The Decaying World

Inside the Lin family courtyard.

Lin Xiangnan looked calmly at the soldiers bursting through the gate, reaching out to shield his wife, Fu Yunxin, behind him.

"I’ve told you. While I may have been a tutor in the home of the former Xidong Public Security Commander, I have always been an honest and law-abiding citizen. I have done nothing to be ashamed of. If you must investigate, then investigate, but what right do you have to barge into my home like this!?"

The soldiers, dressed in drab brown uniforms and cradling rifles, paced around the courtyard a few times before their gazes settled on the inner rooms.

The leader’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Mr. Lin, we received a report that you secretly assisted in the embezzlement of drought relief funds..."

"You are free to investigate as you please!" Lin Xiangnan stepped aside, his expression resolute. "If you find a single piece of relevant evidence inside, I will submit to any punishment!"

The lead soldier’s expression shifted. He was just about to give the order.

CRASH.

Suddenly, the courtyard gate behind them was slammed open even wider.

"Father! Mother! What’s happening!?"

A somewhat cold voice came from behind them.

They all spun around. The soldiers flinched, tightening their grips on their rifles as their bodies tensed up.

The person who had just entered was a full two meters tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built. His simple act of barging in brought with it an inexplicable, oppressive aura.

In an era where the average height was less than 1.6 meters, the sudden appearance of a brawny giant over two meters tall was enough to make their hearts skip a beat, even with guns in their hands.

"Ah Hui!" Lin Xiangnan’s face grew anxious when he saw who it was. "It’s nothing, go back to the sword dojo. Your father will handle this. Be good now!"

The newcomer was none other than Lin Hui, the current master of the sword dojo.

His physical modifications were complete, and all preparations were in order. He had suddenly heard a report from one of his disciples that a group of armed soldiers had forced their way into his home. The disciples hadn’t dared to stop them, so Lin Hui knew something was wrong and rushed back immediately.

In this life, his body was strong and healthy, his features handsome and masculine—no longer the face of a passerby.

After all, both Lin Xiangnan and Fu Yunxin were quite good-looking, above average at least. It was unlikely his body would be as plain as it was in his previous life.

Now, seeing the armed soldiers in the courtyard, Lin Hui’s eyes narrowed, and his hand moved toward the Sword Hilt at his waist.

’This body has now been developed to its absolute limit. It’s about time I put it to a real test.’

"Hold on!"

Just then, several more people rushed in from outside, one of whom was a young woman.

She was beautiful, dressed in a women’s white blouse and black trousers with her long hair tied back in a ponytail, looking like a student.

"I know your Young Miss, Liu Xuezhen! I’m a good friend of hers. Who gave you the authority to barge into a private residence and conduct a search like this!?"

The speaker was none other than Zhao Lingxiao, the runny-nosed girl who used to always look for Lin Hui to play with.

She no longer had the silly look of a child with a constantly runny nose. Her eyes were dark, bright, and full of spirit. Walking ahead of several other students, she led the charge with an imposing air!

Upon hearing Liu Xuezhen’s name, the soldiers grew restless.

The leader faltered. After scrutinizing Zhao Lingxiao, he couldn’t be sure if her connections were real, so he could only force a smile.

"Since you’re a friend of Miss Xuezhen, we’ll let this go! Let’s move out!" He waved his hand, and the soldiers quickly filed out of the courtyard.

Lin Xiangnan and Fu Yunxin were left behind, both sighing in relief.

The moment they saw Lin Hui rush in, they had both tensed up completely, terrified that he would act impulsively and start a fight.

Even though they knew Lin Hui’s training wasn’t just for show, how could fists, feet, and bladed weapons possibly compete with several rifles aimed at him?

Against firearms, even the strongest martial artist was just one bullet away from death.

Thankfully, Zhao Lingxiao had arrived just in time.

A deep sense of gratitude for her welled up in the couple’s hearts. They went over to greet her.

Lin Hui, however, felt indifferent. He hadn’t been thinking about the immediate danger, but rather the chain reaction he would face after dealing with these men.

Because of the Celestial Father Seal, he couldn’t kill anyone, so his plan had simply been to cripple their arms and legs.

But now that Zhao Lingxiao had diffused the situation, he didn’t need to consider all that.

He stepped forward to thank Zhao Lingxiao as well. Regardless of the outcome, the fact that she dared to step in and help at such a dangerous time was a debt of gratitude. It was only right and proper to thank her sincerely.

After some pleasantries, Zhao Lingxiao, who hadn’t seen Lin Hui in several years, was struck by how much her friend had changed. Looking at his handsome face, she felt a strange stirring in her heart.

