"It's nothing."
Andrew Han's voice softened, and he laughed quietly: "Don't worry. Maybe some clown wants to cause trouble, but I can handle it myself."
"Oh." Monica Zhang breathed a sigh of relief.
Only now did she realize she was still clutching Andrew Han's sleeve. She hurriedly let go of his soft hands and lowered her head.
Her face flushed, unable to meet his eyes.
When Monica Zhang looked up again, Andrew Han was already striding away.
—
Plaza main entrance.
Andrew Han tried calling Miles Ning, but his phone was off. He sent several WeChat messages, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea—no reply.
"What a pity."
"Mm, I've got it." Andrew Han nodded.
"Hey, why don't you also choose accounting? Maybe we'll end up as classmates." Monica Zhang said with interest, gazing at Andrew Han.
"I'll think about it," Andrew Han replied noncommittally.
Monica Zhang brushed aside the black hair that fell over her face and smiled gently. "Then you should prioritize accounting. With your help, I could rule the class!"
Her soft smile was like a fresh firework blooming before his eyes.
Andrew Han was momentarily stunned, silent for a moment. Just then, his phone vibrated—it was Gavin King calling.
"Let me take this call."
Andrew Han said, then answered Gavin King's call. "What's up?"
Gavin King said enthusiastically, "Brother, our Honglu Martial Arts Gym just got a batch of new martial arts equipment. Are you interested in coming over to try them out?"
Martial arts equipment?
"Alright, I understand." Andrew Han hung up the phone.
Due to his heightened vigilance, he sensed something unusual. Was it really just a coincidence in this world... Miles Ning had just left Suhe, and Hongshi was also preparing to leave, heading far away, and had even asked Gavin King to stay in touch with him.
Heading far away.
Leaving Suhe City.
Andrew Han's pupils suddenly contracted, his heart trembling violently.
Could it be that Hongshi wanted to take this opportunity to deal with him, then flee a thousand miles away to avoid the wrath of Master Miles Ning?
This wasn't mere paranoia; it was based on Hongshi's earlier probing, Gavin King's coincidental invitation, and his own rapid progress in martial arts... The combination of these three made Andrew Han vaguely sense malice lurking in the shadows.
Although he couldn't be certain, a little extra caution and vigilance never hurt.
Miles Ning often reminded him never to trust anyone completely. The price of blind trust was often unbearably heavy.
Especially after Hongshi's last test, Andrew Han's suspicions grew even stronger.
"So, if my guess is correct..."
What does Hongshi want? It's not money or power, nor martial arts resources. It must be my rapid martial arts progress that has made him curious, even greedy.
Thinking of this, Andrew Han couldn't help but sigh.
It's all because of the Graywhite Aura—
He possessed a strength that surpassed all limits, something truly astonishing.
But he could only sense the existence of the Graywhite Aura and fuse it into his body. He didn't even know what it truly was.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Andrew Han's mind.
Monica Zhang, sitting across from him, blinked and looked a little worried. "What's wrong? You look pale. Did something happen?"
Andrew Han shook his head, frowning in thought.
Monica Zhang extended her slender fingers and handed Andrew Han a wet wipe, speaking softly, "You're sweating a little on your forehead, wipe it off. If something's wrong, you should leave."
"Yeah, I need to leave for now," Andrew Han exhaled.
"What happened exactly?" Monica Zhang suddenly grew anxious, her beautiful eyes filled with worry. She said urgently, "Should I call my dad and ask him to help you?"
"No need. Let's eat together next time." Andrew Han stood up from his seat.
Sigh!
Monica Zhang panicked, her face as clear as water turning slightly red, and she hurriedly grabbed Andrew Han's sleeve. "Do you see me as a friend? If you have any difficulties, let's figure them out together."
Andrew Han replied perfunctorily, "It's nothing serious."
[Irrelevant website message skipped]
Monica Zhang stared at him with clear, pearl-like eyes and pressed her rosy lips together, "Don't lie to me. When you're like this, it makes me a little scared."
Andrew Han was stunned.
He looked at Monica Zhang, her skin as pure as snow tinged with nervous blush, her eyes filled with anxious unease, revealing her concern.
"It's nothing."
Andrew Han's voice softened, and he chuckled, "Don't worry. There's just a clown who wants to cause trouble—I'll handle it myself."
"Oh." Monica Zhang let out a sigh of relief.
Only then did she realize she was still clutching Andrew Han's sleeve. She quickly released her soft hands and lowered her head.
Her face flushed, and she didn't dare meet his gaze.
