Chapter 59

Chapter 59: New Home

The sky was pitch black, yet there were barely any streetlights outside. Only the occasional flicker of eyes in the darkness from the creatures reminded one of the presence of life.

Ji Huan caught a whiff of putrid smell.

With the help of the car's headlights, he noticed numerous piles of garbage lining the road, each resembling small mountains. Several creatures were scavenging through them. Upon noticing the approaching vehicle, those creatures swiftly vanished into the shadows.

Instantly, Ji Huan felt a sensation of being watched from all directions.

"Phewecvth!" The driver in front cursed.

Due to the abundance of debris, their vehicle finally came to a halt.

While Ji Huan was surveying the road conditions outside, suddenly—

With a resounding clang, an ethereal figure collided against the window glass beside him. The force was so immense that the glass shattered on impact. Everything happened too swiftly for Ji Huan to react. In the next moment, a golden figure flashed past— it was the blond, muscular man who had been sitting in the driver's seat, now suddenly teleported near the window!

With a broad palm slapping down fiercely, Ji Huan heard a loud smack. The ethereal figure that had attacked him was sent crashing to the ground!

"Phew!" Without sparing a glance at the fallen demon, the blond man angrily cursed and then pulled out... a roll of transparent tape?

He roughly taped up the broken glass with the tape.

Peering over the man's shoulder, Ji Huan looked at the demon on the ground that he had knocked down. It was a small creature, similar in size to a human child of three or four, draped in a tattered gray cloak. Motionless and sprawled on the roadside trash, it appeared severely injured or even dead. Just as Ji Huan assumed the worst, the demon suddenly leaped up, spitting out blood. Swiftly, it picked something up from the ground and then vanished from sight.

Looking down at Hei Dan, Ji Huan noticed that the candy the little one had been clutching was gone.

That demon had attacked them just to snatch a single candy?

Ji Huan was taken aback.

Realizing his "toy" was missing, Hei Dan's white-ringed eyes started searching around. Ji Huan promptly placed another sweet in the little creature's palm.

"Phew!!!" The blond man grumbled a few more curses outside. Perhaps due to the intimidation from the slap, no further lurking shadows appeared after that.

Maybe they hadn't vanished entirely, but at least Ji Huan wasn't assaulted again.

Promptly reminding Grandpa to hold onto the seat in front, Ji Huan secured Hei Dan back into the baby carrier on his chest. He had previously undone it for Hei Dan's comfort.

Just as Ji Huan finished these tasks, the blond man suddenly walked to the rear of the vehicle and called out abruptly.

"Ajin interpreted, "He said to fasten your seat belt."

Before Ji Huan could react, the car suddenly lifted off the ground.

It was the sudden elevation of his field of vision that alerted him to this strange occurrence. Looking down in surprise, he could no longer see the blond man, but what was happening now...

The car was being lifted by the blond driver – an implausible notion, but the most fitting description Ji Huan could conjure for the current situation.

Panicked, he quickly found an oily seat belt nearby and secured himself with it.

In the next moment, Ji Huan felt his buttocks slightly lift from the seat—

The surroundings rushed away from his sight, and in terror, he realized he was flying!

No! Not him alone, but the entire car was flying!

The blond man had actually thrown the small van they were in—

"Grandpa, buckle up..." Ji Huan's voice was dry, barely managing to get out these words.

With both hands gripping the seat in front of him tightly, Ji Huan waited stiffly for the moment they would hit the ground.

However, before the pickup truck could touch down, he soon felt a tremendous force pushing from the rear of the vehicle as they were still in freefall.

The driver must have given the car another push, he supposed.

For the following moments, the vehicle they were in soared through the night sky, seemingly traveling on air from a distance!

Each time the propulsion was about to fade, the invisible driver would apply more force from behind. The car flew at an astonishing speed, even faster than when the driver had been driving it earlier. After several repetitions, when the car started to plummet downwards again, Ji Huan didn't feel the push from behind. Right before impact, the descent suddenly ceased.

It was as if someone had firmly caught them mid-air. In the next second, Ji Huan felt himself and the car being tossed back onto solid ground.

The blond driver then materialized from thin air, walked over to the driver's side door, opened it, and restarted the car.

Squinting to adjust to the new surroundings, when Ji Huan looked out the window again, he realized that there was a road ahead.

Glancing back, he saw the uneven garbage mountains and realized that the obstacle which had blocked their way before was now left far behind.

No wonder the other taxi drivers refused to come earlier – Ji Huan suddenly understood the probable reason at this moment.

Compared to the stench-filled garbage mountain they had just left, their current location seemed much more normal, with at least some streetlights, even if most of them were out. Nevertheless, Ji Huan could vaguely make out the surroundings.

The houses along the way were all very low and dilapidated, looking quite primitive. There was not a single pedestrian on the streets. As the car drove past these dwellings, Ji Huan sensed that he was being watched.

Colorful advertisements were plastered everywhere, but Ji Huan couldn't recognize a single word on them. The car moved too quickly, so before he could make out anything, they had already left that area.

