Great, we're doomed now!

Peeking curiously towards the riverbank, he saw Banggu sitting quietly on a blue stone with his back to him, staring motionlessly at the flowing water. His once slightly hunched figure was now as upright as an ancient tree, yet he exuded a sense of tranquility, like a stone statue that had been refined by the years.

"Master?" Cha Lanzi called softly, her voice tinged with trepidation.

Bang didn't respond and remained in the same position. Chalan felt a tightness in her chest and quickly stepped forward, walking around to face Bang.

Upon seeing this, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak:

Bang's face was streaked with tears, each tear sliding down his wrinkles and soaking a large patch of his clothes, but his eyes were unusually bright, without a trace of sadness, but rather a sense of relief and excitement.

"Master! What's going on? Did this guy do something shady?!"

Chalanzi suddenly turned her head and stared intently at Ye Shou, who was not far away, her eyes full of hostility.

—Master Bang has never done this before!

He assumed a fighting stance, his fists clenched, his muscles tense. Knowing there was a huge gap in strength between him and Ye Shou, and with obvious fear on his face, he still stood firmly in front of Bang.

Ye Shou looked at him like this, without making any move, but a hint of appreciation appeared on his face.

"Stop, Chalanzi." Bang spoke slowly, his voice slightly hoarse but unusually calm.

Chalanzi paused, then looked at Bang in confusion: "Master?"

“I said, stop.” Bang emphasized, his eyes turning serious. “It’s not his fault, it’s my own fault.”

Chalanzi hesitated before lowering her fist, still staring at Ye Shou warily, afraid that he might suddenly attack.

Bang raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, a slow smile curving his lips, his clear eyes full of understanding.

"I'm not sad, I'm moved."

Having lived for eighty years, I've seen my share of mountains, but today I realize that the world isn't just about one mountain. The vast wilderness holds limitless space, simply waiting to be explored… I'm already eighty… If only I had understood this sooner.”

Bang's face showed a mixture of regret and relief, which finally turned into a complex sigh: "Just now, after exchanging ideas with Lord Ye Shou, I witnessed the unrestrained yet natural wisdom of martial arts, and felt that unconventional and constantly breaking through ambition. Only then did I suddenly realize that I had been complacent and stuck in my ways."

“I have also benefited greatly.” Ye Shou said solemnly, “I have learned some basic skills of the Flowing Water Rock-Breaking Fist from somewhere, and I have studied the techniques extensively, but after communicating with you, I have truly understood the essence of this martial art… I am extremely grateful.”

"Don't do that, I'm the one who should be saying thank you."

Bang stepped off the bluestone: "The meaning of a martial artist lies in always maintaining awe and exploration of the world, in passing on what they have learned and understood, and in helping more people find their own path... It's so good to have met you before I close my eyes."

"In my opinion, if you learn ripple technology, you could easily live to be 120 years old, and you're still in your prime right now."

"Hehehe..."

Chalan stood aside, staring blankly at the scene, unable to react for a moment. With his level of understanding, it was indeed difficult for him to comprehend why Bang would shed tears.

But... this is wonderful, Master hasn't been this happy in a long time...

Chalan clenched her fists, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, a gentle breeze blows along the riverbank, carrying different thoughts and feelings to distant places.

-

Back at the dojo, Bang and Ye Shou changed into their everyday clothes, and Chalan brought them hot tea.

"This is all we have to offer our guests, so please don't find it offensive."

Banggu was a shrewd and experienced man. He could not hide Ye Shou's superior air, which he had long held in high esteem. Moreover, anyone with a discerning eye could see that no matter what clothes Ye Shou wore, even if they were not branded, they were made of high-quality materials and were elegant and appropriate, clearly different from the common stuff.

Ye Shou did not have the pickiness of ordinary wealthy people, and he did not dislike the tea and sweet dumplings that Cha Lanzi served.

"The dojo is basically no longer operating, and Charan is the only disciple left. If it weren't for the fact that this old body can still move and I have a part-time job at the association to supplement my income, I might have had to rely on Onii-chan... cough, rely on my older brother."

