Chapter Seven: Entering the Camp

Fan the Fool flailed his fists in a wild, chaotic flurry, entirely reminiscent of a street thug’s brawl—there was no hint of true force or presence. If one were to seek some redeeming quality in this display, it would only be his remarkably swift evasive maneuvers in tight quarters. After all, those two foreign brutes were no wooden stakes; yet, they allowed Fan the Fool to hit them without retaliating at all.

Fan the Fool ducked under a swinging fist, crouched low, and struck at one man’s navel.

“Slap! Slap! Slap!” In a blink, three crisp sounds rang out, the speed astonishing enough to make one’s heart skip. Yet—

The man who’d been struck froze, glanced at Fan the Fool, who had already withdrawn without pressing his advantage, then casually patted his belly and laughed with arrogant disdain, “With strength like that, were you trying to tickle me?” His clumsy Chinese was grating, but it confirmed for all present that he’d understood Su Xiaoxiao’s words—he had been feigning ignorance.

Chen Hongxu raised a brow, shot Fan the Fool a glare, and said, “Enough playing around. Is it so amusing to let others study you like a monkey?”

Fan the Fool offered a sheepish grin, noting the growing impatience on the faces around him. His habitual air of mockery vanished, replaced by a steadily rising intensity.

As he charged forward again, his speed more than doubled. In a blur, Fan the Fool appeared between the two foreign men, calmly retracted his hand, and turned to leave with brazen indifference, paying no mind to the consequences of his attack.

“You fight like a woman—how dare you…” The brute, clearly startled by Fan the Fool’s speed, began to taunt him, but halfway through, his expression twisted in pain. Both men clutched their stomachs, doubled over, and spat blood.

Fan the Fool walked away at a leisurely pace, a faint smile on his lips. Counting silently to three, he rubbed his fingers together and whispered, “Burst.”

As if responding to his voice, two muffled pops sounded, like balloons bursting inside a sealed box.

Right on cue, the two foreign men behind him lost all strength in their legs. They collapsed to the ground, the focus fading from their eyes until death stilled them, their final expressions frozen in incredulity—though no one bothered to look.

Su Xiaoxiao furrowed her brows, glaring at the insouciant Fan the Fool. “If you’re going to kill, can’t you just cut their throats? Did you really need to burst their insides? That’s disgusting—look, the bits are oozing out!” As she spoke, she habitually lifted her leg to kick him.

Fan the Fool slowed, sidestepped, and dodged with ease.

“You dare dodge?” Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened as she barked at him.

“Huh?” Startled by her shout, Fan the Fool snapped out of his killing euphoria. He shuddered, scuttled over to her, crouched at her feet, and covered his head, grinning foolishly. “Don’t hit the face.”

“Forget it, you’re not worth the effort.” Though Su Xiaoxiao said this, her actions belied her words. Her elegant leg rose and fell again and again, each time landing squarely on Fan the Fool.

“All right, enough fooling around,” Chen Hongxu finally intervened after a while—not out of concern for Fan the Fool, who wore a pain-filled yet oddly contented expression that no one could bear to interrupt. But now that it was clear those two had been sent as sacrificial pawns by the camp, and the test was over, what next? What was to follow?

Chen Hongxu stared at the now-empty entrance to the temporary camp, then turned to Su Xiaoxiao. “What happens now?”

It should have been Zhang Shufang’s place to ask, but he worried that if she spoke, Su Xiaoxiao might seize the opportunity for mischief.

Su Xiaoxiao nudged Fan the Fool with her foot, smiling as she explained, “To condense energy without releasing it—that’s clearly fifth or sixth tier combat ability. No one inside will dare play hero now; whether or not we go in makes little difference to them.”

“And then?” Chen Hongxu pressed.

“We walk in and seize a residence, of course,” Su Xiaoxiao replied matter-of-factly.

“Seize?” Zhang Shufang sounded surprised. Such an act of robbery clashed with her proud nature.

“This temporary camp isn’t that big—but people from around the world are pouring in, so there’ll be plenty left sleeping on the streets. The residences supply essentials like hot water…” Su Xiaoxiao spoke as she led the group inside, seeming to anticipate Zhang Shufang’s reaction.

A light shone in Zhang Shufang’s eyes. She glanced down at her travel-worn self, gritted her teeth, and declared, “Seize it!”

Within the camp, buildings of every style could be seen. The five wandered the streets like passing travelers, as Su Xiaoxiao explained, “The camp isn’t that large, but not exactly small either. Let me outline the layout.

The camp is divided by compass points into East, South, West, and North districts, each with its own purpose.

The East District is residential—home to all sorts of scientific talent. No fighting is allowed there. Even someone as unruly as I am wouldn’t cause trouble there unless absolutely necessary.

The South District is for trade—again, fighting is forbidden, though murder and robbery for treasure still happen from time to time. One thing to remember: don’t target the merchants. Every one of them is backed by a nation.

The West District is where people like us gather. As for the rule against fighting, who can say if even its author believed it could be enforced?

The North District is utter chaos—connected directly to the barrier. There are no rules, only strength; it’s known among the people here as the Death Zone.”

Su Xiaoxiao paused, her eyes gleaming as she fixed on a modern-looking building ahead. “That one. It’ll do.”

Everyone understood that she meant to seize this residence, but it looked no different from the others. Fan the Fool, ever curious, asked, “Why this one?”

“Only modern buildings have water heaters; I’m not about to soak in a wooden tub in some antique house.” Su Xiaoxiao smirked at Zhang Shufang, confident of her choice.

The words “water heater” seemed to have a magnetic pull on Zhang Shufang. Her eyes flashed, and with a commanding wave, she ordered, “Bear, break down that door for me!”

---

The Hidden Sage, Chapter Seven: Entering the Camp.