Chapter 1 - The beginning

Life has never been easy. There always be challenges that one would face and tribulation that must be overcome to gain some ascension. For Xiao Shen, a young man that was slightly well built looking with unkempt hair wearing just a simple T-shirt heading his way back into a small apartment. The most eye-catching is a crossed necklace with a strange carving. 

He had found it when he was doing community services and tried to find the owner but when he claimed it took it since no one wanted it and found it fashionable.

Xiao Shen was an orphan that never got adopted and grew up raising himself with the only ones that he treated as a family was the orphanage that he often visited and his neighborhood as he was well liked by everyone. 

'I still have to study for the upcoming exam…good thing I have two week to prepare.'

Xiao Shen said to himself, sighing in defeat, having enrolled in the most prestigious academy that he would have barely gotten in if not for his scholarship. He was not the best and smartest but he at least kept up with hard work. Though, it started to take a toll on him. 

He sighed and started to pass by an alleyway when his eye caught a shocking scene. It was a group of armed men holding a knife and his eyes locked when he spotted two women who both had beautiful black hair and creamy whites skin that makes any woman envy their beauty. The older one seemed to have an air of a caring and loving temperament while the younger one had a fiery personality.

Xiao Shen was always a kind of person who was able to properly judge people, which allowed him to survive and get along with people. 

"Come any closer or I'll beat the shit out of you!"

The younger one shouted at them that only made the group laugh hearing her words because it just fueled their lust even more. 

"Be quiet, Yue'er! Please let us go, if you need money we can give all we have, just let us go."

The older one pleaded trying to give her purse but yet again a bellowing laugh echoed through the alley way.

"Do you think we can't just steal it after we have some fun with all of you?"

One of the thugs said licking his lips grabbing her arms causing the older one to struggle and began to scream for help. Xiao Shen could have easily left since it was none of her business.

"Hey!"

However, it was not his nature to just let this injustice go and began to run as the necklace around his neck pulsating as he began to run faster than normal human punching the guy who grabbed the woman pushing him into the wall instantly knocking him out. 

"Stay behind me!"

The younger girl helped the older one stand up as they watched Xiao Shen who was slightly nervous since there were at least 5 guys surrounding him with a knife that was better built than he was but something inside him was telling him to fight. 

The thugs were dumbfounded for a moment from what just happened but quickly regained their senses and became infuriated at Xiao Shen.

"Playing hero huh? Don't blame us for getting hurt."

One of them moved trying to stab Xiao Shen's abdominal, who just  moved slightly and struck the thug's face with his knee as he squirmed in pain from the impact.

"Fuck my face! My face!! What the hell are you guys doing to get him?"

He shouted as they did as told and went altogether as Xiao Shen tried to remember some martial movement he just watched in his spare time. He never put it to practice and never trained since he's too occupied in maintaining his academic grades. 

However, at this very moment Xiao Shen was able to apply some of them, managing to push them back. He took a hold of one of them then used him as a shield then pushed him toward the others giving him enough time and room to take one of them down. 

Xiao Shen recalled that to fight a group of people, the best way is to take one of them at a time and use every opportunity possible.

"You two go! I'll try my best to keep them here!"

He shouted at the two strangers since he's not able to concentrate while they were behind him. They looked at him and hesitated to leave him but in the end understood that as long as they were there then everyone is in danger and the best thing they needed to do is to call the police. 

The two began to flee the scene as the thugs tried to catch them but were stopped by Xiao Shen who had several cuts and bleeding as some of his blood got into his necklaces. 

"You have to kill me before I let all of you get their hands on those two women!"

"Then die for letting our fun escape! We will make sure your dear isn't a pleasant one!"

They dashed towards Xiai Shen who fought back and gave his all trying to give enough time for the two to hide and call the police since the thugs could easily catch up to them and felt that they knew more about the scenes and the short cuts giving them an easier time in finding the two women. 

'How thrilling…. I'm surprised how I forgot this feeling.'

Xiao Shen said laying on the cold ground as he bled violently as countless stab wounds and cuts all over his body while around him were all the thugs knocked out. 

'I became numb with my mundane life that I forgot to live….at least if I died then I died giving it to another and this fight made me feel alive again.'

He said to himself with a bright smile as his mind faded away and his life slipped away. The sky began to rain and the sky roared as if his death made the heaven grieve for losing such a kind soul. It was then the crossed necklace removed itself from his neck before turning into crimson red then went inside Xiao Shen's heart. 

Thump.

Thump!

Thump! Thump!

His heart that had stopped for a few minutes began to beat once again as his wounds started to close itself and the blood seemingly absorbed back into his body. His body began to change slowly, becoming more appealing that can tempt the hearts of any woman but they would still recognize that it was Xiao Shen.

Haa…hah…

Xiao Shen began to breathe again and a few minutes later the sound of police and ambulance came to the scene. The two women from earlier saw Xiao Shen and became distraught.

"That's the guy who saved us!"

"Are you sure, Miss Jiang Mei?"

A cop asked for confirmation from the older woman, Jiang Mei nodded as the people from the ambulance began helping Xiao Shen get into a stretcher. He saw the state of their savior and felt guilty that someone was harmed because of them.

"Is he going to be okay, Mom?"

The younger one, Jiang Yue, the daughter of Jiang Mei since she was afraid that their hero had died. 

"No, he is still breathing and seems perfectly fine. From what we observe, he seems exhausted from fighting these thugs."

One of the paramedics reassured them, letting Jiang Mei sigh in relief looking at the young man as the ambulances took him away while the police took the knock out thugs since they were starting to wake up. 

"What should we do now, mom?"

Jiang Yue asked, feeling lost after everything that just happened. She was shocked as to why her mind hadn't registered the trauma from the experience.

"We should get home first and rest. I'll tell grandfather what happened today and investigate the young man who saved us."

Jiang Mei was not a normal woman but was actually the daughter of a famous business Tycoon in this region of China. The only reason why they didn't have any bodyguard is because her daughter was adamant to explore alone with her and was unexpectedly cornered by the thugs.

She just hugged her daughter and didn't blame anyone but the thugs who tried to take advantage of them. Jiang Mei understood her daughter only wanted to spend time with her since she rarely had any time because of her work. Jiang Yue nodded as they went back home after giving their statement to the police.