After being chosen by the Ice Queen

Three days later, deep underground in Kagoyacho

The air was thick with the smells of sweat, cheap cigarettes, rust, and a faint hint of blood. The lighting was dim; a few dusty industrial light bulbs hung from the low ceiling, casting flickering, yellowish light that illuminated the fanatical faces.

Deep inside Kagoyacho, there's an underground fighting casino converted from an abandoned small warehouse. There's no proper ring; it's just an irregular circle hastily drawn in white paint on the cement floor???that's the fighting area.

The area was crowded with men dressed in various styles, mostly low-level vagrants from the nearby neighborhood, idle youths, and a few shrewd gamblers and moneylenders. The shouts, curses, and clamor of betting almost lifted the roof off.

Gu Yan stood on the periphery of the crowd, adjusting to the chaotic and smoky atmosphere.

The identity given to Gu Yan by the system has been implanted into the vague memories of the regulars here through some kind of cognitive interference. They remember that there is such a person, that he has fought a few matches, sometimes he survives by being agile until the end, sometimes he gets beaten up quite badly, his wins and losses are ordinary, and he is very inconspicuous.

"Next match! 'Mad Dog' Sato vs... 'Bamboo Pole' Gu!" A short, stout man with a hoarse voice, wearing a floral shirt, acted as the host and bookmaker, waving his ticket stub and shouting.

A stir ran through the crowd. "Mad Dog" Sato was a ruthless character who had recently gained some fame. His aggressive playing style and several consecutive wins had caused his odds to plummet.

The nickname "Bamboo Pole" reflects the locals' impression of Gu Yan's previous performance: tall and thin, seemingly skilled but not resilient.

Gu Yan pushed through the crowd and entered the white circle. His opponent, Sato, was already standing there. He was not tall but unusually stocky, with a ferocious Hannya tattoo on his bare arm, and his eyes were full of hostility and impatience.

There were no referees, no rule explanations, only the host's shrill shout of "Start!"

Sato roared and pounced forward, his fists whistling through the air.

Gu Yan focused his mind, attempting to mobilize the newly generated Candle Yin energy within his body, only to find that the power was as dormant as a deep pool, offering no response. Moreover, the slight physical enhancement he had gained seemed to be bound by invisible shackles; his body felt heavy and ordinary, as if he had returned to the state before entering the Jianmu world, and he even felt a faint sense of weakness.

Is it world suppression, or a restriction imposed by the system to conceal the Breath of Candlelight?

The thought flashed through his mind, but Sato's fist was already upon him. Gu Yan could only rely on the pure skill brought by his level 39 swordsmanship specialization. He sidestepped to dodge, his movements slightly slower than expected, and the fist grazed his cheek, stinging painfully.

"Don't fight head-on!" Gu Yan immediately adjusted his strategy, moving around and using the agile footwork he had honed in his bamboo sword training to maneuver and avoid grappling with his opponent as much as possible.

His counterattacks also mainly consisted of precise stabbing, targeting vulnerable areas such as the eyes, throat, and ribs. Although his strength was insufficient, his accuracy and timing were excellent.

After a few rounds, Gu Yan feinted, causing Sato to shift his weight forward. He then pointed his fingers like a sword and thrust them forcefully into the nerve plexus under Sato's armpit.

"Ah!" Sato's right arm went numb instantly. Gu Yan took advantage of the situation and kicked him in the back of the knee. Sato knelt on one knee. Gu Yan then chopped Sato's neck with a chop.

Sato groaned and fell to the ground, unable to get up for a moment.

Gu Yan was slightly out of breath, sweat beading on his forehead. He had won, but it had been far more strenuous than he had anticipated, and his arms and calves ached. He was so unaccustomed to this suppressed body.

Amidst the clamor and the reluctant announcement from the bookmaker, Gu Yan accepted the thin stack of payment and quickly squeezed out of the crowd. He felt several unfriendly gazes fixed on his back; they were from Sato's accomplices.

Instead of going straight back to his temporary, dilapidated apartment, he deliberately wandered around the complex alleyways a few times.

However, the other party was clearly more familiar with the area. At the entrance of a narrow alley filled with garbage cans, four figures blocked the way in front and behind. The leader was the blond-haired man who had been staring at him earlier, holding a steel pipe in his hand, while the other three were carrying chains or short sticks.

"Kid, you're pretty good at dodging, huh?" the blond-haired guy sneered. "Winning in the ring is pretty cool, isn't it? Now it's time to settle the score!"

Without a word, the four of them pounced at once! The narrow space made it almost impossible to dodge or move.

