Bruno didn't stop. He turned around and left.
The old man dealt in identities, real names, and bodies. Once the deal was made, he would disappear completely, as if he had never existed in the world.
As he walked, he moved with thought. His body suddenly bent, his face grew old, and soon, his black robe fell off. He was completely Bolantie now.
"From now on, Bruno Hornes is just an ordinary Bruno Hornes. And Bolantie Dean is a respected Dominion Angel." The old man smiled. His face was smooth and red, with no sign of death left.
His first priority now was to go to Grass-Snake Martial Arts Academy, find Agatha Dean, check on her condition, and see how he could help her.
Grass-Snake Martial Arts Academy was located in a corner of Bloom City. Its front wasn't impressive. It looked more like a gym than a real martial arts school, but there was a lot of people coming and going.
Most of the people were young men in simple clothes, smelling of sweat.
From far away, Bruno could already smell the mix of sweat, leather, and some herbal ointment in the air, along with the sound of shouting and punches clashing.
In the Kingdom of Anlaine, martial arts were popular. Every family learned it, hoping to become a Warlock-Warrior. But very few actually made it.
Bruno, or rather, the man who now looked completely like Bolantie Dean, walked into the academy with steady steps.
People around him gave him surprised looks.
What was an old man doing in a martial arts school?
Soon, Bruno's eyes locked onto a girl in the corner.
She was about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a faded martial arts uniform. Her face was pretty, but her lips were tightly pressed together, and her face was pale.
In front of her stood three rough young men. The leader was almost pointing his finger at her nose, spitting as he talked.
"Agatha, I paid the 'rent' this month. Why isn't it recorded?" The leader spoke angrily. He was strong, and it was clear he had some skill in breathing techniques.
"Y-you didn't pay..." Agatha's voice shook slightly, but her eyes still held determination.
Bruno frowned.
Why did he come here and already find trouble?
"You didn't pay?" Another young man said in a mocking tone, making an exaggerated face. "You didn't pay, so you must have taken our money."
He then tried to grab Agatha's shoulder.
Agatha's eyes were full of tears. She said, voice trembling, "I didn't pay, you guys just don't want to pay. You're bullying me..."
"Hey, you dare to argue?" The young man's face turned dark. He took a step forward and lunged.
At that moment, a wrinkled but steady hand landed on the young man's wrist.
"Kid, don't get so angry," came a calm and old voice.
The group all stopped. They turned around and saw an old man with a thin face, wearing old clothes. He looked like no one important at all.
"Let go of me." The young man tried to pull his wrist free, but it felt like it was locked in an iron clamp. He couldn't move it at all.
How strong was this guy?
He was shocked in his heart.
"Old man, who the hell do you think you are? Stay out of this." The leader of the group frowned and shouted.
Agatha opened her mouth in surprise. "Grandpa? You were in the hospital, right?"
Bruno smiled and pushed Agatha behind him, then turned to face the group. "Now you know."
"Grandpa?" The leader laughed. "An old corpse about to die. You dare to step in? Beat him up!"
Agatha shivered and shouted in fear, "Grandpa, be careful."
Bruno snorted and pushed Agatha back. "You stay back. I'll handle it."
"Grandpa," Agatha looked worried. "Don't...."
She hadn't finished her sentence when the two other guys rushed at him with fists.
They moved fast, their punches like the wind. It looked like they had learned some basic fighting skills.
But to Bruno, everything was way too slow. He was now High Rank in Meditation Technique. His mental power had increased tenfold. He wasn't the same person anymore.
Facing the punches, Bruno stayed calm. He stepped slightly to the side, and his body moved just a little, making the fists miss his clothes entirely.
Then he suddenly raised his right hand, fingers curled like a tiger's claw, and shot it out like lightning. He grabbed one of the guys by the elbow joint and gave it a quick shake.
"Crack!" A soft sound.
"Argh!!" The guy screamed like a slaughtered pig.
Bruno had dislocated his arm in one move, and it dropped like a noodle.
But the guys didn't stop attacking.
Of course, Bruno had already been ready. Without turning around, he kicked his left leg like a scorpion's tail and hit the other guy's shin.
"Fuck!" The guy felt a sharp pain. He fell to his knees, holding his leg and crying out.
In the blink of an eye, two guys who looked much stronger than him were out of the fight.
The crowd was shocked. Was this really an old man?
Some people even started clapping and whistling, cheering him on.
Agatha's head buzzed. Her grandpa wasn't supposed to be in the hospital? Now he was moving so smoothly, like nothing had happened.
Was Grandpa healed?
Her heart lit up with hope.
The leader of the group turned pale. He hadn't expected this old man to be so strong.
"Old man, you really want to die."
He growled, and his body filled with energy.
Bruno was a little surprised. "You're almost at 1-stage?"
"You know, huh." The guy sneered and threw a punch straight at Bruno's face. The wind from the punch howled, and it even made a faint sound of breaking the air.
Bruno felt a little amused. Since his breakthrough, even Warlock-Warriors who hadn't even entered the door looked like kids playing around. Their movements were way too slow.
He suddenly dropped his body and let out a fierce aura.
The young man was even more shocked. It felt like he was facing a wolf. A strange thought came to his mind: "I shouldn't fight. If I do, I'll definitely have bad luck."
But it was too late. His fist was already on the way.
Bruno dodged the punch and, in a flash, tightened his hand and hit the guy right in the ribs.
He had full-level "Tiger-Wolf Combat Style" now. His punch went straight through.
"Ugh!" The strong young man stopped dead in his tracks. It was like all his strength was taken out of him. His face turned from red to pale, and he curled up on the ground, shaking all over, unable to speak.
The whole training hall went completely silent.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the old man, who slowly stood up.
Who was this old man? He wasn't an old man at all. He was a mountain, impossible to climb.
A loud discussion started around them:
"Holy shit, who the hell is this old man? He's so strong!"
"So brutal. Jake was almost at 1-stage, and he didn't even last a second."
"Man, didn't know Agatha had such a powerful grandpa. Why even come to this academy?"
"We should treat Agatha better from now on."
"..."
Bruno fixed his clothes, looked around, and said softly, "Agatha, we should go now."
No one answered.
"Agatha?" He turned around.
Agatha was still standing there, her eyes full of disbelief.
She knew her grandpa was a 1-stage warrior, and he had saved a lot of money for the family. But wasn't he supposed to be sick and in bed?
Now he looked full of life.
"Agatha?" Bruno called again.
Agatha finally came back to reality. Bruno smiled and said it again. The girl finally got the message and left with Bruno.
It was sunset.
The golden light of the sun painted the street in gold. The evening sky was like scattered gold.
Their shadows stretched long behind them, a young and old pair, very warm.
Bruno walked with his hands behind his back, slowly, and said, "My Meditation Technique has improved. My illness is much better. In one month, I'll help you get started with Meditation Technique. After that, when you go to university, you can switch to the martial arts department. It will be easier for you to live."
"Oh." Agatha said with no emotion.
Bruno asked curiously, "You have something on your mind?"
Agatha looked up at the old man in front of her, her eyes full of tears, and asked, "Did my grandpa die?"