Gan Qing searched the area but found no trace of Yan Hao. After sucking in a bellyful of wind and running and pausing repeatedly, her stomach was really starting to hurt. She shouldn't have eaten those additional chicken wings for dinner.

This might be payback. The last time, she had no filter on her mouth and had, behind his back, said that "Tang Qian Yan" was now a lizard crawling on the wall. Today, the lizard had dragged her through three streets.

On the courtyard wall, a notice about central heating that had been stuck there for more than a month was half-peeling away from the wall, flapping restlessly in the cold wind. The words on it were very mottled.

Gan Qing stared at it for a while, then turned to go. I don't care anymore, he can die for all I care. I'm going home to sleep.

Then, right at that moment, a short, fearful scream sounded and was quickly cut off. Like a fish, Gan Qing slipped out and disappeared from where she was in a mere second.

This shout was from Nie Ke. By chance, Nie Ke regained consciousness at this moment.

A second ago, he was still happily seducing a sweet and naive young woman. The next second, he opened his eyes and realised that he was being carried on someone's shoulder like a sack and that someone was running madly. Anyone in his place would also shout. Nie Ke's stomach was bouncing against Yan Hao's old bag and there was something inside that was very hard, jabbing at him between two of his ribs, making him want to puke.

Nie Ke subconsciously tugged on the old canvas bag. He opened his mouth and set his voice free. "Ahhhh help-!"

Shocked out of his skin, Yan Hao's hands slipped and he threw the man down from his shoulder.

After falling from the height of a person and smashing squarely onto the ground, Nie Ke felt his insides shaking from the impact and his vision was blacking out. Right after that, before he could see clearly who this black-hearted kidnapper was, a coat so dampened by sweat it was stinking a little was thrown over his head.

Nie Ke was going to go mad. Tugging at Yan Hao's old cloth bag, he covered his waist and curled on the ground, and tried to inch back on his butt with all his might. "Who the hell are you- Mm… Mm!"

Yan Hao gave him a kick and the man curled up like a large dried shrimp. This Tang Qian Yan was not proficient in the art of kidnapping and his head was covered in sweat. He pulled on his bag to get it back, trying to push Nie Ke's head down at the same time. With a ripping sound, his cloth bag that was worth sixteen yuan valiantly laid down its life in the tug-of-war between the two men and the contents scattered all over the ground.

Ayanami Rei!

Flustered and panicked, Yan Hao struck Nie Ke with his elbow and the man finally stopped moving.

Yan Hao panted harshly. He hastily stuffed the things that had fallen out back into his bag but before he could check the contents, he keenly sensed a small movement. His face changed and he bent down to lift Nie Ke onto his shoulder, then turned to run.

Right at that moment, a gust of wind swept towards him and blocked his way. Gan Qing had caught up to him!

Yan Hao took a breath to steel himself. He raised an arm, striking a pose, and took the kick at close quarters. The two of them clashed forcefully, then sprang apart at the same time. Gan Qing was thrown further away; there was no way to overcome the difference in their weights.

Yan Hao's forearm hurt like it was broken. His entire body has drawn taut and he glared at the person before him. "You… Who on earth are you?"

There were some outsiders to the field who thought that legs have more strength than arms. Furthermore, the poses were impressive, they look beautiful during a fight and seemed more powerful. But in actual fact, if it wasn't a match where one needed to "make arrangements" for collecting points, when two people unfamiliar with each other fought, they would rarely attack immediately with their legs. This was because when a person gathered and exerted strength, they had to use their two legs. Once they raised a leg, their balance would be lost by half. It was easy to kick out but difficult to judge where to land the kick. And what made it more difficult was that in the process of raising and landing the kick, a person would have a lot of indefensible areas and it was easy for their opponent to fight back.

This kick from his opponent that was blocking his path appeared ferocious on the surface but was actually rather similar to the way a pet owner would use their foot to gently pry away their troublesome little cat or dog. The strength behind it was already held back.

If Gan Qing wasn't a "blockhead" who didn't know anything, then it meant that she was giving him a lot of leeway.

"Don't know me? When we buy jianbing, we always bump into each other. There was once when there was only one piece of cracker left and you let me have it." Gan Qing shook out her leg that was feeling numb. Then, she stopped joking and said softly, "I remember your kindness. Let me say for the last time, put down that person and I won't call the police."

