Chu Muyun

"Is it already this late...?"

Chu Muyun sat in the doorway, lowered his head to glance at his pocket watch, and let out a long sigh.

"Why isn't my brother back yet?" Chen Yan propped his cheek on one hand as he sat beside Chu Muyun, staring longingly down the street outside.

The dim yellow sun gradually sank below the horizon, while the blue aurora in the sky grew ever clearer... The two sat side by side as the cold wind slipped through gaps in the wooden boards, making the kerosene lamp on the table sway unsteadily.

At last, a figure gradually came into view at the end of the aurora-lit street.

"He's back!" Chen Yan sprang to his feet and waved at the distant silhouette. "Brother!!"

Chen Ling dragged his weary body home step by step. When he saw the two people sitting by the door, his eyes narrowed slightly, but he still waved back to Chen Yan at once.

Chu Muyun froze for a moment, then pushed himself up from the ground with both hands on his knees and waved with a polite smile.

"You are..."

"You must be Mr. Chen Ling?" Chu Muyun adjusted the silver-rimmed glasses on his nose. "My name is Chu Muyun. I'm a [doctor] from Aurora City."

"Oh... hello." Chen Ling shook his hand. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not really. It hasn't been that long."

"It's been ages." Chen Yan immediately spoke up. "He got here right after you left this morning, Brother, then sat in the living room until now..."

"You came this morning? Didn't you pour him any water?"

"I did... but he wouldn't drink it himself."

Chen Ling shifted his gaze away from Chen Yan and looked apologetically at Chu Muyun. "Dr. Chu, I'm truly sorry to have made you come all this way and wait for me so long... Actually, I'm already better. How about I treat you to dinner tonight and send you back tomorrow?"

At first, Chen Ling had been frightened by the Audience and sought out a doctor for help. But now, he no longer believed this was an illness, nor did he think anyone could cure him...

Could just any doctor handle a World-Ending Calamity?

Not to mention the mysterious Theater capable of suppressing a World-Ending Calamity.

If Chu Muyun stayed here, not only would he be unable to cure him, but given enough time, he might even discover the Calamity inside Chen Ling's mind.

Chu Muyun was stunned.

He looked at Chen Ling for a long while before speaking hesitantly.

"Um... Mr. Chen, many times, people's bodies don't realize they're sick. Perhaps you feel better now, but in truth, you aren't.

Maybe you need to let me perform a thorough examination."

"No. I don't."

Chen Ling's refusal this time was forceful.

He didn't even have a heart now... Let Chu Muyun examine him? Wouldn't that be the same as exposing himself?!

Chu Muyun: ...

"Dr. Chu, I'm very grateful that you came all the way from Aurora City... but I truly don't need an examination or treatment right now." Sensing that his attitude had been somewhat inappropriate, Chen Ling quickly added sincerely.

"...All right." Chu Muyun sighed. "But I may not be able to return now."

"Why?"

"The Third District has been completely sealed off. No one is allowed in or out. Didn't you know?"

"...Then how did you get in?"

"I have a friend among the Enforcers, so I asked him to make an exception and let me in." Chu Muyun smiled helplessly. "But you know, getting in through an exception is easy... Getting out is another matter entirely."

The Enforcers had sealed off the Third District to prevent Calamities from escaping. Some Calamities were small enough to hide in human backpacks or even human bodies, or merge with humans... In short, the difficulty of entering and leaving was on completely different levels.

Chen Ling, who had already joined the Enforcers' Reserve Seat, understood this very well.

"This..." Chen Ling was troubled.

Chu Muyun had come all the way from Aurora City specifically to treat him, and had not even asked for payment. Calling it charity would not have been an exaggeration... Now that he was here and unable to go home, Chen Ling couldn't possibly turn cold and throw him out to wander the streets, could he?

"Brother, I don't think he's a bad person." Chen Yan spoke up at just the right time. "That Law Enforcer Han Meng came today, and he was really fierce. Dr. Chu helped me send him away."

Hearing this, Chen Ling's eyes brightened slightly.

"Can I ask something?"

"Go ahead." Chu Muyun nodded.

"Han Meng came today. How did you make him leave?"

"Oh, I simply told him no one was home, and that entering someone else's residence without the owner's permission was very rude."

"But he's a Law Enforcer. Law Enforcers have the right to search civilian homes." Chen Ling did not believe that tough bastard would leave so easily.

"He listens when I speak." Chu Muyun answered calmly. "A few years ago, I saved his life... twice, in fact."

"...I understand."

Chen Ling nodded. "Then until the Third District is unsealed, you can stay here for now. But I have one condition."

"What condition?"

"Without my permission, you are not allowed to perform any kind of examination on me... My younger brother too."

"Fine." Chu Muyun lightly adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses and agreed without hesitation.

Only after Chen Ling returned home did he notice that the original holes had all been patched with wooden boards. Though a little wind still leaked through now and then, it was far better than last night, when the house had been open on all sides.

He turned around to see Chen Yan standing with his hands behind his back and his head slightly lowered, seemingly waiting for praise.

"Thanks to you." Chen Ling rubbed his head. "Otherwise, we would've had to sleep out in the open again tonight."

"There are still some gaps that haven't been filled properly... Tomorrow, I'll get some clay from the back mountain and seal them up." Chen Yan smiled somewhat bashfully.

Chu Muyun entered the house, saw this scene, and smiled.

"You two brothers are very close."

"Of course we are." Chen Yan pouted.

"You two look rather alike, too."

"Do we?" Chen Ling glanced at Chen Yan. "Not really. We aren't biological brothers, after all... But after living together for a long time, it's true that people start to resemble each other more and more."

"I think we look alike." Chen Yan answered seriously.

"Oh, right. That room over there is yours. It's a little shabby, so please don't mind it." Chen Ling cleared out the room that had originally belonged to Chen Tan and his wife, then spoke to Chu Muyun.

"It's all right. I'm not picky."

Chen Yan watched this from the living room, a complicated look flashing through his eyes.

Next, Chen Ling personally went to the kitchen and began preparing dinner for the three of them... After a day of exhausting work and travel, he was starving too. Fortunately, he had developed excellent cooking skills during his past life as an office drone, so he could still feed himself in this other world.

Half an hour later, the hot dishes came out of the pot, their aroma making Chen Yan and Chu Muyun, seated by the table, swallow repeatedly.

"Mr. Chen's cooking is truly excellent." After taking a bite of sliced potatoes, Chu Muyun could not help sighing. "It's better than most restaurants in Aurora City."

"Just call me Chen Ling."

As he ate, Chen Ling discreetly observed Chu Muyun. Judging from his clothing and demeanor, he was a standard intellectual. Whether speaking or eating, he was refined and gentle, giving off the soothing feeling of a fresh breeze.

Chen Ling had never seen that sort of temperament in either the Third District or the Second District... As expected, people from Aurora City were different.

Suddenly, Chen Ling seemed to remember something.

"Dr. Chu."

"Hmm?"

"How much do you know about the Path to Godhood?"