In a lifetime, one should treat life and death lightly.

Besides, he couldn’t die anyway.

He looked at Charlie, sizing him up.

“Special government department? Dragon Group? Or a martial arts master? An heir to a hidden sect?”

Ethan Brooks watched for half a minute, only withdrawing his gaze when the sound of police sirens came from the entrance of the alley.

He didn’t stay there any longer and chose to leave.

At the mouth of the alley, he saw several medical staff hurrying in with a stretcher, while Ethan Brooks...

His expression was calm, he could move and walk, so they didn’t even spare him a glance.

...

Ethan Brooks’s home was just around the corner, not far away, in the old part of town—a two-story, aging building. Though rundown, if it ever got demolished, this little building could make them rich.

In the three hundred meters or so it took to get home, the scrapes on his palm had healed, the cut on his knee had scabbed over, and by the time he reached the building downstairs, he peeled off the scab to reveal fresh, tender skin underneath, with no sign of any wound—just as if nothing had happened.

His recovery was astonishing; this constitution had come with him when he was reborn.

“I’m back.”

Ethan Brooks called out as he entered.

“You’re back. Did the job search go well?”

His father, Henry Brooks, called from the kitchen.

“It was a health supplement sales company, selling unlicensed products. Didn’t seem reliable.”

“If you’re really bored, just sign up for a training course. No need to do a summer job.”

“I’ll keep looking. If I really can’t find a job, I’ll learn something new.”

As Ethan Brooks spoke, he changed his shoes, went upstairs, entered his bedroom, and flopped onto the bed.

His shoulder still stung, but after all the reckless things he’d done as a kid, Ethan Brooks had built up a strong tolerance for pain. He’d recover soon enough, so he didn’t bother thinking about it.

Lying on the bed, Ethan Brooks stared at the somewhat shabby ceiling, seriously pondering a question.

“I was just a student passing by that alley, clueless, and ended up being pushed into the way by a middle-aged man named Adam Carter? Then William Clark, blocked by me, lost his temper and tried to kill me with a punch? You could have just told me to move—I would have listened.”

No answer.

In his mind, he replayed the moment when William Clark threw that punch—the suffocating fear that shook him to his soul, the primal tremor of life itself.

At that moment, he truly thought he would die.

To William Clark, he was as insignificant as...

An ant.

An ant that could be crushed at will.

So, instead of telling him to move, William Clark just threw a punch, as if an ant was in the way—no one would bother moving it or waiting for it to crawl away, they’d just crush it underfoot.

“Death... If it weren’t for that gunshot, if his punch had landed on my head, would it have killed me? Would I have died?”

This question lingered in Ethan Brooks’s mind.

William Clark was the only man in his life who had ever made him feel the presence of death. The psychological impact was so intense, it took root in his mind and wouldn’t go away, forcing him to keep thinking about this question.

Would I have died?

This question...

Only William Clark could answer.

Ethan Brooks tossed and turned in bed.

Half an hour, an hour, two hours, three hours...

“This world just got interesting.”

Ethan Brooks sat up.

“Given a second life, I just wanted to quietly be a model student—excellent in character and academics, with a love of learning—so as not to let down those who were hurt, disappointed, or even hopeless because of me in my previous life. But now, two groups fighting dragged me, an innocent bystander, into it. One used me as a human shield without caring if I lived or died, the other tried to kill me outright. Now, my heart is uneasy and restless. This chaos comes from the unknown, from curiosity, from... death! I yearn for death because I have no attachments, but people must learn to cherish life. Since I’ve come back from the dead, I should treasure being alive, live well... As for those who make me afraid, who disturb my heart...”

Face them!

Face them with a fearless heart!

William Clark, Adam Carter.

“If they want to kill me, I’ll kill them first.”

...

“Martial arts training?”

At the dining table.

His father, Henry Brooks, who had just reheated the dishes, and his sister, Grace Brooks, who had just come home from work, both looked up at Ethan Brooks in surprise.

“You want to learn martial arts?”

“Yes.”

Ethan Brooks nodded. “It’s summer break, and I want to find something to do, so I want to learn martial arts.”

“That’s good. Martial arts can strengthen your body and keep you healthy, and at critical moments, you can protect yourself. Go to Sanshun Town and find your second grand-uncle. He knows martial arts and has taught a few students—he’s quite well-known in the area.”

“Okay.”

Ethan Brooks nodded.

“Oh, and you two should be careful lately. I heard from people at work that a group of fugitives has escaped to our city, Wuhe. There’s been an official notice. If you see anyone acting suspiciously, don’t go near them, and don’t provoke them. It’s said these fugitives have killed people and are very dangerous. Ordinary folks like us can’t afford to mess with them.”

His father, Henry Brooks, warned.