Harvest

Russell's grandfather, Kalien Rafael, was a retired cadre from the provincial government. Lin Sheng did not know his specific former position, but judging by the attitude of the others, it was clearly extraordinary.

"If it's Grandpa Kalien, there definitely won't be a problem. Although the White Card Gang is strong, they would never provoke Grandpa Kalien over a few small fries!" Xiayin stated with certainty.

"Teacher Lin, don't you worry, everything will be fine this time." Madilan also nodded.

Lin Sheng did not speak, his expression merely calming down, though no one noticed his hand gripping the sword hilt tightening.

After someone arrived to handle the aftermath, the four of them took a taxi back to the clubhouse.

This field combat lesson was temporarily interrupted. With such an incident occurring, no one was in the mood to continue class.

Lin Sheng gave the three of them some pointers on their basic stances and, in addition to the Center Iron Gate, taught them the Crown Stance to practice. Afterward, he began packing his things and walked out of the clubhouse.

Outside, the sun was bright, and the air was fresh, carrying a hint of the sea breeze.

On one side of the clubhouse, a couple was hugging and flirting, oblivious to the world, the young man's hand brazenly sliding into the hem of the girl's top.

The sound of Lin Sheng's footsteps leaving the clubhouse startled them.

After being spooked, the young couple immediately scurried away. However, before leaving, the young man cast a resentful glance back.

Dressed in a white tracksuit and carrying his sword, Lin Sheng walked to the bus stop beside the clubhouse and waited for the bus alongside a few elementary school students who were blushing from what they had just seen.

Soon, a pale purple sedan slowly and silently drove up the right side of the street and stopped at the clubhouse entrance.

The car door opened, and an elderly man with graying hair, dressed in a black silk long coat, stepped out.

The old man's gaze swept over the area, and upon seeing Lin Sheng at the bus stop, his footsteps—originally headed toward the clubhouse door—came to an abrupt halt. A trace of something unreadable appeared on his face, though the emotion was unclear.

"Teacher Lin Sheng?" the old man suddenly called out.

The two were over five meters apart, but Lin Sheng clearly felt that the man's gaze was fixed squarely on him.

He paused, glancing at the old man's attire and the silver-patterned lace on the sedan door behind him; it was clearly not cheap.

"Who are you?" he asked, taking a few steps closer.

"My name is Reni, I'm that brat Russell's uncle. I've heard him mention you for a long time now. Looking at you now, Russell actually understated it." The old man scrutinized Lin Sheng, a flicker of intrigue crossing his eyes.

He had met many young people, but never one like the person before him, who possessed a certain inexplicable, icy temperament.

It was not a temperament an ordinary high school senior should have.

In his eyes, Lin Sheng, in his white tracksuit, was somewhat similar to his father in his youth—equally steady, powerful, and unruffled by storms.

"So you are Russell's uncle. Hello, Uncle. Did you come here suddenly for something?" Lin Sheng vaguely guessed the reason.

"Just as you thought. Regarding the White Card Gang, the old man spoke up personally, and the matter is settled. I came here just to notify you verbally. You must be careful in the future and not easily provoke those desperadoes." Reni lowered his voice.

"The old man? You mean Mr. Kalien?" Lin Sheng asked in a deep voice.

"Yes. Alright, you go on. Work hard, the college entrance exam is coming up soon," Reni said with a gentle attitude.

Although the boy's family background was ordinary, setting that aside, judging by the old man's attitude after hearing about the incident, he seemed to appreciate this kid quite a bit.

After all, there weren't many people who could make those three troublemakers—including Russell—submissive.

Even the special instructors the family had hired previously hadn't managed that; he hadn't expected this kid to pull it off.

Lin Sheng nodded slightly, said a polite goodbye, and watched as the man pushed open the clubhouse doors and walked inside.

Returning to the bus stop, he waited only a few minutes before the bus arrived.

He squeezed on with his sword case, standing amidst the crowded passengers with a calm expression, though his heart was in turmoil.

After returning home from the clubhouse, he entered the dream realm for several consecutive days, but he did not enter Black Feather City, instead exploring the perimeter of the city walls.

There were many gaps and holes around the walls. Since the main gate was extremely dangerous, he planned to find another way to enter the city.

A massive place like Black Feather City could not be entered only through the city gates.

Over the next three days, he didn't have much success, though he did manage to take down a few wandering Rotten Swordsmen during his exploration.

The memories he obtained were mostly repetitive, offering no new insights or gains.

Time slipped away day by day, and in the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

Amidst a light drizzle, Lin Sheng ran quickly through the rain.

In the dream, dark clouds drifted across the gloomy sky, and the moonlight was like gauze, with not a single star to be seen.

The wilderness was incredibly dim; he was at the back of the city, at least several kilometers away from the gate he had used to enter before.

The weeds scattered around were waist-high, and from within them, unknown sounds would occasionally rustle and flash by.

Lin Sheng gripped his sword hilt; the adaptation over this period had allowed him to fully grasp the weight of the heavy sword in his hand.

At the same time, he could feel that his physical fitness had also seen a slight increase.

This is all thanks to the consistent training lately. Although it's a bit slow, it's finally having an effect.

Lin Sheng sighed inwardly.

Swish!

In an instant, his blade flashed.

The Black Sword vanished into the darkness on the right.

With a dull thud, the corpse of a Rotten Swordsman toppled straight backward onto the ground, struggled for a few moments, and then went completely still.

Lin Sheng quickly stepped forward to inspect it, but aside from a few blackened coins in a money pouch, there was nothing else.

As for the black sword in the creature's hand, he didn't even bother looking at it.

Once he had the heavy sword of an Elite Rotten Swordsman, everything else paled in comparison.

After absorbing the black thread, Lin Sheng continued forward, his expression indifferent as he sprinted ahead.

Only the rhythmic, continuous sound of his footsteps echoed through the darkness.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and his pace slowed involuntarily.

Less than ten meters directly in front of him, a section of the city wall had collapsed, revealing a clear gap.

Gray bricks and stones were scattered across the grass, crushing a large patch of weeds.

The gap was over three meters high and more than a meter wide, leading into an alleyway between two buildings.

Lin Sheng's heart surged with joy.

This was exactly what he needed!

He approached quickly, keeping his footsteps quiet, gripping the sword hilt tightly with both hands, and slowing his breathing.

He stood at the gap and peered inside.

The pitch-black alley stretched all the way to the city's main thoroughfare, where the faint, dim yellow light of streetlamps could be vaguely seen.

The ground of the alley reflected a thick, greasy sheen, and several large black barrels were piled on the right, though he didn't know what they contained.

Lin Sheng carefully scanned his surroundings, up and down, then pricked up his ears to listen for any nearby sounds.

His previous encounters had taught him that this Black Feather City was an extremely terrifying, high-risk zone. In gaming terms, he had run straight into a high-level monster area.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Sheng silently took a step forward into the gap.

His sneakers crunched against the gravel, making a slight noise. As he moved, his mind raced to compare the surrounding environment, trying to determine his exact location.

"This... should be behind a kitchen."

Lin Sheng walked slowly through the alley. His sneakers felt like they were treading on a thick carpet, and some of the black, greasy grime stuck to his soles, which felt unpleasant.

Reaching the mouth of the alley in one breath, he cautiously peeked out, glancing left and right.

The main street was completely empty, with nothing in sight, allowing him to see over a hundred meters away.