Chapter 181: Do You Mind That I’m a Wanderer?

Chapter 181: Do You Mind That I'm a Wanderer?

Such a massive gathering naturally caught the attention of the Surveillance Academy.

When He Zhu reported the news, the Chancellor sprang up from his chair, his face unable to hide his surprise. "What did you say?! Lu Yan is recruiting a team in Devil City?!"

He quickly walked over to the monitors, only to see Cloud Road surrounded by layers upon layers of people. Among them were even many wearing the uniforms of the Patrol Troops. No one knew what they had said, but they all clenched their fists and shouted in unison, their originally dispirited morale coalescing into a single rope, just like a pile of dying embers being rekindled, shooting up flames several meters high.

He Zhu walked behind the Chancellor, hesitating before speaking. "Chancellor, more and more people are joining Lu Yan now. Today, I saw dozens of resignation letters on the system's backend. Those ability users and patrol soldiers would rather leave Sky City than stay here. Should we..."

He subconsciously wanted to make a throat-slitting gesture, but then suddenly remembered that few people in Sky City could beat Lu Yan. He awkwardly hid his hand behind his back.

The Chancellor frowned as he stared at the surveillance footage, lost in thought. After a moment, he said solemnly, "Xing Yuan has a deep relationship with him. Don't stir up trouble when it matters most. Do you think it's easy to maintain such a large team? He has no weapons or experience. It won't be long before he collapses."

After saying this, he sighed again, muttering to himself, "It would be good if he could pull the team together. At least a few more people would survive."

In this world overrun by monsters, no one knew when it would end. Outside, the night was silent, a blood-red moon hidden behind the clouds. Due to the rain, everything was damp. When people hugged their arms tightly, they suddenly realized that they hadn't seen the sun for a long time.

Lu Yan had initially planned to recruit only twenty team members, but he didn't expect so many people to show up. He asked Chen Yan and others to help maintain order and count the numbers. They would gather promptly at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. It wasn't until midnight that he finally returned home with Lu Xiaozhao.

Xing Yuan had sent a barrage of messages today, insisting that Lu Yan must return home early tonight. Lu Yan was worried that the other party would be angry, but when he entered the house to change his shoes, he found it eerily quiet.

Lu Xiaozhao spoke softly. "Brother, he might have fallen asleep."

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say wanderers are most alert at night?"

Lu Xiaozhao was so tired that he couldn't keep his eyes open. "Who said that? I'm extremely sleepy right now. I can fall asleep immediately. I'm going back to my room first. I still have to get up at seven tomorrow morning."

After saying this, he yawned loudly and went straight to the guest room to rest. Lu Yan, worried about waking Xing Yuan, took a shower in the bathroom outside before quietly slipping into bed in the dark.

Xing Yuan curled up in the corner. Sensing the movement behind him, he turned around and saw that it was indeed Lu Yan. His tone was somewhat unhappy. "Why are you only coming back now?"

Lu Yan reached out to pull him into his arms, habitually stroking his hair. "There were a lot of people who signed up today. I accidentally stayed late. Next time, don't wait for me. Go to sleep earlier."

The scent of the person in his arms was slightly fishy, like the smell of rusted steel or rotting flesh. Lu Yan wasn't sure if it was because of the red moon causing changes in Xing Yuan's body, but he felt a bit strange about it. However, he didn't ask aloud.

Unexpectedly, Xing Yuan was in a good mood. He took the initiative to hug Lu Yan in the blankets, his icy lips slowly moving up his neck. His teeth were sharp like a shark's, and his scarlet tongue was unbelievably long. "It doesn't matter. Waiting for you is natural. After all, I... love~ you~..."

The corners of his mouth curved wider and wider, splitting into an incredible arc in the darkness. With a fierce look in his eyes, he suddenly bit down hard on Lu Yan's neck. But before he could react, a cold, strong hand swiftly clamped around his throat. Blue-violet lightning shot out, shattering the entire bed into pieces—

"Boom!!"

