Scavenger Camp, The Rejected One

As the newly minted "man of the hour" in Tinghai.

Bai Zhou was staring wide-eyed at Ya, his gaze clear and innocent.

Under the moonlight, the shadows of the two figures clung closely together.

"Are you saying that while you were waiting for me here, you happened to dig up a book from the tree pit..."

"A Forbidden Canon?!"

Ya couldn't help but raise her voice.

"Don't tell me you knew the Dead Sea Scrolls were here in advance, which is why you insisted on coming to Dongxing Road?"

She had been wondering why, out of so many places, Bai Zhou had specifically picked such a remote corner from the map.

So, he had come prepared.

Bai Zhou, clutching the Forbidden Canon, gave a light cough to clear his throat.

"Actually, I once heard a story like this back in Evening City."

Bai Zhou was about to tell one of his little Evening City stories again:

"There was a little boy selling lighters, shivering in the cold on a street corner during the New Year."

"So, he used a lighter to warm himself, and in the glow of the flame, he saw warm illusions..."

Ya raised an eyebrow slightly: "And then?"

Bai Zhou continued his tale:

"Just then, a passing Black Robe saw the pitiful little boy and kindly reminded him—"

"'They are burning a transgressor at the Civic Square right now; the fire is much bigger there. If you're truly cold, you could go there to warm yourself.'"

This story spoke of the deep concern the Black Robe had for the lower classes.

Using the technique of contrast, it highlighted the sharp difference between the cruelty shown to enemies and the benevolence shown to one's own.

Ya: "..."

"But what does this have to do with the Dead Sea Scrolls?"

"In this story, the place where the little boy was staying was under the tree in front of the Yongning Convenience Store on Dongxing Road."

Bai Zhou spoke with a straight face.

"So, when I saw Dongxing Road on the map, it immediately felt familiar."

"I never expected..."

Bai Zhou shook the Dead Sea Scrolls in his hand.

"That it would actually be here!"

Ya's expression turned solemn.

This wasn't the first time Ya had heard one of Bai Zhou's strange little stories from Evening City.

As always, they were full of holes.

But in the history of Extraordinaries, many unknown truths were indeed often hidden within obscure stories and nursery rhymes.

Perhaps the Former Owner had encountered some trouble and was passing a message to a Tong Ban;

Or perhaps, to evade inspection, they had used a ritual to wipe their own memory of the Forbidden Canon and left this story behind in advance...

"The specific reason doesn't matter anymore."

Ya looked at Bai Zhou, her expression quite peculiar.

"What matters is that the Dead Sea Scrolls are now in your hands."

"--Fortunately, neither the Blood Worship Cult nor the Special Management Department knows about this."

Otherwise, people would truly go insane!

"Mm-hmm."

Bai Zhou nodded repeatedly.

The story he had just told—

Of course, it didn't exist.

It was pure fabrication.

To be precise, the first half of the story did exist in Evening City, which was why he could spout it off so easily.

Back in the Youth Training Corps, he always got full marks on these kinds of reading comprehension tests; even the Black Robes had praised him, saying he should join the propaganda department in the future.

...But the part about Dongxing Road definitely didn't exist.

"So, the intelligence from the Special Management Department was true..."

"The Dead Sea Scrolls have truly leaked out."

"It seems there really is a problem within the Blood Worship Cult... and a significant one at that!"

Ya scrutinized the "big brick" in Bai Zhou's hand, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Ya, do you know what this is?"

Bai Zhou asked in surprise.

But Ya merely shook his head.

"I know a little, but not much."

"In Listening Sea, anyone who knows of the Blood Worship Cult knows at least a thing or two about it."

"I only know it is one of the three Forbidden Canons of the Blood Worship Cult, and the only one classified as a 'Secret Scroll' level text."

"Legend has it that it is an imitation written by a Blood Worship Cult patriarch after he perused the legendary Dead Sea Scrolls."

"However."

Ya's voice paused for a moment.

"I have heard that this Forbidden Canon has not acknowledged anyone for a very long time."

"Even the high-ranking members of the Blood Worship Cult are not entirely sure what content lies within."

"The Blood Worship Cultist who stole it must have been quite desperate in the end."

He was indeed quite desperate.

When he stole the Forbidden Canon, that person had likely prepared himself to lie low in the desolate Evening City, studying bitterly for ten years to emerge invincible.

