Chapter 136: Two Tomboys

Chen Hao looked at Guo Yunhai with great surprise. How had Guo managed to identify a reason for such a bizarre event so quickly?

"What do you think is the reason?" Chen Hao asked.

Guo Yunhai smiled. "Why? Haven't you figured it out?"

"Hmm?" Chen Hao paused, a possibility suddenly dawning on him. "Are you implying... that person is a martial artist? Someone who knows a technique like 'lightness skill'—something that allowed them to lighten their weight upon landing?"

"Exactly!" Guo Yunhai replied with conviction. "I think that is highly probable. If everything holds true, that must be it. At the very least, I cannot think of any other explanation. What do you think?"

"Well..." Chen Hao mused. "What you say isn't without merit. However... Taxue, do you know if anyone in the village practiced martial arts back when your foster mother went missing? Also... this person's shoe size was about the same as your foster father's."

In truth, Chen Hao didn't hold much hope for an answer. Krystal was hardly a hub for martial arts; the population was tiny, and that was even more true back then. The village was so small that the chances of someone practicing martial arts were near zero—let alone a niche skill like the lightness technique, which could manipulate the weight of one's stride.

As far as Chen Hao knew, the lightness technique wasn't really a martial arts style in its own right. It was better described as a specialized movement technique within certain schools, utilizing specific methods of exerting and retracting force to make one as light as a swallow. Historically, many who practiced it didn't do so for combat, but for a much less honorable purpose.

Most people could probably guess: it was for theft. In the past, life was not as prosperous as it is today. Many people lived hand-to-mouth, often missing meals. Some of the destitute, in a desperate bid for survival, turned to crooked schemes, such as stealing from local landlords.

Naturally, these people were not stupid; they wouldn't steal money or gold jewelry from a landlord. Even if they had, they would have had nowhere to spend it and no courage to try. After all, the wealthy were few and far between back then. If a poor person suddenly appeared with gold or jewelry, or started buying expensive things, it would be all too easy for people to conclude that the items had been stolen from the local landlord. If the landlord found out, the thief would face dire consequences.

Therefore, even when stealing from landlords, the poor mostly targeted food. Grain, however, was not as easy to carry as money or jewelry. A person couldn't just steal a single meal's worth and return the next day; the risk of repeated theft was too high. Thus, they would often steal as much as they could carry—only stopping when they were physically unable to take any more.

It was precisely because of this that these thieves developed a unique set of skills. Not only did they need immense arm strength to carry heavy loads of grain, but they also needed a light, agile stride—otherwise, they could never hope to scramble over a wall with such a burden. Over time, this evolved into a specialized theft technique known as "lightness skill." This was just one of its many origins, though Chen Hao found this particular one quite intriguing.

Beyond that, because these "light-footed" thieves were more technically skilled than ordinary pickpockets, they gained a certain notoriety among their peers. They even established sects—though their specific names, like the "Empty Hand Sect" or the "Golden Hand Sect," remain lost to history. After forming these groups, they gradually moved away from petty theft and began taking on jobs similar to security escorts, handling tasks that were too delicate or inconvenient for others to manage publicly.

It was highly unlikely that such thieves would congregate in a desolate, backward place like Krystal. It wasn't wealthy now, let alone in the past. Why would a skilled thief bother coming here? Are they crazy?

Because of this, Chen Hao didn't hold much hope that anyone in Krystal possessed such skills.

After hearing Guo Yunhai's question, Zhuge Taxue shook her head. "I don't think it's possible. Our village is so small, and there are so few people. If anyone practiced martial arts, we would have known long ago."

"Is that so?" Guo Yunhai muttered with a trace of regret. "Then think again. If it wasn't someone from your village, but someone from elsewhere—did anyone you knew, or anyone your foster parents knew, fit that description? Any relatives or friends?"

Zhuge Taxue shook her head again. "No! Growing up, I never saw any outsiders visit my foster parents. They had no relatives or friends from out of town. They had acquaintances, perhaps, but those would only be the traders my foster father met when he went to town to exchange produce for daily necessities. My foster mother could never have known people like that."

