Fulfilling One's Duty

"Dan, are you looking for that kid Ju?"

"..."

With just one sentence, Suo Mu Jin stopped the Female Hunter in her tracks.

Then Dan turned around, his gaze towards the other person becoming extremely dangerous.

"Is this related to you?"

As a merchant awakener, Suo Mu Jin's skills are at the Fourth Stage, on par with the Female Hunter.

However, their abilities are used in completely different ways in combat.

Suo Mu Jin dared not provoke Dan at this distance, and besides, he had no intention of making an enemy of the Female Hunter, so he quickly offered an explanation:

"There were a lot of supplies in a warehouse in the East Town, but some of them were taken away last night."

The Female Hunter frowned. "Did Ju take it?"

Suo Mu Jin nodded in affirmation:

"It should be, and he left last night, so it will be very difficult for you to catch up with him now."

Dan snorted coldly, "Don't underestimate my abilities."

"As long as we're in the forest, I'm sure I can catch up with him!"

Suo Mu Jin has a different opinion on this:

"Ju is a smart kid, do you think he wouldn't guess that?"

"..."

The Female Hunter fell silent, and the merchant pressed his advantage. "He knows your abilities very well, and the snowmelt from the forest will aid his actions. And now, he has already been on his way for almost a day!"

Dan's tone was icy. "You want to persuade me to give up?"

Suo Mu Jin shook his head:

"Perhaps I can help you."

"As you know, although the general atmosphere in town leans towards Anrui, people like us with firm resolve are always ready to take action."

Although Dan was anxious because of Ju's rash actions, he did not lose his ability to judge things.

She realized Suo Mu Jin's purpose almost immediately.

The merchants are still preparing to break through Black Mountain.

As a Fourth Stage hunter, she is undoubtedly a very important person, and someone we must win over.

Dan asked, "So you can't wait any longer and plan to use your current strength to try and take a gamble?"

Suo Mu Jin makes no attempt to conceal his purpose:

"The actual time to take action is today."

"Everyone in town has witnessed this endless winter. Since staying here won't get us any more help, taking immediate action is the only decision we can make."

Dan reiterated his purpose, which was also his most important one. "I'm going to find my son."

Suo Mu Jin wore a victorious smile:

"Then we're going the same way."

"..."

They can find helpers, especially awakened individuals, to help them search for their son.

The Female Hunter had no reason to refuse.

She followed the merchant eastward toward the town, some possibilities swirling in her mind.

Suo Mu Jin undoubtedly wanted to use his abilities.

Is it possible that Ju's departure was also a choice made after being instigated by the businessman in front of him in order to achieve this goal?

Dan pondered the possibilities of what might have happened.

But when she and Suo Mu Jin arrived on the east side of town, a new development disrupted all her previous plans.

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, a solitary figure stood at the eastern entrance of the town.

It's Anrui.

A gentle breeze swept by, and snowflakes slid softly from the surrounding eaves. These snowflakes landed on Anrui's shoulders, instantly blending into the white shirt he was wearing.

The town Lord's attire was not much different from usual.

But he was wearing a black wide-brimmed hat, the brim of which was covered with snowflakes.

With each breath he took, white mist formed in the cold, which then merged with the snowflakes sliding down from the brim of his hat.

Anrui's figure was all alone.

But his presence seemed to be a symbol of some kind of peace, a challenge to everything before him.

He steadfastly guarded this place.

When he saw the Female Hunter and the merchant appear together, his expression showed neither excitement nor disappointment.

Anrui simply uttered a single command, "Now, go back."

"..."

"Anrui, you have no reason to stop us."

Suo Mu Jin seemed to have anticipated what was about to happen.

He took a step forward.

Just like a few months ago at the Lord's Manor, he confronted Anrui head-on.

Meanwhile, nine people began to emerge from the empty streets surrounding the town.

They all chose to stand behind Suo Mu Jin.

These were the awakened individuals recruited by the merchants, or those who had originally intended to leave the Hidden Borderlands. If Linsey were there, she would have spotted her friend Qiao Er among them.

In the blink of an eye, the two sides have entered a standoff.

A conflict was about to break out.

But at that moment, the Female Hunter reacted differently.

She wasn't swayed by the atmosphere and joined the resistance against Anrui. Instead, she took the initiative to say, "Anrui, that kid Ju ran away last night. I'm going to bring him back."

Dan's actions relieved Anrui, who rarely smiled in the tense atmosphere, "Dan, the hunters in town still need you to lead them."

The Female Hunter replied without hesitation, "I will come back after I find the torch."

Two simple sentences of conversation seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding.

As soon as he finished speaking, Dan left the merchant group where Suo Mu Jin was, and walked alone past Anrui towards the edge of town.

Anrui did not stop her.

"..."

Watching the Female Hunter leave alone, Suo Mu Jin narrowed his eyes, concealing his emotions.

He then waved his hand, signaling to the others that they were about to leave together.

The businessman even explained to Anrui with a polite smile:

"Ju ran away so suddenly yesterday, Dan probably won't be able to find him alone, let's go help him too."

Anrui stepped forward and blocked their way.

The relaxed smile from before was no longer visible on his face.

"I'll say it one last time: Go back."

"..."

Suo Mu Jin's smile froze, but he still wanted to try to negotiate further. "Mr. Anrui, we're just concerned about the children in town..."

"Do you think there's any point in using these excuses now?" Anrui interrupted the businessman's sophistry directly, and then said even more bluntly, "Over the past few months, I have also seriously considered some issues. You have repeatedly provoked me, and I also bear an unshirkable responsibility for it."

"Don't think that I would allow this at a time like this..."

Suo Mu Jin also loudly interrupted Anrui's rebuke:

"We simply intend to carry out our own will and have no intention of dragging others into it."

"Anrui, you have no reason to stop us now!"

Anrui's tone remained icy:

"But for the town, you are undermining unity and increasing instability."

Suo Mu Jin snapped, "Eliminating this instability is your responsibility as Town Chief, not ours!"

Anrui pointed to all the Awakened Ones in front of him. "You're right."

"So right now, I'm fulfilling this responsibility."