022 â The strangeness of the wound
âZhang Xiaojun classmate, letâs go to the bathroom together? I donât accept. Li Ming, letâs have Jin Jiang cuisine[1] at lunch alright? I donât accept. Chen Chong, help me bring some snacks backâ-sorry, I donât accept. Whatâs more funny was that Wang Pingshang was sleeping in class and the teacher asked him to answer the question, he said I donât accept while lying on the table. The teacher was furious, grabbed his ear and kicked him outâHAHAHA, brother do you know how much influence you have within the school? Itâs a pity that you donât go to school now, otherwise many people will treat you like their idol.â
Li Muyang had no idea that this uproar would have such an impact, he shook his head and said: âWrong is wrong, right is right. When I was sleeping in class, the teacher kicked me out. Furthermore, I have never argued back. Because I knew that what I did was wrong, my attitude would affect other students, my actions were disrespectful to the teacherââ
âHowever, this time being accused of cheating is more than an event, the truth is that in my heart I feel very wronged. However, the matter has gone past now; right now all my focus is placed on ways to improve my grades. Right now I am able learn a few things, but my knowledge foundation is too weak. Xiaoxin tutored me starting from the first lesson, but it is far too exhausting for her. In addition, Iâm afraid thereâs limited timeââ
âBrother, I want to ask you. âLi Shinian pulled Li Muyangâs arm and said: âXiaoxin sister said that thereâs many topics she didnât teach, but you happened to know the answersâyou did not learn it but you know the answer. What is going on? Could it be that previously you were secretly learning? â
Li Muyang shook his head as he said: âI donât know what happened. Iâve always felt that somehow there were many inexplicable things in my head. Sometimes I feel that Iâve been living a life already, a lot of things Iâve seen for the first time but Iâm able to suddenly blurt out their background and history. Just like the textbook exercise, some stuff Xiaoxin had went over, but some of that knowledge is already present in my mindâalthough the thought process is quite difficult, since it is hidden deep inside, but I am eventually able dig it out. â
âDonât tell me that youâre possessed by an celestial? âLi Shinian said laughingly: âHow can a celestial be so stupid? Possessing a charcoalâs body?â
ââ-â
âAlright, alright, my brother is the most handsome amongst charcoalsââ Li Shinian inspected Li Muyangâs face and said: âActually your facial profile is good, this is because you inherited the good genes from mum and dad. You take a look at this beautiful girl me and youâll know. Wait until your skin turns paler, then youâll be a handsome brother. Or, next time, before you leave the house, Iâll help you apply a layer of powder? â
âCan you apply it to the whole body? âLi Muyang displayed a wry smile. âFirst, letâs not say how many bottles of cream would be wasted, but covering the whole body will take hours, right? â
âJust applying to the face is enough. Whoâs going to cover your whole body? âLi Shinian said snappily. âBrother, donât change the subject, letâs continue with our previous topicââ
ââââ Li Muyang showed a face of being wrongly accused, just when did he change the subject?
âBrother, originally I didnât want to say to you, at least not at this time, but I feel itâs better to tell you early, so as to avoid you suffering a critical blow in the futureâYouâre aware of Xiaoxin sisterâs grades, her goal is West Wind University. From my understanding of her, this is not anything difficult for her. But what about you? Are you able to go to West Wind? Are you able to follow her to Tiandu? Even if youâre in Tiadu, even if youâre admitted to West Wind Universityâwith our family background, our history, do you have any hope? â
âI know that. âLi Muyang said in a deep voice.
âWhat?â Li Shinianâs big eyes glanced over.
âYou can say that I understand. âLi Muyang grinned and spoke aloud: âJust now when I saw her off, I saw someone came to collect her â the car she sat in, it most likely will cost ten years of income from motherâs bakery? â
âBrotherâ-â
âIâm fine. âLi Muyang reached out, placed his arm around his sisterâs shoulder and said: âThink about it, would the previous me have a chance to be friends with Cui Xiaoxin? â
Li Shinian shook her head.
âYes, I have no chance to even talk to her let alone be friends, but now I can. Furthermore, she is able to come to help me with my lessons every day â compared to before, a lot has changed, right? â
âWell. âLi Shinian nodded seriously and said: â Brother, you will become more and more intelligent, you will also become more and more handsome. At that time Xiaoxin sister will maybe fall in love with you.â
Li Muyang nodded with a serious face and said: âThatâs for sure. At that time I will be the most handsome man in the world.â
The brother and sister looked at each other and laughed. Li Shinian laughed with an ache in her heart and Li Muyang laughed with sorrow.
In truth, these words were not funny at all.
Li Shinian leaped up from the bed, looked at her brother Li Muyang and said: âBrother, itâs late, Iâm heading back to my room to sleep. You should rest early. Tomorrow, Xiaoxin sister is coming to tutor you. You canât fall asleep then.â
âAlright. Good night.â Li Muyang said with a smile.
Li Shinian waved her hand, and then turned around, leaving Li Muyangâs room.