Xing Yuan screamed in pain, not expecting Lu Yan, who seemed completely defenseless, to suddenly attack. He immediately transformed into a large mass of black mist and hurriedly tried to escape through the window. However, Lu Yan's palm released an electric grid that grabbed him back forcefully. He coldly questioned,

"You're not Xing Yuan. Where is he?!"

Xing Yuan didn't have this bloody scent, nor would he ever say such strange words like "I love you." The stench of rust and fishiness from this shadow vaguely reminded Lu Yan of the contaminated area, where countless rotten flesh and rusted steel piled up, and the air was filled with this smell.

The shadow trapped in the electric grid struggled left and right. His voice was identical to Xing Yuan's, deliberately pretending to be affectionate.

"I am Xing Yuan. Can't you recognize me?"

"You know I'm a wanderer, yet you deliberately use your ability on me like this. Lu Yan, are you disgusted with me?"

"I'm in so much pain. Can you please retract your ability?!"

The shadow had the same face and voice as Xing Yuan. He cried out in agony in the electric grid, trying to confuse Lu Yan. It was highly deceptive. However, the latter's expression was cold, showing no change. Instead, he tightened the electric grid even more, asking sternly,

"Are you going to talk or not?!"

The shadow finally stopped shouting, emitting a chuckle filled with sarcasm. "I told you I'm Xing Yuan. Why don't you believe me?"

Lu Yan was anxious inside but didn't show it on his face. Xing Yuan was after all a sixth-stage expert. This shadow couldn't even defeat himself, so he shouldn't be able to harm Xing Yuan. Thinking this way, he relaxed slightly, his tone cold and indifferent.

"You're not him."

The shadow moved in confusion. "But I look exactly like him."

Lu Yan replied, "Looks may be the same, but hearts aren't."

"Hearts?"

Upon hearing this, the shadow laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He laughed so hard that he couldn't catch his breath, his entire body shaking violently. The glowing electric grid undulated slightly in the darkness, like waves:

"Hearts? How could a wanderer have a heart? Even if they do, Xing Yuan's is nothing but a rotten, stinking heart..."

"Shut up!"

A harsh voice suddenly echoed through the air, as if an invisible hand had torn open a passage to another world, and someone fell out of the gap. A dark red mist appeared out of nowhere, revealing Xing Yuan. He pinched seals and changed formations, directly unleashing a dense barrage of lightning. His gaze was murderous, clearly intent on taking the life of that shadow!

"Boom!"

The electric grid formed by Lu Yan shattered in response.

That shadow seemed to have been intentionally feigning weakness to confuse Lu Yan until now. Only now did he reveal his true strength. He deftly dodged Xing Yuan's lightning strike and countered with dozens of ice spears. The temperature in the entire room dropped sharply, instantly coating everything in a layer of frost. Then, he leaped out the window, using the moonlight as cover to flee!

"Halt!"

Lu Yan shattered those ice spears wrapped in strong winds with a backhand strike. He was about to leap onto the windowsill and chase after him when Xing Yuan suddenly grabbed his hand. "Forget it. It's just a wanderer. Don't alarm the patrol troops!"

Hearing this, Lu Yan paused, realizing it made sense. He reluctantly retracted his foot. He held Xing Yuan's shoulders and checked him up and down, finding that he hadn't been injured. His tone softened slightly. "What happened? How did a wanderer suddenly appear in our home?"

Xing Yuan remained silent, his face looking somewhat pale under the moonlight. After a moment, he said solemnly, "He should be a phantasmic wanderer sent by Si Duo. I don't know how he managed to sneak into Sky City. I was careless just now and was accidentally trapped in an illusion."

Hearing the name "Si Duo," Lu Yan furrowed his brows. "Why did he send a wanderer here? To gather information about Sky City?"

"I don't know, maybe it's aimed at..."

As Xing Yuan spoke, he suddenly remembered something, his expression changing. "Not good, Lu Xiaozhao!"