Gu Yan cursed under his breath and quickly pulled out the pre-assembled modified bamboo sword from the side of his backpack. The familiar feel of the bamboo sword calmed him down slightly. He assumed a simple starting stance.

The first thug swung his iron chain at him, but Gu Yanzhu slashed it diagonally, precisely striking the weakest point of the chain to deflect it. He then thrust his sword forward, the tip of which pierced the thug's chest at the Tanzhong acupoint, causing the thug to stagger backward, gasping for breath.

But the wind was already blowing from behind. Gu Yan twisted to block, and clang! The bamboo sword clashed with the steel pipe, the immense force making his hand go numb, and the bamboo sword almost slipped from his grasp. A sharp pain shot through his old arm wound.

Another person swung a stick at his side, aiming for his ribs. Gu Yan managed to retreat, but the tip of the stick still grazed his side.

??????

He gritted his teeth. His swordsmanship expertise allowed him to see his opponent's movements clearly and launch effective counterattacks, but his suppressed body couldn't execute them perfectly. He wasn't fast enough, his strength wasn't enough, and his stamina was rapidly depleting.

The bamboo sword traced sharp arcs, striking joints and stabbing pressure points, temporarily repelling a wave of attacks. But he himself was also hit several times; his left shoulder was grazed by the steel pipe, causing a piercing pain, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His breathing became heavy, and his vision began to blur.

"Damn it, this kid's sword is a bit weird! Don't give him a chance!" Huang Mao saw that Gu Yan was already at his limit and called on his companions to intensify their attack.

An iron chain got tangled around the middle of the bamboo sword. Gu Yan tried to wrest it back, but another thug took the opportunity to smash his calf with a stick.

"Ugh!" Gu Yan felt a sharp pain in his calf and stumbled, half-kneeling on the ground. The bamboo sword was thrown aside.

The blond-haired man raised the steel pipe high, a cruel smile on his face, and slammed it down hard on Gu Yan's head!

Gu Yan's pupils contracted, his mind went blank, and he could only subconsciously raise his hand to block.

At that very moment???

"Bang!"

A dull thud, not the sound of a steel pipe hitting flesh.

The blond-haired man was sent flying as if hit by a truck, crashing heavily into a nearby trash can. The steel pipe slipped from his grasp, and he let out a painful groan.

A tall figure appeared out of nowhere at the alley entrance, backlit by the light, and slowly retracted his leg. The movement was so fast it was almost invisible.

The other three thugs stopped in shock.

Gu Yan barely managed to lift his head, and through his blurry vision, he saw a young woman wearing a black top and trousers. Her shoulder-length black hair had a touch of scarlet at the ends that looked as dark as blood in the dim light from afar.

The remaining three thugs recognized the newcomer and were terrified. They dropped their weapons, scrambled to their feet, dragged the unconscious blond-haired man along, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Chiba Rin didn't chase after them, nor did she even glance at the fleeing figures. She strode up to Gu Yan, her boots striking the ground with a clear sound.

Gu Yan tried to stand up, but the excruciating pain in his calves and body prevented him from succeeding twice. He could only lean against the damp wall, panting and watching her warily.

Chiba Rin's gaze swept over him, passing over his bloodied mouth, his unnaturally bent calves, and his tightly clutched ribs. His eyes didn't seem concerned; they looked more like he was assessing the remaining value of a damaged item.

"Can you still move?" Her voice was cold and emotionless.

Gu Yan gritted his teeth, nodded, then shook his head, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Chiba Rin didn't seem to care about his answer, and simply said, "Come find me when you're healed."

After saying that, she really didn't linger. She turned and left, her figure quickly disappearing into the darkness at the other end of the alley, as if she had merely swatted away a few annoying flies. Whether Gu Yan, the "cause of the flies," was alive or dead, was not worth her much attention.

Silence returned to the alley, broken only by Gu Yan's heavy breathing. The stench emanating from the garbage heap made Gu Yan gag.

Find her? Where to look? Gu Yan forced a smile, but it aggravated his wound, causing him to twitch. He could barely move.

He can't lie here. Blood loss, cold, or those thugs returning could all kill him.

The will to survive sustained him. He struggled, using a bamboo sword as a crutch, enduring the excruciating pain, dragging his injured leg, step by step, toward the light and the sound of people. Each step felt like walking on a knife's edge, his consciousness rising and falling repeatedly in the dizziness of excruciating pain and blood loss.

After what seemed like an eternity, a warm, dim light finally appeared before me. It was a small ramen shop, the characters "Yukihira" on the sign faded slightly. The glass windows were fogged up, and I could vaguely make out the figures inside.

Gu Yan used the last of his strength to push open the shop door.