They passed through several more districts, each with an entirely distinct vibe. They even drove through a bustling region that resembled a lively metropolis in the human world, filled with neon lights, laughter, and joy – the liveliest place Ji Huan had seen all day!

However, they merely drove through it. The blond driver showed no intention of stopping there, swiftly turning into another alley to head for another district.

"7δunwξ?" Just as Ji Huan was intently observing his surroundings, the driver's voice suddenly came from up front.

"ξДcΥtΣыmьiАП." Ajin responded.

Ji Huan assumed the driver was confirming the house number with Ajin.

This made him slightly nervous: If his guess was correct, their destination was finally approaching.

Ajin assured them that the place where they would settle was approaching.

Having observed the conditions of several districts they just passed, Ji Huan grew particularly uneasy about their future living situation.

What would Ajin's house be like? Would it resemble the exquisite oriental courtyard they once saw in Badu Town?

But that seemed unlikely here.

Then... could it be one of those dilapidated little houses they just encountered? Ji Huan didn't mind living in simplicity, but the area seemed to have poor security...

Or perhaps it would be an apartment in a bustling neighborhood, like the ones they just passed?

With trepidation, Ji Huan realized the car they were in had entered a dimly lit alleyway, surrounded by houses that were peculiar in design but neither luxurious nor shabby. Compared to the dwellings they'd seen along the way, these appeared unusually normal.

Ji Huan noticed a metal plaque hanging on a wall, with three aged, cursive letters "ымь" inscribed on it.

Ye Falar Street - if Ji Huan had known more characters, he would have recognized the meaning behind these three letters.

The small street now before him was narrow and not new, with semi-modern buildings surrounding it, appearing unremarkable at first glance. Yet, this seemingly harmless and tranquil thoroughfare was, in fact, one of the ten most renowned streets in the world.

One of the World's Ten Most Famous Streets, ranked third: Ye Falar Street.

Before it stood the Ulobor Avenue and Little Forest Street. The former was renowned for its breathtaking mountain-sea vistas, where one could witness all five seasons within a single stroll. The latter was believed to be the site of the Dark Lord's demise, its pavement still stained with the blood of the most potent monster, now a sacred pilgrimage for those seeking power.

Yet, Ye Falar Street had nothing.

No scenic views, no historical sites – only the world's greatest "malevolence" resided here. In this humble street located in the most desolate region of the world, the most heinous criminals were born over centuries. With no resources, they themselves became the sole "commodity," selling their "labor" to the entire world.

It was rumored that should Ye Falar Street ever meet its end in an explosion, the individual responsible would receive a third of the cumulative bounty on all the world's criminals.

This was the darkest corner of the world.

And now, Ji Huan stood right there on that very street. After settling the final payment, the blond driver sped off, leaving behind a note. On the quiet street, only Ji Huan and his companions remained.

"This is where we're going to live?" Stepping out of the car, Ji Huan gaped at the intricately carved black gates before him.

"Yes, from now on, this will be your home." Ajin approached with a smile, drawing a set of keys from his bosom and placing them in Ji Huan's palm. "Open it and take a look."

Fixing his gaze on Ajin, Ji Huan lifted the key in his hand and inserted it into the lock, turning the door handle with a gentle creak.

The door swung open, revealing a small courtyard overgrown with weeds, devoid of anything else – but that was perfect! Ji Huan had already envisioned a spot for a future greenhouse! He even found an ideal location for Big Bai to build its nest!

In the yard stood a two-story cottage.

The exterior was entirely covered in vines, yet upon entering with the key, Ji Huan discovered a perfectly ordinary house inside. The walls and floor were made of wood, exuding a cozy atmosphere.

Ji Huan unceremoniously dropped his luggage onto the wooden floor.

"Um... can I start cleaning?" Turning around, he cautiously sought Ajin's permission.

Ajin nodded gently.

With his consent, Ji Huan sprang into action. He pulled out the most worn-out T-shirt from his bundle and fetched a bucket of murky water from the well in the yard. Thus began his thorough cleaning spree.

His movements were swift, and soon he tidied up the first floor to a reasonable state. He allocated the cleaner bedroom to Ajin while Ji Huan's family of three temporarily resided in the slightly smaller adjacent room. After cooking a pot of rice with their brought provisions, they had a simple dinner. Then, Ji Huan and Grandfather lay down together on the large bed that carried a faint musty odor, with Hei Dan sprawled between them, sneezing softly due to the moldy scent.

In a hushed voice, Ji Huan recounted everything he had witnessed to Grandfather. He spoke of the cars being relentlessly knocked out of the sky by the driver, the various neighborhoods they passed through on their journey, and the two-story house they now occupied. Lastly, he described the purple moon hanging outside their window.

Grandfather dozed off, still somewhat dazed. His injuries had yet to fully heal, and the arduous journey with Ji Huan had exceeded his physical limits. Not long after being helped into bed, Grandfather fell into a deep slumber.

Gently patting Hei Dan's back, Ji Huan gazed at the purple moon outside the window, contemplating their future. His gaze grew more resolute with each passing moment.