Anter Town:
A narrow alley lay stretched along the way, which was nestled beneath trees and flanked by moss-covered, crumbling brick walls.
Just as the morning awakened fully, a cold wind swept past, shaking loose crimson petals from the towering Bloodflame tree. They drifted down like droplets of crimson blood, staining the damp earth. At the moment, everything seemed so quiet and serene, until… a sudden venomous voice shattered the tranquillity.
"Rui! Oh, Rui!" The mocking call slithered through the alley.
"Did hell spit you back out, or did you miss us, your beloved fellow brothers?!"
Nearby, hearing the sudden loud voice, two boys froze mid-step, totally startled.
"What the hell? Who's barking like a rabid dog at this hour? Don't they have any work to do?" the shorter one cursed under his breath.
Still curious, they crept to the alley's edge, pressing against the wall. But upon seeing the scene, the shorter one grew visibly nervous as he nudged his companion.
"Look—it's F-Fang Rui? and... them. Huh? Look what happened to him. Why is he so… pale and even more frail-looking than before?"
In response, the other boy nodded sharply, feeling uneasy as well. "This is what you call karma. And as for that lunatic Gaolin and his pack of hyenas? They're even worse. Whatever, let's just mind our own business. There's a saying: 'poking your finger into other people's business might get your finger chopped off instead.'"
"Umm…" The shorter one nodded and, without another word, they left the scene as if they didn't see anything at all.
***
Deeper in the alley and nestled beside reeking piles of trash, stood a young man. He was draped in a striking red robe—the Yin Yang symbol emblazoned across his chest, a mark of Harmony.
Moreover, his posture was relaxed, hands folded casually behind his back. Yet his cold eyes burned with aggression, betraying that his intentions were far from peaceful.
"Tsk, tsk. Rui. I warned you last time, didn't I? If I ever saw you wallowing in your misery again, I'd add some salt on it?"
Lu Gaolin's voice dripped with contempt as he loomed over the frail boy sprawled on the wet ground.
A cruel smile twisted Gaolin's lips.
Just like that—
Without giving any warning, he drove his foot into Fang Rui's face—once, twice and countless—each kick fueled by a fury that felt almost personal. There was something about that face, something that made him want to shatter it over and over.
Why?
No reason is enough reason for him. If he didn't like it, then he didn't like it. So why care about how and why?
Yanking Fang Rui's dark hair, Gaolin forced their eyes to meet before slamming his head into the pavement.
"Did you think exile was the end after humiliating me that time?" he sneered.
"No. Your misery is a gift that keeps giving. And I, Lu Gaolin, am one of its generous providers. Got it?"
Fang Rui remained silent, his gaze fixed on the puddle of water reflecting the sky above. Yet, strangely, within its ripples, he saw not the clouds, but his own past suffering.
Still, he felt nothing. Only hollowness. His heart, after all, was nothing but an empty cage.
Only Fang Rui knew the depths of the hell he had endured. And still, he never screamed, never begged.
Cry? For what?
Complaint? To whom?
Ask for help? From whom?
He had no one. Absolutely no one. He was alone—utterly alone.
Especially in a world that had long since abandoned him.
Fang Rui's suffering had begun long before this moment, ever since the day he was dragged before the Law Enforcement Hall of the Niyanta Harmony Sect, the sect he had once called his second home.
But not now.
Now, it was nothing but a reminder of his downfall.
So,
If given the chance, he might burn it all to the very ground.
Two years ago, he had been accused of defiling a fellow female disciple's innocence—a crime he hadn't committed at all. How would he, when he was the one who saved that girl?
At first, he was confused. Then, quite furious. He demanded justice. Yet somehow, witnesses and evidence stacked against him, sealing his fate. Unknowningly, the girl he did save was now against him?
How? Why? He didn't know, as if all of this were well planned.
He again sought justice because the punishment was dire, as he had to shatter his dantian and had to leave the sect.
However,
The sect elders turned a deaf ear to his pleas. Fellow disciples spat at his feet.
And in the end?
His Dantian was shattered.
His cultivation? Gone.
His talent? Erased.
His future? Stolen.
All of it got destroyed in an instant.
But that wasn't all.
Even his closest friends abandoned him when his downfall hit him hard.
Even the common folk who respected him began to whisper behind his back, mocking him in every possible way.
Thus,
At fourteen, he was cast out like trash, forced to return to Anter Town as a cripple—more miserable than any starving rat.
Now, nearly sixteen, he lived in isolation, enduring the town's scorn and pity.
Fang Rui was nothing now—a hollow shell of the unfortunate prodigy he'd once been.
And this latest humiliation?
Totally absurd.
Just an hour ago, he had been jogging mindlessly, lost in thought to warm up his body. Who could've predicted he'd run straight into these bastards?
Was the heavens mocking him?
It had to be.
***
Nearby, Lu Yao—one of Gaolin's lackeys—watched with a smirk, his admiration for his senior brother plain to see. To him, Gaolin wasn't just a fellow disciple of the same clan and sect—he was a sworn brother, a man worth following into hell itself.
"Senior Brother, you're telling me this pathetic worm was the one who defeated you that time?" Lu Yao sneered, eyeing Fang Rui's broken form.
"Nah. I don't believe it. He looks like total gutter trash. Compared to you, he's like no more than nothing." He turned back to Gaolin, eyes gleaming with malice.
"Well, then… Why not make this lesson unforgettable? How about… Breaking his arms or his legs.. slowly. Then we can watch him crawl like the dog he is… Hehe... Now that would be entertaining to watch, right?"
Crouching on a flat rock, Lu Xiaobo chuckled, shaking his head in mock pity as he also chimed in:
"Ain't life full of surprises?" He spoke with a mused tone.
"One day, you're a genius. The next? A worthless cripple." He sighed dramatically.
"When fate decides to screw you over, what choice do you have but to bend over and take it like a b*tch?"
Hearing this, Lu Dongly, leaning against a tree, nearly choked:
'Bend over? Take it like a b*tch?' His face twisted in a weird way.
'What the hell is he even saying?'
Noticing the odd looks from the others, Lu Xiaobo blinked confusedly.
"Why are you all staring at me like that?"
"We're not the ones thinking weird shit—that's all you, brother Yao" Lu Dongly retorted, lips twitching.
"Hmph!"
"Pfft—HAHAHA!" The group burst into laughter.
Flustered, Xiaobo lashed out, kicking Fang Rui… more out of embarrassment than intent.
The alley rang with taunts and blows, which made even the rats that were scavenging nearby flinch. With panicked squeaks, they fled, kicking up dirt as they scurried past Fang Rui's crumpled body.
Though not as intelligent as humans, they understood one truth:
Humans could be far crueller than any beast lurking in the dark. Their hearts were twisted in a cruel manner, their actions driven by nothing but selfish satisfaction.
And so, they ran, leaving Fang Rui alone in his torment.
Yet, the strangest thing wasn't the relentless misfortune crushing him,
Not even the weird world he inhabited,
It was his expression.
Cold. Indifferent. Unreadable.
Even now, his face was hollow—empty.
As if something inside him had long since died.