Chapter four: The White Moonlight

On the way to school, Fang Xing was still pondering the problem of obtaining a powerful weapon. His martial arts journey had only just begun, and he hadn't even completed the first stage, the "Body Refinement." He was nothing more than a small fry.

Crossing over to an unfamiliar world was fraught with danger, but humans were always skilled at using tools and leveraging external forces.

"A laser gun… If I had a military-grade one, that would be fantastic."

A military-grade laser gun wouldn't have the civilian restriction against harming people—perfect for dangerous situations.

"I probably can't find it in the normal marketplace… but maybe the black market..."

Fang Xing kicked a pebble.

Splash!

The pebble skipped across the surface of a small river, creating several ripples.

Within the Blue Star Federation, humans were far from united; conflicts had always existed. Worse, the terrifying Outer Gods, who controlled the power of "Imaginary Space," could send their minions, or worse, their offspring, into human territory.

The destruction they caused was secondary. The real threat was the spread of their sinister beliefs, which often gave rise to hidden cultists.

"Cultists and rebel forces... They're the internal threats to humanity."

"I heard there's a black market outside Maple Leaf City where anything can be bought, even cultist-related goods."

"But it's dangerous. And I'm just a good student, after all."

"And besides… I don't have enough money."

The thought of his empty wallet immediately crushed any ideas of grandiose purchases. "I'll just focus on studying hard and working part-time… Save up. If I can't afford a laser gun, even a taser would do."

...

Three days later.

[Name: Fang Xing]

[Age: 16]

[Profession: Martial Artist]

[First Stage: Body Refinement (Skin Refinement: 22/100)]

[Military Boxing Style: 57/100 (Novice)]

[Dragon Stance: 68/100 (Novice)]

[Gate of the Heavens: 5/100 (In Progress)]

...

Standing on the training field at school after finishing the Dragon Stance, Fang Xing gazed at his status window with a heavy heart.

"Three days of hard training, and the skill that's improved the most is the Gate of the Heavens? This is ridiculous."

"The most important thing is progressing my martial arts stage, but my skin refinement has only increased by 1 point. At this rate, it'll take me another 231 days to fully refine my skin and move on to muscle refinement. Once I master both skin and muscle, I can attempt to break through to the second stage of martial arts—Bone and Tendon Refinement!"

"Refining my skin alone will take nearly a year, and muscle refinement will be even harder. Not to mention, as time goes on, it'll take longer for each point to increase—four days for one point, maybe even five."

"At this pace, dreaming of breaking through to the third stage before graduation is just that—a dream."

Fang Xing bit his lip.

Of course, there were shortcuts. Special nutritional supplements and advanced training equipment could greatly enhance one's speed in martial arts cultivation. But these were out of his reach.

"My only real option is the Dragon Stance."

"Right now, my Dragon Stance is still at a novice level, so its efficiency in refining my skin and flesh isn't great. But as I improve, the efficiency will surely skyrocket."

"Too bad my progress in the Dragon Stance is slow too. The path of martial arts is indeed arduous..."

Fang Xing sighed inwardly.

"A'Xing, ready for work? This time we're heading to the rich district… Ever heard of Glorious River Estate?" Liu Wei grinned slyly, his eyes darting around.

"Oh? That famous high-end community, where the wealthy live?" Fang Xing's mind raced, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. "I think… someone from school lives there."

Liu Wei's face flushed slightly, and he glanced around nervously. "Quit babbling. Are you coming or not?"

"Of course!" Fang Xing readily agreed. "I need the money. But just to be clear, I'm not taking jobs involving second-stage martial artists."

"Obviously. Second-stage martial artists wouldn't even bother with us..." Liu Wei replied matter-of-factly.

With the current level of technology in the Blue Star Federation, finding a job that required pure physical labor was rare. The work Liu Wei had found wasn't exactly ordinary—it was to act as a human training dummy.

For martial artists, practicing on a real person was far more effective than using a dead object.

"Human bodies are complex. While there are training robots, it's too extravagant to give one to a first-stage martial artist. It's much more cost-effective to hire a person." 

As Fang Xing and Liu Wei traveled toward the Glorious River Estate, Fang Xing pondered over the situation.

