In the days that followed, the boy once again began to suffer from frequent insomnia—or more precisely, he simply couldn't sleep well. Sometimes, Ah Jun even felt it might be better not to sleep at all, because he often had a strange dream…
In the dream, he would arrive at a place that was both unfamiliar and strangely familiar. There was a gemstone glowing toward him, stirring in him a strong, unconscious urge to reach out and touch it—yet some unseen force always blocked his hand.
The place was dim, and it seemed that Ah Jun was the only one there. The gemstone was so beautiful it actually frightened him a little. Each time he woke, he carried a lingering sense of dread. Worse still, sometimes he would wake in the middle of the night, accompanied by various physical discomforts.
Every morning, he felt different from before—always as if he hadn't slept enough, or as if sleeping was no different from not sleeping at all. He thought he had more energy the night before than after a night's rest.
But about this situation, Ah Jun decided not to tell his family. In fact, most of the time, with many things, this child bore them silently. He knew his family had already worried themselves sick over him, and he didn't want to add to their troubles. He hoped he could solve these difficulties on his own—perhaps even share some of the burden for them.
This state lasted for a long, long time… until his new desk mate appeared—his first true friend of his own choosing, and a turning point in his life. Only then did things begin to ease.
Ah Jun remembered it clearly. It was the first day of fifth grade, during the first class of the morning—March, with bright sunshine and the vitality of spring. It was truly a day of endings and beginnings.
Before class began, the homeroom teacher solemnly introduced to the whole class a transfer student from one of the Five Counties—Qilin County (Qílín Jùn, 麒麟郡). The new student was not very tall, chubby, with small eyes, and when he introduced himself, he was all smiles. He was especially good at talking, full of humor, and had the whole class laughing until they bent over their desks.
After finishing his self-introduction, the new student didn't wait for the teacher to assign him a seat. Instead, he ran straight to the empty seat next to Ah Jun and plopped himself down. At that moment, Ah Jun thought perhaps the empty seat was too conspicuous—or maybe the new student, being from out of town, didn't know the unspoken rules here.
Ah Jun glanced at the teacher, then at the old classmates around him, thinking it over. Just as he was hesitating whether to remind the new student to be more cautious, suddenly, a chubby little hand reached toward him…
"Hi! Heh heh, finally meeting you in person…" the new student said with a grin. "Just call me Xiao Xi (Xiǎo Xī, 小熙). I'll be troubling you a lot from now on!"
"Troubling me? Don't tell me… you're here to give me trouble—no, that can't be… or could it?"
Ah Jun was thrown off by the new student's warmth. Clever as he was, he found himself at a loss. Almost without thinking, he extended his bony hand, wanting to try what a handshake felt like. But because of past experiences, he hesitated, stopping with his hand at his chest, not moving it forward.
He glanced around at the reactions of his classmates. As expected, there were still traces of strange looks in their eyes—but so be it.
Then he looked back at the teacher, who was smiling and nodding at him. Suddenly, he felt his hand being taken into another warm hand. He quickly turned his head—it was the new student, smiling as he held Ah Jun's hand, his small eyes seeming to shine.
"Uh… hello, my name is Jun—if you don't mind, you can…"
Out of politeness, and still half in doubt, Ah Jun quickly replied. The atmosphere was still a little awkward, but inside, he felt a sense of ease.
"—I know! Then I'll call you Ah Jun too!"
That inexplicable answer from Xiao Xi left Ah Jun puzzled—who exactly was he? But in the days that followed, Ah Jun's questions were fully answered.
Xiao Xi was truly talkative. Ah Jun had grown used to a school life that was both noisy and lonely. The classmates around him were only there to copy his grades; no one really talked to him. Some even shouted at him from across the room.
The seat beside him had always been empty—he came to school alone and went home alone every day. At most, there had been a time when a little cat kept him company.
But now, there was suddenly a talkative… friend? Well, desk mate, at least!
His world was no longer lonely. Though he wasn't yet used to it, Ah Jun didn't find the new desk mate noisy at all. In fact, it felt lively. Sometimes, he would study while listening to his desk mate chatter away, and he found himself in a good mood.
Ah Jun also learned that his desk mate, Xiao Xi, was the child of a wealthy family in the main city of Qilin County. Yet he seemed easygoing, without any airs. His family name was Duanmu (Duānmù, 端木), and his given name was simply Xi (Xī, 熙).
