Era of Mist

"Ow! Ouch! Stop! Stop hitting me! You’re gonna kill me!" Zhou Nan wailed, begging for mercy. But the four of them ignored him, continuing to beat and kick him relentlessly. However, Zhou Nan wasn’t a complete amateur. He covered his head, half-blocking and half-dodging. Though he was screaming bloody murder, his eyes were constantly darting around.

Seeing an opening, he suddenly shot out a hand, grabbed the middle of one guy’s crotch, and squeezed hard.

The man let out a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed, instantly creating an opening in their circle. Zhou Nan seized the opportunity, scrambled to his feet, and bolted. The other three gave chase, but Zhou Nan was surprisingly nimble and quick on his feet.

Zhou Nan’s mind raced, full of ideas. ’Just get out of this corner, and I’ll scream my head off for the whole school to hear. I heard what that square-headed fiend said this afternoon. One more screw-up and these four clowns are out of here. After a beating this bad, I’ll swallow my pride, go to the Dean’s Office all bruised and swollen, and cry my eyes out. I’ll get these four bastards expelled on the spot!’

’Damn it. You dare mess with me? I, Grandpa Zhou, leave nothing to chance. My wisdom is boundless!’

But it seemed fate had doomed him. As Zhou Nan rounded the corner, he came face to face with a towering figure blocking his path. It was dark, and he couldn’t make out the person’s features, but those intimidating eyes and that fearsome countenance were even more terrifying in the gloom.

Zhou Nan’s heart leaped into his throat.

It was Shi Tiexin!

Shi Tiexin was waiting for him!

THUMP. Zhou Nan’s feet slipped, and he stumbled to the ground, half-falling and half-kneeling. He looked up in panic at Shi Tiexin’s impassive face. The four goons chasing him caught up, then screeched to a halt, not daring to rush forward. When it came to sheer intimidation, Shi Tiexin now had them completely cowed.

"B-Boss, you’re here just in time!" The sly-faced one among the four goons quickly pointed at the fallen Zhou Nan. "It was him! He’s the one! He’s the one who sicced us on you!"

Shi Tiexin raised an eyebrow, his oppressive gaze landing on Zhou Nan.

Zhou Nan was on the verge of despair. He desperately wanted to shut the four goons’ mouths. He wasn’t afraid of these four pariahs, but he was terrified of the lawless Shi Tiexin. He was even more terrified that if this got out, he would lose all standing in the garbage class. But the most horrifying thought was being thrown into the black toilet, dunked and rolled three times in the urine bucket. If that happened, he’d never be able to show his face again!

Ignoring him, the four goons started talking all at once.

They explained everything in perfect detail, from how Zhou Nan had first slandered Shi Tiexin and claimed Shi Tiexin was after them, to how he had later coached them in the cafeteria, telling them to go snitch to Square Head.

Shi Tiexin looked down at Zhou Nan, his expression unchanging. But as the sky grew darker, the shadows on his face deepened, making him look more and more terrifying. To Zhou Nan, he looked no different from a demon.

"I—I must have been out of my mind! My brain must be full of shit! I—I deserve to die!" Zhou Nan nearly prostrated himself on the ground as he scrambled to beg for mercy. "Spare me, Big Bro! I was wrong! Please, spare me!"

"Spare you?" the four goons behind him jeered. "If begging worked, what would be the point of the urine bucket in the black toilet?"

The fat one rolled up his sleeves and volunteered, "Boss, you don’t have to lift a finger. We’ll go get the urine bucket from the black toilet!"

"Hmph." Shi Tiexin snorted. He swept his gaze over the four goons and said coldly, "Leave."

"We’re leaving? We... Oh, oh! We get it! We’ll leave, we’ll leave!" Whatever it was they thought they understood, the four goons immediately started nodding and bowing as they backed away.

As they walked away, their muttered conversation drifted back on the wind. "See? Now that’s how a pro does it. He doesn’t even leave a single witness."

"Yeah, compared to Brother Guo... I mean, Teng Chaoguo, this guy’s covert methods are what you’d call clean and ruthless. No loose ends."

"A real pro. Looks like some serious torture is about to go down!"

"You guys think he’ll do the ’Phoenix Nods Three Times’ in the urine bucket?"

"’Phoenix Nods Three Times’ is nothing. You can tell this guy is seriously vicious; the tricks he knows are probably beyond our imagination. I heard some drug lords like to cover a person’s face with a towel and pour water on it. It’s supposed to be an incredibly cruel form of waterboarding. You think this boss will try a modified version... and pour urine on the towel instead?"

Chatting amongst themselves, the four goons left, certain that Zhou Nan was in for a world of hurt. Meanwhile, Zhou Nan was on the ground, shaking like a leaf. Visions of himself getting the "Phoenix Nods Three Times" or the "modified version" flashed through his mind, and he was filled with utter despair.

’I have to run,’ he thought, but his legs were jelly; he couldn’t even stand up. ’Besides, this monster is my roommate. Where could I possibly run? I can’t beat him in a fight. Zheng Kaoming protects him, so reporting him is useless. The guy is basically untouchable.’

’Against a big shot like this, even dropping my own older brother’s name probably won’t work, right? After all, his aura of intimidation is already on par with one of the bona fide Four Great Celestial Kings.’

’So much regret! Why did I do it? Why did I have to pick a fight with a monster like this over a little bit of clout and a few packs of cigarettes? It was like kicking a steel plate—I almost shattered my own damn leg!’

’If it really is the "Phoenix Nods Three Times," I wonder if I’ll see my own pathetic reflection in the bucket?’

Zhou Nan’s mind was a chaotic mess, his heart filled with a dramatic, theatrical grief.

Shi Tiexin watched Zhou Nan in silence, feeling a little amused. ’No wonder this kid acts like a mouse that’s seen a cat whenever he sees me—so unbelievably eager and cautious. Turns out he had a guilty conscience all along.’

’Then again, this kid tried to stir up trouble twice, and both times he ended up triggering a Mandate Mission for me. If it wasn’t for him, I might not have triggered them so smoothly. Come to think of it, he’s actually my lucky star.’

’He definitely needs to be punished, but... what’s in it for me? Beat him up? Dunk him in the toilet? What’s the point?’

’As it happens, I’m out of money right now. So it looks like this kid will have to continue being my "helpful classmate" for a while longer.’

"You—" Shi Tiexin began, looking at Zhou Nan. He’d only said one word, but Zhou Nan completely fell apart, shrieking like a girl being assaulted. "Don’t dunk me! Please, don’t dunk me, Big Bro! I don’t want the ’three nods,’ and I don’t want the ’modified version’ either, Big Bro! Please let me go—!"

’Don’t... dunk you? What are you, a girl?’

’Besides, is this guy really this much of a coward? Perfect. I can have some fun scaring him.’

’Scaring people is the best kind of fun!’

"Let you go? Impossible!" Shi Tiexin’s face was terrifyingly grim. "The ’three nods’ or the ’modified version.’ Pick one."

"No, Big Bro! I was wrong, I was really wrong! I’ll apologize, I’ll compensate you! From now on, I’ll be at your beck and call, no questions asked! Just spare me, Big Bro!" Zhou Nan was one step away from smashing his head on the floor.

Shi Tiexin watched him with a silent, oppressive stare, letting Zhou Nan shiver in terror for another long moment. When he judged the timing was right, he finally relented slightly. "I’ll keep this on your tab for now. We’ll see how you behave."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Big Bro! Thank you!" Snatched from the jaws of despair, Zhou Nan was practically weeping with gratitude.

Shi Tiexin didn’t waste any time. "Go buy something for me."