Chance Encounter #26

Two weeks later

The Shaolin dojo

"What the fuck...?" I muttered as I slowly and groggily opened my eyes, waking up to Liu Fan shouting obscenities at someone and Chuchun crying out in alarm, much to my displeasure.

"How many times do you people have to search my dojo? You've already made a mess of my home eight times...! or was it two times...?"

'It Looks like the damn marines are still looking for this fugitive of theirs...' I mused, reluctantly rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I removed myself from the comfy mattress.

As Liu Fan politely and calmly stated, this wasn't the first time the marines showed up unannounced and made a mess of the place in their stupid search for some dangerous fugitive.

It was an unavoidable situation since Karate island was affiliated with the world government somehow despite not having a king or a monarchy system, for that matter.

Still, I couldn't blame the old timer for bursting out since I was starting to get pretty pissed off myself. 'Better get out there before the old fart does something stupid...' Shaking my head and yawning, I slowly headed for my room's exit, picking up an apple on my way out.

"Settle down, boy... it's just those damned marines again..." I said with a sigh as I threw the apple toward Chuchun, and he quickly devoured it, but it didn't seem to calm him down as he continued crying out in alarm.

"Is something wrong, boy...?" I asked with a frown, and the giant bird's calls only became louder at my words as he flapped his wings and looked at the small shed in the dojo's courtyard.

"For fuck's sake..." I grumbled, picking up my spear as I gestured for the big bird to settle down as I approached the shed. "Please be just some wild animal..." I muttered to no one in particular as I opened the shed's door and promptly froze at the sight of a twenty-something brunette sitting in the corner in a fetal position.

"It just had to be your of all the fucking people!" Or so I badly wanted to scream as I recognized the woman, but I had to swallow my words as I heard footsteps behind me approaching the shed.

My instincts kicking in, I took a random piece of cloth, threw it over the brunette, and grasped the wooden bucket on the floor before turning to the two marines. "Morning, fellas..." I said, yawning as I closed the door and headed to the well.

"Let me guess... you're here to look for some dangerous fugitive..." I said without bothering to hide my annoyance as I tied the bucket with the well's rope and dropped it into the water.

"You people sure don't seem to have anything better to do so early in the fucking morning..." I added, giving the two marines a dirty glare, to which they could awkwardly exchange glances.

"We don't wish to hinder your lifestyle, but we are under orders..." One of the marine soldiers said as he cleared his throat. "That said... we have already thoroughly searched this place several times, and we have no reason to believe you or the old man would harbor a fugitive..." He added, trailing at the end of his sentence with a meaningful look.

"Definitely, my teacher and I are both law-abiding citizens..." I said with a nod. "In fact, I love and support the world government so much that I think I'll buy the next two marine soldiers I see in the Red Dasies a couple of drinks..." I added as I retrieved the now-filled bucket from the well.

"Granted, they don't mess up the place and make the old man cranky..." I concluded as I began washing my face, trying my hardest not to look at the human ear stuck to the marine's shirt.

"Certainly, it is all thanks to the support of upstanding citizens like you that the marine corp is able to maintain order on the seas..." The marine soldier said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, that bush all the way over there, away from you, and your business looks awfully suspecious..." He added as he nudged his colleague's side with his elbow.

"Indeed. We need to go and investigate it right away..."

...

I couldn't help but sigh in relief, my shoulders deflating as I watched the two marine soldiers leave after saying a few words to Liu Fan, seemingly in a hurry to continue their search.

"All that time at the bar is paying dividends at least..." I muttered with a bitter chuckle as I waited for them to disappear before heading to the shed, not really knowing what to do.

The only reason those marines didn't turn the dojo upside down and find the women hiding in the shed was that I knew them personally, having bought them drinks on several occasions in my attempt to butter up to the local authorities.

If it were anyone else searching the dojo, then things would have gone differently. The next time the marines show up at our doorstep, it might be someone else, which would not end well for anyone.

'Yeah... she definitely has to leave...' I mused, firming my resolve as I opened the shed's door, only to quickly jump back as the woman lunged at me with a knife.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, crazy lady?!" I exclaimed in alarm, raising my hands in a defensive posture as I prepared to defend myself. "I just saved your sorry ass, you idiot!" I added, ducking under a swing of the woman's knife and stepping back.

"I won't give you my body..." The brunette said as she charged me again, repeatedly swinging her knife with surprising speed and precision while going after my Achilles tendon.

"What are you talking about?! I don't want your body!" I said, still trying to reason with the brunette as I dodged her attacks. "What do I look like to you, Harvy fucking Weinsten?!" I inadvertently blurted, and it was the woman's turn to be confused at the unfamiliar name.

"You helped me, so you must want something!" The brunette said as she quickly gathered her bearings and resumed attacking me. "I don't have any money, so you must want my body!" She added through gritted teeth as she swung her knife at my shoulder.

Hearing the brunette's words, I could only sigh in exasperation as I stopped dodging and held my ground even as the knife approached me, stopping an inch away from my shoulder.

"The fuck kind of logic is that...?" I asked, genuinely confused as I gripped the brunette's wrist to stop her attack. "Look, lady, I don't know what you've been through, but I want nothing from you..." I added, looking the woman in the eye as I let go and raised my hands.

"I just helped you because I felt like it... and right now, I only want you to leave without causing me any more trouble..." I continued, looking her straight in the eye. "You do that, and we'll call it even..." I concluded, to which she momentarily hesitated before putting away the knife.

"Thank you..." The woman said with a grateful nod as she turned around and walked away with slumped shoulders, and I couldn't help but sigh as I watched her leave.

"Wait..." I called out, and the woman quickly turned to me, her expression a mixture of caution and confusion. "Just wait a minute. I'll be right back..." I said, gesturing for her to stay put as I ran to my room.

Once there, I quickly rummaged through my backpack, retrieved four wads of cash, and went back outside. "It isn't much, but it'll be enough to get you out of here..." I said as I threw the cash toward the brunette.

"Head to Four Clover Island if you can. Find Kid and Killer and tell them Cedric sent you..." I added with a smile. "They'll help you lay low until the heat dies down..." I concluded as I turned around and prepared to start my training.

"Wait. Why are you helping me...? I already told you I have nothing to give you in exchange...?" The woman asked, her confusion clearly audible in her tone as she spoke.

"Because I feel like it, and you look like you need a hand..." I blankly said without bothering to turn around as I picked up the training Bo staff and started doing practice swings.

"Now hurry up and get out of here before my teacher sees you..."