Chapter 61: Fierce Wind and Heavy Rain
It was well known that the Chosen Ones of the White Deer Path didn’t have to be quirky or stand out from the crowd, but they were all, without exception, complete egoists. What they hated most was someone nagging or giving unsolicited advice on how to do things. Second to that was the constraint of strict rules and regulations.
But just as the Chosen Ones of the Origin Path sometimes needed to bend the rules or allow for flexibility, humans, complicated as they were, could never be as pure as the ideal of Supreme Benevolence.
Therefore, even the Chosen Ones of the White Deer Path could exist within an organization, a place known as the Wasteland Assembly. It was a bizarre, hybrid organization that combined trade unions, craft inheritance, dispute arbitration, labor dispatch, project collaboration, and more.
Its structure was a tangled mess, spanning across the modern world. Its influence was deeply entrenched, and its business operations were extensive, but all were technically illegal. From small-scale smuggling to outright murder and arson, they had a hand in everything, covering every shadowy corner of society.
In such a vast network, disputes and conflicts were inevitable. Internal strife could escalate to outright hostility, and it was not uncommon for factions to be at odds with one another. That was when twelve leaders, elected by the organization’s key branches, would step in to sort out entanglements and resolve disputes, maintaining the most basic cohesion of Wasteland Assembly.
The An family was part of this organization, an indispensable part, in fact. Like other divisions that indulged in murder, arson, smuggling, and plunder, the An family had a simple way of surviving.
In short, if anyone within the Wasteland Assembly had even the slightest objection to the leaders’ rulings, the An family would knock on their door. Their job was to ensure that the person and their entire family understood the leaders’ good intentions and careful planning, leaving them with no further objections ever again.
If the White Deer Path was the survival method of hunters in the wild, then the An family were the hunters of poachers, a key mechanism ensuring that this wilderness remained chaotic yet prosperous.
“Actually, we’re not the only ones who do that kind of work. Besides, that’s the work of my uncles. I’m still young and useless. I broke my leg and was kicked out for arguing with my sister. If it weren’t for Ms. Wen picking me up, I’d probably be taking jobs for Wasteland Assembly to survive.”
As he spoke, the boy nervously tugged at Ji Jue’s sleeve, as if afraid he would abandon him. “Don’t worry, Mr. Ji, I’m a good guy! Ms. Wen said I should listen to you, so please don’t leave me behind!”
Boss, don’t do this, boss! You’re already amazing, many so-called bosses aren’t even half as capable as you.
Ji Jue hadn’t expected An Ran to value him so much. He felt a mix of pride and astonishment.
And...
He finally asked the question that had been buried in his heart for a long time. “Why do you call me Mr. Ji?”
“Because you’re older than me,” An Ran answered matter-of-factly.
“Uh... no need to be so respectful, right?” He scratched his head. “You can just call me Jue. Mr. Ji feels... off somehow.”
“Because you’re awesome, Mr. Ji Jue!” An Ran replied solemnly, his eyes shining with admiration and longing.
Then, holding up his notebook, he flipped to the first page. The exquisite handwriting inscribed shocking words, and he recited each one carefully, as if reverently repeating Ji Jue’s darkest past, the part he most wanted to erase.
“I didn’t spend my whole life struggling, fighting and competing...”
The instant Ji Jue realized what An Ran was reciting, he instinctively tried to snatch the notebook, tear out the page, and stuff it in his mouth. But little An Ran’s reflexes were too quick, and he hugged the notebook tightly to protect it. Ji Jue panicked, sweating profusely and completely losing his cool.
“Delete it! Delete it! Quick, delete it! That’s not me! It’s really not me! An, listen to me, take the—”
But it was no use, he couldn’t overpower the boy.
Just as Ji Jue lost his mind, someone approached, armed and fully equipped. The leader, a man with a thick beard, politely gestured for Ji Jue to step forward and pointed toward the RV parked ahead. Waiting there were Kong Qingyan and Lou Feng.
Lou Feng watched Ji Jue being pushed forward and couldn’t help a slight grimace. He forced himself to maintain composure, squeezing the words out through his teeth, “We meet again, Mr. Ji.”
Ji Jue was practically bursting with enthusiasm, grabbing the guy’s hand and shaking it vigorously. “Wow, long time no see, Mr. Lou! I still remember how we hit it off just a few days ago. How did we suddenly become so distant?”
How did we become distant? Don’t you know exactly why, you bastard? Lou Feng wanted to ask.
For the first time in his life, Lou Feng felt an overwhelming urge to curse. Ji Jue felt the same way, too.
Looking at Lou Feng now, practically glowing from head to toe, every single item from his shoes and glasses to his underwear giving him a perfect +15 in stats, Ji Jue’s envy almost caused him physical pain.
No wonder he was the scion of a wealthy family. This full set of gear... it was like a sow wearing multiple bras layered over each other!
Just wait, once I master the Dissociation Technique, you’ll be the first one I go after! Ji Jue thought.
Beside them, the ever-cool Kong Qingyan finally caught sight of the emblem on Ji Jue’s chest, that of the Tidesound Workshop, and her pupils constricted slightly. She finally understood who exactly Ji Jue represented by coming here and couldn’t help but sneer. “So Master Ye is also capable of parroting others, mimicking without understanding.”