As a scion of a great family, Xiao Xi had an outstanding Guardian talent. But his parents ran a large restaurant chain, with many branches across the Five Counties. His master was actually the clan leader there—clearly, his status was extraordinary.
According to Xiao Xi, he had transferred here because his grades were too poor, and his master had ordered him to come. It was arranged through the connections of two clan leaders. As for why he ended up with Ah Jun, Xiao Xi was vague—perhaps even he didn't know what was in the gourd. Maybe it was just "near vermilion, one turns red."
Whatever the reason, Ah Jun felt it was probably a good thing. In the days that followed, he was happy, even sleeping better at night. It was the second time in three years his condition had improved.
Still, he was well aware of his own situation and the old rivals around him, so he kept a subtle distance from his desk mate. But Xiao Xi seemed unaware, sticking to Ah Jun like a conjoined twin—eating together, attending class together, even going to the restroom together. After school, he would walk home with Ah Jun before taking a car back himself.
Xiao Xi lived in the best hotel in the city, with his own bodyguards and butler. His route home was the opposite of Ah Jun's. Ah Jun felt a twinge of envy—not for the luxury, but because he thought Xiao Xi's parents must really love their child. Of course, his own family was very good to him as well.
After a stretch of pleasant days at school, Ah Jun's mood kept lifting. Even so, he felt he had to draw a clear boundary with his new friend in time—at least keep more distance. He knew in his heart that any child who got linked to him would be hurt to some degree. He didn't want, and couldn't stand, to see another friend suffer because of him.
After all, he was—had always been—the one everyone here agreed on as the main city's only "jinx." Of course, this wasn't Ah Jun mocking himself, but a socalled baseless charge others slapped on him—and there were uglier names.
As for his new desk mate, Xiao Xi, he clearly hadn't realized this yet, or didn't know at all. Ah Jun figured that once he knew, he would naturally steer away, saving Ah Jun the trouble of having to politely decline yet another… friend?
"Ah Jun!"
One day after school, a familiar voice rang out just as Ah Jun reached the school gate, panting, ready to slip away while Xiao Xi was in the restroom. At that moment, a student a grade above him stepped in front of him, blocking his path—a tall, burly boy with a round belly.
"Yo… long time no see!"
"Mm."
Though startled, Ah Jun didn't resist, but he hesitated. He seemed to know this person, yet didn't feel like chatting. He planned to toss out a casual goodbye and bolt.
"See you!"
"Ah Jun, wait for me…"
With that, Ah Jun sprang forward and fled. In the distance, Xiao Xi came hurrying after him, panting. He had shouted several times, but Ah Jun acted as if he hadn't heard, speeding away until he vanished.
The older student then gave Xiao Xi an approving onceover, steadied his gaze, and extended his hand with a kind of swagger. "Hello, I'm Pudding (Bùdīng, 布丁), a friend of Ah Jun's! How should I address you?"
His certainty made Xiao Xi hesitate a little. After all, Ah Jun had never mentioned any other friends, nor had he seen one.
"Mm, hello. You can just call me Xiao Xi," he answered promptly and politely, a child of a prominent family after all.
"He… it's not that he doesn't want to be your friend. He's just afraid—" Pudding sighed, watching Ah Jun's retreating back, then turned to Xiao Xi. "Ah Jun thinks about others so much that he forgets he's just a kid, like us."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?"
Xiao Xi glanced at Ah Jun too, puzzled. "His grades are so good—what's there to worry about?"
"He's afraid of dragging us down."
Pudding looked after Ah Jun again, speaking helplessly. "The pressure he bears… you and I probably can't imagine it. And it's the kind of thing kids our age shouldn't have to face."
"Dragging us down?"
Even then, Xiao Xi didn't understand. Ah Jun hadn't done anything wrong and never caused trouble. On the contrary, he was upright—helping the teacher keep order, helping with study, refusing to let him copy during exams, only urging him to improve by his own effort. To Xiao Xi, Ah Jun wasn't bad at all. Strict, yes, but for his good—and Xiao Xi didn't mind listening. So where did "dragging down" come from?
"Maybe that's why he resists so hard, why he deliberately keeps his distance from you and me…"
Pudding looked as if he understood Ah Jun through and through. He sounded like the kind of words only an old friend of years would say.
