Ch. 1 Chen Yu

The chirping of cranes flying in the blue sky filled the heat of the day.

With a large tree, whose leaves blocked the sun's hot light from entering, I lay comfortably among the grass.

A gentle breeze blows my mane of black hair, revealing a face that I can confidently say is handsome.

The sound of the river in front flowing from upstream to downstream added to the calm atmosphere this afternoon.

My name is Chen Yu, who is ten years old, currently feeling a happy feeling.

My teacher is an old grandfather who is annoying and strict, but also loves me very much. Even though he said he loved me, it didn't necessarily make my training easier, it was just the opposite, getting heavier and heavier by the day.

For me to be able to escape from such strenuous training was a blessing, even if it was just for one day.

Enjoying the feeling of joy, I hummed happily as I swayed my feet to the rhythm of the music.

"Brother Chen!!!"

A shout coming from afar distracted my focus.

From afar, I could see a boy around my age running with difficulty. The fat on his round belly seemed to sway under the pressure, making him look funny.

It was Wang Hong, my good friend. Despite his appearance, the same cannot be said for his money. Wang Hong is a living example of a person who is said to be gold spooned from birth.

With his family's big business, his future is already secured without the need to put in much effort.

Back on topic, Wang Hong has arrived beside me.

He looked exhausted, as evidenced by the sweat pouring all over his body, his labored breathing.

"I think it's time for you to reduce your food portion, Wang Hong." Seeing her so disheveled, I offered my most sincere advice.

"It-it..." Wang Hong had already started to speak, probably to convey what was so important that he had to run at the risk of his life like that.

"Just drink first if it's too tiring..." I said as I pointed at the flowing river water. Although I was pointing at the river, that didn't mean I was telling her to drink the river water directly.

The river water did look clean, but that's not what I told him to drink, but rather the water that came out of the rock on the side of the river.

Wang Hong listened to what I said and was tempted to drink it. He walked toward the river with quick footsteps, but soon stopped.

"Wait, ignore the fatigue first. Brother Chen, Xiao Mei is being bullied by the kids in town!" said Wang Hong as he pointed in the direction of where the town was.

Hearing that Xiao Mei was being bullied, I stood up in an instant and started running away from Wang Hong who was still standing behind.

My destination was clearly the town not too far from where I was.

Xiao Mei, was the only girl friend I was close to, and as an additional secret information, I also liked her.

Aside from the reason I liked her, she was also like a younger sister that I had to protect, and it had become a kind of responsibility for me.

I've been training hard since childhood, so running for several kilometers isn't too much of a problem for me.

So from the moment I ran, only a few minutes had passed, and I could see three kids around the same age as me surrounding a beautiful and petite girl.

"Hey, get away from her or else I'll hit you!!!" I shouted, after getting some distance from them.

"Heh~? It turns out that the superhero has come to save the princess." When they heard my shout, a boy who was presumed to be the leader of their group started talking.

The boy had a body size that didn't match his age, making me a bit nervous.

But hearing him say that I was a superhero made a feeling of excitement rise in my chest. My momentary fear of seeing an opponent finally started to disappear.

"What nonsense are you saying. What kind of superhero? I just want to hit you guys! That's all!"

"Look broo, this fool's ears are turning red. He must be happy to be called a superhero by you, hahaha..." A skinny, dry but rather tall boy began to speak in a flattering voice.

"Hahaha... I knew it! Unfortunately today the superhero will be defeated by us villains..." The group leader then replied confidently.

After finishing speaking, one of them came up to me with an arrogant step.

"Bro, let me take care of him. You just watch this interesting show..." he said with a strange smile, but I just looked at him like a fool.

He threw his punches after the distance between us was reduced. But the rigorous training I had undergone since childhood was not just ordinary training. It was so effective that the result was being able to see his slow punches clearly.

I tilted my head slightly to avoid his punch, and it practically made his face look surprised.

"Wha-?"

His shocked words were cut off by my counter-punch which hit him squarely in the face.

"Heh, just a small fry daring to fight me alone..." I said confidently. My gaze returned to the other two boys, with eyes full of contempt, I provoked them.

Perhaps it was my success in being able to provoke their anger with cheap provocation, but it was also the beginning of disaster for me.

The two of them attacked me simultaneously, leaving me somewhat overwhelmed. But that was it, my movements were faster than theirs, my punches were stronger than both of them, there was no reason for me to lose.

That was for sure.

But the next thing that happened was unexpected, the boy I beat the first time suddenly held my leg, making me fall down.

The moment I fell was the moment of certain defeat, the three boys played fast, and beat me up without me being able to retaliate at all.

Although I could withstand some of the blows, due to their small hands, being beaten by so many blows from all directions made me finally give up.

My consciousness finally started to fade.

"It's them sis. Quickly help Brother Chen defeat those bad boys!"

That was the last voice I heard, and made me smile between the pain of the blows.

And the last voice I heard was Xiao Mei's.

***

I looked around the room that already looked familiar to me. My eyes felt heavy and my head was dizzy. I tried to recall what happened earlier. I imagined the mischievous faces that surrounded me and threatened Xiao Mei. Then I suddenly lost consciousness.

I checked my body and saw a few bruises here and there. They did manage to hit me, but I was thankful that Xiao Mei was safe from them. I got up from my bed and stepped towards the window.

I looked up at the dark night sky and was grateful that I was still given the chance to live. Yesterday's events reminded me that life is not always easy. Sometimes we have to face difficult challenges, but that's no reason to give up.

I took a deep breath and felt my spirits rise again. I will continue to fight to take care of Xiao Mei and be a strong and brave person. No matter what happened, I would always try and never give up.

With an energised mind, I opened the door to my room and was ready to face the world that awaited me.