I am a former Flame Chasers

He sent Carol back to school first. Around ten o'clock in the evening, Ryan drove to the courtyard where Hua lived. As soon as he got out of the car, he was dumbfounded.

In front of me is a two story building with a courtyard. The surface of the house is covered with tiles. The gate is mottled and half a piece of red paper with a couplet remains on it.

This is the self-built house in the countryside that can be seen everywhere in China. It is surrounded by farmland and vegetable fields. Across the road, there is a factory building with a blue roof. Inside the locked door, a local dog is barking.

The other houses were dozens of meters away, and there were few lights on. The only sounds were the barking of dogs and the chirping of cicadas in the summer.

It is not only quiet, but also sparsely populated.

"Are you really not afraid of living here as a girl?"

"Don't be afraid. It's not as noisy as the city. Don't we often go to the countryside in my hometown?" Hua opened the door and pointed at the dark houses around him. "Before last month, there were actually a lot of people living here. Later, the government encouraged relocation, so they all moved away, saving me more than 200 yuan in rent."

Seeing Hua looking like she had gotten a bargain, Ryan rubbed his forehead. His junior sister was stubborn and stupid. If she was a smarter one, she might even ask for some money for housekeeping.

This damn place is not suitable for people to live in. As long as the locals leave, who would have the guts to come here and rent a house?

He walked up the steps carrying the box and asked casually, "Aren't you afraid of ghosts?"

"There are no ghosts in the world, but there are thieves, but I beat them all away." Hua raised his little fist, finally showing a hint of pride, "Come on, brother, take a look at where I live."

Inside the gate is a small courtyard, about one or two hundred square meters, which Hua keeps very clean. The owner's miscellaneous items are piled in the corner and covered with three color waterproof cloth. The most common thing in the yard is various fitness equipment.

A homemade horizontal bar, human shaped wooden stakes, stacked sandbags, and some clothes hanging on them.

"That's right, you haven't given up practicing boxing." Ryan nodded repeatedly with his hands behind his back. He used to teach on behalf of the master, so he could be considered a half master.

"I have kept your words in mind. I have done well in my studies and got first place in the school in the final exam." The girl suddenly became more lively, as if she had finally reached the field she was good at.

Seeing that her expression of 'please praise me' was almost written on her face, Ryan took out a box from his bag and threw it directly to her: "It seems that I have to give you this gift. Open it and take a look."

Hua quickly opened it and saw a pair of tiger fingers inside. she didn't know what metal it was made of, but it looked very precious.

The girl was stunned for a moment, then clenched her palms tightly and nodded solemnly: "I will continue to work hard."

"You've worked hard enough. Sometimes I wish you could relax a little and do something more appropriate for your age." Ryan showed some tenderness. Hua was different from Kevin. He treated her as a younger sister from the beginning and didn't mix too many thoughts with her.

"Ahem, like wearing some nicer clothes."

Hua turned her head blankly and saw several short skirts and panties with cartoon patterns hanging on the clothesline in the corner. Her face immediately turned red and she rushed over quickly to put them in her arms.

"No, this was left by Carol when he came to visit a few days ago!"

The girl suddenly panicked, no longer showing the prim and serious look she had just shown, and Ryan didn't joke around like he did with Mobius, and looked away slightly.

"I'm actually encouraging you not to regard me as an old fashioned person."

"Then... shall I try?"

"Hehe, it's always a good idea to try more. By the way, where do I live?" Ryan felt that the atmosphere was a bit weird, so he simply changed the subject.

"It's on the first floor. The room is ready for you. I've checked the network, so it won't cause any problems."

Hua took Ryan inside. This self-built house was very shabby, and there weren't even many pieces of furniture, but it was very clean, and all the objects were neatly arranged as if someone had obsessive-compulsive disorder.

There was even a table full of food on the table in the main room, all of which were home-cooked dishes from the south of the Yangtze River, and none of them had been touched.

