Apart from the people who actually dealt with Lian Chuan, those who only heard about him from the rumours didn’t really comprehend how dangerous he was.
Li Xiang had deduced it was Lian Chuan from the attack at the exit. If the cleanup squad wanted to disperse them, other Hyenas might have shot the exit, using strong lights or smokescreen to blind them.
However this time, Lian Chuan had only used his shoe.
The ruptured gash in the ground that sent all of the debris flying was created by the stomp of his shoe. It was achievable with the durability of their equipment, but the sheer level of strength and skill it demanded was beyond what an ordinary Hyena could achieve.
After getting back on his feet, Ning Gu glanced at Lian Chuan. If he were to die, it would be in that very moment.
They had to protect Ning Gu. He had to stay safe.
A powerful thrust pushed him from behind—it was Captain’s power. Propelled by its momentum, Li Xiang almost flew out and blocked the front of Ning Gu the moment Lian Chuan fired his weapon. The blue beam of light exploded into a shimmering gold wall just a metre away from him.
“Li Xiang!” Ning Gu ran to his side.
However, as he took his first step, a black shadow darted in from his left, and he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his left arm and stomach. Looking down, he saw a long, black wound. It almost split him in two, and if it wasn’t for him hitting the brakes immediately, he would…
He quickly looked to his right. The caracal had already turned his head, with his front paws lowered as he stared intently at Ning Gu.
It’s Li Xiang.
Lian Chuan inclined his head. Then Captain…
He was a bit surprised when Captain followed the others and rushed out of the exit.
It wasn’t that surprising for Captain and Li Xiang to appear together; they were long-time partners and a well-coordinated team, with one on the offensive and the other on the defensive. But it was beyond unexpected for both of them to come out for Ning Gu’s sake.
Many Travellers don’t fear death, and their attitude towards life is a bit unusual. As long as it’s exciting enough, either living or dying are just different outcomes, both foreseeable but never to be chosen. That’s why a lot of the time, they won’t go all out to save someone—especially in situations like this, with two core members involved…
Lian Chuan didn’t hesitate; he kicked the ground and rushed forward.
Captain hadn’t even steadied himself when he launched the first attack, creating a deep pit in the ground. Even the solid earth quaked from the powerful shockwave of that strike.
But Lian Chuan was no longer there.
By the time Ning Gu could see clearly, Lian Chuan had already appeared in front of Li Xiang, just a step away from a distance for handshakes and polite greetings.
From the very beginning, the protective barrier remained unbreached. As far as Ning Gu understood, the Hyenas’ weapons couldn’t penetrate Li Xiang’s defence. However, Lian Chuan was no ordinary Hyena. He even acted before saying his lines, so he couldn’t be judged by their usual standards.
Ning Gu’s heart was racing—not just from nervousness, but also from a profound realisation of his own uselessness in the Main City.
Suddenly, Lian Chuan leaped up, his body tilting backward, and as he soared, he delivered a kick above Li Xiang. Despite kicking at empty air, sparks flew all around.
It was the boundary of Li Xiang’s protective barrier.
Captain’s second attack soon followed Lian Chuan’s leap, and it was so powerful that it sent visible ripples through the air. However, Lian Chuan evaded it once again. By the time Ning Gu saw him, he was already mid-air, descending so rapidly that no one could react in time.
Li Xiang’s protection could withstand firearms, but it was not enough to stop this man.
Ning Gu didn’t expect that on his first visit to Main City, he would have the opportunity to face the Hyena, the Lian Chuan, in person. And right now, Lian Chuan’s face was just two fists away from him.
Every time Ning Gu saw him before, part of his face was hidden behind the muzzle. Right now, he could see all of it clearly, apart from the eyes.
With the two of them at such close quarters, Captain’s overly broad offensive power could no longer be employed, and Ning Gu had no chance of escaping at this point.
‘If I’m going to die, then so be it—what is there to fear? Who knows, there might be another world after,’ Ning Gu thought to himself.
As he struggled to come up with the last dying words, Lian Chuan’s head tilted slightly, and there was a sudden change in his visor. Their previously black surface gradually faded, then disappeared. Behind the transparent visor, Ning Gu saw Lian Chuan’s eyes.
Lin Fan’s attack struck like an invisible blade, carrying wind as it aimed directly at the back of Lian Chuan’s neck. Li Xiang also turned and lunged in the direction of the caracal, but Lian Chuan had already brushed past Ning Gu and leaped onto the roof of the building across.
Ning Gu fell heavily to the ground.
