Volume One: The Wild Child Chapter 49: Days After Leaving Old Man Liu the Clever

“What! Preparing to welcome the Northern Territory out of seclusion? Are you out of your—” Lin Changtian was utterly dumbfounded, unable to believe that Liu Qingshan could utter such earth-shattering words. He quickly covered his mouth, as though fearing eavesdroppers lurked beyond the walls.

“That’s right,” Liu Qingshan replied, his face alight with a peculiar radiance, his tone resolute. “If those from the Northern Territory emerge, it would, as always—even now—incite the wrath of the Central Plains’ powers! But there are things you do not know. Of course, telling you now would do more harm than good. Still! Remember this, little Lin: if the Northern people remain content to dwell in that desolate land, it will not only spell their doom, but the Central Plains too will be destroyed by calamities from the heavens!”

Lin Changtian’s tongue seemed tied in knots; for a long moment, he could not utter a word, utterly bewildered.

Liu Qingshan said no more, only sighed and cast a complicated gaze at him. “Heaven and earth divided people into two: man and woman. Yet people are never content, always eager to create all manner of ranks and statuses to feel at ease. But among all the great achievers in the Central Plains, not one dares defy fate—for their minds are consumed with nothing but foul and sordid schemes!”

It was said the Northern border clan, branded with “guilt,” had so offended the immortals above in ages past that they earned this fate.

...

It had been some days since Liu Qingshan’s departure. At first, Lin Changtian had been rather pleased, but the feeling soon faded.

“So, Old Man Liu was our family’s money tree?” Lin Changtian looked at Wei Mou, incredulous.

Wei Mou’s eyes were full of helplessness; though still young, he seemed to understand the hardships of life without money. Glancing at Lin Changtian’s astonished face, he forced a bitter smile. “Brother Lin, haven’t you ever wondered where our expenses come from? It’s all thanks to Elder Liu. He even bought this entire courtyard for us. The gold and silver he left was more than sufficient—until you brought back those prisoners. They eat like beasts, and now the rice jar is nearly empty!”

Scratching his head, Lin Changtian stomped his foot and cursed, “Useless louts! I can’t afford to feed them for nothing!” With that, he grabbed his blade and strode toward the house where Xie Daoyun and the others were held.

He kicked open the door before Zhang Wenshu could spit out a curse. Lin Changtian thrust his blade in front of him and barked, “Were you all born starving? You eat more than livestock! I can’t feed you anymore—clear out! Go wherever you want, but don’t cling to me.”

Hearing he was about to throw them out, Zhang Wenshu’s demeanor changed at once. He lowered himself, a broad smile pasted on his face. After all, life here was quite comfortable—no mistreatment as they’d expected, just a few of Lin Changtian’s grumblings to endure each day. Compared to the scheming within the Lin army, this was easy living.

“Don’t say that! If you abandon us, we have no identification—once we step out, we won’t survive in Ru Prefecture. Show a little mercy! Besides, we’re all strong and skilled—put us to work, we’ll do whatever you ask.”

“Skilled? And what skills do you rough fellows have to earn money? Go on, let’s hear it,” Lin Changtian scoffed.

The men exchanged awkward glances; it seemed that apart from killing, they truly knew nothing. They could only grin foolishly at Lin Changtian.

At this, Xie Daoyun remained unruffled, as if perfectly confident.

“I am skilled at music and chess, blessed with good looks, versed in both civil and military arts, and poetry and song are no challenge for me. In Brahma City, I am called the genius prodigy of the Xie clan—the heartthrob of thousands.”

“Enough!” Lin Changtian cut off Xie Daoyun’s string of self-praise with a wave of his blade. “When’s the last time you looked in a mirror?”

Xie Daoyun shook his head, puzzled but obedient. “Our army isn’t like others—we’re always on the move, rushing about, covered in dust. There’s no time for such things.”

“Wait here.” With that, Lin Changtian dashed out and soon returned with a large mirror from Yi Xiao’s room. He gestured toward Xie Daoyun. “Go on, heartthrob—see for yourself how you’re enchanting the masses.”

Xie Daoyun snorted, convinced Lin Changtian was simply jealous of his looks. He brushed his face confidently and gazed into the mirror. Then...

“Ugh! Years of war have turned this handsome youth into a wreck!” Xie Daoyun stared at his reflection, face fallen in despair.

But his comrades were too busy examining their own faces in the mirror to offer sympathy.

“Hey, my skin feels so much softer these days.” “Honestly, Ru Prefecture has good water and soil—my complexion is so much fairer now.” “Can you talk properly? Stop making it weird.” Their noisy debate left Xie Daoyun to wallow in silent misery.

“Enough!” Lin Changtian bellowed, sweeping his gaze over the group with feigned ferocity. “If all you’re good for is eating, breaking, and robbing, what use have I for you? Pack your things and get out—now!”

Suddenly, Zhang Wenshu leaped up, eyes alight with inspiration. “We could become mercenaries! It pays well, quick money. A few jobs and we could all afford mechs, get Xie a set of martial gear—we’d grow strong and famous, achieve glory again!”

