Chapter 38: Chapter 37: [Eight Steps Chasing Cicada-∞?]
CLICK!
Just as the four of them were reeling from the shock of discovering their son (and nephew) had turned into a superman, the security door clicked open from the outside.
Then, his cousin, dressed in a police uniform and looking exhausted, walked in.
When Liu Junming saw the five of them gathered around a pile of ash, he rubbed his eyes.
But the scene refused to disappear, and the acrid smell of burning crept into his nostrils.
"My table!"
Liu Junming let out a pained cry, one filled with the anguish of poverty.
After a moment, the family started bombarding He Xiaotian with questions.
"You’re saying this world has ghosts and monsters?"
"And extraordinary individuals are appearing all over the country?"
"Why were you able to awaken and become an extraordinary individual, but we can’t?"
What could He Xiaotian do in the face of their questions? He felt pretty helpless himself.
’Besides, I’m just a fake extraordinary individual.’
’If it weren’t for my Golden Finger, our whole family would probably be lined up neatly in that abandoned factory by the river, turned into a blood sacrifice.’
"I’ve told you everything I know. You’re a police officer, cousin. You must know more of the inside story, right?"
He Xiaotian turned to the dazed Liu Junming and said in a low, pointed voice.
"I signed a confidentiality agreement. I can’t violate department regulations. If Director Huang finds out, I could go to jail."
SMACK! Liu Jin slapped his son hard on the back of the head. ’What the hell kind of time is this to be thinking about department regulations? Is your father’s life not important? If your uncle and aunt weren’t here, I’d beat the living daylights out of you, you little shit!’
"Alright, what Xiaotian said is the truth. Before the special task force left, they gave a specific warning to be on high alert. They said the organization behind this might send someone to investigate."
Facing his family’s furious glares, Liu Junming could only surrender.
"But our paper mill still has a huge batch of unfinished orders!" He Sheng and Liu Jin were instantly torn.
"What are you thinking? Now’s not the time to worry about money! What’s the point of earning it if you’re not around to spend it?" their wives roared, yanking on their ears.
"I’ve already thought about the paper mill. We should just sell it off completely. With this big order, we can get a better price," He Xiaotian interjected.
"Easy for you to say. It’s not your sweat and tears on the line," the two bosses grumbled, rubbing their ears. "Fine, we’ll listen to you. But we need at least a week to get a good price."
"Absolutely not!" his mother Wang Mei and aunt Helan vetoed in unison. "Who knows when that organization Xiaotian mentioned will show up? We’ll give you two three days to handle the paper mill. The two of us will sell the house immediately, and then we’re all leaving to settle down in Shanghai."
"Why Shanghai and not the Capital City?" He Sheng and Liu Jin immediately protested. "Why do you two get to make all the decisions?"
"Have you forgotten Xiaotian is attending university in Shanghai?" Wang Mei started her lecture, once again grabbing He Sheng’s ear. "The world may have changed, but he can’t just abandon his studies. Wouldn’t it be better for him to have a quiet life as a doctor, saving people? Or do you want him to go throw his life away for the country?"
For her, her son’s safety was more important than anything.
Even if that so-and-so school was all about serving the country and protecting the lives of the people—a noble cause, to be sure.
But he was her only son!
What if he was suddenly killed on a mission?
After all, those were demons and monsters.
Then in an instant, the four of them sprang into action, leaving only He Xiaotian and his cousin at home.
Their speed was so astonishing that even He Xiaotian, with all his martial arts training, was left in the dust.
"Cousin, that monstrously strong man with the two hammers last night... was that you?"
After his parents left, Liu Junming finally asked the question that had been burning inside him.
He Xiaotian’s explanation just now made it impossible for him not to connect the dots to the mysterious X.
Otherwise, how would he know so many secrets?
Only the police, the special task force, and X, who carried the great iron hammers, knew about yesterday’s operation.
"What do you think?" He Xiaotian rolled his eyes. ’You’ve already made up your mind. It’s not like I can deny it.’
"So your massive appetite is because you awakened as an extraordinary individual. Sigh! Why wasn’t I born with that kind of talent?" Liu Junming sighed, incidentally coming up with a perfect explanation for his cousin’s voracious eating habits from the past few days.
"Cousin, what about those secret manuals of yours? Can I borrow a few to take a look?" Seeing his cousin looking so downcast, He Xiaotian asked, trying to change the subject.
"They’re in the cabinet in the study. Go take a look yourself. But then again, you’re already a superman, why would you need to look at martial arts? That stuff is the biggest scam in history. If it wasn’t past the seven-day no-questions-asked return window, I would’ve sent them all back." As he said this, Liu Junming’s voice was filled with bitterness.
The world was becoming abnormal. Powers like turning one’s body to steel, controlling liquids, wielding natural ice, and even his cousin’s ability to control fire had all appeared.
’So why can’t martial arts be real?’
In the study, He Xiaotian stared at the five secret manuals arrayed before him, momentarily lost in thought.
Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training, Great Tablet-Smashing Hand, Vajra Lion’s Roar, and Head-Splitting Kick.
He Xiaotian wanted to learn all of them except for the last one, Head-Splitting Kick.
Why?
Heh heh!
’The impressive part of the Head-Splitting Kick was the cloth shoes; it had absolutely nothing to do with the actual footwork.’
’If you’re wearing god-tier cloth shoes that are impervious to blades, invulnerable to fire and water, and grant a +10,000% attack bonus...’
’Even if you were the number one master in the world, I’d still kick you so hard snot bubbles would come flying out of your nose!!’
’One kick from me, and you’d be dead. You believe that, don’t you?’
’I’m getting sidetracked.’
He Xiaotian’s goal this time was very clear: to find a Qinggong manual.
’I’ll worry about the others later.’
[Ding! A complete martial arts manual has been discovered. Add?]
Huh?
’This one’s actually complete, not a fragment? And it doesn’t cost any Experience Points.’
"Add."
[Experience Points: 8000
Functions: Scan, Enhance
Martial Arts: - 0/6000+ (Perfected: Perfect Top Grade Ocean-Boiling. Inner Strength +30, Strength +9, Fire Resistance +4, Burn +6, Hardness +4.)
- 0/500+ (Integrated: Strength +2, Impact +1, Sharpness +2, Pressure +3, Hardness +2.) Note: Stat bonuses in parentheses apply only to both hands.
- 0/50+ (Not yet Learned.)]
Focusing his Spirit, he lightly tapped the ’+’ sign.
[ - 0/50+ (Initiate.)]
[ - 0/100+ (Beginner: Speed +1.)]
[ - 0/150+ (Minor Accomplishment: Speed +1, Explosive Power +1.)]
[ - 0/200+ (Familiar: Speed +2, Explosive Power +1.)]
[ - 0/250+ (Integrated: Speed +3, Explosive Power +2.)]
[ - ∞ (Perfected: Speed +4, Explosive Power +3.)]
"’Infinity?’ Does that mean Eight Steps Chasing Cicada is maxed out?"
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