Guo Yunhai hummed, rubbing his chin. "That makes this quite intriguing... What other possibilities could there be? By the way, was the matter of your foster parents' disappearance simply left unresolved?"

"What else could have happened? What else could we do? It just sat there, gathering dust!" Zhuge Taxue shrugged helplessly. She then kicked Guo Yunhai's stool. "Hey! Big guy! This isn't the time to be pondering that mystery. I didn't tell you about the past so you could solve it. I told you so you would realize how dangerous the Great Forest of Krystal is.

"If you two barge into the forest without a guide, permission, or security escort, you might end up just like my foster parents. And then, when the police come looking and find that every disappearance in the forest involves me, they'll end up arresting me as the culprit!"

"Er..." Chen Hao coughed twice. "You're overthinking it. We didn't say we were definitely going; we were just considering the possibilities."

"I advise you both not to even think about it!" Zhuge Taxue said gravely. "I know you both have significant backgrounds, and I'm just a commoner. You probably won't take my words to heart. But regardless, I must warn you. Whether it's what happened to my foster parents or what Chen Hao mentioned today, these are not things an ordinary person should face alone.

"Think about it: so many researchers perished back then, and this time, so many security guards died. Do you really think you two could walk away unscathed if you encountered the same thing?

"Big guy, don't forget you came to Krystal to find your sweetheart. And Chen Hao, you're here to accompany your sister on a trip. If you really want to investigate the forest, I won't stop you, but shouldn't you finish your original tasks first? At least if you do get into trouble and kick the bucket, you won't have any regrets!"

"Pah, pah, pah!" Guo Yunhai spat, sticking out his tongue. "Stop cursing me, you foul-mouthed tomboy!"

"Hey! What did you call me, you big oaf?" Upon hearing the label, Zhuge Taxue's brows shot up. She placed her hands on her hips, widened her eyes, and shouted.

Guo Yunhai wasn't intimidated. He raised his voice: "What? Is there a problem with calling you a tomboy? You are a tomboy! No matter how pretty you are, you're still a tomboy!"

"You, you, you!!! I was looking out for you, advising you not to go into the forest, and you accuse me of cursing you and call me a tomboy?!" Zhuge Taxue rolled up one of her sleeves, pointed at Guo Yunhai, and began hopping mad. "Fine! I'll show you the power of a tomboy today!"

With that, she grabbed a broom from the corner and swung it down toward Guo Yunhai's head.

Suddenly, Chen Hao couldn't help but chuckle. "Pfft—"

Guo Yunhai, while dodging the broom, complained to Chen Hao, "Chen Hao, if you're not going to help me, at least don't laugh!"

"Ahem!" Chen Hao coughed. "Sorry, sorry!"

He quickly moved to pull Zhuge Taxue back, saying, "Speaking of tomboys, it seems you get along quite well with them, Guo Yunhai!"

"Hmm?" Both Zhuge Taxue and Guo Yunhai froze at Chen Hao's words.

Guo Yunhai asked, "What do you mean?"

Chen Hao scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Don't get mad, but... honestly, I think Dong Xin is quite the tomboy herself!"

"What?!"

Chen Hao decided not to hold back and told them the story of how Dong Xin earned the nickname.

After hearing it, Guo Yunhai's expression shifted, and he finally sighed helplessly. "Sigh... you're not wrong... Dong Xin does have a boyish personality, and her temper is a bit fiery. After all, she is a martial artist herself..."

"Hmm?" Now it was Chen Hao's turn to freeze. He was stunned. "What? Dong Xin is a martial artist? How did I not notice?"

Just as Guo Yunhai was about to answer, Zhuge Taxue erupted again. "Chen Hao, you jerk! By what you just said, does that mean you think I'm a tomboy too?! Go to hell!"

She shifted her target, raising the broom to swing at Chen Hao, who was standing behind her. Because Chen Hao was behind her, she swung with a backhand motion, lost her balance, and fell backward, dragging Chen Hao—who was leaning on his chair—down to the ground with her.