Once, I wanted to be a good person

Meanwhile, in Qingshan City, in the impoverished district.

Miaomiao stayed at home, peeking out through the crack of the door.

Since yesterday, the nearby streets had seen a sudden increase in thugs and gang members.

They seemed to be up to something, wielding sticks and machetes, inspecting and interrogating everyone at the intersections.

The residents of the streets walked about in constant trepidation, and Miaomiao was somewhat frightened too.

She had heard from Aunt Pang before that the gangs in the poor neighborhoods were the worst, indulging in extortion, robbery, and murder.

However, because their street was united and had several people working in the city area, their neighborhood was tough enough to barely avoid harassment.

But now, for some reason, the gangs had reversed their usual attitude and started to blockade these areas.

It was evident that something serious had happened.....

Feeling uneasy, Miaomiao lay by the door, looking outside while silently praying, "Mr. Devil, protect us.... Mr. Devil, protect us.... I hope nothing bad happens..."

Just as she was praying, suddenly, she saw a figure in the distance that seemed to be walking towards her place.

She was startled, hurriedly closed the door tightly, and then leaned against it, daring not to move.

Sure enough, after a few seconds, her door was knocked on with a "bang, bang, bang."

Miaomiao leaned against the door and said nothing, pretending not to be home.

But then a familiar voice called out from the other side, "Miaomiao, it's me, your Aunt Pang....."

Hearing Aunt Pang's voice, Miaomiao quickly exclaimed, "Ah?" and then quietly asked, "Aunt Pang? Why are you here?" as she turned around to open the door.

Aunt Pang entered the house, then held the door, looking outside to make sure no one saw her, before she hurriedly closed the door.

After latching the door, she pulled Miaomiao over to the bed, sat down, and whispered, "Nannan, have these past couple of days frightened you?"

Hearing Aunt Pang's words, although Miaomiao was indeed very scared, she didn't want Aunt Pang to worry, so she quickly shook her head.

But Aunt Pang, who had watched Miaomiao grow up, knew her character well, so she gently patted Miaomiao's hand and comforted her,

"It's okay, don't be scared, don't be scared."

"This will soon pass."

She paused, then said, "I just went to ask around. Those gangs have surrounded this area because they are looking for someone."

"Looking for someone?", Miaomiao asked, puzzled.

Aunt Pang nodded, "Yes."

She was about to explain, but her gaze fell on Miaomiao's left cheek, and she stopped herself.

She said somewhat reproachfully, "How could you be so careless again?"

As she spoke, she crouched down, wiped her hand on the ground, and then carefully smeared the dirt on Miaomiao's left cheek.

Suddenly, the left cheek of Miaomiao, which had not been smeared, revealing her fair skin, was covered up again.

After smearing, she examined Miaomiao again and then nodded reassuringly.

Then she took Miaomiao's hand and said with a bit of emotion, "Oh.... Nannan, don't blame your aunt for always dirtying your face."

"The poor district is too unsafe, and now you are growing up and becoming more beautiful. I really fear that one day I might suddenly not see you anymore....."

"You must be very careful."

Feeling Aunt Pang's concern, Miaomiao's nose also felt a bit sour. She lowered her head and nodded, whispering, "Aunt Pang, don't worry. I will be careful....."

It was only then that Aunt Pang "Hmm"ed, feeling a bit relieved.

Then, as if she remembered the conversation she hadn't finished earlier, she patted her broad forehead, "Look at my memory. I forgot what I was saying halfway through."

She glanced at the door, then whispered, "Let me tell you. Over at the commercial street, the owner of Blacktooth Grocery Store somehow offended someone and was murdered."

"But that person didn't just stop at killing; they also killed three gang members and even stole the crystals that the gang was selling at the grocery store."

"So.... the gang leaders were furious. They have been thoroughly investigating this matter these past few days."

"In their investigation, somehow, they ended up focusing on our streets."

"They said, a witness saw a girl who seemed to have visited the grocery store twice just before the incident. After that, everyone there was dead."

"So, they are looking for that girl..."

"They said, as soon as they catch the person, they will withdraw."

"So.... don't be too scared, okay?"

Upon hearing Aunt Pang's words, Miaomiao's face instantly turned pale.

Her body involuntarily began shaking slightly, and her hands clenched tightly.....

.......

In the jungle.

After finishing his meal, Fang Ze did not continue to run.

From the map, the forest looked vast, but it felt even broader once he actually entered it.

