Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

The cold steel pipe pressed against Lin Wanqing's temple, bringing the sensation of death. Her body stiffened, her pupils dilated with extreme fear, but the next second, an even sharper emotion tore through that fear—it was happening again! It was herself again! This crippled, useless self had once again become a burden to Tianci, dragging him into this abyss of no return! Immense guilt and self-loathing overwhelmed her like a tsunami. She wished the steel pipe would fall right now, ending it all, to ensure Tianci's safety. Her tear-filled eyes looked past Sun Peng, desperately gazing at Tianci. Her lips trembled, and with all her remaining strength, she stammered, "Tianci…go…go quickly! Don't worry about me!"

Looking into Lin Wanqing's eyes, which were filled with fear, despair, and a deep self-destructive tendency, Cang Tianci felt as if his heart was being clenched tightly by an invisible hand. He forced himself to calm down, cold sweat trickling down his spine. He glanced at the grief-stricken Lin Wanqing, then at the limp Blackie under his command, and a flash of inspiration struck him as he recalled Blackie's arrogant words about "minors" earlier.

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his panting, making his voice sound cold, hoarse, and resolute: "Sun... Peng... let... go!" He tightened his grip on Hei Pi's acupoints slightly, and Hei Pi's eyes bulged out, emitting a "gurgling" sound of extreme pain.

"I...I was a minor...I...killed him...it was...just...self-defense. And you..." His gaze, like an icicle, pierced Sun Peng, "Dare to touch her...that's...premeditated murder, a serious crime! Your family...won't escape either!"

Then, he tilted his head slightly, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the alley: "Tell... Zhao... Xiaohu... this... is... the first... and... the last... if... you come again... it's a fight to the death!"

His voice was like a poisoned knife, not only scraping at the hearts of Hei Pi and Sun Peng, but also seemingly piercing through bricks and stones, deeply stabbing into the ears of Zhao Xiaohu, who was secretly watching the battle from the shadows at the corner of the alley.

This time, Zhao Xiaohu clearly witnessed Cang Tianci's fearless, precise, and ruthless fighting style and almost supernatural methods. The threatening words of "fight to the death" struck a nerve with him. For the first time, he felt fear.

He instinctively felt that this stuttering country bumpkin wasn't bluffing. Looking at the fierce glint in his eyes, if he really pushed him too far… he might actually do it. He himself was a wealthy and successful young master, the envy of everyone, a "Young Tiger," how could he risk his life against this barefoot desperado?

Thinking of this, he no longer cared about saving face or revenge. He suddenly peeked half his face out of the shadows and frantically gestured into the alley—Say yes! Say yes quickly! Let them go!

Sun Peng saw Zhao Xiaohu's terrified gesture, then looked at the black-skinned man, his face purple and swollen, completely unable to resist, as Cang Tianci gripped his vitals. The words "premeditated murder" pierced his brain like an ice pick, along with the potential consequences of Zhao Xiaohu's wrath, and the cold killing intent in Cang Tianci's eyes... a multitude of fears instantly seized him. His suicidal madness, fueled by these multiple realistic considerations, quickly extinguished like a ember doused with cold water. He reluctantly withdrew his steel pipe, roaring, "Get out! Take this cripple and get out of here right now! Don't let me run into you again!"

Cang Tianci secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Despite his extreme exhaustion, he gave Sun Peng a cold glance, then casually turned his head to look towards the corner of the alley. He calmly released his grip on Hei Pi. Hei Pi collapsed to the ground like a rag doll, panting heavily, his eyes filled with apprehension as he looked at Tianci.

Tianci cautiously backed up to Lin Wanqing's side and whispered, "Come on, stay... close to me!"

He pulled the still trembling Lin Wanqing along, backing away step by step towards the alley entrance, each step extremely cautious, until they reached the corner and were out of sight. Only then did Cang Tianci release Lin Wanqing's hand, his back slamming heavily against the cold brick wall, breathing heavily. He wasn't just tired; it was a silent soreness and pain in his bones and muscles, a result of suddenly relaxing from a state of extreme tension. The burns on his right shoulder blade and left rib reminded him of the danger he had just faced. He closed his eyes, trying to circulate the Hidden Dragon Technique, but the warmth that began to grow was extremely slow.

