Tomb raiders: You stole my little Qilin?

Wu Wei miscalculated; the next morning, Zhang Qiling still knocked on the door early.

"Knock knock knock".

Wu Wei had stayed up all night last night. When he heard the knocking, he pulled the blanket over his head and pretended not to hear it.

"Knock knock knock".

Wu Wei stretched a hand out from under the covers, fumbled for his phone on the bedside table, squinted at the time—5:31.

He shoved his phone under his pillow, rolled over, and continued to play dead.

"Knock knock knock".

Black Bear couldn't take it anymore. He shuffled out of the room in his slippers and shouted at Zhang Qiling from the hallway:

"Dumb guy, don't be so harsh! We just got back yesterday!"

Zhang Qiling ignored him and continued knocking on the door.

Hei Xiazi took a deep breath. If he couldn't beat them, he'd join them.

He strode to Wu Wei's door.

"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!"

The two people knocked on the door one after the other.

Wu Wei was completely awakened by the two-channel surround sound of knocking on the door. Resigned, he got out of bed and opened the door with his messy, frizzy hair.

Zhang Qiling withdrew his hand without changing his expression, while Hei Xiazi leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, a gloating smile on his lips.

"Awake?" Black Bear asked, knowing the answer already.

Wu Wei glanced at him resentfully, then at Zhang Qiling, and said weakly, "I hate you all."

After washing up and changing into his training clothes, Wu Wei stood in the courtyard, the morning chill having dispelled most of his drowsiness.

Zhang Qiling stood opposite him, her posture upright.

Hei Xiazi moved a chair and sat on the porch, holding an enamel mug in his hand, crossing his legs, striking a pose that said, "Today I'm watching the battle."

Zhang Qiling spoke up, "Unrestrict your movement, attack me with all your might."

Wu Wei stretched his wrists and ankles, took a deep breath, and got into position.

He had been training under Hei Xiazi for several days and wanted to know exactly how much progress he had made.

This time, Zhang Qiling did not restrict his range of activities.

Wu Wei shifted his feet and used the Nine Palaces Step, his figure swaying as he circled around to Zhang Qiling's side.

However, Zhang Qiling simply turned slightly to the side and dodged his punch.

Wu Wei's fist grazed past Zhang Qiling's clothes without even touching the fabric.

Undeterred, he used the momentum of the Nine Palaces Step to change direction continuously, throwing punches from three different angles in succession.

Zhang Qiling dodged them all, barely moving his feet.

Black Bear watched from the side, his brows furrowing slightly.

Wu Wei's agility is indeed superb, and there is no room for criticism on that point.

Both the precision of their positioning and the timing of their changes of direction are top-notch.

However, the force of the punch is insufficient, and the fist unconsciously retracts at the end of its movement;

The angles of attack are not tricky enough; they habitually choose the most direct route and lack unpredictable and cunning tactics.

Most importantly, they lacked the ruthlessness to strike.

These things are hard to explain in words.

It can only be accumulated slowly through time, practice, and repeated real-world experience.

Hei Xiazi kept correcting these flaws when he was sparring with Wu Wei, but these things can't be rushed. No matter how good your aptitude is, it takes time.

Zhang Qiling clearly understood as well.

He began to slow down his movements, deliberately letting Wu Wei see the trajectory of his attack.

Every time he raised his hand, every time he changed his move, he slowed down by half a beat to demonstrate.

Wu Wei quickly understood Zhang Qiling's intention.

He began to dodge and observe at the same time. These details were presented in slow motion during the actual combat, which was more intuitive than any verbal explanation.

But observation is one thing, and physical health is another.

Although Zhang Qiling slowed down the pace, the accuracy of his attacks remained undiminished.

Wu Wei was repeatedly forced back during defense. His good agility only allowed him to escape quickly, and he did not have much of an advantage in one-on-one combat.

Zhang Qiling struck his ankle with a sweeping kick.

Wu Wei lost his balance and slammed his back heavily onto the ground with a muffled groan before getting up.

