Stepping out of the barbershop, Luo Zhizhou headed deeper into the alley.
“This place is really creepy……………..”
A few rats scurried in the corners, squeaking as they went.
Luo Zhizhou hated rats and quickly moved away.
“Is this really a place where people live…? I’d rather live in some barren countryside than stay here.
But, to be honest, there’s still some life in this place——
A baby was crying nonstop on the second floor, a couple was arguing on the balcony opposite, and through the window next to Luo Zhizhou, a few people were watching a TV drama………………
No matter how harsh the environment, people have to live.”
Luo Zhizhou recalled the days when he worked in the city, unfamiliar with the place, stumbling along, finally finding a barely acceptable job.
The salary was just enough for one person, and supporting his younger sister made it tight. He had to endure the boss’s brutal beatings at the factory. If he hadn’t chosen to enlist back then, he probably would have starved to death by now.
But that was nine years ago. Those long-gone memories now lingered only as faint gray fragments in his mind, impossible to piece back together——one day, they would vanish completely, along with the familiar image of his sister…
With a sigh, Luo Zhizhou walked toward his destination.
The first target was very close to his starting point; it took him only about ten minutes to arrive.
It was a vegetable market tucked away in a narrow alley.
It was just past six in the evening, the peak time for the market. Crowds flowed in and out, and Luo Zhizhou had to squeeze through.
But seeing his appearance, people thought he was a dirty beggar asking for alms and stepped away, so he easily entered the inner part of the market.
“Hey, hey! Cabbage, one yuan per jin, cheaper than in the city! Come take a look!” a roadside vegetable vendor shouted.
“One yuan per jin? That’s way cheaper than the county market. How long has this cabbage been here?” Luo Zhizhou scoffed.
“Beggar, why you yap so much? Got a few copper coins? Just shut up and scram.”
“Hey, why are you cursing?” Luo Zhizhou ignored him and quickly walked away.
Following the vegetable street forward, Luo Zhizhou reached near the market center, took out the Exceptional Index Meter from his ragged pocket, and cautiously measured in a less crowded corner.
“Just over one? What’s going on?”
He was puzzled, but after a while, the number dropped back close to zero.
From Luo Zhizhou’s experience, it might be some Magical Girl casting a minor Magical Spell.
“Better look around. Probably nearby…………”
He put away the device and wandered, searching for any abnormalities.
Two old men sat in front of an apartment, gossiping.
“I heard there’s a blonde girl living around here, a Magical Girl. Lao Liu, you’re always in the know. Is this true? I never noticed her all these years.”
“That’s for sure! I just saw her. She’s quite pretty. Heard her father is seriously ill, and this little girl went out to become a Magical Girl to earn money to support him. The family’s pretty miserable.”
“Well, since she’s a Magical Girl, that’s something. Once she grows up and marries a rich husband, it won’t be a problem. Hey, Lao Liu, why don’t you introduce her to a few?”
“That depends if the young lady wants to talk to a bunch of old geezers like us.”
Luo Zhizhou overheard their conversation and confirmed that there really was a Magical Girl nearby.
“A blonde girl? I think I have a vague memory of her; blondes aren’t common.”
***
Soon enough, he spotted the target—a girl wearing a hood, trying not to attract attention, but her blonde hair was too conspicuous, drawing the gaze of many.
Luo Zhizhou quietly followed her. She was carrying a black plastic bag, probably finished shopping and heading home.
She lingered, walking around hesitantly, seemingly wary of something.
Eventually, a few street thugs in a corner noticed her and approached.
Luo Zhizhou wanted to warn her, but she had already spotted them.
“What? You wanna get beaten up again?” the blonde girl said to them.
“Stinky bitch, you think you can just touch us and use magic? You know it’s illegal to use magic on civilians? Lucky for you, we’ve got a phone recording this.”
“Use magic again and we’ll upload it online. Then your magical girl gig’s done for.” The leader of the thugs sneered. Sure enough, someone stood about ten meters behind, filming with a phone.
“So what? If you come closer, I’ll use magic to beat you!”
“Go ahead! We know where you live. We’ll harass you every day. If you don’t let us grope you, you’ll pay the price!”
The thugs were right. It was taboo for Magical Girls to use spells on civilians, without even the excuse of self-defense.
The official reason was that even the weakest spells could cause fatal injuries, and since Magical Girls could fly, they were considered immune to violent attacks.
The blonde girl raised her Magical Rod, hesitating whether to use a spell against the approaching thugs.
At that moment, Luo Zhizhou realized she was Yuying—the one who once saved his life. No wonder she looked so familiar.
Luo Zhizhou could see her hesitation. The faint strike of an apprentice-level magic girl didn’t deal much damage but was more than enough to kill them all or at least cripple their legs.
The only problem was the person filming.
“Take one more step and I’ll break your legs!”
“Haha.” The thug leader stepped forward a few paces, and Yuying didn’t attack.
“Do you dare? You’ve got a dying old man at home. Lose your Magical Girl status, and your father’s dead meat. So just let us touch you. It won’t cost you a thing. Deal?”
“Your body, or your father’s life?”
Luo Zhizhou couldn’t hold back any longer.
He rushed up in front of Yuying, blocking the thugs.
“Where did you beggars come from? Get lost!”
“You bullies picking on a girl, have some shame. If you’ve got the guts, fight me.”
Luo Zhizhou took a martial arts boxing stance.
“A beggar who can’t even fill his belly? Let’s go, brothers!”
“You won’t beat them. Don’t get involved.” Yuying tried to hold Luo Zhizhou back but was stunned by what came next.
Luo Zhizhou had trained in military boxing in the army, a style focused on speed, precision, and ruthlessness, targeting vulnerable points to defeat enemies in one strike.
In just a few seconds, he took down five thugs with ease.
The one recording saw Luo Zhizhou’s fierce glare and immediately dropped his companions, running off.
“That’s all you’ve got? Go crawl back into your mother’s womb and start over.”
The remaining thugs got up, limping away dejectedly.
Yuying was full of gratitude.
“Um, sir beggar, thank you so much. I don’t have much to repay you. My family’s really poor… If you don’t mind, I could……”
Luo Zhizhou turned around.
“Mr. Luo Zhizhou!?” Yuying was shocked.
“Huh? How did you recognize me?”
“Your wig and fake beard fell off………..”
Exposed. This is bad!
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.