56: Chapter 56 Clean it up

Chapter 56 Cleaned Up

At the foot of West Mountain.

Trees along both banks reflected on the water's surface, and a hazy mist filled the air.

If one came here for an outing under normal circumstances, it would grant a sense of peace and otherworldly detachment.

Unfortunately, current conditions were less than ideal.

A sudden downpour had turned the dirt road into a muddy mess.

A black sedan slowly drove over from afar, rolling through the yellow muddy water before turning off its engine and pulling over by the side of the road.

A figure wearing an army-green raincoat quickly stepped out of the vehicle.

He opened the trunk and pulled out a heavy black woven bag that seemed to be filled with stones.

Holding the bag tightly with both arms, he walked through a large patch of rustling weeds toward the riverbank not far away.

This was located upstream along the Blackwater River, a tributary of the Tai River.

The river was not rapid, appearing abnormally calm and deep.

Looking out, the center of the river seemed to be weighed down by a pool of dark ink.

Plop!

The woven bag was tossed high from the riverbank.

Weighing several hundred catties, it slammed onto the water surface, splashing up a large plume of water.

It then rapidly sank until it completely vanished from sight.

Fang Cheng stood on the bank, silently gazing at the river's surface.

Exposed beneath the hood of his raincoat, his eyes were slightly absentminded.

Raindrops tapped gently against the water, creating delicate ripples.

They then merged into larger, more violent waves.

"Phew—"

Fang Cheng let out a breath of relief, his eyes shining brightly once more.

Two hours ago, an unexpected battle had taken place in Majima Goro's villa.

After a fight to the death, he had successfully killed the enemy and finished cleaning up the scene.

Fang Cheng had then painstakingly driven to this desolate place to wrap up the final loose ends.

Now, he could finally ease his tense state of mind.

"Chirp—"

The call of an unknown bird echoed through the silent river valley from the mountain forest.

Fang Cheng looked up.

In the rain, West Mountain seemed gently draped in a thin veil, faintly revealing its profound features and looking exceptionally mysterious.

He suddenly remembered that the cordoned-off zone mentioned in the news reports was apparently not far from here.

Thinking of this, he delayed no longer and prepared to leave as quickly as possible to avoid bumping into any passersby.

Returning to the car, he turned the key and started the engine.

Looking at the panel information that appeared before his eyes:

[Driving Lv0 (9/100)]

Fang Cheng muttered under his breath,

"Time to set off and say goodbye. Hopefully, I won't have to come here again..."

The engine hummed as the black sedan rolled over the yellow mud, Driving along the mountain road toward a distant village.

In his memories from his previous life, Fang Cheng had retained some knowledge about Driving cars.

Among the cluster of keys searched from the Man in Black, there was a car key that Majima Goro had left at home.

After testing it out in the garage, Fang Cheng smoothly drove the car out.

Then, he simply put his newly recalled skills to work and boldly took to the road.

Gradually becoming more proficient, he unlocked the skill halfway through his trip.

From the looks of it, the experience gain seemed to be calculated based on Driving mileage and specific road conditions.

Driving over this rugged mountain road, his experience had actually grown quite fast.

As for how to handle this car?

Fang Cheng gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, his gaze fixed on the village gradually approaching ahead.

Driving it back would clearly be inappropriate with too many eyes around.

He remembered seeing an abandoned bamboo factory when he came here for an outing during his school days.

Perhaps he could temporarily hide the car there and notify Majima Goro once there was news of his whereabouts.

However...

West Mountain was over an hour's drive away from the city center.

It seemed he would have to hitch a ride back on a passing vehicle.

As Fang Cheng thought this through, he slowly drove the car through the small village of only a few dozen households.

Although his mood had calmed down by now, many doubts still lingered in his mind.

What was the true background of the Man in Black?

What did he mean by the "organization" and the "pursuer"?

Was there a direct connection between them and Majima Goro's disappearance?

Thought after thought flashed through his mind.

Fang Cheng shook his head, pushing these stray thoughts aside for now.

Since he had accidentally killed this so-called "pursuer",

the wisest course of action right now was to pretend nothing had ever happened.

"Wait until I become stronger!"

"Sooner or later, every single one of you will stand before me..."

Gazing at the bamboo factory hidden in the misty mountain col ahead, Fang Cheng thought to himself quietly.

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Right now, the most important thing was to get back to the urban area as soon as possible.

Otherwise, he might miss the precious opportunity to spar with Zheng Haokang.

...

Jiangdong District.

Wantong Shopping Center, Gate 3.

A giant poster was plastered on the brightly lit glass exterior wall, looking exceptionally eye-catching.

The huge life-sized image of the combat sports star on the poster constantly drew the attention of umbrella-carrying passersby in this bustling central area.

Inside the Global Elite Combat Club, it was even more lively today.

Click, click, click, click, click—

Cameras with long and short lenses stood everywhere, while flashbulbs flickered relentlessly like machine guns, making constant sounds.

The entire training hall was packed to capacity.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two figures on the ring in combat shorts, performing offense and defense drills.

One of the robustly built men shuffled his feet and gently swayed his shoulders, looking exceptionally relaxed and at ease.

He first waited for the opponent to throw a punch.

Seizing an opening, his body suddenly bounded forward like a pouncing cheetah.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of combination punches, followed by a whip kick.

The lightning-fast assault forced his sparring partner to raise both arms to protect his head.

In the end, he was still struck by the whip kick and crashed onto the canvas.

The man walked over and reached out to pull the sparring partner up.

He then turned to the audience below the stage and said loudly:

"A fighter must learn to establish his own rhythm to unleash versatile combination skills, forcing the opponent onto the defensive and rendering them unable to counter effectively."

"My favorite move is the lean-back, stepping out of striking range. It not only absorbs the power of the opponent's punch but also allows you to turn defense into offense—a double insurance that perfectly controls the situation in the ring..."

He was none other than the newly crowned world-class boxing champion and combat sports megastar, Zheng Haokang.

Today, he had been invited to the Global Elite Combat Club to conduct a masterclass for the media.

"Keep up the good work."

Zheng Haokang offered a warm smile and patted the student who had been selected to spar on stage.

That semi-pro fighter immediately looked thrilled as he limped off the stage.

Even though he was wearing a full set of protective gear, one could still tell how painful the attack he just received was.

Zheng Haokang continued his lesson:

"In real combat, every punch and kick doesn't need to pursue sheer power. The human body is actually quite fragile and full of vital points. All you need to do is hit the target faster and more accurately than your opponent..."

A student suddenly had a sudden thought and raised a hand to ask:

"What if the opponent isn't an ordinary human, but a monster like the ones in movies?"

Zheng Haokang paused briefly upon hearing this, then couldn't help but laugh:

"If you really encounter a monster like you described, the best option is to run."

The surrounding crowd instantly erupted in laughter.

Zheng Haokang straightened his expression and then said:

"Of course, as a combat athlete and a Martial Artist, even if your raw strength falls short of your opponent, you can still bridge the gap through physical techniques painstakingly honed through daily discipline..."

His voice echoed through the venue as flashbulbs flashed relentlessly.

Every student below the stage, male and female alike, looked up at this renowned champion like worshipping an idol.

Zheng Haokang stood tall with confident eyes, calmly enjoying the ardent gazes focused upon him.