"No, I won't let him go." Yan Hao took half a step back warily. "He… He's a scumbag. He hurt someone and pretended to be innocent. I saw it… He even wants to deceive other people!"

"Who did he hurt?" Gan Qing strained to make out his jumbled words. After staring blankly for a while, she finally realised. "His wife? You know her, Xiang Xiaoman?"

Yan Hao shook his head honestly.

Gan Qing was bewildered. "You don't know her, then why are you making a fuss here? What does it have to do with you?"

Yan Hao's vocabulary was severely lacking. He didn't even know how to scold people, and again and again, he only had the same phrase. ""He's a scumbag!"

"So? You want to avenge her on behalf of Heaven?" Gan Qing asked, "Are you from the Women's Association?"

So much concern for women's rights?

But when Yan Hao heard her say "avenge," he thought of the Avengers^[1]—this person was mocking him getting arrested while wearing a Spiderman costume!

A large dimensional gap descended from the sky and landed between the two of them, creating a situation where it was like the chicken talking to the duck.

Yan Hao's face immediately turned red. He roared in anger and charged at Gan Qing without a care.

Gan Qing, "..."

Did she say something wrong?

Yan Hao was tall and broad, and did indeed have an advantage. He used Nie Ke as a large and not-very-handy club, putting on a fierce and mighty front as he brandished him around. The tip of Gan Qing's foot lightly pushed against the ground and she instantly retreated three to four meters. She didn't dare take the attack head-on because this "large club" was made of human flesh. If it was accidentally snapped, the both of them would become murderers.

In a flash, she slipped to Yan Hao's side. Her fingers like a hook, Gan Qing struck at Yan Hao's throat. Goosebumps rose on the skin around his throat and in no time at all, the two of them had exchanged over ten blows. That pale hand was extremely dangerous, each and every joint a lethal weapon. For a moment, Yan Hao was a little fearful and slowed down half a beat. Gan Qing's hand hooked around Nie Ke's belt. She wanted to pull him down.

Yan Hao followed the momentum and swung Nie Ke down.

This move was comparable to "Liu Bei Throwing His Child^[2]." If Nie Ke was hit somewhere critical when he landed, even if he could keep his life, he would surely be paralysed. Gan Qing couldn't just stand and watch a human scum become a human pancake, and had no choice but to stretch her arms out to catch him. However, her methods depended on unexpected and unconventional moves, and what she practised was not the kind of technique for pitting strength against others. From their founder onwards, none of the disciples had undertaken any kind of physical labour for work. This swing of Yan Hao's carried the weight of over a hundred pounds. Both of Gan Qing's arms sank down, and she nearly pulled her waist.

Before she could get a steady grip, Yan Hao swung Nie Ke forwards, directly pushing her away, then stretched his legs and ran. A few jumps and he disappeared again.

This person was like a punching bag but his abilities were not at all weak.

Gan Qing was just about to give chase when a wave of cramps from her left abdomen stopped her from moving. She hissed in pain and bent over, her brows furrowed. She felt a little like vomiting—even a martial arts expert couldn't do extreme workouts right after a meal.

Right then, someone ran over, the wind blowing along with them. "What's going on?"

When she saw Yan Hao knock Nie Ke out, Gan Qing notified their alliance leader at once. At that time, Yu Lanchuan had been waiting in the elevator lobby for twenty minutes. While waiting, he had already finished reviewing the monthly report but the person he wanted to bump into had yet to come back. He was just thinking that it was rather strange when he received Gan Qing's text, and had rushed over.

"What happened to you?" Right away, Yu Lanchuan could tell that her complexion was not right. He reached out to support her by the elbow. Her elbow was tough and bony, and when she was curled up, she seemed as light as a feather.

Like a piece of paper, Yu Lanchuan suddenly thought rather absent-mindedly.

After that, he threw away this baffling thought. "Where are you injured? Was it Yan Hao who did it?"

Gan Qing, "..."

No, it was the chicken wings.

"It's okay." She waved a hand and took a breath. "It's a stitch… He's too good at running."

Yu Lanchuan asked, "What on earth happened?"

Gan Qing briefly explained the events and at the end, asked weakly, "Is it the trend nowadays for all you righteous sects to produce weirdos?"

