Chapter 7: The Feeling of Knowing Martial Arts

Since moving to his current neighborhood after relocation, Duan Wenxuan hadn’t lived anywhere else. Consequently, he was well aware of the surveillance camera placements around the area.

Easily avoiding them, half an hour later…

An elderly man dressed in black training attire slowly walked along the street, eventually stopping at a bus stop. In Hanming Country, the weather had transitioned from autumn to early winter, prompting most people to wear sweaters, with older individuals bundling up even more. Duan Wenxuan, wearing minimal layers and exuding an unusual aura for his age, inadvertently drew several curious glances.

The bus soon arrived, and after swiping his card, Duan Wenxuan found a seat and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, without warning, the bus screeched to a halt. Next to Duan Wenxuan sat a young person engrossed in their smartphone. With the abrupt braking, their hand shook, causing the phone to nearly fly outwards.

Duan Wenxuan swiftly stood up, grabbing onto a nearby rail for balance, and stretched out his other arm with remarkable speed and precision, catching the phone just before it could soar away.

“Uh…”

The incident happened at the brink of disaster, and no one else on the bus noticed what had transpired near the young man. However, he was fully aware.

“M-my phone…” Nearly stunned, he watched Duan Wenxuan’s remarkably swift reflexes with admiration.

“Here, hold onto your phone—it was just a coincidence.” Duan Wenxuan returned the phone to the young man and took his seat again. Despite appearing calm, his heart was pounding fiercely.

In that brief moment, Duan Wenxuan genuinely experienced the sensation of perfect control over his body—his thoughts and actions were completely synchronized, allowing for instant adjustments even in minute details. It felt extraordinary, making him feel somewhat like a martial arts master.

With a screech, the bus stopped at the next station and opened its doors.

Having lost interest in using his phone after the close call, the young man discreetly kept glancing at Duan Wenxuan. As soon as he saw Duan Wenxuan getting off, he unconsciously rose to follow.

A ludicrous thought flashed through his mind: This old man seems somehow different.

However, it was fleeting, as the bus doors quickly closed. The young man shook his head, gradually dismissing the idea; perhaps it truly was just a coincidence.

Tianlan Haiqing Jiayuan.

Duan Wenxuan glanced at the residential area’s name; this was indeed the address provided by Zong Cheng.

Located slightly away from the city center, this neighborhood had been developed around seven to eight years ago and now boasted a decent occupancy rate. There was a security guard at the entrance, but enforcement was generally lax.

Duan Wenxuan effortlessly entered the premises. Following the building number provided by Zong Cheng, he walked straight to Building 2. He didn’t rush upstairs immediately but circled around it, finding no signs of anything unusual.

Since it was a weekday morning, Duan Wenxuan encountered very few people near the residential buildings.

After confirming there were no apparent issues, Duan Wenxuan decided to head inside.

Cao Yan had borrowed her colleague’s house keys under the pretext that she wanted Zong Cheng to inspect their home. Given Zong Cheng’s expertise in architecture, any potential problems with the house could be identified. Her colleague, having a good relationship with Cao Yan, readily agreed without hesitation and even mentioned staying elsewhere for a couple of days would be fine. However, due to the incessant disturbing noises every time they slept, her colleague now feared returning home. The recurring racket left them both irritated and fearful.

The elevator opened, and Duan Wenxuan checked the door number—it was 706, with two bedrooms facing each other across the hallway. Opposite it was unit 705.

“Too noisy, will it ever stop?!”

Duan Wenxuan was about to insert his key into the lock when suddenly, the door of 705 burst open. A disheveled woman wearing slippers yelled irritably.

“It’s noon already, can’t you let people sleep?!?” Her voice was exceptionally loud, almost excessively so, as if she were venting through her shouts.

In these close-quartered floors, sound doesn’t dissipate easily. With her outburst, Duan Wenxuan estimated that nearly the entire building would have heard.

“I’m just opening the door.” Duan Wenxuan took a step back, calmly stating the fact.

The visibly agitated woman paused momentarily, then abruptly ran her fingers through her hair, scratching wildly. Finally, she squatted down and began sobbing uncontrollably.

“S-sorry… I apologize, sir. I shouldn’t have reacted like this… It’s just that I’ve been truly…truly overwhelmed. I haven’t slept for days, and finally managed to catch some rest just now. I don’t know what happened, but when you opened your door, the noise felt amplified hundreds of times, exploding right by my ears. I couldn’t bear it anymore.”

“Can’t sleep?” Duan Wenxuan glanced at Room 706 and suddenly asked, “Is it something you can share?”

The woman opposite seemed reasonable; her breakdown earlier was just a momentary emotional outburst. Now slightly calmer, she felt apologetic towards Duan Wenxuan.

Her sudden anger when he merely opened the door was indeed unreasonable.

“I’m not well, and lately, I’ve been experiencing severe tinnitus. Sir, I’m sorry; it’s just that I haven’t slept properly for a long time. Please accept my apology.” The woman wiped her eyes, bowed to Duan Wenxuan, and quickly closed the door before he could ask any further questions.

Duan Wenxuan frowned but had no choice but to open the door to Room 706 instead.