Then Zhang Qiling seized the opportunity when he was too slow to retract his fist after throwing a punch, and hit him on the shoulder with an elbow strike, making him take a few steps back.

Wu Wei quickly adjusted and attacked again. This time he held out for nearly five minutes before Zhang Qiling cleanly and neatly threw him to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.

Wu Wei couldn't get up.

He lay on his back on the ground, his chest heaving violently, his training clothes soaked with sweat, and his hair sticking wetly to his forehead.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the pomegranate tree, scattering like shattered gold across his face. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, panting heavily.

"Not bad." Zhang Qiling walked to his side, looking down at him. "You've been putting in the effort lately."

"That's right." Wu Wei's voice came out muffledly from under his palm.

"Except for the few days I was away on business, I practiced diligently every day without any hesitation."

The bear under the eaves put down his enamel mug and cleared his throat: "I'll be your witness."

Zhang Qiling reached out his hand to Wu Wei, who was still lying on the ground.

Wu Wei peeked at the hand through his fingers, grasped it, and was pulled up from the ground.

At lunchtime, the three of them sat around the dining table.

Wu Wei suddenly spoke:

"Brother, I need to go out tomorrow."

Zhang Qiling looked up at him: "Where are you going?"

"Switzerland." Wu Wei poked at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks.

"When I was traveling there last time, I came across a medicinal herb, but it wasn't ripe yet. Judging by the time, it should be ready in the next few days, and I'd like to go and get it."

Zhang Qiling paused with his chopsticks. He remained silent for a moment, as if weighing something.

News of Jude Kao's death had already spread throughout the underworld, and his forces had crumbled like monkeys in a collapsing tree.

With this foreign force gone, Wu Wei's safety level has indeed increased significantly.

Besides, it's just to get a single herb; the round trip won't take more than a few days.

"Okay," Zhang Qiling said.

Hei Xiazi put down his chopsticks: "Then I'll make something delicious tonight to send you off."

Wu Wei's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up:

"Hey, can we have a barbecue in the yard? I've always watched others do it, but I've never tried it myself."

Black Bear raised one eyebrow: "You want to roast it yourself?"

"Yes," Wu Wei nodded vigorously. "I'll bake them and let you all try them."

"Okay, let's go buy a barbecue grill after we eat."

Barbecue grills aren't hard to buy.

There's a shop in the department store that specializes in outdoor gear, with barbecue grills of all sizes displayed at the entrance.

Black Bear picked out a tin stove, and also carried a bag of charcoal and a pack of bamboo skewers.

As the three of them walked back after buying their things, they passed a liquor store.

An old wooden plaque hangs at the entrance, which reads "Ancestral brewing techniques, the fragrance travels for miles."

The lettering was faded and worn, but the aroma of the wine was unmistakably genuine.

Just by standing at the door, you can smell a rich and mellow aroma of grain liquor.

Wu Wei sniffed and unconsciously turned inside.

Zhang Qiling and Hei Xiazi exchanged a glance and followed behind him.

The owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties. Seeing a customer enter, he warmly greeted him.

"How many of you want to buy some liquor? It's homemade, pure grain liquor. If you don't like it, you don't have to pay."

Wu Wei pointed to several porcelain jars covered with red cloth on the counter: "Boss, a few pots, one of each."

"Alright!" The boss deftly took several bamboo wine jugs from the counter, filled one jug with each type, and tied them together with hemp rope.

The shopkeeper pointed out a small red label on one of the bamboo tubes.

"This bottle is labeled as strong liquor. Please be careful when you drink it, so you don't take the wrong one."

Wu Wei nodded, paid the money, and carried the wine jug out the door.

Shortly after the three left, a woman wearing an apron emerged from behind the shop, lifting the curtain.

"Honey," the proprietress said, frowning, "our son mixed up the spirits and sake when he was serving the banquet today. Be careful when you're selling them, don't give the wrong bottles."

The grapes in the boss's hand fell into the wine vat with a "clatter".

"Ouch!" He slapped his thigh and ran after it outside the store.

But the alley entrance was deserted; there was no sign of the three people.