Bangu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and sighed softly, feeling completely refreshed.

"However, there are advantages to being in the mountains. It's far from the city and very quiet, which allows us to focus on serious training."

"That's wonderful," Ye Shou replied with a polite smile.

Bang put down his tea, looked him up and down carefully, and then, without warning, started a conversation: "You're the mysterious person who saved the high-speed train, aren't you?"

"Ok?"

"Both B-class hero Hellfire and A-class hero Magician are not ordinary people, but they were easily defeated on the train. That monster who calls himself White Blood Cell is at least Demon-level."

Within the Hero Association, heroes are divided into several levels: S, A, B, C, and D. Monsters are also divided into five levels: Wolf, Tiger, Demon, Dragon, and God, based on their destructive power and the scope of the disaster.

Among them, Demon-level monsters can put an entire city on alert and even cause the destruction of a district, while Dragon-level monsters can destroy a city in a short time, and if no one stops them, they can plunge several cities into hellfire!

Fubuki herself actually has A-rank strength, making her a powerful hero second only to S-rank. To defeat her so quickly would indeed require combat power above the Demon rank.

Ye Shou raised an eyebrow: "Oh... that's true. So that's the strength of a ghost-level being."

Seeing that Ye Shou didn't seem to take the Demon-level threat seriously, Bang smiled wryly and said, "It's true that youth is a blessing... The Association has been looking for you, as have Fubuki and Magician. They also want to thank you for saving their lives, but no one knows where you live."

"I never expected you to come to my dilapidated little dojo," Silver Fang laughed.

"A life-saving grace?" Ye Shou said dismissively. "It was just a small favor, not that serious. Even if I hadn't intervened, those two would most likely have been fine."

"Really? I heard that weirdo is very strong."

"The goal of the immune system is to kill as efficiently as possible. Whether it's white blood cells or other weirdos, they all eventually end up in big cities. They probably just happen to be on the train. If no one steps forward, they'll blow up the train and leave."

And... there's also the issue of worldview.

"What view?"

"It's nothing, just talking to myself." Ye Shou smiled nonchalantly and continued drinking his tea.

Vaccine Man should be the leader of the "immune system," and if the plot doesn't change, Fubuki shouldn't be killed on the spot. Instead, the white blood cells and other monsters will be eliminated by various heroes in the chaos after Vaccine Man encounters Baldy.

Fubuki's condition was dire at the time, but throughout the entire One-Punch Man series, most named heroes only suffer defeats, not deaths; many monsters don't like to finish off their enemies.

Ultimately, the heroes are generally resilient, and the original work did not rely on torturing the characters as its selling point.

Specifically regarding Fubuki, she is a superpowered individual, so it's normal for her to unleash her mental power in the face of life and death, leaving behind a breath like those heroes who retreated after facing the Deep Sea King.

Once the vaccine recipient dies, the white blood cells will likely panic and either try to find the vaccine recipient or be killed by the reinforcements.

Physical aging is indeed troublesome, but One-Punch Man is a somewhat fantastical and idealistic world. Not only does it have unscientific things like superpowers, but its biotechnology is also highly advanced, and many monsters mutate for inexplicable reasons. It's just treating excessive cell division and then slowly recuperating, which is child's play compared to clones and dragon-level artificial life forms.

In short, Ye Shou thought this was really just a small favor, nothing serious—in the future, these heroes would be surrounded by all sorts of strange people, and similar things would be as common as stray dogs on the street.

However, in the eyes of others, Ye Shou undoubtedly saved Fubuki and the Magician, and the fact that he restored their bodies afterwards was a miraculous feat!

Bang was beginning to understand what that miraculous healing method was, as described in the association's report:

I initially thought it was some kind of cutting-edge technology, but now it seems most likely to be related to ripple energy gong.

"It's truly remarkable that someone your age can remain so calm and humble in the face of both honor and disgrace."

Bang thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Have you ever considered joining the Hero Association?"

He explained the current internal situation of the association to Ye Shou. Generally speaking, the Hero Association is a place with few constraints. Although it theoretically monopolizes the image IP of heroes, in reality, most heroes do not have the ability to operate their own IP, so this is actually a good thing for them.

