Gao Wu: From a poor man in the outer city to a martial saint of the ten directions

The pedestrian street outside the No. 7 Middle School in Linghai City is busiest at 6 pm.

Various snack stalls, milk tea shops, and fast food restaurants were crowded with students leaving school. The smell of cooking oil and the aroma of food mingled together and wafted far along the street.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, laughter, and the sizzling of fried food in the pan blended together into a lively cacophony.

The Xiaomengjia Barbecue restaurant at the end of the street has a small storefront and an inconspicuous sign, but it was almost full at the moment.

Wei Xiu sat by the window, with a plate of freshly grilled pork belly sizzling in front of him.

But he didn't touch his chopsticks; he just looked at Zhou Xiong across from him with a complicated expression.

Zhou Xiong is eating.

There were already three stacks of plates in front of him.

Each stack was as high as seven or eight plates.

Other customers in the store would occasionally turn their heads to look this way; some were surprised, some were trying not to laugh, and a few boys who looked like junior high school students even took out their phones to secretly take pictures.

Zhou Xiong was completely unaware, or rather, he didn't care at all, and just kept putting plate after plate of roasted meat into his mouth.

Wei Xiu glanced at the three stacks of plates, then at the lone plate of meat in front of him, and sighed silently.

His left hand hung down under the table, his fingers gripping the wallet in his pocket.

In my wallet, there were three red bills, two green bills, and a few coins left.

Three hundred and twenty-one yuan.

This is all the living expenses I have left for this month.

Zhou Xiong had already eaten at least two hundred yuan worth of grilled meat...

This doesn't even include the cost of charcoal, seasonings, and drinks.

Wei Xiu felt a dull ache in his stomach.

Just as he was considering whether or not to tell Zhou Xiong to take it easy,

Suddenly, a piercing shriek came from outside the window.

Woo-woo-woo!

The sound grew louder as it approached, instantly shattering the hustle and bustle of the pedestrian street at dusk.

"What's going on?"

"Air raid siren?"

The diners in the restaurant all stopped eating and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Several guests by the window turned to look up at the sky and saw a beam of light slowly rising on the western horizon, shooting straight into the clouds!

The LCD TV hanging on the wall in the corner of the barbecue restaurant suddenly flickered.

The variety show that was originally playing was cut off and replaced with a striking blue exclamation mark icon.

"...We have an urgent news briefing." The host's serious voice came from the television.

"The Linghai City Disaster Prevention Administration has just issued a blue disaster warning. Abnormal Yuan energy fluctuations have been detected in the Xishan restricted area, which are preliminarily determined to be signs of human-level alien beast activity."

"Residents of the outer urban areas are advised to minimize going out and take precautions to avoid disaster."

"Order is normal in the central urban area and inner city. The city hall has activated the emergency response mechanism, and security patrol teams are on their way to the scene..."

The television screen switched to an aerial view of the Xishan restricted area in the western suburbs of Linghai. On the edge of the mountain range shrouded in gray fog, several fast-moving points of light could be vaguely seen.

"It's Xishan again..." A middle-aged man in overalls at the next table sighed.

"How many times has this happened this year?"

"Blue alert, level 3 disaster, it shouldn't be a big problem," his companion whispered.

"However, the outer city is likely to be in chaos for a while again."

The atmosphere in the store suddenly became tense. Several young students hurriedly ate a few bites of rice, paid the bill, and left.

A couple at the table near the door also stood up, and the woman pulled the man out.

"Hurry, hurry! My dad's still at home. The high-speed train to the outer city might stop at any time!"

Wei Xiu's brows furrowed tightly.

Blue alert.

My mother is still alone in our home in the outer city.

His fingers unconsciously tightened around his chopsticks, but after glancing at Zhou Xiong, who was still engrossed in eating across from him, he forced himself to calm down.

Just then, a short figure came out of the kitchen carrying a large tray.

"Come on, come on, freshly sliced ​​pork belly!"

Store manager Jiang Mengmeng put the tray on the table with a smile, looked down at the three stacks of empty plates in front of Zhou Xiong, and clicked her tongue twice.

"Zhou Xiong, your appetite has increased again. Last month you could only eat fifteen plates, but this month you're eating twenty-one."

Wei Xiu chimed in quietly from the side:

"At this rate of growth, he'll eat thirty plates next month, and forty plates the month after. In six months at most, he'll have eaten your shop into branch stores."

Jiang Mengmeng burst out laughing.

Zhou Xiong remained unmoved, focusing intently on the newly arrived meat.

But just then, the sound of a news broadcast from the television drifted into my ears.

Jiang Mengmeng's smile faltered, and she turned to look at the television in the corner. The blue exclamation mark on the screen made her pupils shrink slightly.

"Xishan..." she murmured, then suddenly realized.

"oops!"

She turned and ran towards the kitchen, shouting as she ran:

"Mom! Mom, how are things on your end?... Did you see the warning? Okay, okay, don't go out, I'll be right back!... I know, I know, I'll be back as soon as I close the shop!"

Wei Xiu and Zhou Xiong exchanged a glance.

A moment later, Jiang Mengmeng came out of the kitchen, her apron off, her phone clutched in her hand, and her face showing apology.

"Wei Xiu, Zhou Xiong, I'm sorry, I have to close the shop." She rubbed her hands together.

"My hometown is close to Xishan, and I'm worried about my mom being alone. I'll give you a 40% discount on this meal, so please eat quickly and head home as soon as you're done."

"Is this...is this appropriate, Sister Meng? Thank you very much." Wei Xiu appeared a little embarrassed, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Xiong also put down his chopsticks.

