Volume One: The Wild Boy Chapter Thirty-One: The Warmth of His Home

The atmosphere at the night market was strange—amidst the order born of technology, a lingering, deathless decay permeated everything. This made Lin Changtian restless. As he watched the noisy crowds around him, he could not understand: how could ordinary people in the market remain so unperturbed in the face of a deathly aura that seemed to rival the emergence of the underworld itself? His dark eyes slowly turned red, veins bulged on his hands as he felt the chaos within his body’s meridians. In the end, Lin Changtian, whose internal energy had run its course, collapsed to the ground. He was unable to breathe, resembling a stubborn green carp on the verge of death, its eyes rolling back as it clung desperately to life.

...

“You’re awake. Rest a little longer, dinner will be ready soon.” In a cramped little room, Chen Mo looked at Lin Changtian and smiled as he spoke.

“Who exactly are you? What’s happened to my energy?” Lin Changtian struggled to sit up from the bed, feeling utterly drained. His sea of energy was empty, as if overnight he had regressed from a boundary walker back to an ordinary man.

Seeing how weak he was, Chen Mo furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. “You must have sensed that aura in the market as well—it’s powerful, isn’t it? But this weakness is only temporary. You’ll recover soon.”

Lin Changtian said nothing, desperately trying to circulate his energy, but he received no response at all—his efforts were futile.

Chen Mo sighed. “What you need to do now is listen to me. After all, a boundary walker who could defeat Lin Yuheng would hardly be a fool, right?”

Hearing Chen Mo state his identity, the hostility in Lin Changtian’s eyes faded. After a moment’s thought, he spoke slowly: “Since you know who I am, then all of this must be your doing. If so, I’m quite willing to hear your reasons for hunting me.”

Chen Mo nodded with satisfaction before returning to his previous calm demeanor. “Indeed, from the moment you set foot in Brahma City, you were surrounded by our shadows.”

“The Hu Yong couple as well?”

“No, no,” Chen Mo quickly waved his hands. “Those two are as ordinary as can be. If they have any distinguishing traits, it’s that they’ve managed to retain a bit of kindness amidst the filth of Brahma City—a rare thing in the slums.”

Lin Changtian breathed a sigh of relief, signaling for Chen Mo to continue.

“You must have smelled the pervasive evil in the night market. Didn’t it feel like, well, descending into hell ahead of your time?” Recalling the scene, Lin Changtian shuddered, his face full of lingering fear. Seeing this, Chen Mo tapped his head. “When we first went there, it was the same for us. But this is only because the market is connected to the energy nodes of the Shanhe District through the underground black market. In other words, the horror we sense is just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Then why is the night market still bustling? The people seem oblivious to this power.” Lin Changtian looked at Chen Mo in confusion, awaiting his answer.

“Ordinary people are indeed unaffected. But at night, Awakened and boundary walkers are all influenced by this force. That’s also why the black market is only open during the day. All your questions will be answered once we infiltrate the Shanhe District.”

“Wait a second, this is your affair, not mine.” Feeling his energy sea filling again, Lin Changtian’s voice grew stronger.

Chen Mo laughed. “But we still have our previous agreement, don’t we? What, you don’t want the knife anymore? Aren’t you afraid I’ll just leave you here?”

Lin Changtian snorted coldly and stood with his hands behind his back. “My reputation precedes me; you can ask the Zhou family if you don’t believe me. Have you heard of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper? That day, I shattered Lin Yuheng’s trump card with a single stroke. Young man, you’re still green—don’t go courting death.”

Chen Mo’s smile grew broader, and the aura he unleashed enveloped Lin Changtian, bearing down on him with an overwhelming force.

“Actually, this is all negotiable, right? There’s no need for violence.” Lin Changtian blinked innocently.

“Enough, I won’t waste words with you. One price: in addition to the knife, throw in a set of boundary martial arts, and we have a deal.”

Lin Changtian’s expression grew stern. “Talking about payment is hurtful. The martial arts don’t matter—what’s important is the fate that brought us together. Besides, as a boundary walker, knowing there’s evil lurking in the Shanhe District, it’s only right to uphold justice. I, Lin, have never coexisted with wickedness!”

This time, Chen Mo truly fell silent. For the first time, he wondered whether the person the organization had chosen was truly reliable.

“It’s settled, then. Go back, find an excuse, and from now on, stay with me.”

“What? But the Hu Yong couple are really good to me—we get along well, and they’re just regular people. They can’t possibly affect your plans, can they?” Lin Changtian asked in confusion.

Chen Mo’s expression grew serious. “This has nothing to do with our plans. We can’t drag innocent people into this. They’ve worked for more than ten years just to gain a foothold in Brahma City. We can’t let ‘our’ troubles rob this couple of their peace. Besides, they’re not well-off—a freeloader like you won’t last long before they speak up.”

“You’re too cautious. Brahma City is so big—who would track you into the slums? But being careful is good. Fine, I’ll go talk to them. Mind lending me some money? The more, the better; after all, I’ve been eating and living here for free for days.”

“Alright, but don’t be long.” Chen Mo nodded and emptied all the Lin currency from his pocket into Lin Changtian’s hands.

...

“Brother, Sister, I’m back!” Lin Changtian pushed open the gate to Hu Yong’s home and called out loudly. Zhao Xinxin, busy in the yard, glanced at Lin Changtian and, concern tinging her reproach, said, “Where did you wander off to this time, making your sister-in-law worry all morning?”

Lin Changtian scratched his head and grinned. “I just went out for a walk this morning. Guess what? I ran into an old acquaintance from home—he’s doing well for himself. Since I’ve been a bother to you these days, I thought I’d go stay with him.”

At his words, Zhao Xinxin grew anxious. “What are you saying, child? Are you turning your back on us? Haven’t we treated you well? And you don’t even know what your old friend’s situation is—aren’t you just jumping from one dependency to another? Or do you think our home is too poor for you and you don’t want to stay?”

Lin Changtian hurriedly waved his hands. “You misunderstand, Sister-in-law. When I first came to Brahma City, if it hadn’t been for you and Brother taking me in, I’d have ended up a stray dog on the streets. I’m grateful, truly, but I’m able-bodied—I can’t just eat your food for nothing. Once I’m settled, I’ll often come to visit. Please don’t mind me if I wear out my welcome.”

Zhao Xinxin couldn’t help but laugh, just as she was about to say more, Hu Yong came walking in from outside the yard. “Hey, why aren’t you selling pancakes, you fool? Back so early?” he asked, curious.

Hu Yong ignored her, walked straight to Lin Changtian, and looked him up and down. Slowly, he said, “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. This is a small household, and one person can’t support four mouths.”

Zhao Xinxin, alarmed, grabbed his hand and forced a smile at Lin Changtian. “Your brother must be upset about something; he’s not usually like this. Let’s not talk about it—come inside for dinner.”

But Hu Yong suddenly shook her off, pushing her aside with a glare at Lin Changtian. “I don’t care where you went last night, but I can’t have you dragging my family into trouble. Sorry, Linzi.”

Lin Changtian nodded calmly, bowed to them both, and placed all the money Chen Mo had given him on the ground. Without another word, he turned and left. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.