Alas, the Mystic World is not a legendary novel.

There are no lucky souls who steal a secret manual and ascend to the heavens in a single step, and the Blood Worship Cult is not the Shaolin Temple being kicked around by Huogong Tuotuo.

Though it is unknown how many methods he tried or how much effort he expended on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Forget about satisfying the Dead Sea Scrolls;

He couldn't even satisfy 0.1% of its requirements despite exhausting every trick in his arsenal.

--Useless Black Robe!

In the end, this incompetent Elder Brother could only bury it right at the doorstep of the Funeral Home.

His final thought before being beheaded, no matter how one interprets it, sounds very much like, "If I can't have it, none of you will."

--It had already twisted into something pathological.

And then, Bai Zhou, who happened to be passing by, picked up the scraps.

When Bai Zhou told Ya the unlocking conditions, Ya wore an expression of sudden realization mixed with indescribable complexity.

"With such harsh requirements, no wonder."

"The suppression by the Authorities and the arrival of an era of peace have made this condition a fantasy."

"A Dead Sea Scrolls that cannot be unlocked has more symbolic meaning to the Blood Worship Cult than practical value."

"I can't do anything with it either."

Ultimately, Ya offered this assessment:

"Rather than saying you've obtained a Forbidden Canon, it's more like you're carrying the Ash Urn of a Blood Worship Cult ancestor around with you."

"--You must never let them find out."

Bai Zhou lowered his head to look at the Ancient Book in his hand and the iron chains wrapped around its thick spine.

...Is there really no way?

A Forbidden Canon that cannot be unlocked—what can it be used for?

Can it be used to knock someone unconscious?

It seems—

I have to go, to the Deep Ruins Realm.

I still have to go.

At 3:10 AM, Bai Zhou and Ya strolled through the streets.

The streetlights were off, and mist was rising.

The moonlight on the long street was like water, clear and transparent.

Coral and water plants intertwined in the water; they were actually the projections cast by the trees, Flowers and Grass along the street.

"Branch 36 will not let you go."

"With this getup, at this hour, walking on the street is far too conspicuous."

Ya looked at Bai Zhou, who was dressed in a filthy suit and carrying a large briefcase, and offered his advice.

"Perhaps you need to find a stable and secret place to settle down as a temporary base."

For a homeless wanderer like Bai Zhou, where would be a good place to sleep?

A park bench? Too easy to be harassed by weirdos.

Sleeping under a bridge? That seems alright, but it still isn't hidden enough.

"Therefore."

"You need a free property."

--Teacher Ya said this.

This gave Bai Zhou a start, and he waved his hands repeatedly in a very shy manner.

"That would be too embarrassing..."

This surprise was a bit too big.

He had already learned so much from Teacher Ya; did he have to live in their property too?

Giving away secret manuals and weapons was one thing, but why give away real estate?

It was too generous.

Bai Zhou felt his teeth inexplicably softening, and his face looked three shades paler and more tender under the moonlight.

If this continued, what would Bai Zhou have left to repay Teacher Ya with?

Offer his body? It wasn't as if he couldn't consider it if he had to...

Then, Ya led Bai Zhou through three city blocks...

--And arrived in front of an Unfinished Building.

"So this is the property?"

Bai Zhou blinked.

Crossing a path littered with debris, several abrupt structures stood at the end of an unkempt grove, looking like the skeletons of giant gray monsters.

The rough concrete exterior walls were dusty, with rusted Steel Rebar exposed and whistling as the wind blew through them.

The hollow window frames lacked glass, staring down at the overgrown wasteland below like the eyes of a blind man.

Looking around, everything was dilapidated and Pitch Black; the moonlight was the only source of light, and the air was filled with the chirping of cicadas and crickets, peaceful yet inexplicably tinged with horror.

--Not to mention comparing it to the urban prosperity seen along the way.

Even compared to Dongxing Road, this place was far more remote.

This was the true edge of the city, forgotten by all.

--Standing here, looking up and around, one couldn't even see the landmark sign that read "Tinghai Welcome You."

"A free property."

Nodding, Ya emphasized the word "free."

"I caught a glimpse of this place from afar while passing by earlier, and I felt it was unexpectedly good."

Her expression was very serious; she genuinely believed that an Unfinished Building was a genius idea for a hideout.

--Her idea.

"No need for an agent, no troublesome landlord, and no inexplicable roommates."