When Monica Zhang looked up again, Andrew Han was already striding away.
——
Main plaza entrance.
Andrew Han tried calling Miles Ning, but his phone was off. He sent several WeChat messages, but received no reply, as if they had vanished into thin air.
"What a pity."
"I wanted Master to warn Hongshi. Whether my suspicions are true or not, it's better to be prepared than to be caught off guard."
Since he couldn't reach Miles Ning by phone or WeChat, Andrew Han suppressed his worries, hoping he was just overthinking things and being too cautious.
But he believed that no amount of caution was ever too much.
He had just entered the Martial Arts World, killed a Specter head-on, and his future looked bright. Naturally, he had to maintain a bold and courageous mindset, while treading as if on thin ice.
"Time to go home."
Andrew Han muttered to himself as he prepared to hail a cab.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated slightly—a message from an unfamiliar number. He opened it, and his pupils contracted sharply.
The message was brief: I want to talk with you. Either come to the gym, or I'll come to your house.
Damn!
He really guessed it right!
This strange message must be from Hongshi... Someone nearby was probably watching him. Seeing him leave so abruptly, Hongshi grew anxious, worried Andrew Han would take a train or plane out of Suhe City and slip out of his grasp.
It's a strict rule never to reveal extraordinary strength in public.
But in the Martial Arts World, there were no restrictions on conflicts between martial artists. Although grievances between martial artists shouldn't involve ordinary friends and family, this was only an unspoken rule—even if broken, there was little consequence.
In just an instant, Andrew Han's mind raced.
At this moment, he had two options... First, try to reach Master. Second, go home immediately and take his family out of Suhe City.
Right now.
Under the scorching sun, hot winds swept the streets like rolling waves. Passersby hurried along, while Andrew Han stood at the side of the plaza entrance, deep in thought, his mind spinning.
"Since I can't reach Master, I'll go with the second option."
"Go home immediately, book a train ticket. No matter how crazy Hongshi gets, he wouldn't dare make a move openly on the train." He turned, hailed a cab, and told the driver his neighborhood's name.
As for Hongshi's threats—let him do as he pleases.
With danger at the door, the first priority was to protect his family. Once Miles Ning returned to Riverdale, Hongshi would have nowhere to run!
Huff huff.
The taxi weaved through traffic, speeding along.
Sometimes braking, sometimes accelerating, but nothing could shake Andrew Han's cold, calm gaze.
Facing a sudden crisis, the composure honed by countless trials under Miles Ning and the calm he showed when confronting Specters finally surfaced, revealing the dramatic change in Andrew Han compared to before.
These changes surfaced unconsciously.
"Almost there."
Andrew Han squinted, pulled out his phone, and called his mom, but the signal wouldn't connect. His father's phone was busy, so he couldn't reach either of them for now.
"Mom is probably taking a nap."
"As for Dad, he's probably busy with business negotiations."
Andrew Han was secretly anxious when his phone vibrated again—another message from the unfamiliar number.
The message was still brief: Chen Shu and Han Xun are at Yuntong Park, Han Wenzhi is at XX Restaurant.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
It was as if a heavy cloud pressed down, suddenly rising to the sky, covering everything, heralding a storm.
"Since you want to choose the third option, I'll help you."
Andrew Han sat in the back seat, his face slowly lifting, a glint of fierceness and anger flashing by, his eyes filled with deep, cold killing intent, no longer concealed, no longer restrained.
Like a wild beast awakening, his eyes snapped open, fully alert.
At this moment, at this place.
The taxi was waiting at a red light, the world outside blazing hot, but inside the car, it was filled with chilling cold, as if beyond the air conditioning, there was another layer of icy frost.
"Change the destination, go to Hongshi Martial Arts Gym," Andrew Han said.
"Alright, no problem." The taxi driver cheerfully agreed, mentally calculating the extra fare for the detour.
But he didn't know where to go.
He couldn't help but straighten his back, feeling a chill run down his spine, as if he'd returned to last year's trip to the zoo, watching wild tigers through the car window, that feeling of danger was even stronger now.
Sigh.
Andrew Han dialed the phone, and when it connected, he heard a steady breathing on the other end. He calmly said, "Let's meet at Hongshi Martial Arts Gym."
—
Ten chapters will be released in the morning. If you read on external sites, please consider subscribing here... Hope outside readers can come and support the subscription, it's less than two yuan, and this book often updates, but rarely asks for outside subscriptions, so I want to try this time. Because subscriptions are truly important.
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