And the larger the forest, the more creatures it harbored.

Since this was a world of extraordinary powers, Fang Ze was genuinely afraid of accidentally stumbling into the nest of a disaster creature he couldn't contend with.

Previously, he needed to quickly escape the search range of the Security Bureau; there was no helping it. Now that he was slightly farther away, Fang Ze could be more cautious.

Moreover, because he was fleeing for his life yesterday, he hadn't had the chance to use the "Late-Night Investigation Room." Now that he wasn't as pressed for time, he could use the "Late-Night Investigation Room" again to enhance his strength.

After all, strength was king at any time.

Thus, the urgent matter at hand was to find a safe, restful place so he could sleep peacefully....

Thinking this, Fang Ze summoned two Shadow Warriors, asking them to scout the nearby area for a suitable place to sleep while he himself began repacking his belongings, preparing to move.

Just as he was packing, in the nearby jungle, three figures also swiftly moved through.

It was a small group of three, two men and one woman.

The leading woman had long legs and a slender waist; she was fair and beautiful with a hint of valor in her eyes.

The two men behind her, one tall and one short, but both with tight muscles. As they moved, their thick legs seemed to vibrate with taut sinews.

While swiftly moving through the trees, the three were also whispering among themselves.

The shorter man voiced, "Boss, something feels off. That kid can really run, huh?"

"Hours on end. He doesn't seem tired at all; almost inhuman."

Hearing him, the tall man also chimed in, "Yeah, boss. We've been chasing for a day and a night and still haven't caught up with the target. Could the information from Lord Golden Fox be wrong?"

Hearing the two men, the long-legged woman spoke coldly, "The information from Lord Golden Fox can't possibly be wrong."

"But, the target might be carrying some kind of Transfer-type artifact. That's why we can't catch up."

With that, she quietly sensed something.

After a moment, a smile appeared on her face as she said, "The target has stopped to rest. This is a good chance; let's hurry and catch up."

Hearing the woman's words, the other two men were also energized. They quickly responded with a "You got it!"

Then the three of them burst into action with their leg muscles exploding in power, quickly sprinting forward.....

Less than ten minutes later, indeed, they saw the figure of their target.

Since they were now close, the long-legged woman quickly signaled with her hands, then gestured for the two men to slow down and adjust their breathing.

Momentarily, she stared at the distant target, then whispered, "According to the intelligence, the target is an untrained ordinary person but is suspected of having Awakening Ability or possessing an Extraordinary Artifact."

"So, to avoid any accidents or letting the target escape, we'll do it the usual way...."

Hearing the long-legged woman, the shorter man casually patted his chest, smiling as he said, "Boss, don't worry. It's just an Awakening Ability."

"We've killed more than one or two untrained Awakeners."

"Without their Awakening Abilities, they're no different from ordinary people."

"Even, due to suddenly having Awakening Abilities, they tend to become overconfident, making them easier to deal with."

"You just relax."

Hearing the shorter man's words, the long-legged woman nodded in agreement but still said, "Don't take it lightly."

...

After waiting in the clearing for a while, Fang Ze sensed through his Shadow Warrior, Stick One, that a suitable hiding cave had been found.

However, since the simple mind-link couldn't convey complex information, he could only patiently wait for them to return.

Sitting in a chair, with his legs crossed and yawning, Fang Ze was just getting a bit bored when he heard the sound of two or three people talking coming from the jungle,

"Hey. We didn't catch enough prey today either. How are we going to explain this when we get back?"

"Indeed. It's almost time to pay the rent. If we can't catch any prey again, it'll be troublesome."

Hearing the unfamiliar voices, Fang Ze uncrossed his legs, grabbed his luggage, tensed up, and squinted in the direction of the sounds.

Accompanied by the voices, three people dressed in hunter gear emerged from the woods.

Three people, two men and one woman.

The woman had a lovely face and long legs, carrying a bow and arrow on her back.

The two men, one tall and one short, held steel spears and had three wild rabbits hanging on their backs, which seemed freshly killed and still dripping blood.....

Seeing the appearance of these three people, Fang Ze picked up his luggage and watched them warily, then asked, "Who are you?"

Meanwhile, upon seeing Fang Ze, the three also showed cautious expressions on their faces.

They stepped back, moving closer to each other, then sized up Fang Ze.

Momentarily, the taller man among them said in a muffled voice, "We are hunters from Bluewater City. We hunt in Bluewater Forest. It got late, and we are looking for a place to camp. Who are you?"