CHAPTER 18: A ZERO’S KILLING INTENT

As Zen walked to his classes, he could see people giving him sideway glances, snickering after he passed or speaking in hush tones while staring at him. This continued until he arrived in front of the class he was supposed to attend. Already, there was a large number of students there, including Ai and Ao. Ai was standing alone, fidgeting with his legs as he awaited the beginning of class, while Ao spoke to a few giggling girls. Even here, he could feel some of the children speaking about him, causing him to stand a little away from them. His anger and irritation was slowly building up with each snicker, glance and pointing finger that came his way.

“Hey, kid.”

Zen turned to the older boy who seemingly appeared beside him. He recognised the shade wearing teen with a headband of an anvil and his hair combed up in spikes. “Hello, uhm… sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

“Maybe it’s because I never gave it to you,” he said. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

Zen looked down at his feet and saw his sandals, “You were the one with me when I woke up.”

Hui Yi did not say anything, instead he just looked ahead.

There was more giggling, aimed at Zen’s way. “They’re laughing at me. I don’t know why.”

“They know about your loss to yesterday,” Hue Yi said. “I’d blame Yang Tai because he is such a gossip but it’s natural that news of Chen Jian victory becomes widespread. He is the City Lord’s daughter’s friend; he is a prodigy and in his first ever sparring match, he beat a noble in 3 seconds.”

“3 seconds,” Zen repeated under his breath.

“So you see,” Hue Yi continued, “His win has benefited his reputation a lot but it is embarrassing to the noble who lost.”

“Me,” Zen said.

“There he is.” Hue Yi said, nodding before him.

Zen looked towards the direction Hui Yi was looking, and there he saw Chen Jian. The sight of the boy, casually speaking to the group of students who had flocked around him, made him clench his hands into white knuckled fists.

“Yesterday, one of the other boys said you collect information.” Zen said, still glaring at Chen Jian.

“Yes, Hao Meng.” Hue Yi said bitterly.

“Do you have any information on him?”

“On the newcomer? Very little I’m afraid.” Hue Yi touched the ring on his thumb and a deck of tarot-sized cards appeared in his hand in flashes of blue light. “I was hoping to gain more information on him during your fight but sadly it was too short for it to be fruitful.”

Hue Yi picked up a card from the deck before he hesitated. You know, usually, I’d charge for this but it’s so little information that I’ll give you a free-bee this once, a quick glance and then I want it back.”

Zen nodded before the older boy gave him the card. The card was initially blank but then, slowly started to fill out. At the corner was a profile image of Chen Jian and beside that a full body picture. Below that was a five point graph, one point for speed, durability, strength, intelligence and skill. Below that were his cultivation base level, the word Intermediary followed by a single star which represented his rank. There was box marked ‘Qi Technique; with only one bullet point, ‘Short Step 3m.’

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“Short Step?” Zen said.

“That was the move he used on you earlier.” Hue Yi said. “I did my research after seeing it yesterday and I’m sure it is what he used on you. It’s a high level Qi Technique which dramatically shortens the distance of one step. It makes it seem as if the user is moving fast, when in actual fact, it is a form of limited short-range teleportation.”

“He has learned such a skill at a young age?” Zen said, unable to mask his shock.

“Lucky for you, I know the techniques drawbacks.” He tapped the technique on the card and it was highlighted before a new box appeared. This box had three more points on it. “The technique,” Hue Yi read the first bullet point, “is very costly when it comes to qi, meaning he won’t be using it often, especially since his still an Intermediary cultivator.”

“So if he uses it too many times, I have could have the advantage.”

“Yes,” Hue Yi said. “The next drawback is that the technique only works in a straight line. Also, the technique fails to advance past wide stretching barriers such as walls or cages and the user of the technique arrives in the new place, facing the same direction as he did when he started…”

“I don’t understand,” Zen interrupted, “How is all of that useful information?”

“Clearly, in your graph, the intelligence category should be at zero.” Hui Yi said much to Zen’s annoyance. “If you know what I told you, then you could estimate where he would show up when he uses the technique and take advantage of that by attacking him before he can attack you.”

“Ah, I think I get it now.”

“And finally, the last drawback is that he can only travel a fixed length, 3 metres.”

“Is that the range of Short Step?”

“No, from what I read its range is from 0 to 6 metres but when he used it against you, he appeared behind you, facing away from you. He then had to turn around and walk a few steps closer to you to deliver the finishing blow. It all took two seconds but it would have taken one if he had simply appeared closer to you and spun around with the finishing blow.”

“He can only use it to travel 3m.”

“That or he simply miscalculated but I doubt that, see that.” Hue Yi pointed at the intelligence category of the graph. “Chen Jian is a pretty smart guy from what I’ve seen of him. He correctly assessed that you would not stand a chance against him and to prove it and build himself a fearsome reputation, he quickly disposed of you. But in doing so, he unnecessarily revealed a powerful technique and allowed the onlookers to study it and find its weaknesses, that took his intelligence score down. But he still ranked as very intelligent, intelligent enough not to make such a miscalculation.”

“So, where is the card with my information?” Zen asked, curious to see what insights the teenager drew on him.

“Why would you think I have a card on you?”

“You don’t?”

“Look at the number at the corner of the card.”

Zen did as he was told, “The number 4?”

“Yes, that number represents how dangerous the person on the card is to me.” Hue Yi explained. “The least dangerous is at 1 and the most dangerous is at 10. You’re below 1, you’re not at all dangerous to me and I don’t make cards of people who are not dangerous unless I’m paid to.”

“So I’m not even worthwhile to be thought of as a threat,” Zen said, his anger rising. He glared at Jian and his group of new followers. They all immediately looked at him but he ignored them, simply staring into Jian’s seemingly amused face. “What should I do to be more of a…” Zen stopped midsentence when he noticed that he was now standing alone. Yi had vanished.

“Talking to yourself while emitting a killing intent?” Jao Fuu said as she and her brother joined him. “That’s not a good sign.”

“I wasn’t emitting a killing intent.” Zen said.

“Yes you were, just now.” Fuu said. “Right Cong’er?”

Cong nodded.

Zen stared out at Jian, who had returned to whatever conversation he was in before he had stopped to look at Zen. Some people still looked at him with outraged or disgusted looks on their faces. It was then that Zen realised, he had been emitting a killing intent.