Cao Yan’s colleague was a native of the city and currently unmarried. Her parents had purchased this house outright as a graduation gift for their daughter.

The interior decor was minimalistic yet tasteful.

Duan Wenxuan, not being intrusive, briefly checked the room for any irregularities. After finding nothing amiss, he pondered for a moment and then left. Since there were no immediate clues, he decided to return later in the evening to spend a night observing.

Nighttime.

After dinner, Duan Wenxuan quietly settled down on a makeshift floor mattress in Cao Yan’s living room at her colleague’s home.

After taking a shower, Ning Lin sat on her bed looking somewhat exhausted. Over these past few months, she noticed significant issues with her mental state.

Initially, she thought it was due to overworking and took three days off specifically to relax. However, it proved futile; spending more time at home during those days only worsened her condition.

Recently, the situation had become increasingly severe.

Ning Lin had now taken sick leave, and her parents insisted she rest properly. Since moving out of her own apartment, her condition improved slightly, but she still struggled with sleep.

Sighing, Ning Lin reached for her sleeping pills from the bedside table, prescribed by her doctor. The physician cautioned her against continuous use, warning of potential dependency.

In truth, Ning Lin wasn’t sure if her problems were purely physical or…something more sinister. Feeling uneasy, she decided to temporarily move back in with her parents.

She poured out one pill, disregarding the doctor’s advice to take half, and swallowed the entire tablet instead. Finally feeling somewhat reassured, she turned on a night light, climbed into bed, and closed her eyes.

As the medication began to take effect, Ning Lin allowed herself to drift into darkness.

An hour later, alarm sirens blared throughout the neighborhood.

The police response was swift, even bringing in the fire department. The reason for this urgency was that on the balcony of the 14th floor, a woman dressed in white stood precariously with both feet atop the railing!

The width of the railing was minimal, barely enough for a normal person to stand upon, let alone someone like a dance student; it seemed almost impossible due to the immense psychological pressure from being fourteen floors up. Inside the apartment, a fiercely arguing couple had been separated and restrained by the police.

“What’s going on here?” Li Dong frowned, glancing at the quarreling couple now held apart. Despite the situation, they remained uncalmed.

“You old fool, don’t think I’m unaware of your shady past with another woman when you were younger. If not for our daughter, I would have divorced you long ago.”

“I’ve also put up with you. After marrying you, did you ever cook or do laundry? Honestly, I wonder why I married you in the first place. It’s only for our daughter’s sake that we haven’t divorced!”

“Old man, do you know how I got my revenge? There was a time when I treated you exceptionally well, but that’s because I secretly poisoned your tea! If I hadn’t become scared towards the end, you’d be dead by now!”

“Don’t blame me if I retaliate worse than what you started. Considering your poor health, doctors advised you to eat light meals, yet every time, I intentionally made them heavy. Watching you consume those dishes brought me great satisfaction!”

”… Old ghost, you old bastard, I secretly threw away your clothes and then lied that we couldn’t find them.”

“Whenever I didn’t want to argue with you, I’d serve you food using dirty bowls!”

The bickering between the couple escalated, becoming increasingly outrageous as their expressions filled with hatred towards each other. It seemed that if not restrained, they would immediately lash out and kill one another.

“I wonder if they realize their daughter, Ning Lin, is standing on the balcony right now. Even seeing her like this doesn’t stop them from arguing; it’s truly bizarre,” remarked the junior police officer nearby.

Hearing these words, Li Dong’s heart skipped a beat.

Another “bizarre incident.” In reality, he had already encountered such strange occurrences three times this year, making this the fourth instance. His superiors had warned him not to ask too many questions about these cases. Despite his imposing stature, physical strength, and expertise in combat, Li Dong possessed a keen attention to detail, which had helped solve numerous cases. This track record earned him some trust, allowing his superiors to share limited information with him.

However, truth be told, Li Dong genuinely wished to avoid these peculiar incidents. He wasn’t fazed by regular cases but feared the eerie and inexplicable ones, knowing they often led to complications.

“For now, let’s ignore the specifics. Detain this couple and escort them to the station. Meanwhile, lay down air cushions below as a precaution.”

The nearby police officer gestured with an “OK” sign.

That couple continued to hurl insults at each other relentlessly, their words becoming increasingly vile and disgusting. It made one wonder if such language could even be uttered by normal people. If this was truly their state, it seemed more appropriate for the elderly couple to have divorced long ago due to mutual intolerance.

As soon as the quarreling pair were taken away, Ning Lin, still perched on the railing, completely ignored the persistent pleas from those trying to convince her not to jump. Without warning, she tilted her head sideways and plummeted straight down.

It was too high, and Ning Lin didn’t accurately land on the inflatable cushion below. She succumbed to her injuries before reaching the hospital.

“Heh heh, do you want to know someone else’s secrets?”

Inside the ambulance, amidst the frantic efforts to save her, one of the doctors suddenly felt disoriented, hearing what sounded like a playful child’s voice near his ear, only for it to vanish immediately after.

“Dr. Liao, is something wrong?”

The doctor looked at Ning Lin, now lifeless, feeling deeply saddened. He sighed, “Nothing. At such a young age, why couldn’t she see there was another way?”