Farming boy with a magic ring

Xavier Jie regretted his decisions deeply. He'd been too confident, too eager for credit. If he'd brought a few more of his brothers, maybe the tables would have turned. Now, he was cornered, searching desperately for an escape.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xavier spotted a truck about two or three hundred meters away. Squinting through the darkness, he noticed a man inside, quietly filming the scene with his phone. A sinister idea formed.

With a smirk, Xavier turned to Thomas, nodding toward the truck. "You really think I don't have backup? Take a look over there. My guy has you all in his sights. Maybe you should be the one dropping your gun."

Thomas frowned and whispered to Big Bear, "Check it out. If it's one of his men, we'll take them out too. Second Bear and I will hold this position."

Big Bear shrugged and moved cautiously toward the truck, gun raised, taking a wide angle for cover.

Xavier held his breath, hoping Big Bear's distraction would give him a chance to turn the tables. He silently apologized to the man in the truck. Sorry, buddy. Wrong place, wrong time.

Ethan Yang, inside the truck, had been happily recording the action until the gunman turned toward him. His stomach dropped. "Seriously? I'm just here for the footage!" he muttered, slipping his phone into his pocket.

In a flash, Ethan summoned his trusted fruit knife — the one that sliced through iron like butter. As Big Bear raised his gun, Ethan saw the bullet streaking toward him. Time slowed.

Wait… I can see bullets now?

His body reacted faster than his mind, instincts honed by the well's mystical waters. He dove out of the truck, landing smoothly, and sprinted toward Big Bear like a bolt of lightning.

Big Bear cursed under his breath, firing wildly, but Ethan zigzagged effortlessly, each shot missing by a hair. Panic set in as Big Bear emptied his clip. "No… no way."

Click. The gun jammed. Big Bear's heart sank. Ethan was already on him.

"No!" Big Bear screamed, spinning to run, but before he could take two steps, Ethan's blade sliced through his neck like paper. Big Bear's legs kept running for a moment, as if his body hadn't realized it was dead. His head, propelled by momentum, tumbled forward, rolling several meters before settling in the dirt. Blood sprayed into the night sky like a dark fountain.

Thomas and Second Bear froze, eyes wide in horror. Thomas cursed. "Xavier, you sneaky bastard! You said you were alone!"

Second Bear roared, unloading his clip at Ethan. But Ethan was too fast. His movements left ghostly afterimages in the moonlight, making it impossible to track him.

Realizing his fate was sealed, Second Bear turned his gun on Thomas. "You lied to us! We should've never come here!" The gun roared, and Thomas's head exploded like a melon.

"Ah! My hand! You devil!" Second Bear howled as Ethan's blade flashed again, severing his right hand at the wrist. Blood sprayed, and Second Bear crumpled to the ground, writhing in agony. Still determined, he reached for his fallen gun with his remaining hand.

Swoosh! Ethan's knife flashed once more. The other hand hit the ground with a wet thud. Second Bear's body spasmed violently before he collapsed, unconscious from shock.

Ethan stood over the carnage, panting softly. The night was silent once again.

"Come out. The danger's over," Ethan called out.

From behind the car, Xavier Jie cautiously emerged, gun raised. He eyed the wreckage — Big Bear's headless corpse, Thomas's lifeless body, and Second Bear's mutilated form — with a mix of awe and fear.

"Damn," Xavier muttered. "You're ruthless… but I like it."

Ethan extended his hand. "Ethan Yang. Vegetable farmer."

Xavier burst into laughter, shaking Ethan's hand. "A farmer? Sure… and I'm a kindergarten teacher."

After making a quick call, Xavier grabbed a first-aid kit from his car and began tending to Second Bear's wounds. "Can't let this guy die just yet. I've got a few questions for him."

As he worked, Xavier glanced at Ethan. "Hey, give me your number. I owe you a drink."

Ethan hesitated, then rattled off his digits. Moments later, his phone buzzed with Xavier's contact info.

"See you around, farmer," Xavier said with a grin.

Ethan just shook his head, watching the night swallow Xavier and the blood-soaked battlefield behind him.