Teng Chaoguo’s fist by a hair’s breadth.

The fist grazed past the corner of Shi Tiexin’s eye, but a flicker of contempt flashed in his gaze.

’This weak, undisciplined punch... I could have completely defeated something like this when I was five years old at the Orphanage. Every single opponent I’ve fought since my days struggling in the Orphanage has been much stronger than this weakling. And I am stronger, far more skilled, than any of them.’

’Because my Basic Boxing is at the Excellent level!’

Raising his fist, he focused his mind and took a shuffling step forward. He turned his body sideways, thrusting his right foot forward to plant it firmly in the gap between Teng Chaoguo’s legs. With a twitch of his calf, he drove his knee up, striking his opponent squarely on the centerline. Teng Chaoguo, whose balance was already shaky, lost it completely. He flailed his arms, his center wide open.

Then, he raised his left fist to the height of his own chest, level with Teng Chaoguo’s head, and suddenly unleashed it!

BANG! A loud crack, and a direct hit on the target!

Shi Tiexin’s fist, as big as a clay pot, slammed squarely into Teng Chaoguo’s face, violently twisting his stunned expression out of shape. Blood flew from the corner of Teng Chaoguo’s mouth. His head snapped back and his feet slipped out from under him. With just one punch from Shi Tiexin, he fell backward with a THUMP. His head hit the floor with a heavy THUD. The grimy restroom floor was covered in stale piss, and Teng Chaoguo rolled right through it, ending up sprawled on his back.

It all happened so fast that the four henchmen, still processing the joke about Shi Tiexin being illiterate, could only stare in a daze as they saw Teng Chaoguo get knocked down with a single punch.

"Hm?" Shi Tiexin’s brows furrowed. He glanced quickly at his left fist and muttered to himself, "So weak..."

’So weak? Is he talking about Teng Chaoguo? This guy’s arrogant as hell. There are five of us!’ The henchmen were indignant and began to posture, ready to move.

But Shi Tiexin gave his left fist only a single glance before his left foot shot out. He took a large stride forward, a murderous aura surging toward one of the henchmen as he swung his right arm in a punch.

’These delinquents are all such amateurs. Getting distracted and zoning out in the middle of a fight? Go ahead and stay dazed. It’s the perfect chance for me to press the advantage.’ SWOOSH. A vicious punch cut through the air, holding nothing back, and instantly slammed into a stunned face.

CRACK. A sharp sound, and a splash of red.

The henchman let out a pained cry, clutching his nose as he collapsed.

Three left!

One was standing deeper inside the restroom, and two were by the door.

These three finally snapped out of it. Cursing up a storm, they started to surround him, ready to punch and kick. But the one closest to Shi Tiexin swung and hit nothing but air. Shi Tiexin had suddenly ducked, and as he dodged the punch, he shoved the henchman, sending him stumbling forward. Then, twisting on his ankle, he reversed his forward momentum and turned to charge the two henchmen blocking the door.

Shi Tiexin’s gaze was locked on the tallest and fattest one at the very back.

’The key to this fight is to take out this tankiest guy in the shortest amount of time!’