"I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough time, so I prepared dinner in advance. Why don't you take a shower? I'll heat up the food quickly."

"It's okay, I'll just sit for a while, are you afraid that I'll be polite?"

"That's right, then you should rest first."

Hua dragged over a recliner and swiftly went to the kitchen with a plate in hand. Ryan had lived in her martial arts gym for a full six months, so there was no sense of unfamiliarity between them.

Ryan was sitting on a recliner. The chair was a bit worn, and the joints were fixed with wires. The girl had carefully wrapped up the wire ends, and looking up, he saw a mottled, yellowed ceiling.

For a moment, he didn't think about anything. He just listened to the sound of the spatula in the kitchen, and his never resting brain was completely empty.

There was no smell of blood, no profound research, and no need to compete with others in wits and courage. After returning to Changkong and seeing Hua, Ryan biggest feeling was ordinary.

That's right, it's as if I have become an ordinary person again. Time has quietly passed by in the trivial matters and turned into dust and dissipated.

But he didn't hate this feeling.

"I've been thinking about how to deal with the Third Herrscher, so it's time to take a break."

Even though Changkong City is likely to be reduced to ashes, what does that have to do with the present? The concept of destiny is actually very simple.

Look at the starry sky, base yourself in the present, the future is built step by step, just enjoy the moment.

Looking at the yellow ceiling, Ryan gradually closed his eyes and soon began to snore.

"The meal is ready..." Hua came out with a plate in his hand. Seeing Ryan asleep, he instinctively lowered his footsteps.

I am tired indeed.

She put the plate down, leaned forward slightly, and looked at the man carefully, her green eyes moving around, and no one knew what she was thinking. After a while, she simply dragged a stool over, propped up her head, and looked at the other person quietly.

"My senior brother has a big secret. He often disappeared before. He said he went to study in Japan, but I don't believe him."

This thought popped up in Hua mind. It was an intuitive response. she remembered that one time the other party returned to the martial arts gym, although she concealed it well, she accidentally saw the gunshot wound.

But if Ryan didn't tell her, she wouldn't ask, and she didn't care about those secrets at all.

"I must have important things to do in my haste to return to Changkong this time." She muttered to herself. She wanted to touch these secrets, but in the end she swallowed them back and held her hands to her chest, with only two thoughts in her mind.

The first thought that popped into my mind was the book Carroll gave me.

This is a good time for a sneak attack!

No, what am I thinking about?

She quickly shook her head, regained her composure, and muttered to herself:

"It would be great if I could help."

"Um?"

Even though the sound was very small, Ryan, who was very alert, woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw the handsome face close to him, and his own image was reflected in the clear emerald eyes.

He didn't dodge, nor did he meet her, he just wiped his face and asked, "How long have I slept?"

"Not long, about ten minutes."

"I slept so soundly, it feels like I slept for a long time." Ryan stretched himself. It was really strange that just a few minutes made him energetic. "Why are you staring at me? Hurry up and eat."

"Okay, I'll go get the food." The girl stood up gently, walked to the kitchen door, turned around and said lightly: "Brother, I think sometimes you are more nervous than me."

Ryan was distracted for a moment, then shook his head and laughed at himself. This girl's intuition was really amazing.

Soon, the dishes were served on the table, including stir-fried greens, poached chicken, and sweet and sour pork tenderloin. They were light in flavor and it looked like a lot of effort had gone into making each one.

As a family of martial arts, the Hua family has very strict rules, which stipulate that one should not talk while eating or sleeping. With the faint chirping of cicadas, the only sound in the house was the touching of chopsticks and bowls. Ryan added a second bowl of rice, finally breaking the silence.

"If you have anything to ask, just ask. I see you're feeling very uncomfortable."

"No way." The girl raised her head slightly, rolled her eyes at the man, and thought for a moment before asking in a low voice, "I just want to ask, how long are you going to stay this time?"