Lu Yan only realized something was amiss upon hearing this. The fight in the room had been so loud, yet Lu Xiaozhao hadn't reacted at all. He hurriedly ran to the guest room with Xing Yuan, only to find it empty, with no trace of Lu Xiaozhao.

Xing Yuan slammed his fist into the wall. "Damn it, he must have been taken by Sido!"

Lu Xiaozhao's disappearance was more troublesome than Xing Yuan's, because he was essentially a useless person with zero combat ability, completely unable to protect himself. Lu Yan forced himself to calm down, utterly perplexed. "Why would Sido take him?"

Xing Yuan, considering the peculiarities of Lu Xiaozhao's condition, closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. A suspicion slowly formed in his mind. After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes:

"He is Sido's reincarnation body!"

Lu Yan was stunned. "What is a reincarnation body?"

Xing Yuan wasn't entirely sure either, hesitating for a second before explaining, "Sido isn't a wanderer; he's a half-human, half-spirit creature. Although he's sealed and can't leave the contaminated area, every hundred years, he has to find a new body to reincarnate into. By my calculations, his current body should be entering its senile phase and thus needs a young body as a sacrifice."

"The wanderers sense when Sido is about to awaken and will go ahead to Devil City to find a suitable human infant to transform into a wanderer. This way, when he awakens, the infant will have grown into an adult. Lu Xiaozhao, clearly a low-level wanderer, can maintain his human form year-round. I suspect he was one of those infants transformed long ago. I can't think of any other reason."

Lu Yan was astonished, never expecting such a hidden layer to the situation. "A sacrifice? Doesn't that put his life in danger?!"

As he said this, he was about to rush out to search for Lu Xiaozhao, but Xing Yuan grabbed his wrist to stop him. "Sido's body is ninety-nine years old, three months short of a century. He can't reincarnate until the deadline. Before then, Lu Xiaozhao won't be in any real danger. Aren't you supposed to be forming a team in Devil City to resist the wanderers? Don't get distracted. I'll look for him."

Without hesitation, Lu Yan refused. "No way! What if your identity is discovered?!"

Xing Yuan interrupted him. "Your identity is more conspicuous than mine. Almost everyone knows you. I'm a wanderer and can revert to my original form, making it easier for me to investigate."

Given how far he'd gone with his explanation, Lu Yan couldn't refuse anymore. With the crisis at hand, the defense team in Devil City needed to be established as soon as possible. Division of labor was the best approach.

Lu Yan could only agree. He cupped Xing Yuan's face, caressing it gently. His skin was icy cold, his eyes slightly elongated, and his pupils, though black, revealed a hint of dark red upon closer inspection – all signs of a wanderer. Unable to resist, he whispered a warning:

"You have to hide well, okay?"

Xing Yuan reached out to embrace Lu Yan, burying his face in the man's neck. As he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, he suddenly caught the scent of that phantasm wanderer on him. His pupils constricted, and he grabbed Lu Yan's collar. "He touched you?!"

Xing Yuan's voice was dark and brooding, filled with the rage of someone whose possession had been violated.

It took a moment for Lu Yan to realize what he was asking. He asked with a half-smile, "What do you mean by 'touch'? Does fighting count?"

Xing Yuan felt like vomiting blood, so angry that he nearly ground his teeth to dust. "You fought with that demon?!"

Ordinary fights wouldn't leave a bloody scent; only intimate skin contact would leave a lingering smell on the body.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan almost burst out laughing. He was already on Xing Yuan's ship; if he were to sleep with another wanderer, where would his standards be? He firmly held Xing Yuan's head close and whispered, "What are you thinking? Am I the kind of person who would eat anything when hungry? He pretended to be you and lay in bed. I didn't react at first, so..."

Before Lu Yan could finish, he saw Xing Yuan's expression turn extremely ugly. Sensing the situation, he stopped talking. "But before I could touch him, I realized something was off and identified him."

