Era of Mist

"K.O.! Perfect!"

The arcade machine wailed. The man took a breath and stood up.

His chin was covered in stubble, and he had the world-weary look of a man who’d seen it all—smoking, drinking, the works. His eyes held a strange maturity, as if he had a story to tell. Though clearly a high school student, he gave off the distinct vibe of a mob boss.

’This is Zhou Nan’s older brother?’

’They don’t look alike at all!’

No, on closer inspection, their eyes and noses were somewhat similar. It was just that Zhou Nan had such a thick little-punk aura, it felt like he and this mob boss couldn’t possibly have come off the same assembly line.

Four minions were gathered respectfully nearby, ready to solve their boss’s problems at a moment’s notice. Even the way he pulled out a cigarette was full of flair, exuding the air of a seasoned gangster.

He offered a cigarette.

"Want one?"

His voice was low and gravelly, the kind that sounded incredibly manly.

"I don’t smoke."

Shi Tiexin refused outright. Smoking and drinking were bad for the body and offered no benefits for cultivating force techniques. At least, not during this stage of nurturing his essence. There were too many restrictions, so it was best not to foolishly experiment with those legendary, old-fashioned cigarettes.

Time was precious, and Shi Tiexin didn’t want to waste any of it. He got straight to the point. "You wanted to treat me to a meal?"

"No rush. We’re waiting for someone." The man pointed to the arcade cabinet he’d just been playing. "Fist Emperor. Care for a round?"

"I don’t know how."

"Give it a try. I’ll teach you."

Shi Tiexin thought about it. ’Yeah, why not? Trying an old game couldn’t hurt, and it’ll only take a few minutes anyway.’ As a die-hard gamer who couldn’t be picky, his chances to play an antique like this were practically zero. This was a now-or-never opportunity.

Without another word, Shi Tiexin plopped himself down decisively.

The man chuckled and sat down next to Shi Tiexin.

A minion immediately stepped forward, took out a token, and dropped it into the coin slot. With a CLATTER, the arcade cabinet once again blared its upbeat music.

"Up, down, left, right on the joystick. Over here are light and heavy punch, light and heavy kick. Pulling off combos is about skill. If you don’t have skill, it’s about feel. If you don’t have feel, it’s about luck. For the rest, you’ll have to figure it out yourself." The man’s instructions were brief. After selecting his character, he was eager to start pulling off combos and teach Shi Tiexin a lesson.

Shi Tiexin didn’t waste time with idle chatter and stared at the screen to make his selection. ’A pretty boy with flaming hands? Nope. A punk with a weird haircut and a crescent moon on his back? Pass. Ooh, here we go, this one’s good! Look at this girl—holding two fans, dressed in red, her legs swaying, her slim waist swaying, and the things above her waist were swaying too... swaying, swaying, swaying...’

’Not good, not good! My primitive essence qi is stirring. I’d better suppress it, or it’ll dissipate for nothing!’

Shi Tiexin quickly straightened his posture and picked another character.

’Hmm, this tall, brawny, muscle-bound guy... you’ll do!’

SLAM! He hit the confirm button. Shi Tiexin and the man locked eyes, suddenly sensing the shared aura of two hardcore gamers. A cold glint flashed in both their eyes as they immediately launched into a fierce battle.

CLICK-CLACK-CLACK! The buttons shrieked. The minions nearby said nothing, and Zhou Nan stood obediently to the side. Staring at his older brother and Lord Shi, he suddenly realized that both of them actually had a similar, larger-than-life boss vibe.

However, Lord Shi was like a dark emperor who could suppress the entire world, a ruler who had conquered all worldly temptations—wine, women, wealth, and wrath. Everything could only prostrate itself at his feet.

His own brother, on the other hand, seemed to have been conquered *by* those temptations. He was half-ruined; the kind of boss who, despite looking tough, you felt could be stabbed in the back by a treacherous underling at any moment. How should he put it...? To use a more tactful word... a good-for-nothing.

Zhou Nan was horrified. He had always seen his older brother as his idol, his goal. But now, making a direct comparison, how could he not help but feel that his own brother was a good-for-nothing?

His brother was one of the Four Celestial Kings!

’This is absurd, total bullshit! I must be losing my mind!’ He took a closer look at his brother. He still had that boss-like air... even if he did seem like a bit of a good-for-nothing in some ways...

"K.O.!"

The arcade cabinet shrieked. Zhou Nan snapped back to his senses to see that Lord Shi had clutched the win with a sliver of health remaining. In a best-of-three match, his own brother had been taken down by Lord Shi.

The minions stirred in an uproar. Their boss was supposed to be invincible at Fist Emperor, yet today he’d lost to a newbie? The other patrons in the arcade also seemed to be aware of Zhou Xiong’s reputation in the Fist Emperor scene, and a small crowd quickly gathered to watch.

The world-weary man slapped a few more tokens on the machine, refusing to accept defeat. "Another round!"

Shi Tiexin said nothing, but his aura was just as unyielding.

’Bring it on. I was just getting a feel for the game before. Now that I’ve warmed up, I’ll crush you!’

"K.O.!"

"K.O.!"

"K.O.! Perfect!"

After three straight victories, Shi Tiexin let out a long breath. ’Hmm, this game’s pretty fun. I really do prefer fighting games. It’s just that my opponent is a bit of a scrub, so it’s not as satisfying as it could be.’

’Of course, it’s not his fault. I have essence qi, mental energy, and a special +1 Comprehension attribute. Playing against him is basically bullying, so I won’t rub it in.’

But even if he didn’t gloat, the onlookers were already buzzing with amazement, whispering to each other about a "Fist Emperor master from another arcade coming to crash the party."

"Impressive. Seriously, that was impressive!" The man had a look of complete submission on his face. He finally extended his right hand. "Let’s get acquainted. I’m Zhou Xiong."

"Shi Tiexin."

CLASP. The two shook hands.

"My little brother caused you some trouble. I’d like to treat you to a meal today."

"Let’s go."

"Hang on, we’re waiting for one more to join us." Zhou Xiong looked toward the arcade entrance. Just then, the door curtain was pushed aside, and in walked a pretty-boy punk with a skull earring. The moment this punk saw Shi Tiexin, he started spouting nonsensical drivel from across the room, like, "The aura of a master!"

Shi Tiexin had to think for a moment before he remembered seeing this pretty-boy punk in the hallway earlier. ’Another scrub,’ he thought. ’Although, among all the scrubs, this one was probably one of the least pathetic.’

"Perfect timing. Let’s head out." Zhou Xiong was the first to stand. "Tonight, we’re hitting the food stalls!"

「Half an hour later, the city lights were just beginning to glow as the sky darkened.」

In an old alley, an old food stall was bustling with shouts and orders. The owner had hung up a large, bare bulb, bathing the area in a bright light.

Low stools, small tables, big meat skewers, and large mugs of draft beer. Three small tables had been pushed together to form a long one. Zhou Nan and the four minions bustled about, waiting on the three bosses, who sat in the best seats, forming a triangle of power.

"Master! Allow me to introduce myself. I am the High One Celestial King, Liu Chuanfeng! Also known as Liu Chuanfeng the Invincible!" The pretty-boy punk was surprisingly chummy.

’Liu Chuanfeng?’ The name sounded familiar, like a character from some old manga.

"Ignore him. His name is Liu Shufeng," Zhou Xiong said, his powerful aura on full display. "Brother, I invited you here today for two reasons. First, my little brother messed up a few days ago. He didn’t have the sense to tell me, so I found out late. I arranged this meeting today so he can serve you tea and apologize properly."