"You? Me? You say you're his friend, but how come I've never seen you?" Xiao Xi asked curiously.
"I'm a year above you, so we don't cross paths much. And after that incident, Ah Jun deliberately drew a line between us, so we rarely met. It's natural you wouldn't know me."
"Incident… what exactly happened?"
"That's a long story…"
"No problem—tell me. Maybe I can find a breakthrough, even become Ah Jun's first real friend. That's one of the reasons I came here!"
"First—cough! To be precise, you'd be the second, okay? … All right then."
Xiao Xi's words surprised Pudding. He hadn't expected someone to transfer schools for Ah Jun. He himself had tried many ways in the past but never changed Ah Jun's resolve. Could this chubby kid really pull it off?
Still… it looked like maybe this time, the boy in front of him could. Pudding hoped someone could help break the ice.
So the tall one and the chubby one started talking in the glow of the setting sun, chatting on until night fell—long enough for the bodyguards' lower backs to ache from standing. And it went on like this until Xiao Xi's butler arrived…
Their venue shifted from the school gate to a luxury hotel. The two boys, like old friends, ate from a lavish buffet while they continued. There were countless desserts, teas, and main dishes. Pudding had long wanted a feast like this, but with his family's tight finances, he hadn't had the chance. He couldn't help feeling a pang of emotion now.
Mm… this Xiao Xi really was something—rich, willful, and instantly friendly.
Over dinner, Pudding told Xiao Xi that back in third grade, Ah Jun had once had a good friend. But a year ago, for certain reasons, she had to transfer to a school in Zhebei City (Zhéběi Shì, 哲北市). As for Pudding and Ah Jun then, they weren't close—if anything, they had minor frictions.
Pudding used to be a problem student. Though his martial skills were strong, he disliked studying, had poor grades, often skipped class, and ran with a little crew of classmates from his grade and lower grades. They were either off playing games or acting as righteous hired muscle for patrons.
Even so, while most of Pudding's underlings weren't strong in academics, they were loyal and fair, picking their "jobs" carefully and never bullying the weak.
Pudding's little gang had a base—but it was tiny. As their numbers grew, the boss felt he should find them a bigger, better place.
After all, whenever they threw a party or played games, the place got crowded, and the neighborhood uncles and aunties would complain, scold, even report them to the school more than once.
Because of this, Pudding's teacher was often at wit's end and had to invite his parents in for talks. The next day, Pudding would show up with bruises on his face—but even that didn't stop him from scoring zero or leading his crew.
By contrast, Ah Jun was the school's top student, scoring full marks in every exam. Teachers often used him as an example to lecture Pudding, which Pudding found hard to swallow—what was the use of being good at studying? You couldn't eat grades for dinner. A bookworm, no matter how much he learned, was still no match for having a real skill to rely on.
—Oh? Not bad, I've got my eye on you! But… why does that sound so familiar?
After all, Pudding's dream was to become, in the future, a great figure like a frontier general—highly skilled in martial arts and able to lead troops into battle. And he knew about Ah Jun's situation: just a skinny kid who could only study, despised by everyone. What was there to admire in that?
Of course, Pudding thought this way because, at the time, he and Ah Jun had never had any dealings, and he didn't know Ah Jun's real story. They weren't even in the same year—until one day…
Before third grade, for quite a long time, Ah Jun had been allowed to bring a little cat to school with him. But under constant protest from others, the school was forced to cancel this privilege.
After that, Ah Jun's condition returned to square one—his inner depression, recurring physical troubles, and restless sleep all came back. Then, one day after the start of third grade, a "little patron" from a year below Pudding came to him again, wanting to discuss a deal. Pudding knew this little patron had always disliked Ah Jun and was especially eager to find someone to teach him a lesson.
The little patron was generous. He promised that if Pudding would help him fulfill his wish this time, he would provide Pudding's crew with a spacious, luxurious base that wouldn't bother the neighbors, and would also gift them the latest model of game console—similar to the one Ah Jun was using now.
As for this person's family, everyone knew they were rich and had everything—except for a pair of Ah Jun's glasses, which were custommade and couldn't be bought even with money.
Pudding had already refused him many times. In his eyes, Ah Jun was a pitiful kid who posed no harm. So weak—why bother bullying him?