Men's mouths were full of lies. Xing Yuan knew Lu Yan was lying the moment he looked at him. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Are you sure?"

Lu Yan didn't break a sweat. "Yes, otherwise why would I have fought with him?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp pain suddenly struck his lips, tasting of blood. Surprised, Lu Yan lifted his eyes to see Xing Yuan fiercely kissing away the blood from the corner of his mouth. In the dim light, his lips were strangely vivid, his emotions indiscernible, yet there was a hint of unease:

"Lu Yan, do you really not mind that I'm a wanderer?"

Lu Yan was taken aback by this question, then smiled, finding it rather silly. "If I did, I wouldn't be with you. Don't ask such silly questions in the future."

With that, he pulled Xing Yuan into his arms, stroking him from head to back as if comforting a small animal. He placed a warm, gentle kiss on the other's cheek. "I like you no matter what you look like."

Xing Yuan didn't choose to become a wanderer from birth. Since gaining consciousness, he had always lived in the contaminated area, later settling in Sky City. Naturally, he knew how much humans hated wanderers. He feared nothing more than being betrayed by the person he trusted most.

Since Lu Yan said he wouldn't, then he wouldn't. Xing Yuan believed him.

"I'll be back."

Xing Yuan gave Lu Yan a light kiss before leaving. His figure dissolved into a crimson-black mist, silently disappearing into the air to track the wanderer that had left earlier.

Although Sky City had patrol teams, ordinary people found it hard to detect the swift movements of high-level wanderers. Xing Yuan followed the lingering scent in the air, eventually stopping near a pile of ruins in Devil City. The black-red mist shot towards the ground, instantly coalescing into human form, exuding a chilling aura.

Xing Yuan was now unmasked, his pupils having turned a cold, cruel crimson. His right hand hung by his side, gathering a bolt of lightning in his palm. His low, indifferent voice echoed through the ruined building, mixed with the howling wind:

"Come out!"

A black mist appeared from around the corner behind the ruins. It twisted and writhed into shape, resembling a strange black snake, before transforming into a man identical to Xing Yuan, wearing a sinister smile.

"Number One, long time no see."

Despite looking exactly like Xing Yuan, his demeanor was completely different. If Xing Yuan was the fierce and proud wind of the snow mountain, then he was a poisonous poppy growing in the swamp, more seductive.

Xing Yuan spoke softly, momentarily dazed. "Number Two, who sent you here?!"

The other seemed dissatisfied, drifting behind him like a gust of wind. "I don't like being called Number Two. Xing Yuan, you've got a human name now, so I want one too."

Xing Yuan frowned. "Then what's your human name?"

Number Two: "Still deciding, haven't figured it out yet."

Xing Yuan: "…"

Gripping his fists, Xing Yuan exhaled slowly. "Hand over that human."

Number Two innocently shrugged. "Can't do that. He's in my illusion. Unless I open the entrance, none of you will find him."

Xing Yuan's gaze sharpened, lightning flickering in his palm. "Do you want me to obliterate you?!"

Number Two, however, burst out laughing. "Interesting, truly interesting. You're a wanderer, yet you're willing to kill your own kind for a human. Xing Yuan, their brainwashing is more potent than Sido's control techniques!"

For some reason, Xing Yuan didn't like this term, frowning. "I haven't been brainwashed by them."

"That human is his younger brother."

That was all.

Number Two knew who Xing Yuan was referring to with "him" and said with interest, "He is indeed very capable, recognizing me at first sight, even though I look exactly like you."

Xing Yuan: "Stop changing the subject. Today, either you hand him over, or I'll tear apart your illusion. Choose one of the two paths!"

Number Two snorted coldly and swiftly flew away. "If you want to tear apart my illusion, we'll see if you have the ability! Taking him back was Sido's order. I'd be dead if I returned empty-handed. Xing Yuan, you've been clouded by human lies. I don't believe you dare to kill me!"

