Chapter 21: What Is Wrong with Favoring Girls?

It was raining when I left the Sword Pavilion.

Maple Sugar City is a place with distinct seasons and heavy precipitation. The rain here falls with such ferocity that the city has historically suffered from severe flooding. Whenever the downpour begins, the gray, leaden sky presses down, creating a stifling sense of oppression in one's chest.

Decades ago, those dark, roiling clouds had indeed descended upon the city—a massive, extraordinary natural disaster. It was then that a young Li Shun-zhe unleashed a formidable technique at the Sword Pavilion, sparing Maple Sugar City from total annihilation. Even today, the scars of that spell remain.

As my car crawled safely along the winding mountain road, I glanced back toward the Sword Pavilion. A jagged fold in space, carved by a single sword strike, originated from the main hall and stretched diagonally toward the heavens. The falling rain cascaded along this fissure, forming faint, swirling eddies before vanishing into nothingness.

A single sword stroke, opening the gates of heaven, had guarded Maple Sugar City for decades.

The citizens of Maple Sugar City are no fools. The reason the Li family can maintain its commercial monopolies, enjoy its privileges, and stand as a rival to both the authorities and the Spiritual Clock Tower while still retaining the support of many is that the Li family truly once made the protection of this city their own responsibility. Whether that has changed in recent times, however, is another matter entirely.

I mused that if the Li family were to face another crisis, my grandfather would likely emerge from seclusion. Li Shun-zhe has always been a master of turning the tide when all seems lost. The old man is a specialist in resolving desperate situations.

The car’s Bluetooth audio, linked to my phone, began to play Jiang Qian-qian’s custom ringtone.

"Ah-Ming, where have you been?"

"I went back to the Sword Pavilion. I'll be at school in half an hour. Have you eaten?"

"I was just about to. Are you waiting for me?"

"Just go to the cafeteria and eat by yourself. I’ll grab something on the road. Oh, and after you're done, wait for me in the martial arts practice room."

I paused, then added, "The 'martial' as in martial arts, not the 'dance' as in dancing."

"Huh?"

Jiang Qian-qian sounded genuinely surprised, then grew somewhat nervous. "More special training? Oh, come on... Ah-Ming, please go easy on me, I’m afraid of the pain..."

"Don't worry. I’m hanging up now. Focus on the road when you’re driving."

"Okay, got it."

Combat awareness training for Jiang Qian-qian had been on my agenda since the third grade. Since we were destined to be partners for life, even if her role was that of a support, she could not be a pure liability—a weak link that meant certain death the moment an enemy located her. She needed at least some capacity for self-preservation, enough to hold out until reinforcements arrived, even in the face of intense, high-pressure threats. She didn't need to be incredibly powerful; that level of competence was sufficient.

Every time, I would drill Jiang Qian-qian until she was crying and rolling on the floor. While my methods were seasoned enough to ensure she wouldn't suffer any actual injuries, the process was undeniably agonizing. Judging by the tone of her voice, she was already anticipating the pain.

Pain is necessary. You don't learn without it.

Lunch was a rice ball from a convenience store, nuked in the microwave and dipped in Liupo chili powder. I keep a cardboard box of Liupo packets and some plastic plates in my beat-up car, ready to dip whatever I'm eating whenever I need a kick. It really is the ultimate chili powder; I feel like there’s nothing in this world that doesn't taste better with it.

I parked the car in front of the convenience store and ate while watching the rain bloom and slide across the windshield. In those five minutes of eating, I saw two convoys of police cars scream past on the road.

Upon returning to City No. 1 High School, my car was blocked at the school gate. A police officer in a crisp, sharp uniform knocked on my window.

"Hello, this is a routine check."

I was ushered into the school gatehouse, where several officers stood waiting.

"Student Li, please tell us where you were last night and what you were doing."

I described my cozy daily routine with Jiang Qian-qian in meticulous detail. The single officer taking notes grew increasingly grim-faced as he listened.

"Thank you for your cooperation, that’s about enough..."

"What happened? Why the sudden interrogation?"

"That is not for you to worry about."

"But the Sword Pavilion will worry about it. Instead of submitting an incident report to my uncle later, you might as well tell me directly. I can pass the message along and save everyone the trouble."

With that, I walked over to the water cooler, filled a paper cup, and downed it in one go. My mouth was still a bit dry from the chili-dipped rice ball.

The two lead officers exchanged glances. My calm, composed attitude, combined with my rational suggestion, quickly swayed them.

I pressed my advantage: "I understand the confidentiality protocols. I won’t go spreading rumors."

"Fine..." The officer taking notes rubbed his forehead, abandoning his reserve. "Because of certain events, the city has raised its security alert level."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"You are on the bureau's regular monitoring list."

"..."

Good grief, is my reputation as a young master of the Li family really that bad? I found it somewhat amusing, though on second thought, it made sense. After all, the identity of "Li Xing-ming" had indeed racked up a few police records.

There wasn't a single person at City No. 1 High School foolish enough to harass Jiang Qian-qian anymore. But when we first enrolled, a few boys, blinded by lust, had tried to pester her into submission. I beat them up a few times. I beat them every time I saw them, until eventually, they couldn't take the humiliation and called the police.

The matter went to the station, but after some back-and-forth, it was treated as if nothing had happened. After all, I am a direct descendant of the Li family, while the ringleader of those I beat was the nephew of Ge Rui, from the "Storm Axe" branch of the Spiritual Clock Tower. A third-generation scion of a conglomerate versus a second-generation tower elite—neither side could really do anything to the other. So, it was perfectly normal for the authorities to keep an extra eye on me.

I signed the unremarkable statement, watched the police cars pull away, and vanished into the rain. The "Solar Knight’s" route avoided all cameras and potential extraordinary surveillance. It seemed this was just a routine inquiry related to the monitoring list. With the security level raised, the grave robber Ouyang had mentioned was likely approaching Maple Sugar City.

No big deal.

Compared to the endless stream of bottom-feeders who insisted on being beaten, I preferred being a notorious villain. Sometimes, I would even log into the Extraordinary Wiki under an alias to participate in the collective writing of the thread: "What Kind of Evil Things Has Li Xing-ming Done?"

City No. 1 High School has a few private martial arts rooms available by reservation. The conditions are decent—certainly more than enough for drilling Jiang Qian-qian. When I first enrolled, I challenged the PE teacher to a duel, won, and earned priority reservation rights, similar to a VIP skip-the-line pass at Disneyland.

Inside the practice room, Jiang Qian-qian was already waiting obediently.

"I brought you this weapon."

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Jiang Qian-qian’s face lit up with surprise. "What’s it called?"

"The Gravity Lady Sword."

The Gravity Lady Sword—extracting the keywords: "Heavy Woman."

What’s wrong with a "Heavy Woman"?

Jiang Qian-qian’s expression was complex.