Besides, Pudding had always found this little patron annoying—throwing his weight around at school, forming cliques and acting like everyone had to bow to him. Sure, he had the means and influence, but he didn't seem to have any real ability—just throwing money around.
However, this time, the issue of the crew's base made Pudding hesitate. The little patron's offer was tempting, and his underlings, listening in, egged him on. In the end, Pudding wavered.
The little patron then added that teaching Ah Jun a lesson was about "righting a wrong." That kid might look wellbehaved, but he was actually arrogant—his underlings had tried to provoke him several times and failed. Worse, they'd even been taught a lesson by Ah Jun; one time, one of them had been so scared he wet his pants.
Hearing this, Pudding gave a cold sideways glance and a sly smile—such weak underlings! Still, it seemed that kid was hiding some skill…
After much thought, for the sake of his crew's welfare, he finally accepted the job—but he knew his limits. He would never actually hurt him, just find a chance to scare him a bit.
—However, this decision would turn out to be a grave mistake!
Over the next few days, Pudding had his boys tail Ah Jun, but they never found a good opportunity. At school, the teachers kept a close watch; after school, Ah Jun always seemed secretive, as if avoiding something. They were baffled—they couldn't even find him.
So, one day after school, Pudding couldn't hold back and personally led his crew to find him. But even following him himself, he failed—damn, was this kid part mouse?
Just as Pudding was feeling helpless and about to call off the hunt, his scout came running with good news: they'd spotted the "jinx," in a nearby alley, facing off against a group of girls!
"Hmph! Let's see where you run now… bullying girls, are you?"
Pudding gave a cold smile—now he had a righteous cause. He immediately ordered his "army" forward—only to spend ages circling around to get there, leaving him dizzy. Then, when he finally saw the scene—
—Good grief, those weren't ordinary girls. They were the infamous allgirl squad "Jiu" (Jiǔ, 玖), led by a boss a year above him, whose martial skills surpassed his own. Even he didn't dare provoke them!
Well, this was awkward… He immediately gave his scout a knock on the head. Pudding's crew was wellknown at school, but this girl squad was even more formidable. They were also "problem students," but lacked nothing and were not to be trifled with. How had that kid gotten himself mixed up with them?
Sensing the situation, Pudding quickly raised his hand to signal a halt, then hid at a distance to observe. He saw a girl lying on the ground, crying, while Ah Jun stood protectively in front of her.
Looked like the kid was trying to play the hero—rescue the damsel. The girl looked delicate and frightened, her eyes fixed on Ah Jun's back as if she'd found her savior.
But Pudding smiled coldly again, a trace of smugness on his face—he knew the girl. She had transferred here at the start of the term, a fifthgrader, and was an "illegitimate child" (shùchū, 庶出) of a Guardian.
Her situation was unusual: her mother was an ordinary person, and though her father was a Guardian, by principle their children weren't allowed to attend Guardian schools. More broadly, for Guardians—especially the great clans—schools were meant to cultivate pureblooded Guardian talent. They didn't welcome children like her, who could tarnish the school's reputation and status. Such children were often labeled illegitimate, unwelcome among students, and easily bullied.
—Truly, search high and low and you'll never find it, but here it was: two misfits together. No need to go looking for trouble or waste effort… Pudding smiled to himself, then straightened up, quietly instructing his boys to be careful as he led them closer.
"Yo, what a coincidence, Sister Hong!" he called, cautiously approaching the girl boss, greeting her respectfully yet with authority.
"Hm? Oh… it's you, kid!"
The girl boss, panting, kept her eyes on the girl behind Ah Jun, giving Pudding only a sidelong glance and a casual reply.
"We just happened to be passing by. If there's anything we can do to help, just say the word!" Pudding said, casting a notsokind look at Ah Jun.
"You're here for this kid, aren't you?" The girl boss seemed to see right through him, asking politely.
—That was direct! How did she know what I was thinking…? Caught off guard, Pudding didn't know how to respond.
"Phew—this kid's a handful. All talk, no action. Says a good man doesn't fight women, spouting all that moral righteousness. We've been sparring with words for ages, mouths dry, and we can't outargue him. As for fighting—uh, forget it!"
Then Pudding saw the onceformidable girl boss suddenly shake her head, complaining with a face full of helplessness. This puzzled Pudding, who immediately signaled his boys to bring over some drinks.
"Since you're here for him too, I'll do you a favor and hand him over—brat, don't think you've found a protector. Watch yourself next time! Let's go!"
