At ten o'clock, the grove was silent.
I arrived at the agreed location on time. The moonlight shone through the leaves on the ground, creating mottled shadows. The air was filled with the smell of soil and grass.
Brother Hu was already waiting there. There were three people standing next to him, all of whom were people I had seen yesterday afternoon.
"Didn't you say you were coming alone?" I asked.
"I did come here alone." Brother Hu lit a cigarette. "They are just responsible for watching and will not take any action."
"Then let's get started."
"Wait." Brother Hu took a deep puff of his cigarette, "I'll give you one more chance. Now kneel down and apologize, and that's it."
"I don't think it's necessary."
"That's all I can do." Brother Hu threw away his cigarette butt and stomped it out with his foot. "Boy, I've been in the underworld for seven or eight years, and I've seen all kinds of people."
"I've seen too many self-righteous brats like you."
"What happened in the end?" I asked curiously.
"They are all disabled." Brother Hu moved his wrists, making a crackling sound. "Some people have broken arms, some have broken legs, and some..."
"My brain is broken."
While he was talking, I was observing his body. Brother Hu was about 1.85 meters tall and weighed about 170 kilograms. He had well-developed muscles and coordinated movements. He must have practiced some fighting techniques. The tattoo on his arm was a dragon, and it was very detailed.
"Are you done?" I asked.
"That's all." Tiger took a fighting stance, "Are you ready?"
"I've been ready for a long time."
He attacked first, and threw a straight punch at my face. It was so powerful that it made a sound like wind. I leaned to the right to avoid it, and his fist grazed my cheek.
Then came a left hook, aimed at my ribs. I took a step back and dodged the blow. Tiger's attack was very methodical, and each punch hit a vital part.
But for me, these attacks are too slow.
I counterattacked the moment he retracted his fist, punching him in the chest. Brother Tiger reacted quickly and crossed his hands in front of his chest to block. My fist hit his arm with a dull thud.
Brother Hu took two steps back and shook his numb arms. "Interesting."
He attacked again, this time with a combination of punches. Left straight, right hook, left uppercut, right straight. Four punches in a row, in smooth movements. I stepped back to avoid them, and each punch brushed past my body.
"Is all you can do about it is hide?" Brother Hu said impatiently.
"I'm watching," I said honestly.
"Observe what?"
"Watch your weaknesses."
Brother Hu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Boy, you are really funny."
"I found it." I said suddenly.
"What?"
"Your weakness."
Before I finished speaking, I took a step forward and punched him in the temple with my right fist. Tiger hurriedly dodged, but my fist suddenly changed direction and hit him in the jaw.
"Bang!"
Brother Hu's body fell backwards, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. But he did not fall down, but quickly stabilized his body.
"Not bad." He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, "No one has been able to hit me for a long time."
"That's because you haven't met the right opponent."
"Indeed." Brother Hu's eyes became serious, "It seems that I have to show my real ability."
He took off his coat, revealing his muscular body. The tattoos on his arms were clearly visible in the moonlight. I noticed that he had many scars on his body, and he had obviously been through a lot of actual combat.
"Come on." He assumed a new fighting stance, looking more professional this time.
We fought again. Brother Hu's attacks became more fierce, and each punch made a sound of breaking through the air. I stopped dodging and started to fight back seriously.
The collision of fists made a dull sound. Our bodies moved quickly in the moonlight, leaving afterimages. The leaves rustled in the strong wind.
Brother Hu is indeed quite capable, his attack is very methodical and his defense is very solid, but his speed and strength are not as good as mine.
A few minutes later, I found an opportunity. In the gap between his attacks, I punched him in the ribs. Tiger groaned and leaned to the side. I didn't give him a chance to recover, and immediately hit him in the chin with an uppercut.
Brother Hu's body rose off the ground, then fell heavily to the ground. This time he did not stand up immediately, but lay on the ground gasping for breath.
"It's over." I dusted off my hands.
"Not yet." Tiger stood up with difficulty and took out a folding knife from his pocket. "It's just the beginning."
The blade gleamed in the moonlight and looked very sharp. Brother Tiger's eyes became fierce, like a wounded beast.
"Playing with a knife?" I was a little surprised.
"To survive in the underworld, it's not enough to rely on fists alone." Brother Tiger clenched the handle of the knife, "Boy, the rules of the game have changed."
"Then I'll try a different approach."
I closed my eyes and felt the blood flowing through my body. The wolf head mark on my back began to heat up, and a warm current surged from my chest.
When I opened my eyes again, my pupils had turned blood red.
"Blood Wolf." I called softly.
Green smoke rose from my forehead, and a huge wolf shadow condensed in the air. But this time it was not a virtual body, but a semi-solid state. The blood wolf's body was somewhat transparent, but it was already able to generate actual attack power.
"What is this?" Brother Tiger looked at the giant wolf in front of him, his eyes full of fear.
"My companion." My voice became deeper. "It has been a long time since it tasted blood."
The blood wolf roared, and the sound echoed in the woods. Its eyes were like burning charcoal, and its claws flashed coldly in the moonlight.
Brother Hu's three men were so frightened that they collapsed on the ground, completely losing the ability to resist.
"You are a monster." Brother Hu clenched the knife, his voice trembling.
"I am the wolf." I took a step forward, "and you are the sheep."
Brother Tiger rushed towards me, brandishing a knife and roaring in despair, but Blood Wolf was faster than him, and with one sweep of his claws, the knife flew far away.
Then the blood wolf's sharp claws pressed on Tiger's chest, and the sharp claws pierced his skin. Blood slowly flowed out, staining the white T-shirt red.
"Please, don't kill me." Brother Hu's voice was already tearful.
"I won't kill you." I squatted down and looked into his eyes, "but I want you to remember the lesson today."
"Remember, never mess with someone you don't understand."
"Remember, there are some things in this world that you cannot understand."
The blood wolf retracted its claws, turned into smoke and drilled back into my body. The wolf head mark on its back also gradually dimmed.
Brother Hu and his three men fled out of the grove, tumbling and crawling. I heard their receding footsteps and their suppressed cries.
The moon appeared from behind the clouds, and its silvery white light sprinkled on the earth. The forest regained its tranquility, with only the night wind blowing through the leaves.
I took a deep breath, feeling the fragrance of the night. The blood in my body gradually calmed down, and my heartbeat returned to normal.
"Master, how do you feel?" The voice of the Blood Wolf sounded in my mind.
"Very good." I answered in my heart, "I haven't felt this good in a long time."
"This is just the beginning." Blood Wolf's voice was full of satisfaction, "There will be more challenges waiting for us in the future."
"I'm looking forward to it."
I turned and left the grove, heading towards the dormitory. Tomorrow is another new day, and I will continue my high school life.
But from today on, I know that life here will no longer be as peaceful as before. Some people will stay away from me out of fear, and some people will approach me out of curiosity.
But it doesn't matter. I've found my rhythm and my way of surviving in this world.
I am a wolf, and the world is full of prey.