"It is sparsely populated, located on the edge of the city in a zone where development has been halted; it is a blank, ownerless land."

"Not only are there many discarded materials to use on-site to set traps and hinder potential Pursuers..."

"But the space is complex, with many unfinished rooms and stairwells; the multi-level structure provides room for hiding and maneuvering."

"Look--"

As she spoke, Ya pointed toward a dark window on the roof not far away.

"That is the best tactical high ground in the vicinity; it is easy to defend and hard to attack, allowing you to monitor the entire area."

"If you were to mount a 'Queen Bee-200' heavy machine gun there, you could control this entire road beneath your feet!"

"--It would be Even More perfect if you had a cannon."

Ya shook her head with regret.

"But it's fine, you can set up some simple explosive rituals nearby to act as Landmines."

"By the way, you must be careful... I suspect that since they know you have mastered micro-rituals for demolition, they will bring countermeasures this time."

Watching Ya talk with such ease, Bai Zhou took a deep breath.

--So practiced.

It was as if she were a regular who was frequently hunted by the Chou Family.

She truly had the demeanor of a veteran Fugitive.

In his heart, Bai Zhou became increasingly curious about Ya's past experiences.

Yet, under the narration of Ya, Bai Zhou surveyed those dilapidated Unfinished Buildings standing silently in the moonlight like haunted houses...

A strange sense of familiar intimacy and vague anticipation inexplicably rose in his heart.

This raw, "unadorned" quality was quite similar to Evening City.

The place he lived in Evening City was perhaps even worse than this Unfinished Building in Tinghai...

A free, hidden corner where one could temporarily find shelter.

This was the place.

Four o'clock in the morning, the moon in the sky had dimmed significantly.

Bai Zhou finally let out a sigh of relief.

He had "arrived home."

Embracing his curiosity, Bai Zhou entered one of the Unfinished Buildings to explore.

In the pitch-black space, the air was filled with the musty smell of wall dust, and the floor was littered with broken Steel Rebar and shattered bricks, making Bai Zhou feel inexplicably sentimental.

--Back when he was reluctantly practicing with a Bench Leg at the base, if he could have had a piece of Steel Rebar to use, how happy he would have been?

Unfortunately, late-arriving Steel Rebar is cheaper than grass...

Carefully, he groped his way up a floor.

As Bai Zhou was pondering whether to find a relatively intact small room to sleep in or to settle on the high-level platform that overlooked the entrance, he suddenly smelled an indescribable stench, like a dog kennel mixed with the scent of urine.

--The smell of urine?

Bai Zhou shuddered, immediately stopping in his tracks and retreating to the landing at the corner of the Stairs to stand firm.

"Clang--"

The sound of an empty soda can being kicked over reached his ears.

But it didn't come from Bai Zhou.

This sound seemed to be some kind of signal; a large group of people suddenly "rushed" out before him, their flashlight beams flickering across his face.

"Wild men" with disheveled hair, carrying Steel Rebar, appeared at the end of the stairs and ran down to surround him.

"Oi! Oi--"

The "wild men" shouted, their noisy voices echoing in the stairwell, seemingly feeling that such shouting was particularly imposing and could intimidate Bai Zhou.

"What are you here for?"

A long-haired Bearded Man with a bare chest came up to Bai Zhou, the fermented smell of someone who hadn't bathed in at least a month rushing toward him, his expression unkind as he sized him up.

"Just passing through, just passing through!"

"I'm just a Passerby."

Bai Zhou raised his hands to signal that he had no malicious intent, "I didn't know you were here; I just wanted to find a place to sleep."

He understood what these people were.

Scavengers.

Wanderers.

One could only say that great minds think alike; everyone had a soft spot for this building.

He had accidentally stumbled into their stronghold.

--A camp for Scavengers.

The Bearded Man looked up and down at Bai Zhou's dirty suit, observing the way he carried his briefcase, and his expression gradually softened.

Finally, after he and Bai Zhou locked eyes:

"It seems you are one of us."

Homeless wanderers often spontaneously band together.

"But we don't take in runaways as young as you."

He shook his head, not intending to listen to any of Bai Zhou's explanations.

One look at Bai Zhou's attire was enough to tell... he must have had a decent family background.

Just a willful child, not the same kind of person as them.

And not safe, either.

"You aren't welcome here."

