Chapter 51: Four Years

Four years passed in the blink of an eye, bringing them to 1991, just months away from the Giant’s fall.

Orlando, Florida.

In the newly emerged Chinatown, a martial arts school occasionally echoed with shouts and the thuds of bodies colliding.

Passersby kept casting glances, their eyes filled with envy and curiosity.

There was no helping it—Orlando had only recently developed, so things common in big cities simply didn’t exist here: Chinatowns, for instance, were established in New York, San Francisco, Washington, but for Orlando, it was still novel. Of course, what they were curious about wasn’t that.

Chinese things were, in some sense, similar to the mysterious ways of the Gypsies.

What they truly wondered about was Chinese martial arts.

With Bruce Lee’s explosive popularity, the 70s and 80s saw a martial arts craze sweep across America, so much so that any Chinese person was routinely asked if they knew kung fu. During this period, countless martial arts schools crossed the ocean to land on this smoke-filled soil.

So it was no wonder they stared here with such curiosity.

Zhenkun Martial Arts School.

A boy, his body brimming with sleek, lean muscle and not an ounce of fat, kicked the two-meter-tall giant before him to the ground, then bowed his fists, “Your courtesy.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Applause erupted everywhere.

The fellow students gathered around cheered loudly.

“Louis is amazing!”

“Strong!”

“Besides the master and a few senior brothers, no one in our school is stronger than Louis, right?”

“…”

“Oh? Emma’s here? Come to see your little sweetheart again?”

In the corner, a girl with long black hair and a cool demeanor bit on a lollipop and shot a sidelong glance at the speaker.

She said nothing, simply waiting quietly.

Soon, Louis emerged, changed into everyday clothes.

“Let’s go.”

Emma nodded and followed closely behind Louis.

Behind them, the fellow students wore looks of envy—Emma now had a beautiful face, her long black hair smooth and flowing, her delicate features as striking as ever, even enhanced by her cold, expressionless demeanor, giving her an aura of disciplined elegance. Only her height held her back; otherwise, she’d be a textbook cold, ascetic beauty.

A beauty like this following Louis everywhere—how could anyone not be envious?

Some had indeed pursued Emma—students from the school, from around the neighborhood—but for some reason, she rebuffed them all, and if they annoyed her, she’d even zap them with a taser. Brutal, really.

Of course, they didn’t know that if Louis hadn’t corrected them, what awaited them wouldn’t have been a taser—they’d have ended up bleeding.

Walking down the street, Louis bought a fried chicken leg and ate it. Since he began training, his qi cultivation had accelerated, and so had his consumption—he needed high-calorie, nutrient-rich food now and then.

At that moment, Emma beside him asked, “This year we’re both advancing—have you decided where to go?”

“Lakeview Prep School. I looked into it—it’s the largest private school recently established in Orlando, with excellent faculty, good school benefits, constant perks, frequent activities, and many students get into top fifty universities.”

Louis said casually.

In America, there are 6-2-4 and 6-3-3 systems; Louis attended the 6-2-4 system: six years elementary, two years middle, four years high school, then university.

Due to his outstanding academic performance, he skipped a grade and became Emma’s classmate, so although he was only twelve, he would advance to high school with her this year.

“By the way, Yulencar isn’t planning to come back—probably still bossing people around at school.”

“Oh~ Tell her to transfer.”

Emma nodded knowingly, a pleased smile tugging at her lips. She’d said it on purpose, setting a trap—exactly what she wanted.

Thought she could escape Louis, huh? Ha! Used her three-year age advantage to skip ahead to middle school and enjoyed two years of ease—now it’s time to return to hell. Ha!

But today’s main goal wasn’t that. Emma quickly calmed down.

“Louis, today?”

“Mm. Let’s go see.”

Louis and Emma returned home but didn’t enter—instead, they walked straight to the back hill, past the warehouse, into a specially repaired, sunless, dark cave.

Among the bushes outside the cave, hidden gang members with guns watched—seeing Louis, they stayed out of sight.

They walked deep into the cave.

A blood-red dog, big enough to kill a normal dog with one paw, lunged forward, then crouched at Louis’s feet, tail wagging wildly.

Louis crouched and stroked the dog’s head a few times. “Good job. Keep watch here with your little ones.”

Nüe, comfortable, closed his eyes and nodded quickly.

Beside him, Emma kept her distance—this massive beast was no easy pet; it recognized only Louis. Last time Yulencar got too handsy, she nearly lost her head.

After dismissing Nüe, Louis led Emma to the deepest part.

There, six corpses lay in plain sight!

The corpses bore clear Mexican features.

All seven orifices on their faces were covered with red-charmed talismans. A few of the bodies had already collapsed inward, with something faintly wriggling beneath their skin—unsettling to behold.

Even more horrifying were the piles of skin-like rags in the corner!

“This one’s been used up—I wonder if it worked.”

Louis crouched down, studying closely.

Beside him, Emma’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

Over these years, Louis had gradually revealed more bizarre methods to her. After her initial fear, she felt an odd attraction.

Step by step, she joined Louis.

Among those piles of skin were a few junkies who’d harassed her—she killed them and gave them to Louis as material.

At that moment, Louis moved.

A light touch.

The head instantly collapsed, as if lacking a skull.

The collapse triggered a chain reaction—neck, torso, limbs—all caved in.

And the things beneath the skin surged en masse toward the head.

In an instant, the collapsed head swelled again, then slowly shrank. The runes on the seven crimson talismans began wriggling like tadpoles, their color fading.

Finally.

The talismans turned to ash.

The skin on the head split open.

A blood-red bead, the size of a Buddhist prayer bead, beautiful and lustrous as jade, slowly floated out.

Seeing it, Louis smiled in satisfaction, reached out to catch it—and inadvertently revealed a blood-red bracelet on his wrist.

(End of chapter)