He picked up a tissue from the side and wiped his mouth, then pulled a crumpled banknote from his pocket and slapped it on the table.

One hundred dollars.

"My share," he said, then picked up his backpack and walked out.

"Hey Zhou Xiong!" Wei Xiu called out.

"How should we describe our sparring session?"

Zhou Xiong stopped at the door without turning around.

"The warning has been issued, and the school's drill ground should be closed. Let's wait until school starts before making any decisions."

Then he pushed open the door and went out, disappearing into the night.

Wei Xiu watched his retreating figure and shook his head helplessly.

A blue alert signifies an impending disaster from human-level alien beasts, which occurs approximately every month or two.

The school will also be temporarily closed, and the reopening will be announced separately depending on the disaster situation.

His plan to extract more Yuan Power from Zhou Xiong was indeed thwarted.

Wei Xiu glanced at the mostly uneaten meat on the table and suddenly lost his appetite.

He recalled his mother's spine, which had been injured by the aftermath of the monster thirteen years ago, and her recurring ailment whenever a disaster warning was issued.

I need to get back quickly.

After paying the bill, Wei Xiu put the remaining meat into a takeout box, picked it up, and walked out of the store.

A night breeze swept over me, carrying the unique lively atmosphere of the pedestrian street.

But now there are far fewer people on the street, and they are all in a hurry, with few people stopping to chat.

The pillar of light in the distance to the west was even brighter than before, spreading across the night sky like a startling mark.

Wei Xiu took a deep breath and was about to walk towards the subway station when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.

Hey! Old Wei!

Wei Xiu turned his head, and a handsome face came close to his, laughing heartlessly.

Lynch.

He was wearing a wrinkled designer leather jacket and carrying a bulging backpack, and looked like he had just come from school.

"President Lin? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, I heard the alarm going off as soon as I stepped out of the school gate, so I thought I'd come to the pedestrian street to grab something to eat before heading home."

Lynch shrugged and pointed to the barbecue restaurant that was already closed.

"I didn't expect to see you coming out of here. What's wrong? Eating barbecue alone? That's so sad!"

"Together with Zhou Xiong," Wei Xiu explained simply.

"Zhou Xiong? That big guy?" Lin Qi curled his lip.

"You two really forged a bond through fighting."

He leaned forward and lowered his voice to continue:

"Hey, the school just announced a three-day holiday until next Monday. How about we go to an internet cafe and play all night?!"

When a disaster warning was issued, everyone else rushed home, but he suggested going to an internet cafe to play games all night.

However, such words do indeed fit Lin Qi's personality.

As the young master of a wealthy family, living in a large villa in the city center, he certainly doesn't need to consider the risks of a mere blue alert.

"No, my mother lives alone in her home in Xiahe District. I have to go back to take care of her. Let's do it another day."

After waving his hand, Wei Xiu quickened his pace and ran towards the subway station.

Linghai City has a distinct urban structure, divided into three concentric circles from the inside out: the city center, the inner city, and the outer city.

The city center has a Yuanli array forming a Yuanli barrier, as well as a large number of martial artists and quasi-martial artists forming a Zhenwu force, making it absolutely impregnable and capable of withstanding even higher-level Earth-level disasters.

Although the inner city lacks the Yuanli barrier and the Zhenwu troops, it is still quite prosperous, with more than a dozen security patrol teams in each district on guard around the clock.

The Xiahe District, where my family lives, is the outermost part of the outer city.

It was right next to the buffer zone outside the city, and there were very few patrols there; usually, there was only one patrol every few blocks.

"A standard security patrol team consists of one formal martial artist with over 1,000 Yuan Power, and six quasi-martial artists with over 500 Yuan Power."

"With this kind of strength, dealing with a human-level alien beast is indeed not a problem."

Wei Xiu frowned, his eyes revealing undisguised worry.

"But Xishan is right next to the outer edge of the city. What if it's not just one, but two or three, or even a whole group, that suddenly appears?"

Thinking of his mother, who had been seriously injured in a beast attack and whose body had not yet fully recovered, Wei Xiu felt extremely anxious.

"I understand, I understand. Auntie's safety comes first."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qi also put away his frivolous nature and stopped trying to keep Wei Xiu from playing games. He followed him and took a few more steps forward.

As they were about to part ways at the intersection, Lin Qi suddenly remembered something and grabbed Wei Xiu's backpack strap.

"By the way, Lao Wei, there are only two weeks left until the second semester of senior year, and the college entrance examination is in six months."

"The martial arts entrance exam requires practical combat skills. Have you decided which martial art you want to study?"

Upon hearing Lin Qi's words, Wei Xiu stopped in his tracks.

In this era where strength is paramount, a good martial art can cause a martial artist's energy and power to explode exponentially.

Although martial arts are taught in schools, they are all free, mass-market versions of "Basic Long Fist" and "Eighth Set of Body Forging Techniques," etc.

It's fine for building a basic foundation, but it's simply not good enough for getting high scores in the actual college entrance exam.

If you want to learn real killing techniques, you have to go to a martial arts school or cram school.

But the exorbitant tuition fees were far beyond what a family like mine, which relied on scholarships to make ends meet, could afford.

Seeing Wei Xiu silently shake his head, Lin Qi chuckled and patted his chest.

"It's good that I didn't choose it! You know the Dome Martial Arts School in the city, right? My dad just pulled some strings a couple of days ago and got me a spot!"

"Why don't you come with me? I'll have my teacher teach you too, young master. With our skills, this shouldn't be a problem!"

Upon hearing the words "Dome Martial Arts Hall," Wei Xiu's eyes widened even more.

Of course he knows this place!