"I'm in the Dragon Clan, what the heck is the Naruto Counterattack System?"

Snap... Snap...

Inside the kendo class at the Children's Palace, the light from outside the window shone into the lounge, and the colorful neon lights stimulated his eyes, causing Chu Zihang to open them.

A soft, gentle tapping sound reached my ears, as if afraid of waking a sleepy child.

The lights in the lounge were not on. When Chu Zihang dragged his aching body back, the sky outside was still bright, but now it was all dark.

Click.

The door to the lounge was opened a crack, and Qi Xiuyuan quietly peeked in. Seeing that Chu Zihang had already gotten up and woken up, he simply pushed the door open and walked in, smiling, "How are you feeling? Any better?"

"Um."

Ignoring the soreness in his body, Chu Zihang felt a throbbing headache. He looked down and rubbed his temples, whispering, "How long have I been asleep? How is Teacher Yuan?"

When he sparred with Qi Xiuyuan earlier, he had indeed exhausted all his strength. His eyes and muscles were stinging, and he finally couldn't hold on any longer and took a nap.

"Hey, even though that old man is quite old, he's actually very healthy. On the way to the hospital, he kept bragging to me about his romantic experiences when he was young."

Qi Xiuyuan walked to the window and pulled back the curtains while complaining. What came into view was the reflection of the tall buildings in the fine drizzle.

"Speaking of which, you were sleeping so soundly, I couldn't wake you up no matter what I did. If I wasn't sure you were still breathing, I would have thought I had killed you." He turned to Chu Zihang and joked.

"..."

Chu Zihang felt somewhat helpless and raised his hand to shake it.

Although there is still a noticeable soreness, I can also feel a force, as if the muscles have snapped and are growing back, becoming more solid, resilient and powerful.

Having studied swordsmanship for so long, this was the first time he had seen such a significant improvement, though the staying power was quite strong.

"What Teacher Yuan said before..."

Seemingly realizing something, Chu Zihang looked up at Qi Xiuyuan, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Your sword has drunk blood, what does that mean? And your swordsmanship and acting skills have suddenly improved, is it also because...?"

In order not to affect Qi Xiuyuan's state of mind when facing Yuan Yixin, he had kept these questions to himself.

"It's probably because I killed a chicken yesterday."

Qi Xiuyuan responded jokingly, but seeing Chu Zihang's calm gaze still fixed on him, he could only sigh and say frankly, "Three years ago, those four thugs and robbers that you and I sent to prison."

"They were released from prison a while ago, and the first thing they did was go back to that internet cafe. I happened to go there with a friend, and that's when they started targeting us."

Chu Zihang was stunned for a moment, then found that forgotten memory from a corner of his mind and remembered those four people.

It was the first day that he and Qi Xiuyuan officially became disciples. That day, like today, was a gloomy, rainy day. The two, who were not yet familiar with each other, silently sought shelter from the rain at the entrance of the internet cafe.

As a result, he ran right into four thugs who had just robbed an internet cafe. When he heard the internet cafe owner shout "Robbery!", Chu Zihang instinctively grabbed a bamboo sword and stood in front of the four men.

Chu Zihang still remembers the look in Qi Xiuyuan's eyes when he glanced at the sharpened knives in the hands of the four thugs, then turned to look at him with a surprised expression, as if to say, "Dude, have you always been this brave?"

At that time, the two of them were only in the fifth or sixth grade of elementary school, and the four people in front of them were armed "thugs". His subconscious action could indeed be described as bold and reckless.

Later, somehow the story reached the school, and eventually the rumor even evolved into that the two of them, carrying wooden sticks, worked together to beat four knife-wielding thugs so badly they were running away in terror.

Perhaps it's because he's a year older than Qi Xiuyuan that he's the "male lead" in this rumor.

But Chu Zihang was well aware that his talent wasn't so extraordinary that at twelve or thirteen years old, he could subdue four adult thugs wielding knives with just a bamboo sword.