"I must... take her home first." This thought forcibly suppressed all the exhaustion. He opened his eyes, looked at Lin Wanqing who was still in shock and whose face was still wet with tears, and said softly, "Come on, I... will take you home."

On the way to Lin Wanqing's house, both remained silent. The evening breeze brushed against their sweat-soaked clothes, bringing a chill. Cang Tianci's steps were somewhat unsteady, but his back remained ramrod straight. His brain seemed to be split in two: one half numbly directed his legs forward, wary of his surroundings; the other half uncontrollably replayed every scene in the alley—the madness in Sun Peng's eyes, the horror of Hei Pi falling to the ground, the coldness of the steel pipe pressed against Wanqing's temple… and the strange sensation of his fingertips touching acupoints, as if he could "see" the blockages in the other's meridians and blood. This sensation brought not only victory, but also a strange, heavy sense of control, and the ensuing confusion—what would happen if this power were used even an inch off-target?

Cang Tianci escorted Lin Wanqing to the entrance of the alley where her house was located, watching her walk towards the doorway with her cane.

"Tianci..." Lin Wanqing suddenly stopped in front of the doorway, choking back tears, and said, "Thank you for today! But I hope that next time something like this happens, you won't risk your life for me. It's not worth it!"

Tianci shook his head, looked at her firmly, and said, "No, you deserve it!"

Lin Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, and tears welled up in her eyes again. She couldn't believe it. For over a decade, no one had made her feel "worthy." But the look in Tianci's eyes when he said those words made her think for the first time that maybe...maybe he really thought so. She turned abruptly, staggering as she disappeared into the shadows of the doorway.

Tianci stood at the alley entrance, only letting out a sigh of relief when he heard the soft sound of a door closing inside. The pain in his right shoulder and ribs, along with the exhaustion from overdrawing his internal energy, became immediately clear.

He took a deep breath and forced the Hidden Dragon Technique to circulate with difficulty in his nearly dried-up meridians, like a trickle of water drawn from cracked earth—slow, but enough to sustain life.

On his way back to the sports school, the wind whistled past his ears, and the city's hustle and bustle seemed to pass through a layer of frosted glass. He began to think rapidly. Being late was a done deal; how could he explain it to Coach Zhou?

Tell the truth? The thought was barely crossed his mind before he suppressed it. Sun Peng had already betrayed his teacher and allied himself with Hei Pi; Zhao Xiaohu's family was powerful; Hei Pi was a local tyrant. Dragging the coach and the sports school into this vortex of jealousy, conspiracy, and street violence would only enrage and worry the coach, and might even backfire. What good would it do? Hopefully, the law would severely punish those underage thugs? Hei Pi's arrogant words still echoed in his ears. Besides, the coach was already suffering enough because of Sun Peng. What would he think if he found out Sun Peng was seeking revenge?

Moreover… a cold glint flashed in Tianci’s eyes. Zhao Xiaohu was afraid, and Sun Peng also shrank back. Why? Because of his ruthless, desperate actions just now, and those strange fingers. They couldn’t figure out what other tricks he had up his sleeve, and they were afraid. Now that they were afraid, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. If the coach found out and things escalated, wouldn’t they hate him even more? Would they try even more underhanded tactics? What if it implicated the sports school, implicated the coach… Tianci didn’t dare to think about it anymore. Forget it, let’s leave it at that for now. He was also seriously injured; he needed to heal his injuries first and sort out this mess of events in his mind.

Having made up his mind, he quickened his pace slightly, and the dull pain under his ribs made him unconsciously gasp.

Inside the training hall of Jixian Sports School, shouts and the clanging of equipment rose and fell, filled with masculine energy. Zhou Zhenhua stood with his hands behind his back, his hawk-like eyes scanning the movements of every player on the field.

When Cang Tianci appeared at the stadium entrance, panting heavily, Zhou Zhenhua's gaze immediately locked onto him. His sharp eyes lingered for a moment on Cang Tianci's pale face and the unnatural posture of his right shoulder.

"Heavenly Gift!" Zhou Zhenhua's authoritative voice boomed over the noise in the room. "What's going on? Look at the time! Why are you late?"

All the team members' eyes were focused on this spot, and the training hall immediately became much quieter.