“Ning Gu!” Hammer scrambled frantically to his side. He didn’t dare to touch his body, only pulling his clothes to check his state.
“There’s no time.” Li Xiang grabbed Ning Gu’s clothing at the chest and hoisted him up, helping Captain carry him on his shoulder.
Although Hammer had been to the Main City several times before, he had never encountered the Hyenas, so he was utterly bewildered about what had just happened.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Due to the disturbance, many Travellers rushed out from the exits and nearby streets, and along with them, quite a few Bats followed. During the Main’s City night curfew, Bats rarely engaged in behaviour this risky. Everyone knew that the exits from the Lost Valley were typically surrounded by the city guards, even during the normal times, not to mention when the Travellers were entering the city.
Captain and Li Xiang, accompanied by the Travellers who followed them, began to run toward the city’s outskirts.
“What have you done!” Lin Fan asked as he looked around and grabbed Hammer.
Lian Chuan disappeared after getting onto the roof, the caracal was also nowhere to be seen; but his vehicle was still here, so he definitely was still nearby.
“We didn’t do anything!” Hammer shouted.
“If you didn’t do anything, why are the Bats chasing you?” Lin Fan raised his voice with a fierce glare.
“It was some lunatic claiming that Ning Gu stole something!” Hammer explained anxiously, “But that’s bullshit! Ning Gu doesn’t steal things; he only robs people!”
“Did that Bat mention what was stolen?” Lin Fan continued.
“He didn’t,” Hammer furrowed his brow, “He just accused Ning Gu of theft…”
Lian Chuan followed the retreating Travellers on the rooftops, heading toward the Black Iron Wasteland with the sounds of team members communicating their coordinates and situation coming through the communicator.
The city guards had already launched a pursuit.
As long as the Travellers didn’t cause significant damage to the Main City, they wouldn’t intervene in stopping them during the large-scale retreat of Travellers to avoid unnecessary casualties. It was the city guard’s responsibility to drive them out and issue warnings to prevent any Travellers from breaking away from the main group and lingering in the Main City.
“The data collection for Traveller Ning Gu is complete.” He heard Lei Yu’s voice through the communicator.
“Copy.” Lian Chuan replied.
Lei Yu then switched to their private channel. “Did you notice anything unusual?”
“No. There were no anomalies even after attempting an attack.”
“So he just lost consciousness?” Lei Yu inquired.
“Yes.” Lian Chuan answered. He kept his gaze fixed on the road below, where Travellers were running with shouts and excited cheers, making it hard to determine if they were frightened or exhilarated. Li Xiang’s strong defence was interfering with the scan results, so he couldn’t pinpoint Captain and Ning Gu’s current location.
“You don’t have to worry about the rest, you and Boss can disband,” Lei Yu said, “I need to deliver his biodata to Internal Defense immediately.”
“Understood.” Lian Chuan gestured to Boss, then glanced down at the sealed flasks affixed on his leg. Inside, there were fragments of skin tissue hacked off Ning Gu’s waist.
The weapon they captured from Ning Gu earlier had been confirmed to be a second-generation interference device. It had become obsolete even before the Travellers were completely expelled from the Main City. However, its actual purpose was to facilitate the self-destruction of a cleanup team member under extreme circumstances.
According to its records, its previous user was Lei Yu’s ex-ex-ex-captain, Qi Hang. The public records of the cleanup team indicate that he disappeared during the battle when the Travellers were entirely driven out from the Main City, and no one knew where he had gone or whether he had survived.
For this weapon to appear again, it confirmed at least two things for the Internal Defence Department: Qi Hang didn’t self-destruct, and Ning Gu was somehow related to Qi Hang.
However, Lian Chuan didn’t care for either of those. He was more concerned with two other things:
Why the higher-ups cared so much about Qi Hang.
And why Ning Gu’s identity was special.
His mission this time was to gather the samples into the flasks, as well as test attacking Ning Gu. It was obvious that this guy already caught the attention of the higher-ups. He couldn’t kill Ning Gu the same way he would kill an ordinary Traveller anymore.
So just now, he had to use a different method.
.o0o.
“Did he wake up?” Captain stood at the end of the carriage. Ning Gu lied on the floor in the corner, with a few people surrounding him.
The train would only come back after the night passed, so they had to keep a watch by Ning Gu’s side the entire time. Fortunately, neither Hyenas nor city guards didn’t leave the city, but Ning Gu didn’t wake up a single time.
“He didn’t.” Hammer replied. Ever since Ning Gu collapsed, his brows hadn’t unfurrowed a single time.