"It can be very long or very short. The difference lies in when the person I'm waiting for shows up." Ryan drank a mouthful of vegetable soup and picked up a piece of tenderloin for Hua. "Eat more meat. You look so skinny."

Waiting for someone? What is very long or very short, and I am not skinny at all.

Hua was used to Ryan mysteriousness and secretly prayed that he would stay a little longer. At this time, she heard the other party asking questions.

"Hua, when is your summer vacation?"

"The final exams are over, let's wait for the closing ceremony. Of course, I'm not in a hurry to go back. I can work in Changkong City and accompany you and others."

The last few words were so soft that they were almost inaudible. Ryan didn't hear them either. He just ate his food while saying, "Don't wait for the closing ceremony. Pack your things and go back home on the weekend. If possible, bring your friend with you."

Clang.

The bowl fell on the table. Ryan looked up and saw Hua staring at him, his dissatisfaction almost written on his face. His expression became much more cold in his anger.

"Brother, are you going to do something big?"

"Well, this is something you can't handle. Be obedient. I don't mean to drive you away, but for your safety..."

"I'm not a child anymore. I can't be protected by you and my father forever."

Hua voice suddenly lose, causing Ryan to blink. It was the first time he saw Hua like this.

But Ryan was not stupid, and he understood why she was excited. However, he couldn't explain the Herrscher and Honkai Impact 3rd, which gave him a headache.

Just as I was thinking about it, I saw the girl put down the bowl, strode into the yard, and punched the sandbag.

Bang--

The sack exploded, and gravel fell down. The girl turned around, looking very heroic.

"I have been practicing boxing hard these years, isn't it just so that I can help you one day?"

Ryan held the bowl and sighed slowly, not knowing what to say.

Childish temper?

Hua is now just a child of seventeen or eighteen years old, far from the Red Kite Immortal in later generations. Moreover, he has a stubborn personality and has received the most traditional education. He is just a child.

"I was wrong. After all, you are one of The Thirteen Flame-Chasers. How can you not have a temper?"

He muttered to himself, slowly stood up, walked past Hua silently, and punched the sandbag next to him with his clenched fist.

boom--

This punch did not break it, but instead blew the sandbag away without a trace. The rags even flew outside the courtyard wall, and the splashed sand and gravel hit Hua body, causing him slight pain.

The girl's eyes widened and her emerald pupils shrank. This was simply a humanoid monster. What he was throwing was not a punch but a rocket launcher.

"Even if I have this power, I can't handle what's going to happen next. Do you understand now?"

Hua was silent. She knew Ryan would never deceive her, and the subtext was that she would become a burden if she stayed.

A strong feeling of unwillingness surged in her heart, causing her hanging hands to tremble slightly. After a few seconds, she suddenly raised her head.

"Brother, can you always protect me?"

This girl still refuses to give up, and who said she was dull.

This question was from a strange angle, and Ryan didn't want to make up a lie that would be easily exposed, so he could only shake his head: "No, everyone in the future will be involved, and whether they live or die depends entirely on their own abilities."

"That's it. I have to face it sooner or later. Isn't it safer to have you by my side?" The girl face showed stubbornness and even some happiness.

As expected, she is a stubborn person. Talking big is useless anyway. As the saying goes, seeing is believing, so she might as well find a small-scale Honkai for her to experience.

Ryan knew Hua character very well. He knew that saying this would only make him blush. It would have no effect at all. He didn't think that this was directed at him. He just inferred from common sense:

A seventeen year old girl was of course full of curiosity about the 'other world' and even had a bit of a heroic complex. She probably thought of me as an agent secretly saving the world.

But what I can do is to try my best to prevent you from being hit hard by the truth.

"Get up early tomorrow. I want to check your homework."

Ryan said this and turned away, leaving Hua stunned in the courtyard. After several seconds, he realized that Ryan agreed.

Agree to her help, agree to her getting closer to the real world.

She looked at the tattered sandbag beside her and couldn't help clenching her fists.

Finally, I have been waiting for this day!