Cang Tianci tried to calm his breathing and stepped forward, stammering, "Reporting... to the coach... I'm... sorry... after school... Teacher Zhang... asked me to stay behind... to help him tidy up... the classroom's book corner... so... so I'm late."

His cheeks burned; this was the first time he had lied to Coach Zhou. He could feel the coach's scrutinizing gaze upon him, as if it were a tangible presence.

Zhou Zhenhua stared at him for a few seconds, his thick eyebrows furrowing almost imperceptibly, before finally saying in a deep voice, "This is the last time. Return to the team, do fifteen laps of warm-up, and then practice basic leg techniques."

"Yes, Coach." Tianci replied loudly, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon.

As Tianci ran on the track, he felt a dull ache in his right shoulder and ribs with every step, and his body, exhausted from overexerting his internal energy, felt much heavier than usual. He gritted his teeth, adjusted his breathing, and silently circulated the Hidden Dragon Technique. Although his breathing was weak, it still brought him a slight sense of relief.

In the following training sessions, Tianci tried his best to hide his discomfort, but he still inevitably showed stiffness and sluggishness when performing certain movements that required shoulder strength and core engagement. Zhou Zhenhua noticed this but didn't point it out, only occasionally glancing thoughtfully at Tianci when instructing other team members.

After training, Tianci dragged his exhausted body back to his dormitory. Even a simple wash was difficult due to the injuries to his right shoulder and ribs. When he finally lay down on the bed, he almost fell asleep immediately. But the harrowing day came rushing back like a tide, waking him from his fatigue.

The thugs with black masks, the cold sticks, Sun Peng's resentful eyes, the narrow and desperate dead end, Lin Wanqing's terrified face... every detail is terrifyingly clear.

If there had been even the slightest hesitation, if that finger strike had failed, if Sun Peng hadn't been intimidated... the consequences would have been unimaginable.

He deeply realized that in the face of absolute despair, any cowardice or pleading is futile. Only by mustering the courage to fight to the death and having the determination to go all in and perish together can one possibly carve out a tiny crack on the edge of a precipice and glimpse a glimmer of hope.

"When you think you've reached the end of the road, a new path opens up..."

The poem quietly surfaced in my mind, but now it had a blood-soaked interpretation. That "light at the end of the tunnel" was no fluke, but rather something carved out of the precipice by sheer strength and unwavering will. Without the inner power of a "hidden dragon" as a foundation, without the insight of "pointing to the mystery" as a guiding eye, without the precise grasp of "questioning the heart," and without that courageous cry of "never give up"—where would life have come from?

However, beyond the hope for survival lies confusion. The lingering sensation at the fingertips, the ability to discern the blockages in an opponent's meridians, is so clear—if this ability is misplaced even slightly, could it become a weapon to harm? Wang Zhenkun uses power, Liu Tietou uses ruthlessness, Zhao Xiaohu uses money, Sun Peng uses hatred… they all use their own methods to "forcefully" crush others. And what about himself?

Master said, "The Hidden Dragon Asks Its Heart" means asking one's own heart. Tonight, he "asked" Sun Peng and Hei Pi with his finger, forcing them to retreat from the crisis. The feeling of "seeing" under his finger made him understand: this power is not to crush, but to "see clearly" and to "protect." The eye that sees the weakness is to stop the deepest evil at the lowest cost; to protect those you want to protect also includes protecting the warm light in your own heart that refuses to be extinguished.

The road ahead is long. But he seems to have found a direction—not about how to defeat anyone, but about how to become what kind of "Heaven-sent One".

Exhaustion finally settled like a heavy curtain. Before drifting into sleep, the last vague thought was: to become stronger, I must become stronger. Not just in terms of fists, not just in terms of internal strength, but also in terms of the heart that seeks the truth, to discern direction and uphold one's true self amidst the vastness of the world and the complexities of human nature.

He clutched the peach wood amulet to his chest, a gift from Lin Wanqing when he was injured. He always carried it with him carefully, except during training and bathing. Now, the amulet seemed to possess warmth, offering a touch of comfort in the cold night.

After an unknown amount of time, exhaustion finally overcame his thoughts, and he fell into a deep sleep. The moonlight outside the window shone on his still-childish yet resolute face, as if silently protecting this boy who had faced the darkness of the world too early.

He slept soundly, unaware that someone else was having an even harder time sleeping tonight.