“Did you search his entire body?” Lin Fan asked, sitting on the side.
“Nothing,” Sister Qi sighed, “Even the stuff he brought with him is gone.”
“That pouch of his was probably stolen by the Hyena.” Hammer said.
“Did you look through his shoes?” Lin Fan continued asking.
Li Xiang, who remained quiet all the way until that moment, finally raised his head to look up at him. “Just ask him when he’s awake. It’s not like he’s a little kid, so isn’t searching him like this a bit too much?”
Lin Fan went silent.
“Lock him up after we get back,” Captain said, “He can’t make a single step out of the Ghost City.”
“Where will we lock him?” Li Xiang asked.
“In the clocktower.”
.o0o.
Ning Gu had never experienced pain like this.
The anxiety, the fear, the despair. The excruciating pain that could suddenly come at any time and from any direction. The tremendous patience as he had to bear being unable to move, unable to speak, unable to express any of it.
None of it made any sense. Why has no one ever mentioned that Lian Chuan also had this ability?
He could only hear the blurry voices and perceive the light around. His brain was being stuffed with the figures of people and broken images, but he couldn’t distinguish any of it.
That dog bastard Lian Chuan! He should have reacted the moment there was a change in Lian Chuan’s visor. Just what kind of dogshit trick was this savage mutt pulling off, suddenly showing his eyes off to his rival mid-fight?
Oh, he couldn’t really be called Lian Chuan’s rival, and he also didn’t actually fight with the said savage mutt… He was just one-sidedly taking the beating. On his waist.
Lian Chuan didn’t use any weapon to make a gash there, only his hand. When he passed by Ning Gu, there wasn’t even any expression on his face as he cut through the armour he wore underneath his coat—one he spent three glass vases on to get it from Land King. And this armour also previously got clawed open by his cat!
…No, the wound wasn’t the main point.
…What was the main point?
.o0o.
The train returned to the Ghost City, and it was as if nothing changed from when they embarked for the Travellers. With the noise brought after the revelry, they weren’t sad for their lost companions, weren’t pained with the wounds they suffered, or tired from the chaos they went through, like a bunch of spinning carousels that would never run out of energy…
Nail welcomed the loud crowd rushing out with all the whistling. He was carefully looking at each of their excited faces.
When he saw Hammer, he jumped to his feet and ran to his side. Then, he noticed Captain walking behind him, as well as the person he was carrying on his shoulder. He couldn’t see his face, but Nail recognised that pair of shoes. Ning Gu kept the feather he found hidden inside those shoes.
“Ning Gu?” Nail’s lips were trembling, “Ning Gu?”
“Let’s go.” Hammer came over and dragged him away.
“Is that Ning Gu?” Nail struggled in his hold, “That’s Ning Gu?”
“Yes…” Hammer whispered.
Nail howled, without waiting for him to finish, “Ning Gu! Ning Gu!”
Hammer blocked his mouth and pulled him back, “He’s fine! Continue making noise and Captain will lock all three of us up!”
“Lock up?” Nail had barely felt a bit of relief before his hair stood on ends when he heard the second part, “Where?”
“The clocktower.” Hammer replied.
“…As if I’m afraid!” Nail scoffed, “If he locks us up together, then so be it…”
“Do you have no brain?” Hammer covered his mouth tighter, scolding him in a hushed voice, “How will he get out if we get locked with him!”
Nail momentarily went quiet.
The clocktower was situated in the middle of the Shelter No.3—the biggest shelter the Travellers had built. This round tower made from welded metal was the tallest building in the Ghost City—its metal supports reaching deep underground allowed it to stay safe from getting swept by the Ghost City’s wind for a hundred years now.
Aside from a single clock on top of it, there was no other installation in the clocktower. Even the clock itself was just for decoration—it didn’t show time, didn’t even have hands to measure it, only a clock face. But not to mention the Ghost City, even the Main City folks didn’t pay attention to things like time.
Everyone knew what a second, two, three seconds were, knew what a minute or a few meant, or an hour, a couple hours. Beyond that, there were also tens and hundreds of years, but nobody ever knew what time it was at the moment. For them, time was just a period of change that allowed them to see the beginning and the end.
Or the lack of it.
The clocktower was made by the first group of Travellers to immortalise the day they left the Main City. From that day on, they lost their days and their nights.
“Okay,” Li Xiang inspected the bandages on Ning Gu’s waist, “Old Eight had taken care of it, so he should be fine after some sleep.”