After getting off the hover train, his eyes lit up.

Before them lay an expanse of green hills and clear water, with only a few villas scattered throughout, creating a serene yet traditional atmosphere.

The streets were immaculate, sparsely populated by well-dressed individuals.

The area around their school was considered nice, but compared to this place, it was like comparing a chicken to a phoenix.

At the estate's entrance, two uniformed guards stood tall, their postures as rigid as steel.

Fang Xing took one look and immediately knew—these two guards were at least trained in the Dragon Stance. Their imposing auras were unmistakable.

"So, this is a rich neighborhood? Even the security guards are third-stage martial artists..." Fang Xing muttered to himself.

Before he could continue, Liu Wei had already swaggered over with a grin. "Hello, senior brothers! Hey, Brother Wang… Care for a cigarette?"

Having worked here before, they were somewhat familiar with the guards, who were both graduates of their high school and hardened veterans.

Brother Wang, who had a kindly face, waved his hand. "Little Liu, even though we know each other, you still have to follow the rules. Register first, then get a call from the resident. Only then can you go in!"

"Of course, of course!" Liu Wei nodded quickly, giving Fang Xing a knowing look.

Fang Xing stepped forward and adjusted his position, blocking the security cameras with his body.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Liu Wei deftly slipping a pack of cigarettes into Brother Wang's pocket. Fang Xing nodded inwardly, thinking, *His sleight of hand is better practiced than the Twelve Military Boxing Forms.*

Still, Fang Xing understood the old saying: it's easier to deal with the gods than with the little devils. He could only curse in his mind: *A pack of Galaxy-brand cigarettes? That costs over a thousand credits!*

Brother Wang, now all smiles, said, "Got the call. Follow me. It's the rules."

He led them to a hovercar parked beside the gate. "Hop in!"

Clearly, the car was there to prevent visitors from wandering around and disturbing other residents.

Fang Xing and Liu Wei got in, and the car silently floated up, heading towards one of the villas.

The leather seats were incredibly comfortable, and the ride was smooth without the slightest bump.

Liu Wei looked around excitedly, acting as if it was his first time there, making Fang Xing chuckle. He knew Liu Wei was searching for his "white moonlight"—Ouyang Qianqian.

Ouyang Qianqian was Liu Wei's classmate, a girl who had developed early, with fair skin and large eyes.

But most importantly—she was a natural human.

Though there were no legal barriers between natural humans and bio-humans, the gap between their social status, resources, and opportunities was enough to make any young man feel hopeless.

That was why Liu Wei had always kept his crush a secret. No one but Fang Xing knew he liked Ouyang Qianqian.

Just then, another hovercar passed them. Inside, Fang Xing noticed a young girl sitting alone.

"Huh!" Liu Wei turned his head sharply, eyes wide, but he quickly fell silent.

"We're here." Brother Wang brought them to the front gate of a villa and drove off.

Only after the car left did Liu Wei whisper, "A'Xing, was that Bai Lianyi?"

"I didn't get a good look."

It was only a fleeting glimpse, but Fang Xing thought it was likely.

"Bai Lianyi's a bio-human like us. How could she afford to live here? She's one of the top students… but she doesn't really hang out with anyone. Could the rumors be true?"

Liu Wei's eyes darted around suspiciously.

Fang Xing rolled his eyes. Bai Lianyi was not only beautiful, with a delicate and gentle aura, but she was also more attractive than Ouyang Qianqian, making her a popular subject of admiration. Her aloofness only fueled rumors about her.

"Rumor has it… she charges 400 credits a night..."

Liu Wei muttered under his breath.

"Stop spreading baseless gossip. Besides..." Fang Xing motioned with his chin towards the villa, where their employer was about to appear, and reminded Liu Wei that there were cameras everywhere. This wasn't the time to dig his own grave.

"Ugh..." Liu Wei sighed. "Too bad… I'm broke."

Fang Xing couldn't help but glance at him. He knew Liu Wei had more savings than him, and he was way stingier too.

*So, is your white moonlight, Ouyang Qianqian, no longer enough compared to your new obsession?*

Before Fang Xing could comment, the villa's gates opened, and a girl's voice called