Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Fifteen: Dear Friend Luoshui

"Ah..." Wang Jue, who had been gazing out the window, suddenly heard a few suppressed gasps from behind him. He withdrew his gaze and looked around, noticing where many people's eyes were fixed—and immediately understood the situation.

A few seats ahead, a well-dressed man who appeared respectable had his hand reaching into the bag of a woman in front of him. Her purse was already unzipped and bulging, clearly filled with valuables. While pilfering, the man brazenly glared at the onlookers nearby, his eyes full of threat.

The bus wasn't crowded; in fact, it was rather empty, so such a blatant act was bound to be noticed immediately—especially by those, like Wang Jue, seated toward the back. The thief was utterly audacious; this wasn't mere theft anymore, but outright robbery in broad daylight.

"Should I do the right thing in a situation like this? But I'm pretty far away; shouldn't the people closer to him do something first..." Wang Jue was already weighing his options the moment he saw the scene.

He thought, with so many adults on the bus, surely someone would intervene or at least say something. He wasn't particularly interested in getting involved. But reality was harsh—no one stepped in, not even as the thief's hand slipped into the woman's bag.

The bystanders simply distanced themselves, not daring to utter a word.

Wang Jue was left speechless. He had never witnessed such a scene before. Though he'd read about similar incidents online, to see it happen right in front of him was surreal, making him uncomfortable.

Damn, are thieves this brazen nowadays? And these people—so shameless! They saw everything but pretended not to notice, not even considering lending a hand.

No one would help?

Wang Jue frowned in hesitation. Should he step in?

The thief looked tall, but didn't seem to know how to fight. If Wang Jue intervened, he could probably handle it easily. He wondered if helping would get him hurt or embroiled in trouble, but if he didn't help, what if the woman's things were important to her? After all, people who took the bus usually didn't have much money to lose.

An angel and a devil argued in his mind.

His inner debate raged as the thief appeared to finally grasp something in the bag, about to pull it out.

The angel prevailed.

Help!

If he hadn't seen it, no one would blame him for not helping. But with this happening right before his eyes, his blood ran hot—he couldn't just stand by, cold and detached like the others.

With that, Wang Jue half-rose from his seat, ready to act. He wasn't claiming to be righteous, just following his own sense of decency—he felt able to help.

Yet before he could do or say anything, a gust of wind seemed to rush past him. The beautiful woman who had been sitting beside him crossed the distance in a few strides and seized the thief's hand.

"Let go of me! You stupid girl, are you looking to die?" the thief spat, angry and embarrassed, his face flushing. Despite the woman's delicate appearance and slender hands—hands many men would have loved to be touched by—his response was strange. He seemed less embarrassed than in pain, struggling desperately.

"Ah... a thief?!" The victim, startled by the commotion, now noticed her bag had been opened, its contents exposed. Her piercing scream made everyone nearby cover their ears.

Even Wang Jue, who was half-standing, was taken aback. He couldn't help but think that this woman was wasting her talent by not mastering the Lion's Roar or some sonic martial art.

The beautiful woman, expressionless, said, "You should be grateful that the Safe Zone's laws protect you. Otherwise, I'd show you the true meaning of death."

Perhaps she was disgusted by his actions or his words. Now, she seemed colder than before. Her icy, emotionless words sent a chill through Wang Jue; he reminded himself never to provoke a woman—pretty or not. After all, you never know when someone who seems easy to bully might turn out to be more than you can handle.

Her tone was dead serious, not a trace of jest, as if she didn't consider the thief a person at all. Were it not for the Safe Zone's laws, she might have killed him on the spot.

"I'll be dead, you—ah..." The thief tried to curse, but before he could finish, her slender hand twisted his arm. It was unimaginable that such a delicate hand could possess such terrifying strength—his adult arm was completely bent out of shape, and he howled in pain.

"Driver, stop the bus." Having taught the thief a lesson, the woman was still not satisfied and called to the driver.

The driver already knew what was happening with all the commotion. He didn't bother with regulations—assuming she meant to throw the thief off the bus, he quickly pulled over. After all, less trouble was better.

"Ahhh... Help! Somebody call the police! Somebody save me..." As everyone assumed the woman was going to toss the thief off the bus, she instead broke his other arm without mercy, treating him like he was less than human.

She dragged the thief off the bus, pinning him to the ground, his cries for help echoing behind. The once arrogant thief was now a wailing mess, begging for the police's protection.

The woman's earlier words had come true: these criminals broke the law, yet expected the law to protect them.

Everyone watched as the woman dragged the thief away, his miserable appearance sending a chill down the spines of those who'd been ogling her earlier.

"What just happened?"

"Beauty versus the thief? No, beauty versus the beast?"

"Should we call the police?"

"Forget it. Better not get involved."

"Yeah, it's over anyway."

"Driver, get moving! I'm running late for work!"

"Ah, I'm going to be late for school!"

The passengers began to discuss the incident. Most had never witnessed anything like it—some might never encounter a thief in their lives. It was all very strange.

After notifying the company, the driver yielded to the mounting pressure from passengers and started the bus again. It wasn't a legal stop, and people were anxious to get to work and school.

For the rest of the journey, the bus buzzed with talk of the mysterious woman. Even Wang Jue found her face resurfacing in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that, as she left, she'd glanced back at him.

Was it just his imagination? Surely it was. Someone like her was no ordinary person—why would she notice him? It must have been a coincidence.

Lost in these thoughts, Wang Jue arrived at school.

Peace No. 10 Middle School.

This was Wang Jue's school—one of the best middle schools in Peace Town. It wasn't a key school, but its resources were decent.

However, there were nine schools ranked above it in Peace Town, and the higher the rank, the better the resources.

Jiangnan City was a huge metropolis with thousands of small towns surrounding it. The closer a town was to Jiangnan, the more prosperous it became.

Peace Town was far from Jiangnan City—even by airship, it would take a whole week to get there.

Ordinary people seldom left their hometowns. Each town was protected by powerful guardians to defend against attacks from star beasts.

Only martial artists could travel freely between towns.

Many people were curious about the world beyond, and though technology allowed them to learn about distant events online, nothing compared to seeing things firsthand.

To leave their hometowns, one had to become a martial artist—a dream for countless children.

As Wang Jue entered the school gates, the place bustled with life.

The vibrant energy of youth was palpable among the teenagers streaming into the school.

"Wang Jue, you're finally back. Looks like you're over your illness?"

Class 6, Grade 9. Wang Jue had just entered the classroom when someone called out to him. It was still early, and there weren't many students yet. Wang Jue looked toward the voice—though he already knew who it was.

Luo Shui, a girl, was one of the few friends his former self had made at this school.

As he looked over, the shapely girl strode toward him, her long legs carrying her swiftly. Her delicate, oval face nearly touched his as she peered at him, her eyes sparkling. "Good, I see you haven't lost any limbs. That puts my mind at ease."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? It was just an illness—not exactly the same as losing an arm or a leg! Did I ever offend you? Why are you cursing me like that?" Wang Jue couldn't help but laugh at Luo Shui's words. She was great, except for her habit of teasing him.

Just as Luo Shui was about to retort, the bell rang for class. She gestured, clenching her little fist in mock threat, as if to say, "I'll deal with you later."

Wang Jue wasn't fazed by Luo Shui's "threat." In the past, before he broke through to become a martial artist, Luo Shui would always threaten to beat him up, but never followed through. Now that he'd reached the third level of body refinement, even if she did try, he figured he could take it—he felt pretty tough these days.