The girl boss didn't give Pudding any time to react—she simply, and generously, handed Ah Jun… over to him? Then, avoiding Ah Jun's gaze, she shot the girl a fierce warning look, waved her hand, and led her crew away.
Soon, the alley was left with only Pudding and his boys, standing there puzzled. He watched the dejected backs of the girl squad as they left, wondering why they had given up so easily.
—Ah, never mind. No point overthinking it. This was an opportunity, and he had to seize it.
Thinking it was a onceinalifetime chance, Pudding quickly turned to act—only to see Ah Jun calmly helping the fallen girl to her feet, not even glancing at them.
By now, the girl had stopped crying. She wiped her tears with both hands, looking at Ah Jun with gratitude and a smile. Ah Jun smiled back, taking out a tissue from his pocket and handing it to her—this kid… could smile?
The sight left Pudding baffled. Every time he'd seen Ah Jun before, it had been with a bitter melon face, or one that begged for a beating.
"Hey! Kid, you think our boss is air?" One of Pudding's underlings, apparently unable to stand it any longer, stepped forward to provoke him.
"—What? You want to keep going?"
After steadying the girl, Ah Jun suddenly turned, shielding her behind him, and barked in a hoarse voice—his hands and feet trembling.
—Tch, so much for playing the hero. Looks like it's all an act.
"I… you… boss, are we still going?" The underling, startled by Ah Jun's shout, instinctively stepped back two paces and asked.
By then, Pudding had moved to the front of the group. He patted the underling's shoulder, gave him a flick on the head, and replied to Ah Jun with swagger.
"You're pretty arrogant, kid…"
"—Why do you say that? We don't seem to know each other, and we've no grudges. Where does 'arrogant' come from? If there's nothing else, we'll be on our way. She needs treatment."
Under pressure, Ah Jun didn't lash out. He chose silence, carefully supporting the girl, preparing to leave—but was instantly surrounded by Pudding's crew. Ah Jun wanted to end this quickly; he knew his body was close to its limit.
"Leave? Where to? I'm not done talking yet! Being a hero isn't so easy!" Pudding signaled his boys to keep provoking him, but Ah Jun still refused to yield.
Because of the earlier commotion with the girl squad, the oncequiet place had drawn a crowd. Normally, when kids fought, nearby adults would step in to break it up. But when they saw it was Ah Jun, the reaction was different.
More and more people gathered. Ah Jun, holding the girl, couldn't find a way out. The verbal attacks grew sharper, all aimed at him.
Yet Ah Jun felt a faint comfort—at least the girl was safe. He kept shielding her, holding his ground, even though he was weak himself and his symptoms were returning.
The girl looked around at the crowd, then back at Ah Jun. She found it strange—someone even more pitiful than herself. Summoning her courage, she stepped forward to face them with him, though she didn't know which way to turn—there were spectators in every direction.
And so, without exchanging a word, the two children stood backtoback, sharing the pressure. In that moment, they had gone from strangers to comrades. But now Pudding was in a bind—he'd only meant to scare the kid a little, but the scene had blown up.
He knew Ah Jun was popular in his own way, but hadn't realized people cared so much—so much that they didn't even care about the "illegitimate" girl. It left him caught between advancing and retreating.
—Tch, if the kid had just backed down earlier, I could've let him go. Now it's hard to back off.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out. Somehow, one of Pudding's wiry underlings had thrown himself at Ah Jun and the girl!
Ah Jun had no choice but to defend himself—he shoved the boy to the ground with one palm. They were still just kids; the underling landed on his backside and burst into tears. That made Pudding angry as the boss—though inwardly, he admitted the kid had some skill, if still a bit below his own.
Then, Pudding's boys and the onlookers began jeering, accusing Ah Jun of hitting someone. Pudding now had to demand justice for his troublesome underling. He stepped forward sharply, squaring up to spar with Ah Jun and teach him a lesson.
But thanks to that underling's stunt, Ah Jun's condition worsened—his whole body tingled and trembled, his mind grew hazy, and he felt a force surging out from within, as if a voice were speaking to him.
Still, to protect the person beside him, he forced himself to stand firm, ready to face Pudding. Around them, the crowd was primed for a show—some selling tickets, some betting, others munching melon seeds, and a few even holding eggs and cabbages, ready to throw.
