Chapter Sixteen: Women Are Such a Hassle

"Thank you for saving me." In the moonlight, beside the telephone booth, Alice bowed to Liu Tian, having just called home to assure her family of her safety. "The Gai'en family will never forget this favor."

“Oh, you don’t have to be so serious.” Liu Tian leaned nonchalantly against the telephone booth. “I just happened to be passing by and lent a hand. You were lucky, that’s all. Be more careful in the future—I’m not always this kind-hearted, and you won’t always be this lucky.”

Their clothes were in tatters. Alice’s outfit fared a bit better; though damaged, it remained mostly intact, revealing just enough to maintain her dignity. Liu Tian, however, was in a sorry state. He had restored his injuries through martial cultivation, but his uniform hadn’t survived the battle. While his lower body was largely protected, his upper body was covered only in scraps of cloth—a far cry from the Rose Academy's formal attire, more reminiscent of a scavenger’s rags.

Were it not for the presence of a lady, Liu Tian would have tossed away the remnants without a second thought.

“My father often says that gratitude is a treasure of the spirit.” Alice’s eyes glimmered as she studied this unremarkable man with an air she’d never encountered before, as if trying to memorize his very form. “To be saved twice and offer no recompense would shame the Gai'en family’s thousand-year legacy.”

“Is there something on me?” Though Alice’s gaze held no malice or ill intent, Liu Tian couldn’t help but feel uneasy under her scrutiny—it was a sensation entirely new to him. “Must you look at me like that?”

“I just wish to remember what a knight looks like in real life.” Alice seemed entranced, her words slipping out unguarded.

“A knight?” Liu Tian tilted his head, a sense of foreboding creeping in.

“No, it’s nothing.” Realizing her slip, Alice’s face colored. She brushed her black-satin hair behind her ear, revealing a luminous earlobe, and quickly changed the subject. “I was only talking to myself. Is there anything you desire that I—or the Gai'en family—could do for you?”

“The Gai'en family may be small, and our fortune modest, but our history is long. In the Kingdom of Blossoms, we still have some connections. Perhaps we could be of service.”

“Ugh, benefactor… That way of speaking…” Liu Tian shuddered inwardly. He was a straightforward man, unaccustomed to such formalities heard only on television. “Just call me Liu Tian. If that’s not suitable, I’m probably older than you—Tian Bro works too.”

“And speak plainly—I’m a blunt martial artist, not fond of roundabout talk.”

“That isn’t proper.” Alice’s heart raced as she twisted a lock of hair around her finger. “It’s not according to etiquette.”

In the Kingdom of Blossoms, it was customary for members of the opposite sex—unless very close—not to address each other by name alone. A suffix such as “classmate” or “Sir” was usually appended, but Liu Tian was oblivious to such conventions.

The main reason was that the original Liu Tian had been a somewhat withdrawn child, and his guardians, Liu Yun and Sophie, never thought to teach him these social norms. Thus, inheriting everything from Liu Tian, he too was unaware.

“What’s wrong with it? You don’t strike me as someone so bound by rules.” Liu Tian stepped forward, frowning. “If you agree and I agree, that’s enough. Why overthink it?”

“If you agree, and I agree, that’s enough?” Alice pressed her lips together, considering it. “That… actually makes sense.”

“So, I’ll call you Tian Bro?” Testing the words, her eyes flickered, and then, as if making up her mind, she added, “And in return, you can simply call me Alice.”

“Good, that’s settled.” The distant sound of an engine reached them, and Liu Tian nodded in satisfaction. “As for a request—I’ve recently taken an interest in antiques. Since the Gai'en family has a long history, could I perhaps admire some of your collection?”

“Of course, just to admire. If there’s something I truly fancy, I’ll pay a fair price.”

“No, no need for that.” Alice waved her hands frantically, not even noticing the approaching car. “If Tian Bro truly desires something, we’ll give it to you.”

“Well, that’s what you say, but who knows.” Liu Tian exhaled softly. Spotting several strangers exiting the car, he changed the subject. “Those are your family, aren’t they? They’ve come to fetch you. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Alice!” Before Alice could respond, a pair of familiar arms enveloped her in a warm embrace. “Are you…”

“Sis?”

The familiar softness relaxed Alice’s tense body. She turned to speak but was silenced by the overwhelming presence before her. She tried to push away, but the arms that held her, though seemingly delicate, were unyielding. “It’s my fault, it’s my fault…”

What a loving family, Liu Tian thought, shaking his head.

Not wanting to waste time with the inevitable emotional scene, he waved away a butler who seemed about to approach. “You talk. It’s late. I’ll be off.”

Before the butler could say a word, the man who had saved their young mistress had vanished into the night.

“Where is your rescuer?” After who knows how long in their embrace, and only after Alice struggled fiercely, her so-called sister finally released her, averting a suffocating scene. She hurriedly asked, “We must thank him properly.”

“He’s already gone, Sis.” Alice pouted, failing to spot Liu Tian in the darkness. “It’s all your fault. I was going to invite him home since it’s so late.”

“Tian Bro?” Tia Gai'en’s expression was one of utter disbelief. “How long has it been? You’re already on such intimate terms? If you knew him longer, what then?”

“Where is he? I want to thank him properly.” There was a faint edge to Tia’s words.

“What are you talking about, Sis? If you keep this up, I’m ignoring you.” Alice stamped her foot.

“Alright, alright.” Tia quickly changed the subject. “By the way, where are your kidnappers? I want to see who dared lay hands on the Gai'en family.”

“There’s one in the ruins nearby—he had very long, hard, sharp hands. The other two are near the slums…”

Women, honestly, such trouble… impossible to understand.

Liu Tian tossed his tattered rags into a roadside bin, gazed up at the beautiful golden moon, and sighed.

Time to head back, get some sleep. I hope this incident has earned me more source points. If I hadn’t had enough stored up, my odds would’ve been less than one in ten.

Tomorrow, I’ll have to ask Master what this so-called evolution is all about.

He had his suspicions about the origin of the mantis, and sighed—time waits for no one. He needed to become stronger and save more points.

The Way of Martial Slaughter…