Ning Gu sat by the window with his head low, listening to the wind whistling outside. It was the highest point in the clocktower, a room smaller even than his little hut. With just some bedding laid out on the floor, it was almost completely occupied.
“Your version is about the same as Hammer’s. He said that he didn’t see you steal anything, and you’re telling me that you just took some ball before putting it back,” Captain said, “I don’t know if you coordinated the story so well or if it’s true, but I intend to believe you two.”
“Thank you, uncle.” Ning Gu said.
“Now, we need to make sure of one thing,” Captain’s voice turned harsh, “You’re not allowed to go to the Main City without permission anymore. I’ll have someone watch you, and if I ever discover you’re sneaking out, you’ll no longer have the right to leave the shelter’s territory.”
Ning Gu looked up at him, but didn’t say anything.
“Answer me.” Captain pressed.
Ning Gu kept looking at him, “I can go if you give me a permission, right?”
“…Yes.” Captain nodded.
“Will you though?” Ning Gu asked.
Li Xiang turned his head, looking outside the window. Captain remained silent.
“Lock me up first.” Ning Gu’s voice was heavy.
After Captain and Li Xiang left, Ning Gu spent a long while sitting on the floor and spacing out before he finally laid down. The wound on his waist didn’t hurt. It was just as Captain had said—it would definitely get better with some sleep.
But right now, he didn’t dare to fall asleep. The moment he closed his eyes, he would still see those jumbled images from before; children, adults, and monsters of unclear form and shapes. There were voices, some blaming, some ordering, as well as the monstrous cries that formed no coherent words. It was as if he spectated it all from the side, yet was still able to feel it with all of his senses, and the pain felt more vivid than any of the beatings he experienced in the Ghost City.
He didn’t know what was happening. Why would crossing eyes with Lian Chuan at that time have such a strong effect on him?
That’s right—it wasn’t the wound that caused him to collapse that time, he could still continue fighting in a much worse state. The real reason why he buckled down before Lian Chuan even reached him was because of that glimpse of his eyes.
This trip to the Main City was such a mess. It was like he suddenly drowned in thousands of question marks all around him.
Poet, the whisper in his ear, that little ball… But what he couldn’t get the most now was that glimpse of Lian Chuan’s eyes. If that was his ability, the Main City wouldn’t let him stay, they definitely kept a close eye on a damn dog amongst all the dogs like him; no anomaly would be tolerated.
It was even more impossible to use it so openly—they should know why the Travellers were being exterminated in the past, it was them starting the slaughter.
So it wasn’t Lian Chuan’s ability?
…Was it this handsome Ning Gu’s ability?
He laughed uncontrollably at the thought, causing his wound to hurt a bit.
Impossible. He was the local bully of the Ghost City—it was still fine when he didn’t have an ability, but when he finally got it, it turned out to be self-sabotage? The moment it activated in a confrontation, he just collapsed on the ground…It would probably be the first delinquent reformation-type ability since the inception of the Ghost City.
.o0o.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Nail blocked the door, glaring at Crazy Uncle, “Ning Gu comes to you here all the time, you can’t be an actual lunatic. But now that he got locked up, you won’t even think of a way to help him?”
“It’s a good thing he’s locked up.” Crazy Uncle said.
“What are you babbling about!” Nail got agitated and pointed finger at him, “Ning Gu helped you find so many good things! All those years, when others didn’t even want to approach you, Ning Gu would always come to you to chat, help you fix the hut! He even brought you food!”
“It’s a good thing he’s locked up.” Crazy Uncle repeated again.
“Try saying this one more time!” Nail roared.
“He shouldn’t have gone.” Crazy Uncle raised his hand, and before Nail could realise what happened, he had already stumbled into the wind outside.
.o0o.
When Ning Gu sprung up from the ground, the sharp pain was still present throughout his body. It took him a while of leaning against the wall, breathing heavily before he finally calmed down.
Turns out he really couldn’t have that sleep. Before this thing passed, sleeping would only be a self-mutilation. But this time, it wasn’t a complete blur anymore. He saw a shattered metal surface, and on it, he caught a glance of Lian Chuan’s face.
He looked a lot younger, but Ning Gu was still able to recognise him instantly. Despite the pain so bad it made his body shake, his eyes weren’t any different from the present Lian Chuan—firm and cold.
Ning Gu slowly sat back onto the floor. He finally understood.
Everything he saw, everything he felt, were all Lian Chuan’s memories.
Omg!!!! This is getting crazy!
Thanks for the chap!❤️❤️❤️