They looked identical, and if there wasn't some deep connection between them, no one would believe it. Sido had sought out a rotten heart brimming with hatred in order to refine the most powerful vengeful spirit. From the boundless darkness, he forged Xing Yuan, but somehow, an additional nightmare formed from condensed memories emerged, giving birth to Number Two, the wandering illusionist.

They were symbiotic beings, mutually dependent yet counterbalancing each other. If one died, the other would inevitably be affected.

"I'll show you that I can kill!"

Xing Yuan could never be threatened. He had a bone-deep determination to fight to the bitter end. Upon hearing this, his wrist flipped, conjuring a large expanse of lightning that he directed at Number Two. The latter was clearly not Xing Yuan's match in direct combat. While deftly dodging, he launched ice blades in retaliation, but after several rounds, he was ultimately trapped in mid-air by Xing Yuan's lightning.

Number Two struggled left and right, his eyes turning red with anger. "Xing Yuan, you're actually going to kill me!"

Xing Yuan glared at him coldly. "I'll say it one last time. Hand him over!"

Number Two paused. "I can hand him over, but you should prepare yourself mentally. He might die."

Xing Yuan's expression changed slightly. "What do you mean?!"

Number Two explained, "He's a reincarnation body, harboring a trace of Sido's violent divine consciousness within him. It's almost uncontrollable. If he doesn't return to the contaminated area for Sido to extract it soon, he'll soon perish from his body exploding. Otherwise, Sido wouldn't be so eager to have me bring this body back."

After saying this, he asked with no lack of malice, "So, do you want this human? If you do, I'll give him to you. After all, he's just a corpse anyway."

Xing Yuan had been away from the contaminated area for too long and didn't know about these circumstances behind the scenes. Hearing this, he raised his eyes slightly, his gaze as sharp as a needle. "Is there no other way?"

Number Two smiled maliciously. "No, only Sido can extract that sliver of divine consciousness. If you don't want him to die, you'd better let me go now. Perhaps I might even kindly save his life."

"…"

After a lengthy silence, Xing Yuan lifted his hand and withdrew the electric grid.

He and Number Two were symbiotic beings. Whether the other was lying, Xing Yuan naturally sensed. And his sixth sense told him that Number Two was telling the truth.

Lu Qian paced back and forth in the living room at home, walking from evening until five o'clock in the early morning. Finally, he waited for Xing Yuan to return. The latter's figure was like a gust of black mist, using the cover of the clouds to fly in through the window and magically transform into human form.

Upon seeing this, Lu Qian immediately stepped forward and asked, "How did it go? Are you injured?"

Xing Yuan frowned and shook his head, briefly recounting to Lu Qian what happened when he encountered Number Two. In the end, he said, "Lu XiaoZhao can only be taken away by him for now. Otherwise, we have no way to deal with that sliver of divine consciousness. Sido will hold the reincarnation ceremony in three months. Number Two promised me that he would temporarily protect Lu XiaoZhao in the contaminated area. There shouldn't be any problems."

Lu Qian thought to himself that it was no wonder Lu XiaoZhao wasn't very bright; it turned out he harbored a sliver of Sido's divine consciousness. Hesitantly, he asked, "Do you think that Number Two is reliable?"

Xing Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Probably. Anyway, the reincarnation body must be alive when killed and used. Even without his protection, Sido wouldn't kill Lu XiaoZhao. We just need to rescue him before the reincarnation ceremony."

Speaking of which, it was necessary to mention the team Lu Qian had just assembled. Yesterday, when the number of guards exceeded twenty, the system finally popped up a notification:

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the side mission. Currently, the number of recruited members has exceeded twenty. Reward: 100 merit points!"

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering the second side mission of Hope City: Please maximize the potential of the team members to help them gain abilities. If necessary, effective items can be exchanged from the system store. A reward of one hundred points will be given for each ability user discovered, which can be stacked and accumulated without limit."