Ji Jue kept smiling, maintaining the composure taught by his teacher. “Master Kong, what do you mean by that? Before we came, my teacher even said that if it weren’t for your reminder, we might have missed this great opportunity. Even if we don’t take anything at all, we still can’t miss this occasion. I was sent here to help boost your momentum and show off a bit of my skill.”
He paused, then added, “She also asked me to remind you, Master Kong, that lately the wind’s been strong and the rain heavy. After it thunders, remember to bring in your laundry. As for any external matters, you don’t need to worry about them.”
Hearing this, Kong Qingyan widened her eyes in shock.
Crack!
Something shattered—it was the gemstone ring on her finger. The once richly ornate gem, filled with intricate facets and internal brilliance, now had a deep crack running through it. It was an alert from her workshop, signaling an intrusion. And not just any alert, it was the highest level. The central control system was about to go out of control!
“Ye Xian...”
She forced the words through clenched teeth, her expression tense. Forgetting all about Ji Jue, she spun around and rushed into the RV to handle the emergency remotely, trying to contain the situation. Even a moment’s delay could mean losing control of the furnace entirely.
Professor Ye hadn’t done anything herself. At most, she’d sent a package to Master Kong’s workshop. What was inside, or what consequences it could bring, Ji Jue had no idea. All Ye Xian had said was that once the package arrived, no matter how patient Kong Qingyan was, she wouldn’t be able to interfere with the rift.
For a craftsman, their workshop was sometimes even more important than their own life. A workshop passed down through generations was a treasure crafted by countless craftsmen. Every circuit and rune inside had taken decades, even centuries, of painstaking care, infused with carefully nurtured spirit matter. Not to mention the collection of priceless equipment and rare artifacts amassed by the faction over time.
Even a master couldn’t stand by idly if another master tried to invade their workshop.
Kong Qingyan was not a reckless rebel like Ye Xian, who would betray the sect on a whim. If anything happened to a generationally inherited workshop, even a master like her would become an unredeemable sinner of her faction.
Seeing his teacher leave without looking back, Lou Feng’s expression finally crumbled completely. He gave Ji Jue a cold glare and said, “So Mr. Ji, you came fully prepared, huh? Very well, we’ll see whose skills are superior when the time comes.”
Ji Jue smiled but said nothing.
He had already offended these two, but so what? He wasn’t some doormat who would swallow his anger even when people were bullying him right at his doorstep. Deep down, he had never been able to feel any reverence for so-called noble families or powerful aristocratic clans.
So what if they were so imposing and overbearing? Did the rift belong to the Lou family or something?
After completing the task his teacher had assigned, he stopped talking and turned to push Horsey toward the rift. But only a few steps in, a shocked voice came from ahead.
“It’s open! It’s open! The rift’s passage...”
Before that person could finish their sentence, the light within the rift suddenly surged in brightness, erupting in an instant. Wherever it passed, a violent suction manifested immediately, affecting everything within its reach.
Before anyone could react, Ji Jue had already leapt into the air along with the crowd, being pulled inexorably into the rift.
“Mr. Ji Jue, watch out!” An Ran called out. The boy, though limited in mobility, quickly shot out a rope from his sleeve, wrapping it around Ji Jue and Horsey, and bound them together. In the next second, the raging torrent of light swallowed the entire camp.
After a moment of silence, the light vanished completely, and the rift returned to its original state. It closed once more, retaining its former appearance and no longer responding to anyone’s calls.
Most of the people in the camp still stood frozen in place, staring at each other in confusion. Hadn’t rifts always opened in the form of tunnels before, and stayed open for a long time, like doorways? Why this time did it act like it was possessed, pulling in people violently and then... nothing? It just closed?!
More than half the crowd never even entered, and they were left stranded outside. Chaos erupted among the remaining people, soon giving way to terrified screams.
It was only then that someone noticed the figures that had seemingly fallen into the mud, but those people were already gone. All their blood and spirit matter had vanished without a trace. Only shriveled, emaciated, hunchbacked corpses remained, like leftovers after something had devoured all the nutrients.
An intense, suffocating silence fell.
When someone mustered the courage to lift the corpses, they finally saw the expressions of despair frozen on the faces of the victims who didn’t even understand what had happened before their death; their features were twisted into grotesque shapes. And on each of their foreheads, a mark was etched that made everyone’s skin crawl: it was a cruel single eye with twisted, wing-like appendages—the logo of Dragonrite Society!
Within the Dragonrite Society, only one person would leave victims in such a meticulously horrifying state after completely consuming them. It was a Chosen One of the Heart Core Path who had long ascended to the Rebirth Realm—the Shepherd, Formless!
It wasn’t until two hours later, in the early morning, that Haizhou received a warning from the Tide City Security Bureau. It was an alert that a major member of the terrorist organization Nirvana, bent on overturning international order, known as White Owl, had infiltrated the country five hours ago, and their whereabouts were unknown.
Along with it appeared a wanted poster with a bounty of ninety-one million Fedra. In the middle of the poster, the photograph showed only a bloodstained owl mask, staring coldly at the world with a seemingly unquenchable hunger.