"Get lost now--"

"Go back to your home!"

He pointed to the stairs leading down.

Although his words were crude, Bai Zhou didn't find them offensive.

His upbringing as an orphan allowed Bai Zhou to keenly discern many social nuances.

For instance, right now, he understood what the attitude of this apparent leader of the scavengers signified.

"..."

Standing in a dark corner, Bai Zhou looked up, casting a subtle glance behind the Bearded Man.

Those pairs of flickering eyes held curiosity, some merely simple drowsiness.

But others were greedy, and some harbored ill intentions.

Only...

Go home?

Where was his home, truly?

...As Bai Zhou's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the stairs.

Someone, with a hint of emotion, shouted at the Bearded Man, "Boss!"

"What is it? What do you want!"

The Bearded Man glared back at him, puffing out his beard, his expression fierce.

"He's just a child!"

"If it were your child running away from home at this hour, wouldn't you be anxious? Wouldn't you worry?"

"Fine..." The person grumbled and lowered his head.

"Alright, alright, everyone disperse!"

The Bearded Man gestured to the crowd, urging them away.

"Hurry back to sleep, we have to go to the Garbage Station early tomorrow!"

"Whoosh--"

The crowd scattered.

But two people, using the excuse of going to the restroom, secretly huddled together and slipped out of the Unfinished Building.

"That kid just now, did you notice him?"

Tail-gating and watching Bai Zhou's retreating back, the two squatted behind some bushes.

A skinny man, with arms like toothpick, his small, shrewd eyes flickered.

"That suit, it doesn't look cheap."

"Mmm."

The Thick-Browed Strongman, wearing a sleeveless white vest, grinned maliciously. "His briefcase definitely has something in it!"

The Skinny Man winked. "Should we..."

"What about the Boss?" The Thick-Browed Strongman had some reservations.

"What are you afraid of? He won't know."

"Let's not rush it. We'll follow him and see where he's going."

Like a gluttonous mouse, the Skinny Man revealed a cunning smile, as if he already had his prey.

His words were practiced, as if victory was assured.

"As long as we're fast enough, we'll handle it silently and cleanly."

"--Just like last time."

"You saw it just now, he's just a well-behaved kid..."

"How much resistance can he possibly have?"

As he spoke, the Skinny Man confidently bent his arm, intending to show off his biceps.

But under the Muscular Man's dumbfounded gaze, the Skinny Man awkwardly retracted his bamboo-like arm and pulled out a Folding Knife.

"--We have a knife!"

"This is the toy 'grown-ups' should play with."

"Mmm..."

The Thick-Browed Strongman nodded.

That was indeed convincing.

This folding knife had seen real blood... and more than once.

Then, the Strongman cautiously poked his head out from the bushes and suddenly froze.

"...Where's that kid?"

"Damn it!"

The Skinny Man grew anxious, immediately scrambling out of the bushes and jogging a few steps, looking left and right.

"That damned kid, he got away!"

He stomped on the ground hatefully, grinding his teeth in anger.

--Missed out on a big deal!

Such a young child, his body must be healthy.

Even without any valuables, taking him to the Black Market to be "dismantled" and sold would be profitable.

It was all that annoying Boss's fault, delaying their time...

"Excuse me, that--"

Suddenly, a shy voice came softly from behind him, calm and a little embarrassed in tone, as if asking for directions:

"Are you looking for me?"

--It's that kid from before?

He came back?

Am I dreaming?

Walking right into a trap, haha--

The Skinny Man turned around, half bewildered, half delighted.

...But the next instant, all his thoughts vanished.

With a "swish," cold sweat broke out on his back.

Because a hard, ice-cold, Pitch Black object was pressed against his head.

"What a coincidence, we meet again."

The "good boy" who had seemed harmless just now, and left obediently after being rejected, gave him a shy smile.

"I knew it, why were you staring at me earlier."

"Is something on your mind?"

The Youth held a familiar yet strange object, pointed at the Skinny Man's forehead.

With a "clang,"

the Skinny Man's "dangerous" adult toy—a Folding Knife—fell to the ground.

Beside him, the Muscular Man in the white tank top was already terrified.

His arms spread wide, he was pressed tightly against the rough Great Tree, mouth agape, tongue sticking out, but he didn't dare make a sound.

...Under the moonlight, the object faintly reflected a cold, clear light.

--It was a gun.