Fist Wind

Wang Ruo's eyes widened, staring at Yang Luo as if he'd seen a ghost.

"You... Yang Luo... But didn't you...?"

"I went back to the hospital. It turned out to be a misdiagnosis. The shadow on the heart was just an imaging error," Yang Luo casually said the excuse he'd made up.

Understanding flashed in Wang Ruo's eyes, but an underlying doubt lingered. After all, not too long ago, he'd witnessed Yang Luo collapse and had personally accompanied him to the hospital.

Yet, seeing Yang Luo's healthy appearance, Wang Ruo opted not to press further.

Without giving Wang Ruo much time to think, Yang Luo gestured towards the girl on the wheelchair, "Who is she?"

Wang Ruo hesitated but, feeling an inexplicable wariness towards Yang Luo, reluctantly replied, "She's my younger sister, Wang Lu. The 'Lu' as in the path in 'road'."

Yang Luo looked at the timid girl who shied away from his gaze. His expression indifferent, he asked, "What happened to her?"

Wang Ruo frowned, clearly displeased. But a single glance from Yang Luo invoked an inexplicable fear, prompting Wang Ruo to reveal, "A few years ago, while my parents were picking me up from university, we had an accident... My parents died, and she sustained severe brain injuries causing paralysis. She undergoes treatment during the week and only comes home on weekends."

He exhaled deeply, locking eyes with Yang Luo, "Look, I know you resent me. If you want to fight, I'm ready. But please, let me take LuLu home first. I don't want her to see that."

Yang Luo's lips twitched, "You have a sister... But that day in the conference room, did you think about how I have family too?"

Wang Ruo lowered his head, silent.

Yang Luo continued, "Because you have a cherished family member, you decided to betray your conscience and alter my attendance record? You needed money for your hospitalized sister, so you decided to undercompensate an employee with a terminal illness, even if it meant giving him less?"

Wang Ruo's face reddened, eyes ablaze with anger.

"Damn it... What could I do?!

"Shengyi is like that—no, not just Shengyi. All gaming companies, all tech companies are the same! To stay and climb, KPIs always comes first!

"Yes, it was tragic you were diagnosed with a terminal illness. But I have my KPIs too! Every job involves taking advantage of others. In such a fierce environment, who cares about others' well-being?

"To be honest, it's not just me. Company executives, even the chairman, all know of such practices. Could I even make such decisions without their consent? Everyone at my level has done similar things!

"To put it bluntly, if I didn't do this, I wouldn't survive in the company! Every company is a battlefield!"

As Wang Ruo ranted, the girl timidly tugged at his clothes, "Brother..."

Hearing LuLu's voice, a drained Wang Ruo exhaled and turned to Yang Luo, "That's all I've got to say. If you still want to fight, let's go. But please, not in front of LuLu."

Yang Luo fell silent.

Should he continue to harbor hatred for the man before him?

A storm of mixed emotions raged within his chest.

Under the dim streetlight, the expressions of Wang Ruo and Wang Lu stood out sharply in Yang Luo's vision.

— Rage, resentment, loathing, self-disgust, cynicism...

— Confusion, hesitation, timidity, almost on the verge of tears...

Their silhouettes were imprinted in his retina, unmovable.

"Hey, Brother Luo..."

"Brother... I'm scared..."

Their voices seeped into Yang Luo's ears, setting his mind into turmoil.

He closed his eyes.

— The real enemy wasn't Wang Ruo...

— The true cesspool was the Shengyi Company...

— Both of them were merely pawns in the grand scheme of modern internet businesses...

Indeed, that's how it was.

He shouldn't bear a grudge...

In some ways, he had to thank his enemies. If not for the despair, he wouldn't have attempted suicide by the Qingyuan River. He wouldn't have met the divine beast messenger Black Moon or inherited the "Elixir of Divinity".

So...

"Whew..."

Yang Luo let out a breath.

His eyes snapped open.

"Wang Ruo, leave."

"...We won't see each other again."

Wang Ruo stiffened, locking eyes with Yang Luo. He seemed to want to speak, his lips quivered, but words eluded him. He merely nodded deeply, pushing his sister's wheelchair away.

Yang Luo watched their retreating figures.

They faded into the distance.

Irritation.

Restlessness.

...Being virtuous...

Was that the way?

Even if Wang Ruo had wronged him, he had his reasons.

So... he should forgive him.

Furthermore, he had a disabled sister.

He had his reasons.

Yet, an increasing sense of suffocation enveloped him.

Why...

...Must one always be virtuous?

Echoes of the 'Temple Master' resounded in his mind:

"... No prohibitions..."

"...The days of old will soon return, and all gods shall make their comeback..."

His restlessness abruptly vanished.

Yang Luo took a deep breath, gazing at the moon.

He recalled that on that fateful night, the moon had the same cold and harsh appearance.

— Suddenly, his body moved on its own.

Every security camera in the vicinity and their angles of view were processed in his mind in a split second. He maneuvered around their field of vision with a speed of more than 150m/s, reaching the siblings in no time.

Before they could react, a gust of wind formed from his punch surged forward.

"Boom!"

...

"Recently, a double homicide occurred at the intersection of Zhongfan Road and Yixian Road. The victims, a 28-year-old male and a 15-year-old female, were suspected to be murdered between 11 PM and 1 AM... All their valuables remained untouched, hinting at a personal vendetta... Authorities are urgently investigating, appealing for public assistance."

Days later, Yang Luo emotionlessly watched the weekly news, continuously munching on chocolates.

He then glanced at the newspaper headline: "Qinghu District Shocking Homicide, Suspected Home Invasion!"

The article detailed: "Yesterday, around 1 am, police were alerted to an apartment in Qinghu District where building security and floor administrators found the door of a young resident ajar. Inside, the tenant's lifeless body lay. Responding officers arrived quickly to collect evidence and deduced that the apartment was ransacked, with cash, credit cards, and savings cards all missing. Preliminary investigations suggest a robbery turned deadly. The deceased reportedly worked in HR for a renowned gaming company. On interviewing colleagues, all described him as kind-hearted and generous, voicing their outrage towards the perpetrator.

In the few seconds it took Yang Luo to read this, he had already devoured several more chocolates.

A feeling of satiation emanated from within. This signified today's energy needs were met; his 'transformation' was ongoing, and his physical strength continued to surge.

He walked expressionlessly to the washroom, splashing cool water onto his face. The icy water contrasted with his heated breath: "Huff..."

His mood lightened slightly.

Then, he softly spoke towards that omnipotent entity dwelling in a distant chaos, uncertain if it could perceive his thoughts:

"Master... Did I do the right thing?"