Lu Qian hadn't yet caught his breath from the realization that he wouldn't have to reincarnate as an animal in his next life when he was quickly stumped by the system's second task. What did it mean to "maximize the potential" of team members? What did it mean to "help them gain abilities"?

Aren't abilities something people are born with? Could they be artificially cultivated?

In the system store, Lu Qian found the potential stimulator he had been eyeing last time. He discovered that the originally gray, un-purchasable page had now become a bright unlocked state. It was just a bit expensive, costing three thousand points to exchange for one.

According to the detailed explanation below, once this small button was pressed, it would generate special energy currents, stimulating the human body and activating abilities. Small as it was, it could be hidden in a sleeve without being noticed.

You couldn't catch a wolf without risking the lamb. Lu Qian gritted his teeth and still exchanged for one. If this thing could really help ordinary people obtain abilities, forget three thousand points, he'd spend thirty thousand points.

"It's not early. I should go gather at Devil City. Since XiaoZhao is temporarily out of danger, I'll quickly build up the team so we can rescue him sooner."

Xing Yuan frowned. "You haven't slept for several nights in a row."

Lu Qian washed his face in the bathroom. When he came out, he leaned over and kissed him. His jet-black hair was damp with water droplets, and his eyes were smiling. "Wait for me at home. I'll definitely be back tonight."

When Lu Qian arrived at the gathering point on Cloud Road, it was exactly seven o'clock. There, a large crowd had already gathered. Leading them were Chen Yan and others, as well as researchers like Feng Xiangming.

"When the patrol team retired, they were allowed to take a box of equipment with them. This is what our forty-odd brothers saved up. The guns and bullets are all here. Although there isn't much, it can tide us over for training and self-defense. Take it and distribute it to those ordinary people."

Chen Yan pointed to the fifty or so equipment boxes piled up on the side of the road. "There are also ten extra boxes, gifts from the brothers in my team. They have families to support and can't leave as cleanly as we can, but it's their way of showing support."

Feng Xiangming, coming from a wealthy background, was quite generous. "Brother Lu, when my parents heard that I joined the guard team, they directly opened their private vault and donated a batch of equipment, cars, helicopters, and such. They'll have someone drive them over later. Anyway, those things are useless sitting in Sky City. Consider it a good deed."

Meng XiChuan also said, "Since we're forming a guard team, we can't not have an office space, right? I think the building behind us is nice. Later, I'll buy it and use it as our temporary base. My teacher heard about your situation and specially sent over a truckload of upgraded corrosion agents. They're very effective against wanderers."

Tang Xiao and the others didn't have anything valuable to offer, so they could only stammer, "We have strength and can help move things."

This wasn't forming a team; it felt more like illegal fundraising.

Standing high up, Lu Qian swept his gaze over the familiar and unfamiliar faces. He thought that Chen Yan and the others had practically emptied their pockets. And then there were people like Feng Xiangming, who didn't even know if their team would succeed but still splurged extravagantly. If he didn't make a proper appearance now, he would be too unworthy of their trust.

Lu Qian stood on a container, holding a megaphone aloft, looking exactly like those detestable leaders in companies as he painted a grand picture:

"Starting today, I declare the official establishment of the Devil City Guard Team! All of you present are part of the guard team. I'm not very talented, but I'll temporarily serve as the captain. After breakfast, I'll lead everyone in ability training. We must ensure that all actions follow orders. Understood?!"

Feng Xiangming raised his hand in confusion. "Brother Lu, what's ability training?"

Lu Qian corrected him. "Call me Captain."

Feng Xiangming readily complied. "Captain, may I ask what is ability training?"

Lu Qian stood high up, holding the megaphone. Clearing his throat, he said, "Ahem, literally, it's training to help you activate your abilities."

"Whoa—!"

At Lu Qian's words, the entire scene erupted in uproar. The shock and astonishment on everyone's faces were hard to conceal. They doubted their ears for a moment. Activate abilities?! How could that be possible?!