Volume One: The Wild Boy Chapter Thirty-Six: The Divine Continent of Wenyuan

Since the arrival of the three, nighttime conversations in Qingcheng had grown more frequent.

As Lin Changtian’s health steadily improved, Hu Yong’s longing for his wife and child became harder to contain. One morning, he quietly departed this world without saying farewell.

His arrival had been abrupt, his departure even more so.

Chen Mo truly fell silent at Hu Yong’s leaving. Hu Yong had been his favorite companion, and his absence brought tears to Chen Mo’s eyes.

In contrast, another seemed rather indifferent. Lin Changtian remained unruffled, even a touch at ease.

“You’re really heartless, aren’t you? Have you forgotten who risked everything to save you in Fan City, even at the cost of his own comfort?” Chen Mo’s tone was harsh as he took in Lin Changtian’s calm demeanor.

Lin Changtian’s expression grew odd. He waited until some of the anger faded from Chen Mo’s face before replying slowly, “Brother Hu Yong said goodbye to me last night. Didn’t he tell you?”

Chen Mo’s sobs stopped abruptly. He forced an awkward smile and tried to cover it up, “That’s impossible. Brother Hu Yong and I are so close; I was just overwhelmed by emotion. He told me long ago—he’ll be back anyway.”

“But last night, Brother Hu Yong told me he wouldn’t be returning. He advised me to hone myself well and prepare for what’s to come.” Lin Changtian’s face held a trace of doubt, making Chen Mo uneasy under his gaze.

Chen Mo let out a forced laugh, then, expressionless, dragged Lin Changtian toward the base. “Since Brother Hu Yong said so, training you becomes my duty. But rest assured, kid. If you can still stand after I’m done with you, I, Chen Mo, will never show my face in ‘Yu’ again.”

...

A month later, a youth with a bare torso moved freely beneath a waterfall. The pressure that once felt so intense now seemed as gentle as a light rain. Lin Changtian exhaled a slow, deep breath.

“Old Chen Mo is ruthless, but he’s got a good heart. He’s given me everything useful that ‘Yu’ has to offer. In this month—tsk, even if Yu Baili were here, I could probably go a few rounds with him.”

“Who’s Yu Baili?” Chen Mo walked in, catching Lin Changtian talking to himself and approached curiously.

“You wouldn’t know even if I told you. You’re as curious as ever.” Lin Changtian shot Chen Mo a sidelong glance, yawned, and continued, “You’ve been as elusive as a dragon lately. How come you’ve got time to visit me now?”

Leaning against the wall, Chen Mo sighed, “The Central North is in turmoil, and Qingcheng hasn’t been spared. ‘Yu’ may have to withdraw from here at any moment.”

“What kind of disaster could force ‘Yu’ to retreat? Don’t tell me you went out acting like some master and stirred up another Lin Mingren?” Lin Changtian sized up Chen Mo suspiciously.

Chen Mo looked awkward; after all, the difference in his abilities before and after Fan City was far too great. He cursed under his breath, forcing a bitter smile, “Heaven knows, I underestimated that Zhang Cheng in Fan City, and he took advantage. This time, it’s not my fault—it’s just that the Lin clan is too aggressive.”

“The Lin clan has attacked? Then what are we waiting for? Let’s pack up and go,” Lin Changtian said, moving as if to leave, only to be stopped by Chen Mo’s exasperated glare.

“Qingcheng may be within the Lin clan’s sphere,” Chen Mo explained, “but it holds little value, like a chicken’s rib—tasteless, but a pity to discard. So the Lin clan has left it as a buffer and has no plans to expand here.”

He paused, as if weighing his words, and only after some time continued, “But now that the Zhou clan has surrendered, the other factions may take arms against the Lin clan to halt their expansion. If that happens, Qingcheng will become a battlefield.”

Lin Changtian frowned deeply. “But didn’t you say not long ago that the two sides were at a stalemate?”

Chen Mo nodded with a look of resignation. “That was true, but out of nowhere came Xie Daoyun. With just a small force, he slipped across the river and took Xin City, capturing most of the Zhou clan’s leaders. The war ended just like that. No one had heard of him before—just some live-in son-in-law, rumored to be henpecked. Who could have imagined he’d turn the tables now?”

Lin Changtian nodded after listening. “Then we’d better make plans. Any ideas?”

“To be honest, I plan to take the ‘Yu’ members from the Qingcheng branch and infiltrate the Lin clan’s rivals to gather intelligence. Want to come? No pressure.”

“If I don’t, after freeloading all this time, I doubt ‘Yu’ would keep me,” Lin Changtian joked.

...

At the very center of the Central Lands lies Wenyuan Divine Continent, divided into north and south.

The other four regions have no continent nor name.

Wenyuan Divine Continent, also called “The Grave of the Central Lands,” boasts a long history, complex traditions, and strict adherence to ritual and law. Back in the day, the constraints of scientific civilization meant that social hierarchies, though present, were not openly enforced.

But times have changed. The Age of Awakening has swept the world.

And so, the “civilization” of Wenyuan Divine Continent was set on a pedestal, vying for supremacy with the heavens.

What shall this be called? “Inheritance”? Or perhaps, “Evolution”?

In truth, compared to barbarism, it is not much better.

“To hell with all this ‘ritual and law’—it’s just treating people like dogs!” Chen Mo muttered sullenly from the corner. He and Lin Changtian had been in Ruzhou City for over half a month, and he still couldn’t fathom how customs from millennia ago—like kneeling to greet—had become routine here.

Compared to Chen Mo, Lin Changtian seemed far more composed. He yawned and spoke languidly, “A year is long enough for order to be reshuffled a hundred times. But to engrain this servile mindset into their bones—well, that takes more than a year or two. The old constraints of science and civilization simply kept it out of sight.”

Chen Mo bit his lip, speechless. Lin Changtian patted his shoulder and sighed, “This is the northern territory of the Xie clan, isn’t it? Let’s first learn their stance toward the Lin clan.”

“Why do you not kneel before me, swine? How dare you ignore the rituals!” As they spoke, a young noble passed by, his face flushed with rage. He pointed at Chen Mo and Lin Changtian, hand on his weapon, his manner as if confronting mere animals.

Lin Changtian and Chen Mo exchanged a stunned glance.

“Did you provoke this one?” Lin Changtian asked, eyeing Chen Mo suspiciously. Chen Mo waved him off, indicating he had nothing to do with it.

Relieved, Lin Changtian turned to the youth and said, “Brother, you’ve got the wrong guys if you’re looking for trouble. We haven’t offended you.”

At these words, the young man seemed mortally insulted, leaping into a fury. He drew his gun on them and spat, “How dare you lowlifes insult me!”