"Ha! You jinx, you illmannered brat—didn't your family teach you… no fighting?"
"Yeah—yeah, you little pest, your parents—hmph—never taught you to respect your elders?"
"Hey, I'm telling you, kid, don't think having someone back you up means you can throw your weight around! We've put up with you long enough. If we weren't afraid to speak, we'd…"
"—Yeah, we're afraid…"
"—Afraid? Us? Don't bring that up—cough! Anyway, because of you, this city's getting more and more unsettled, you know? Look at the state we're all in these days…"
"Our boss works in the Guardian Squad and hasn't rested in days—boo hoo—you know that, you brat? All you do is run wild, bullying us honest, defenseless folk… your family's all the same, huh?"
"Hmph! Every day the whole city revolves around you—fun, isn't it? Think you're somebody? You'd better not stick around here. Get as far away as you can!"
"Yeah! Everyone agree… right?"
In the moments that followed, a large crowd took turns hurling words at a single pitiful child, voices overlapping in a frenzy, like a public denunciation rally—and Ah Jun was the target of it all.
Normally, he would let them shout as they pleased; he'd long since stopped caring, especially with his earplugs in. But today, it was as if his earplugs had suddenly failed—every word poured straight into his heart like water through a funnel.
—Say whatever you want about me, but you will never insult my family!
Inside, Ah Jun roared in fury, but he could no longer shout it aloud. It felt as if something had gripped his throat. Only his mental strength was still holding his body upright.
A second, a minute, a moment—time ticked by, and with it, something inside Ah Jun was changing. Perhaps he had already reached his limit… but in truth, he was gradually losing conscious control. His heart was being filled with a force steeped in hatred—he felt as though a door before him was slowly closing.
Meanwhile, Pudding, waiting for his moment, noticed something strange about the boy. Was this going too far? Face or no face, maybe it was time to back off… this was getting…
But this wasn't something Pudding could just walk away from—not with the crowd egging him on. After all, they thought, it's just kids fighting; nothing serious could happen. Everyone urged Pudding to keep going.
As he hesitated, Pudding suddenly saw Ah Jun's body begin to change—a wisp of inky black mist, like watercolor ink, started to coil around him, growing denser. Then, a few flashes of light flickered on Ah Jun's forehead. But, like a faulty lightbulb, they blinked for a moment and vanished.
Pudding recognized that light—it was something he had long dreamed of achieving himself: the awakening of the Fèngxiān Seal (凤仙印).
Gradually, Ah Jun's eyes took on an unnatural gleam—his gaze was frightening. Seeing this, Pudding instinctively stepped back, unsure what to do. This was getting serious.
"You—shut—up!"
Pudding heard the shout, and then saw the black mist being drawn into Ah Jun, only to pour back out from his body, cloaking him like a spray, faintly revealing the small, frail figure within.
The girl beside him seemed startled, her eyes vacant—but she still didn't run. She stood her ground, watching the boy who had been driven to this state to protect her, her gaze full of sympathy and loyalty, shaking her head.
Ah Jun's eyes, glowing faintly red, were fixed straight ahead, as if all his rage had been poured into the figure before him.
To the onlookers, he still seemed to be shielding the girl. But in truth, no one knew that at this moment, he had almost completely lost his own consciousness. That roar had been his last shred of self-expression. Now, as everyone had wished, he had become exactly what they'd long expected—a monster.
"Quick—come see! The jinx has shown his true form!"
"Oh! See? I knew it—he's a freak! Definitely in league with those others. Hurry… call the police…"
"Yeah! Everyone be careful… this kid's been odd since he was little. Now it looks like his brain's gone too. Don't let him hurt you!"
…
—This… time… are you all… satisfied?
The more perceptive in the crowd kept shouting, but also stepped back a few paces to keep a safe distance from the "monster," then resumed their verbal barrage. They felt the truth had finally come out, that years of grievance had been vindicated—it was deeply satisfying.
But facing Ah Jun, Pudding now realized these people were just stirring the pot. He was the one being stared down, not them. What now? Maybe he really couldn't win. Could he withstand this? This kid had been hiding such a big secret—had he underestimated him?
The next second, Ah Jun shifted into a fighting stance, ready to attack. Across from him, Pudding felt both excitement and fear. He puffed out his belly, set his stance, and prepared to try and take the blow…