Chapter 17: The Interception After School

On his end, Zheng Fureng certainly wouldn’t lead his people to join Gao Lixia’s group in encircling and ambushing Zhang Pu; he intended to lie low and wait for some so-called good news.

After school in the afternoon, Zhang Pu was naturally preoccupied with his plan to refine some small medicinal pills that night. With access to advanced alchemical recipes from the cultivation world, even for his present abilities, it was a trivial matter.

Hurrying alone through the modern high school, Zhang Pu made his way toward his residence near South Lake Park. He sensed someone seemed to be trailing him from behind.

Strange. Who was following him?

Casting a furtive glance backwards, Zhang Pu noticed the pursuer appeared to be a fellow student from the modern high school. Could Zheng Fureng be so reckless? Zhang Pu’s first suspicion fell on Zheng Fureng’s associates.

Indeed, they were sent by Zheng Fureng, but things weren’t quite as Zhang Pu imagined.

Regardless, Zhang Pu paid them little mind, merely letting out a cold laugh.

He deliberately headed toward more secluded paths.

Zhang Pu had heard of—and seen—videos of students being beaten up by classmates outside school, some so infuriating that they would make anyone furious.

He had already resolved: if such a thing ever happened to him, he would retaliate ruthlessly—beat those brats until even their mothers wouldn’t recognize them.

Feigning ignorance of his shadow, he walked slowly; when he noticed someone had circled ahead of him via a side path, he even lowered his head on purpose.

“Hey—don’t you watch where you’re going?” Suddenly, a voice ahead halted Zhang Pu’s measured steps.

He looked up, pretending to be startled, and saw two students blocking his way. He’d almost bumped into one of them.

By instinct, Zhang Pu guessed they were from the modern high school, but he didn’t recognize them; they weren’t from his senior class (Class 10).

“I didn’t even bump into you,” Zhang Pu replied.

“We don’t care. It’s your fault—you almost ran into us. If we hadn’t moved out of the way quickly...”

Their unreasonable words made a flash of fierceness cross Zhang Pu’s brow. This was truly outrageous!

“What’s going on here? What’s the situation?”

Just then, several more people hurried over from the back. Zhang Pu glanced sideways and saw five or six students approaching, led by a girl with a long braid.

Again, by instinct, Zhang Pu knew these too were students from the modern high school.

The athletic girl leading them was none other than one of the school bullies, Gao Lixia—though Zhang Pu didn’t know her name yet, he would soon find out.

“Boss, this guy started it!” One of the two troublemakers, quick-tongued, immediately reported to the imposing braided girl.

Boss? Zhang Pu narrowed his eyes—this was getting interesting.

“Hey—which school are you from, and why are you harassing my people?” Gao Lixia strode over and tried to shove Zhang Pu, but he anticipated her move and dodged, leaving her hand unable to touch him.

Gao Lixia was momentarily taken aback, though she didn’t seem to care much.

“Wasn’t it your people who started the trouble?” Zhang Pu glanced at the two who’d blocked him, but they acted shamelessly, as if no matter what, they were in the right. What could he do?

Looking at these two ugly boys—one with a patchy scalp, the other with a tadpole-shaped face—Zhang Pu really wanted to punch each until they called him daddy, but for now, he restrained himself.

Courtesy before force, he reminded himself.

“How about this: let’s settle this somewhere else. We’re on the street here,” Gao Lixia said, her manner truly that of a street boss, gesturing for Zhang Pu to follow.

Was this exactly what he wanted, or... Zhang Pu was almost amused.

He’d been concerned that fighting on the road wouldn’t be satisfying, since there were bound to be other people around.

When Zhang Pu seemed to hesitate, Gao Lixia snapped, “Come on! Into the grove!”

She had no idea Zhang Pu was barely suppressing laughter.

Nearby was indeed a small grove perfect for “solving problems.” Whether Gao Lixia’s group had chosen the spot in advance, or fate itself had arranged it, was unknown.

This was close to South Lake Park, actually part of its outer area.

Zhang Pu readily accepted the invitation—though even if he hadn’t, the group wouldn’t have given him a choice.

For a moment, scenes flashed in Zhang Pu’s mind of students being dragged off by groups and beaten; some so brutal that even girls were stripped and filmed, causing adults heartache and outrage.

Was this the violent world of the campus? Some writer once said: heaven knows, you have no idea how cruel children can be.

In his past life, he would have been a victim of school violence today. His stubborn, unsophisticated character would have made him an easy mark for deep scars that never faded.

Fortunately, he was different now.

Zhang Pu soon found himself in the grove with Gao Lixia’s gang.

“Do you know why I brought you here?” Gao Lixia put on her boss-lady demeanor.

Despite his thousand years of maturity, Zhang Pu acted the part of a naive country boy.

“Why?” Zhang Pu asked, feigning dullness.

“I’ll tell you.”

Without warning, Gao Lixia threw a punch—Zhang Pu had already spotted her move, reminiscent of Zheng Fureng’s earlier attempt.

If Zhang Pu judged correctly, Gao Lixia meant to land a hook to his abdomen, making him double over in pain, then “teach him a lesson” at leisure.

That was exactly what Zheng Fureng had tried, typical of street gangs: start with an intimidating blow to make the target too afraid to argue.

But as Gao Lixia threw her punch, Zhang Pu had anticipated it.

His Shadowless Hands were dozens of times faster than Gao Lixia’s attack, even if his current cultivation was still at a beginner’s level.