Li Muyang rolled around in bed for a long time, unable to sleep. His mood also became more and more restless.
He got up, poured a large tank of water, and soaked his body in hot water. It wasnât until then that his mood felt somewhat better.
Sleeping in class, going home for a bath, these were the two things that Li Muyang did the most.
Because his right hand was wrapped in gauze from being pierced through, thereâs no way for him to place his right arm into the water. This has caused some inconvenience to him.
Li Muyang stared at his arm; the fist that originally didnât have the strength to truss a chicken was able to send Zhang Chen flying, it was also able to send assassin Crow flying. It must be said, at that time Crow was wielding a knife that gave off a silver light that expanded rapidly, like a huge sword of lightâ
His fist met against the sword, should the sharp blade not have severed his fist instead? How could his fist send Crow flying with just one blow?
Li Muyang watched his fist in a daze for a while. A strong curiosity urged him, he was ready to peel out of the gauze and see what has become of his injury now.
The layers of gauze unraveled layer by layer. The bruised blood inside has become increasingly prominent.
When he removed the gauze, the wounded palm was present in front of his eyes.
He submerged his hand into the hot water to wash it clean, then placed it under the light to inspect.
In perfect condition!
He remembered it clearly; his palm was pierced through with a knife by an assassin.
However, right now why wasnât there any traces of injury left?
No cuts, no scars, not even just a little redness can be seen at all.
âWhatâs going on? âLi Muyang exclaimed aloud.
He leapt out of the tub, grabbed a mirror and thoroughly examined properly.
At that time, the assassin definitely struck the top of his head with a fruit tray. Li Muyang forehead was smashed until fresh blood splattered everywhere, but right now not a trace of injury could be seen on his head.
What the hell was going on?
It wasnât until now, that Li Muyang began to finally realise that his body had undergone a number of strange, unpredictable changes.
âI want to transform. â Li Muyang said to himself ââ-
Li Muyang got up at five oâclock in the morning. Ever since his injury, he had gotten rid of the bad habit of sleeping in till late in the morning every day.
Probably because he had slept too much previously, right now he need only a few hours of sleep each day and he would be full of energy.
He simply freshened up a little and followed his sisterâs âBreaking body technique â that she practiced every day in his room, walking in these stances a few time around his room. He then took a book and sat in front of the window in silence.
At seven oâclock, his parents woke up. Father wore an unlined garment, and began exercising in the yard. Mother was busily preparing breakfast for the family in the kitchen.
At half past seven, in his sister Li Shinianâs room there were finally sounds of movement.
Li Muyang smiled, this was when the life of his family truly began.
Although these are all trivial little things, but Li Muyang felt content and happy.
During his illness, when the sleepiness possessed him, he rarely had such a state of mind and mood to look at everything happening around him.
At this moment, he finally realised that he possessed so much.
Cui Xiaoxin still every day came to tutor Li Muyang with his school work, she still chatted and laughed happily with Li Shinian after she returned from home from school while eating fruits with her after. It was like nothing had happened at all.
After that night chatting with Li Shinian, Li Muyang realised that the gap between him and Cui Xiaoxin was far too large.
He now directed all his time and energy on his studies, he needed to grasp as much knowledge as possible in the limited time he has.
During studying, he would occasionally raise his head and his eyes would meet with Cui Xiaoxinâs. He smiled slightly and he was able to feel her slight smiling expression in return. At those times, a thought he could not control surfaced from his heart: a boy and girl walking side by side at West Wind Universityâs Weiming Lake accompanying each other. The setting sun was as red as blood, stretching their snuggling shadow infinitely, as if it they had been extended to the very edges of the world.
He only hid himself deeper.
Today, Cui Xiaoxin didnât come. It was decided a day earlier, that some elders in her family were going to Yongqing Temple and they needed her company.
Li Muyang stayed at home doing a paper. He suddenly remembered that Cui Xiaoxin mentioned thereâs a reference book that is important, and urged him to find it and take a look.
Li Muyang immediately headed out, walking toward the Hubu Laneâs bookstore.
The bookstore was simple and unadorned; at closer inspection, it seemed to have existed for many years. An old man in a black coat sat in front, smoking under the sun.
âShop owner, do you have the book â Zi Yu? â
âGo inside and find it yourself.â The old man replied without looking up.
Li Muyang entered into the bookstore, and then searched the shelves row by row.
âYou find that reading is useful? âA voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
Li Muyang turned around and saw an elegant and smart-looking man standing behind him.
âAre you talking to me? âLi Muyang glanced around and asked in an unsure fashion.
âOf course. â The young master said with a smiling face: âIn your opinion, is reading useful? â
âUseful. â Li Muyang answered, although he was unsure of the reason why this strange person asked him such a strange question.
â[There are golden houses and graceful ladies within books[2]] You can get a job through reading, you can broaden your view. Reading and studying is greatly useful.â The young man said in a profoundly mysterious manner. âBut sometimes reading will only bring disaster to the person. What do you think? â
[1] A type of regional cuisine
[2] Be diligent in studying and success will follow.