Yu Lanchuan's ears twitched. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at her—what did she mean by "all you righteous sects"?

"Let's go back first," Yu Lanchuan said calmly. "I'll borrow some scouts from Old Master Yang."

Gan Qing's stomach had finished kicking a fuss and rolling around. Seeing that its resistance was effective, it stopped making trouble. She felt a bit better and was just about to leave when suddenly, she saw something at the tree pit on the pavement. She walked over and picked it up. "A doll? Made of plastic?"

Yan Hao carried a scumbag on his shoulder and leaped out of the small courtyard. In his panic, he was not picky about his direction and slipped into a building under construction to hide. He nervously waited for a long while but that highly-skilled person just now did not chase after him. He finally relaxed. He freed his hands and tied up Nie Ke's arms and legs, and examined his torn bag with his heart aching.

Suddenly, Yan Hao's entire person froze. His eyes widened and he spaced out for a few seconds, then poured out everything in his bag onto the ground in a fluster. He went through the contents item by item… Ayanami Rei was gone!

Yanning's night was very short. It seemed like the last train had just sent the weary working-overtime passengers home and the elderly were already coming out to walk their dogs or to do their morning exercises. Before the sky was bright, the breakfast vendors had already lit their stoves, the heat rising to the sky as they prepared to welcome their first batch of customers. Jianbing Guozi's boss parked his little cart, took up the metal spatula and stirred the pot that was filled to the brim with sauce. He lit the stove and warmed his hands. From far, he saw a few people who looked like beggars sticking something onto the walls. He took a piece of grease paper, picked up a few youtiao and brought it over to the beggars for them to divide among themselves. "Why are the brothers from Beggars' Sect so early today?"

"Orders from the old Sect Leader. We don't dare be slow." The beggars said their thanks, accepted the youtiao and wolfed them down.

When Jianbing Guozi's boss heard their words, he knew it was something related to jianghu disputes. His hands folded behind his back, he went over to take a closer look. What he saw was a "Lost and Found" notice printed with a black and white photo of Ayanami Rei. The pick-up point was No. 110 Courtyard's reception office. There was a vague statement on the notice: To be exchanged for what you have taken. Before dawn, else the deal is over.

"Pick up a… doll? I don't understand." Jianbing Guozi's boss muttered for a while in puzzlement. "Your esteemed sect is getting more and more trendy."

At No. 110 Courtyard, Old Master Yang also felt that it was very outrageous. Together with the laundry shop's Boss Jiang whose age together with his own added up to over 150, the two of them stared at the little figurine sitting on the weiqi board between them.

"Will it work?" Old Master Yang glanced at Yu Lanchuan. He still felt that Yu Lanchuan had come up with a rotten idea.

Director Yu was holding a cup of red tea bought from a twenty-four hours convenience shop, tapping loudly on his keyboard as he concentrated on his work for the day. This way, he could make up for his lost sleep during lunch break. He answered without looking up, "Listen to me, don't worry. We have invested in a related project before. The fans' enthusiasm and fervour will exceed your imagination."

Old Master Yang couldn't understand his words. He glanced at what Yu Lanchuan was working on with a rather reverential gaze.

The rumours and slander about Yan Hao was getting increasingly loud. Boss Jiang was afraid that he would not be able to bear it and had wanted to ask Old Master Yang to help him look for a job that wouldn't require him to show his face. Old Master Yang had gone home and fought with his granddaughter for a few days. Finally, President Yang relented and agreed to give Yan Hao a job as a security guard. Boss Jiang was very elated but before he could inform Yan Hao, that kid had left without saying goodbye.

"How old is he now and still playing with dolls… Ai!"

"This child was held back by his mother." Boss Jiang sighed. "When his grandmother was young, she had once been saved by Senior Tang Qian Yan. She talked about it for her entire life and influenced her child. When Yan Hao's mother was young, she didn't work properly and fantasised about heroes all day long. Because of that, she tried every possible way and means to marry our brother Old Yan… Fortunately, Old Yan was an honest person. After their marriage, the two of them lived quite well. It was just that he left too early. After he was gone, only the mother and the child were left behind. All these years, they depended on help from the Yan family's old friends to get by. That kid Yan Hao was born with a slight speech impediment. When he was young, there were bad kids who bullied him and he slowly grew to dislike speaking. That sister-in-law of mine always felt that he was not a proper man and forced him to learn martial arts. She made him do standing meditation when he was only five or six years old. I went to their home once, the child was crying as he practised."