After all, the association isn't like the "Walker Corporation" in the black robes next door, which is ruthless for profit. On the contrary, all their revenue is used to provide assistance to heroes, and in nature, they are similar...

Ye Shou did not want to rashly join any organization. He had no ill feelings towards the association—precisely because of this, he could not accept the association's leadership, even if it was only nominal.

Because he selected the "Incompetent Boss" attribute on a certain system card, although the effect disappeared after only a month, he inexplicably gained the "subordinates overthrowing superiors" attribute. Later, when he encountered the "Offering Loyalty to You" attribute, this feeling became even more pronounced...

To become his "superior" depends on how lucky you are!

He was a free man in Night City, a lord in Delicious in Dungeon, a savior in Iron Blood, and also had no superior in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Why is TPC unaffected?

Because Sawai never treated him as a subordinate, and TPC even received his salary from Kuze!

The evil god Gatanothor once served as Ye Shou's "boss," and the consequences speak for themselves... There must be some explanation for the mystical power that even the conch shell couldn't withstand!

Under such circumstances, how could Ye Shou possibly join the Hero Association so casually?

This organization isn't perfect, but to be fair, it's done quite well. Among similar organizations in various works, it can definitely be categorized as "capable." But if Ye Shou were to receive a salary from them...

It's not my fault, Ye Shou's fault, it's this chaotic world that has ruined you all!

"Forget it, I prefer to be alone. Although the association doesn't have any mandatory clauses, I really don't want to deal with so many people."

Ye Shou shook his head, a subtle smile on his face.

Bang frowned, seemingly sensing that Ye Shou had some unspeakable secret. However, as the saying goes, it's best not to delve too deeply into someone you're not close to. The two are just martial arts confidants, and it's better not to pry too much into each other's private lives.

"That's your prerogative. I'll talk to some acquaintances later and ask them to take down the missing person notice so that no one will bother you. The people in the association are generally easy to talk to, especially powerful heroes like you. They would never force you to do anything, so don't worry."

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Ye Shou checked the time and stood up: "It's time to prepare lunch. When I first arrived in your area, Mr. Bang Gu taught me the secrets of boxing without reservation. I really don't know how to repay this kindness. Why don't I prepare this lunch?"

"How can this be allowed!"

Bang refused outright: "You're a guest, of course Chalan should go—"

"But I'm not exactly a culinary expert, so I'll just make a hot pot. I'll go to the city to buy some side dishes and A5 beef."

“…In that case, I’ll gladly accept.” Bang coughed twice. “Of course, it’s not because of the beef, I just don’t want to spoil your fun.”

Of course!

-

The claim that he was a bad cook was obviously a lie. He had mastered all his general skills during his happy childhood, and he had plenty of A5 beef and even higher-grade ingredients in his private space, so there was no need to buy them.

The reason Ye Shou made things so complicated is the same as the reason he previously fooled vaccine people: to experience the effect of the entry.

This time, he chose the negative keyword "difficult financial situation," which, as the name suggests, will worsen his financial luck. While it may not mean he will be plagued by poverty, it will certainly lead to a state of continuous financial hardship for his family.

Ye Shou was really curious: how could he possibly be "frugal" with his own wealth?

Will the invincible "Golden Rule" continue to be effective at this time?

He flew out of the mountains at a speed comparable to a missile, quickly entered the city, and randomly chose a large supermarket.

Ye Shou strolled leisurely through the supermarket shelves, pushing his shopping cart. He spotted a box of pork belly, reached for it, and was about to turn away when a staff member quickly stepped forward, deftly removing the "10% off" sign, muttering, "Promotion over, take it all."

Ye Shou turned around and saw the discount notification. It turned out that he had managed to get the discounted item just in time.

Is this considered lucky?

Without much thought, he went to the vegetable section, grabbed two bunches of greens, and put them in his shopping cart. Almost immediately, another staff member came over and tore off the "Special Offer" sign: "Fresh batch has arrived, price back to normal."

"The seafood section has received its fresh goods!"

"Are they sold out?"

……