6: The way to the west alley

The setting sun stretched the shadow of the teaching building long.

Lu Yuan turned into the alley agreed upon, west of the school gate, along the wall.

It was much narrower and darker here than the tree-lined paths inside the campus.

On both sides were the mottled walls of old residential buildings, with graffiti and stains intertwined, and the air was filled with a mixed smell of dampness and fermenting garbage.

Deeper in the alley, the light was even dimmer.

Several figures leaned against the wall, smoking and exhaling, their gazes unfriendly as they watched the alley entrance.

Lu Yuan didn't stop, walking straight past them.

The leader was a thin young man, around twenty years old, wearing an ill-fitting black jacket with the collar turned up, trying to project some dominance.

His eyes darted around, carrying the unique shrewdness and wariness of a street punk, and a habitual, faint fake smile hung on his lips.

This was Zhao Feng's cousin, Zhao She, and the curly-haired youth standing beside him was Zhao Feng!

Besides the two cousins, there were three other thuggish young men, smoking cigarettes and standing crookedly, subtly blocking the narrow path in the alley.

"What's going on? What time is it? You little brat aren't messing with me, are you?" Zhao She showed an impatient expression.

He had almost given away a pack of cigarettes, and the cigarette butts on the ground were piling up, but the person he was waiting for was nowhere to be seen.

"Exactly, what's the big deal? Xiao Feng, you're too naive, you believe everything people say. Next time, use your brain."

The punk named A-Hu took his last puff and began to lecture Zhao Feng.

If it weren't for him being the boss's cousin, he would have slapped him already.

One minute, five minutes, ten minutes!

Finally, a thin figure appeared in their line of sight, exactly ten minutes after school ended.

Lu Yuan had arrived!

Zhao Feng breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to his cousin, "That's him, Lu Yuan."

Seeing Lu Yuan truly come alone, a flicker of imperceptible surprise flashed in Zhao She's eyes.

He had thought this kid would be too scared to show up, or would bring a few equally scrawny students for backup.

He didn't expect him to actually come alone.

And... this kid looked different from what his cousin had described?

There was no panic as he had imagined; instead, he was excessively calm.

"Oh, kid, you've got guts," Zhao She snuffed out the cigarette butt in his hand, ground it with his shoe sole, and spoke with a forced smile, "I hear you want money from me?"

His gaze swept over Lu Yuan, as if assessing his strength.

Isn't this just an ordinary high school student?

"Or, do you want that... what was it, the [saber-toothed turtle]?"

The three punks behind him chimed in with a burst of malicious and mocking laughter.

Lu Yuan stopped, maintaining a distance of three or four meters from the group.

He ignored the punks' laughter, his gaze calmly fixed on the leading tough guy.

"Zhao She?"

"That's me, your master," Zhao She lifted his chin slightly, adopting the air of a local tough.

"You bastard, listen carefully."

"The money, fifteen thousand Federal Credits," Lu Yuan's voice was clear, devoid of any emotion, "Or, the blue one-star [saber-toothed turtle]."

"Choose one, and hand it over."

The laughter in the alley abruptly stopped, and even the punks were stunned.

Is... is this guy crazy?!

The disparity between the two sides was obvious, yet he dared to speak like that?!

Zhao She's fake smile also receded a bit, his eyes darkening.

This kid, something was off.

Too calm.

This kind of calmness was either due to being scared silly, or... having something to rely on.

But what could a poor student like him rely on?

Zhao She took two steps forward, and the three punks behind him also followed, subtly forming a semi-encirclement, their eyes fierce.

"Considering you're a high school student and underage, I'll give you a chance: kneel down and kowtow to me, then crawl back, and I'll let you off."

"Brother, don't let this kid fool you!" Zhao Feng shouted impatiently from the side, "He's just a useless nobody with no background or ability! This is all an act, just close your eyes and beat him up, that's all!"

"After you're done beating him, I'm going to tear his mouth apart too!"

Zhao Feng seemed to recall the scene where Lu Yuan had embarrassed him in the training room, and his tone became even more venomous.

Lu Yuan seemed not to hear Zhao Feng's shouting, his gaze still fixed on Zhao She.

"That debt, Zhao Feng set up a trap with a useless card and cheated me out of fifteen thousand."

"You're sticking up for him, so you should at least have some principles, right?"

"Principles?" Zhao She scoffed as if he had heard the biggest joke, "Hahahaha!"

The punks behind him also burst into laughter.

"Kid, are you trying to talk principles with me?" Zhao She's laughter stopped, his face instantly turning ferocious, "At West Alley Entrance, my fist is the damn principle!"

"That little bit of money of yours, and that broken card, just consider it tuition for you, kid!"

"Since you dared to come today, if I don't teach you a lesson, who will take our Black Water Gang seriously in the future?"

Black Water Gang!

He directly brought up the gang's name.

This was a naked threat.

"It seems there's nothing to discuss," Lu Yuan nodded lightly, turning off the recorder on his phone.

"Discuss? You think you're worthy of discussing with me?" Zhao She spat, "Get him! Break one of his legs first! Let him know why the flowers are so red!"

He waved his hand abruptly!

The blonde punk standing at the front sneered, cracking his knuckles, and took a step towards Lu Yuan, his fist, as big as a sandbag, whistling through the air and directly smashing towards Lu Yuan's face!

This punch was powerful and heavy, clearly from a seasoned tough guy who had practiced a few moves, at least much stronger than Zhao Feng's flashy moves.

Zhao Feng's face showed an excited and cruel smile, as if he had already seen Lu Yuan's broken nose and blood-soaked face.

The light in the alley was dim.

The punch wind rushed at him.

Lu Yuan didn't retreat; instead, he slightly turned his body.

At the same time, his right hand, pressed against the position of the source card slot on his chest, stirred with a thought.

Buzz—

An indescribable, vast and mighty aura, like a sleeping deep-sea behemoth awakening, suddenly burst forth from Lu Yuan!

That aura was not a Source Power fluctuation, but a deeper, more ancient, and more oppressive... soul pressure!

Accompanying this aura, an imperceptible, yet incredibly brilliant and pure gold light flashed across his chest!

The blonde punk charging at the front suddenly froze!

His fist stopped in mid-air, just a few centimeters from Lu Yuan's cheek.

The sneer on his face solidified, a flicker of confusion in his eyes, immediately replaced by a fear originating from the depths of his soul!

What was that?!

In that instant, he felt as if he had been targeted by a terrifying existence from ancient primordial times!

Cold! Vast! Irresistible!

It was as if if he moved one more inch, he would be crushed to dust by that invisible will!

It wasn't just him.

Zhao She, Zhao Feng, and the other two punks all clearly felt that sudden, terrifying pressure!

Their movements froze, their eyes filled with horror!

The air in the alley instantly solidified, utterly silent.

"You... what did you do?!" Zhao She's voice was dry, with a slight tremor.

He had been on the streets for many years, and had seen some experienced Card Masters, even clashing with some low-tier Card Masters in the gang.

But he had never felt such a terrifying aura!

That was definitely not something an ordinary apprentice, or even an ordinary First-Tier or Second-Tier Card Master, could possess!

That pressure... although it was just a flash, could it be... Zhao She didn't dare to think further.

Lu Yuan smiled.

"You said that at West Alley Entrance, your fist is the principle."

"Then now..."

"Is my principle hard enough?"