Nowadays, there were very few people who practised the Shaolin Tongzi Gong^[3]. The current martial arts techniques emphasised on strength and speed, and the masters wouldn't teach a child that was too young. Firstly, they were afraid that practising the techniques would harm the child's muscles and bones; secondly, they were afraid that if the child was not made of the right stuff, not only would the child not be able to master the skills, their conventional studies would also be hindered. Even when it came to Yu Lanchuan whose family was the origin of the sect, it was only when he was in his teens that he bothered Yu Huaide into teaching him.

Boss Jiang said, "Look at the way he is now. He did master some skills but other than causing trouble, what use are they? What will he depend on to find his place in society in the future? Perhaps it's better for Tang Qian Yan's skills to be cut off in this generation."

At that moment, a gust of wind blew in from the door. There was a creaking sound and the two chattering old men closed their mouths in unison. Like two agile old monkeys, they scrambled towards the door. Yu Lanchuan looked up.

Yan Hao finally showed his face, the morning dew on his body and Nie Ke on his shoulders.

His coat was being used to wrap Nie Ke up and he was only wearing a knitted ochre-coloured sweater. There were a few days' worth of unshaved stubble on his face and his eyes were bloodshot. Avoiding Boss Jiang's gaze, he looked down at his own toes and stretched his hand out towards Yu Lanchuan. "Give her back."

It was nearly dawn. At No. 110 Courtyard, a soft whistle sounded. Nearby, a group of Beggars' Sect members revealed themselves one by one. A few people came over and restrained Yan Hao, the rest efficiently picked up Nie Ke.

One of the Beggars' Sect disciples carried two supermarket bags and said softly to Old Master Yang. "Sect Leader Yang, we have checked the items against the receipt."

"Go quickly!" Old Master Yang waved his hand and the Beggars' Sect disciples lifted Nie Ke with practised ease and went up to the eighth floor. They picked the lock and entered, stealthily carrying him to his own bed. They undid the ropes binding Nie Ke, then took a bottle of alcohol from his own supermarket bag. They trickled a few drops into Nie Ke's mouth and splashed some onto his body and clothes. The bottle was then overturned, filling the apartment with alcohol fumes. After that, they wiped their footprints clean and filed out.

In the reception office, Yu Lanchuan stood up, packed away his laptop and took Ayanami Rei away.

Yan Hao hastily called out, "Give her back!"

Yu Lanchuan looked at the figurine in his hand. He tossed it up in the air and then caught it again, and smiled coldly. "We'll talk again when you have calmed down."

Seeing his lifeblood being tossed around like that, Yan Hao's eyes widened in furious anger but he was firmly restrained by the Beggars' Sect disciples. Boss Jiang smacked him a few times on his back in anger and disappointment, his temper erupting.

"But he's a scumbag, Uncle Jiang!" Yan Hao was familiar with Boss Jiang and his words could just barely flow a little easier. "He pressured his wife until she went crazy and I even saw him give money to an evil doctor from an illegal clinic! There's a reason why she wants to kill him!"

"So what!" Boss Jiang was exasperated. "That's between the two of them. As the people say, 'Even the officials don't interfere in domestic matters'!"

Yan Hao said, "I-"

"Do you have proof? The law and the police want to see proof." Old Master Yang cut him off in a calm tone. "Child, I know you mean well but this is not something for outsiders to explain."

But… what about her? What about Xiang Xiaoman?

How could this be?

Yan Hao looked at them, perplexed and helpless.

T/N:

[1] Women's Association is 妇联 fùlián while the Avengers is 復仇者聯盟 fùchóuzhě liánméng or 復聯 fùlián for short. When Gan Qing asked Yan Hao if he was from the Women's Association, Yan Hao heard it as asking if he was from the Avengers. This pun doesn't work in English so I tweaked it a little.

[2] "Liu Bei Throwing His Child" refers to an event during the Battle of Changban as described in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Zhao Yun risked his life to save Liu Bei's son, A'dou, and when they reached Liu Bei, Liu Bei threw his son to the ground because he was angry that his son had nearly cost him his best warrior.

[3] Tongzi Gong 童子功 is part of the Shaolin kungfu curriculum.