Xie Daoyun considered it, then slapped his thigh, turning eagerly to Lin Changtian. “Little brother, it sounds crazy, but being a mercenary is a traditional profession in Wenyuan Divine Continent. With our backgrounds, we’re perfectly suited.”

Lin Changtian stroked his chin in thought, hesitating. “Stay here, all of you. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” Before his words had finished, he was already dashing toward Wei Mou’s room.

“Of course it’s feasible! The mercenary profession has existed in Wenyuan Divine Continent for thousands of years—it’s practically a tradition!” Wei Mou exclaimed, delighted after hearing Lin Changtian’s explanation.

“How does one become a mercenary?” Lin Changtian asked, urgency in his voice—after all, it had been some time since he’d tasted meat.

“That’s easy—just go register at the mercenary hall. They’re desperate for manpower now; the requirements couldn’t be lower. Once you’re registered, you can take commissions from the hall’s assignment board.” But before Wei Mou could finish, Lin Changtian had already rushed out, the rough men in tow.

...

As dusk fell, Ru Prefecture’s lights were brighter than before. The disaster-stricken areas had all been included in repair projects; time heals all wounds, even those left by war—it’s only a matter of duration.

“What have you all been up to?” Chen Yixiao gazed in confusion at the group wolfing down their food. They’d only been gone a single afternoon—how had they ended up like this?

“Oh,” Lin Changtian replied, swallowing a few mouthfuls before continuing, “we became rectangular solid directional movement engineers—it’s a popular job in Ru Prefecture right now, good pay too.”

Chen Yixiao nodded, smiling sweetly. “Brother Changtian, you’re amazing. That sounds like a respectable job.”

Zhang Wenshu nearly choked on his food. After coughing for ages, he muttered resentfully, “It’s just hauling bricks, no need to dress it up. We went to be mercenaries, but our first commission was this. You wouldn’t believe it—it’s in high demand!”

Wei Mou looked on with curiosity. “There weren’t any other jobs? I remember there used to be lots of things—hunting in the mountains, exterminating monsters in the water. You didn’t get any of those?”

If Wei Mou hadn’t asked, it might have been fine—but his words sparked Lin Changtian’s anger. He glared at Xie Daoyun, who wore a bitter smile, as though about to tear him apart.

“You can’t blame me for that,” Xie Daoyun said earnestly. “It’s not just me—the whole Lin clan command has this ‘problem.’ Who in the world doesn’t know the Lin Army is plagued by ‘firepower insufficiency phobia’? Artillery is the cheapest thing now—go ask in Brahma City. Which family doesn’t fire off a few big guns to celebrate festivals? Besides, with so many rivers and mountains outside Ru Prefecture, what if there’s an ambush? What if we get lost retreating? So, I flattened everything, just to be safe. Is that my fault? Hey, Lin Changtian, put down your knife. Zhang Wenshu, why are you gripping your fork so tightly? Are you planning mutiny?”

“Enough,” Lin Changtian waved his hand, exhausted. “Usually, you seem so steady for your age—I thought you were more mature than most. Who would have guessed you’re such a chatterbox? We’re all tired. Rest now—tomorrow we’ll get up early. I refuse to believe we can’t land a big commission!”

The night passed in silence. At first light, Lin Changtian and his group hurried to the mercenary hall, intent on snatching a lucrative assignment for a good stretch of days.

But they were not alone in this ambition. Another group was already at the entrance, eyeing them with open hostility.

Their hairstyles, however, were too comical to take seriously—each bore wild, colorful long hair, adorned with bizarre ornaments. They struck poses and flicked their bangs with a flourish, utterly lacking in menace.

Zhang Wenshu, being the rough sort, couldn’t help but burst out laughing right in their faces.

His laughter ignited the fury of the flamboyant gang. They surged toward Lin Changtian’s group, their leader whipping out a gun and thrusting it under Zhang Wenshu’s nose. “What’s so funny? Come on, tell us—let everyone hear what’s so amusing!”

Zhang Wenshu’s smile vanished at once—a sign of fear in the eyes of the flamboyant ones, but Xie Daoyun and the others quietly readied themselves for a fight.

There was a trace of nostalgia on Zhang Wenshu’s rugged face, as if recalling another time. He muttered to himself, “I’ve fought so many battles—last time someone pointed a gun at me was before the Age of Awakening.”

“What are you mumbling? Speak up! Weren’t you just being cocky?” The flamboyant leader grew even more arrogant, convinced Zhang Wenshu was terrified.

But Zhang Wenshu’s grin returned, feigning fear. “What I said was, you brat, you haven’t even grown all your hair, yet you’ve dyed it so gaudily. What, did you borrow some from your mother?” His comrades burst into raucous laughter, even Xie Daoyun, usually so refined, couldn’t help but smile.

The flamboyant leader’s face turned purple with rage. He pulled the trigger; the next instant, Zhang Wenshu’s smile broadened as, in a flash, the gun was in his hand—and with a single shot, the leader’s rainbow hair was painted blood-red.

...