Even when one of them rushed in front of him, brandishing a knife and about to stab him, Qi Xiuyuan, who had been watching coldly, suddenly made a move.

He precisely struck one of the men's wrists with a bamboo sword, causing the man's hand to go numb before seizing a knife. Then, he stabbed the man in the right chest with a backhand, leaving the other three stunned and frozen in place.

Chu Zihang didn't know what expression he had on his face at the time, and perhaps no one else would have noticed it either.

But he saw the expression on Qi Xiuyuan's face, and even today he still remembers it vividly.

The boy holding the dagger stood quietly in front of him, watching the person stumble and lunge towards him, and gently offered the black blade of the dagger in his hand.

It seems that because the other party's attack carried enormous kinetic energy, to outsiders it was less that the boy stabbed him and more that the man ran into the blade himself.

But Chu Zihang, who was closest to the boy, saw him draw another straight line upwards with the knife until it was almost touching his neck.

As for why he didn't slit the other person's neck in one go, it might be because he wasn't tall enough at the time, and his arm span was just enough to cut that position, or it might be because someone was watching from the side.

That delicate and handsome young face was so calm. The blade that pierced his chest was as simple as cutting open a drumhead with a knife. But what contradicted the calmness was the bloody chest that had been ripped open.

Beneath the drumhead gushed forth a fountain of blood, splashing onto the boy's delicate and tender face. The bloodied flesh and internal organs were exposed to the air, creating a stark contrast with the boy's beautiful and serene expression.

Chu Zihang even remembered that he, who was standing behind him, was also splattered with blood. The boy turned around, seemingly feeling a little apologetic, and a smile that was both apologetic and amusing appeared on his face.

It's like a naughty kid who's secretly playing with ketchup, accidentally squeezing it out and splashing it on their friend's face, feeling apologetic but unable to stop laughing.

However, that smile was so fleeting that Chu Zihang thought he was hallucinating.

When he came to his senses, the boy's expression had turned to astonishment and fear. He stood there dumbfounded, staring at the screaming thugs, as if he had never expected the bloody and horrific scene before him.

However, now it seems that perhaps it was not an illusion.

"..."

Qi Xiuyuan didn't mention the fate of the four men, and Chu Zihang didn't ask or say anything more. He simply remained silent for a moment, then sighed and asked, "Do you need my help?"

Qi Xiuyuan smiled, shook his head to indicate that he didn't mind, and then abruptly changed the subject: "It's late, want to go eat?"

goooo...

As if in response to Qi Xiuyuan's words, Chu Zihang felt a slight twitching in his stomach, and his belly let out a timely groan, as if venting his dissatisfaction with hunger.

This was the first time Chu Zihang had ever experienced the feeling of "empty stomach" so vividly.

No wonder he felt dizzy when he woke up; it was probably because his blood glucose level had dropped. If he didn't eat something to fill his stomach, his body would start breaking down fat and protein.

"I'm looking for a car."

Chu Zihang nodded, took out his phone, looked at "Dad" in his contacts and another number without a name, hesitated for a moment, and finally dialed "Dad's" number.

"..."

After a brief exchange, Chu Zihang hung up the phone and looked at Qi Xiuyuan, saying, "Wait a moment, my dad has sent the driver to pick me up."

Knowing about the other party's family, Qi Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow, seemingly understanding the meaning behind his expression. Chu Zihang, as if defending the man, said, "He doesn't have time..."

However, even he himself didn't believe this excuse. What could that man who just lazed around all day possibly have done? The only explanation was that he had forgotten, just like before.

A hint of self-mockery flashed across Chu Zihang's eyes. Too lazy to explain, he got up without a word and pushed open the door to the lounge.

Click.

The bustling crowds who had enthusiastically signed up at noon had dispersed, leaving the spacious dojo, which could easily accommodate a hundred people, rather deserted. However, two figures standing at the entrance were quite conspicuous.

Upon recognizing the blue police uniforms worn by the two men, Chu Zihang's pupils instinctively contracted.

Was it discovered so quickly?