"We’ve solved the problem for now, but this isn’t a long-term solution if something similar happens again. How about this: I’ll introduce you to Liu Xuezhen. Brother Hui, you can come with me, we’ll have a meal with her, give her a small gift, and you can get acquainted. Making friends with her could help protect you in the future. Xuezhen is a wonderful person, very kind. You won’t be disappointed when you meet her."

Zhao Lingxiao suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. I’ll have to trouble you then, Lingxiao." Lin Hui nodded with a slight smile.

"It’s no trouble at all! What are friends for?" Zhao Lingxiao said magnanimously, patting her modest chest.

The two of them chatted for a while, and as it was getting late, they went their separate ways.

Lin Xiangnan and Fu Yunxin had prepared a meal and tried to convince her to stay, but to no avail. In the end, just the family—Lin Hui and his parents—ate together.

In the evening, Lin Xiangnan looked at his son, who was now a full head taller than him.

He picked up the wine bottle and poured him a small cup.

"Ah Hui, you’re a grown man now. Have you thought about getting married and starting a family? That Miss Zhao seems like a fine girl. She’s righteous, forthright, and she’s not lacking in looks or figure. Why don’t you..."

"Father, do you really think these times are a good and stable period to start a family?" Lin Hui countered.

"That may be true, but one must always look to the future..." Lin Xiangnan said helplessly. He knew full well that now was not a good time to start a family, but what could he do? Let his family line die out?

"This new commander is named Liu Chang. I hear he’s a relatively upright man with a decent reputation. Hopefully, he can bring some positive change to Xidong..." Fu Yunxin said from the side, her expression weary.

Before, several commanders balanced power and governed Xidong together. Now, the entire city was under the sole command of Commander Liu, whose authority was clearly much greater than before.

For a moment, Lin Xiangnan and his wife were still on edge. Fortunately, just after they finished dinner, Zhao Lingxiao returned with good news.

She had arranged to take Lin Hui to have a meal with her best friend, Liu Xuezhen, the next day, so they could become friends.

After they had settled on the time, place, and what to eat, the next morning arrived.

Lin Hui went to the sword dojo, instructing Wu Anning to oversee the disciples’ continued practice. He then went alone to a restaurant in the city called Yanfang Lou for the meal.

He got a private room and didn’t have to wait long before Zhao Lingxiao arrived with a man and a woman, led into the booth by a waiter.

The man and woman were both under twenty. They had a refined, scholarly air about them and were fairly good-looking, though a level below Zhao Lingxiao.

On their way over, they had listened to Zhao Lingxiao’s descriptions and had been somewhat impatient. But upon seeing Lin Hui in person, the woman’s eyes clearly lit up, and she became much more enthusiastic.

The man, on the other hand, was more interested in how Lin Hui had built such a physique.

After the meal, both of them had a good impression of Lin Hui.

From their simple conversation, Lin Hui learned that this Commander Liu Chang was truly no ordinary warlord like the ones before. His power extended far beyond just Xidong City; he controlled a third of the entire country, merely using Xidong as his current central base.

He commanded 400,000 troops, was busy establishing military factories, schools, and hospitals everywhere, and maintained relatively strict military discipline in the territories under his control. He had the makings of a great leader in a time of chaos.

After the meal, the four of them took a stroll through the city and agreed to visit Lin Hui’s sword dojo together next time.

Only then did Lin Hui present his gift before taking his leave.

After he left, Liu Xuezhen dropped her pretense and threw her arms around her best friend.

"Oh, you, Zhao Lingxiao! So you secretly know such a handsome guy and didn’t even tell me beforehand. Were you planning on keeping him all to yourself!?"

"I actually hadn’t seen him in a few years either. I had no idea he’d turn out like this. He wasn’t so outstanding before," Zhao Lingxiao said helplessly.

"I never would have guessed! You have to take me to his sword dojo to have a look. I’ve made up my mind! Daddy wants me to find a dance teacher to get some exercise, but learning traditional Swordsmanship should count as exercise too, right?" Liu Xuezhen said with a dreamy smile.

Seeing that smile made Zhao Lingxiao feel a pang of jealousy.

"He has a very cold and rigid personality. Just don’t throw a fit if he gives you the cold shoulder!"

"Ooh, is our little Lingxiao getting jealous?" Liu Xuezhen teased in a hushed voice.

「Meanwhile.」

After bidding farewell to the three of them, Lin Hui headed directly for the place he had previously identified for capturing a decaying Mutant Body.

He had already found out that the nearby Buffalo Village outside the city was currently being haunted. Several wandering Mages had been hired to deal with it, but none had succeeded.

Ever since Mingjing Monastery was destroyed in a disaster, the area around Xidong had lacked a Mage faction powerful enough to keep the region in check.

Now, various powers were extending their reach into the area, but no single one had managed to completely occupy the entire city.

Outside the city walls, apart from a winding carriage road stretching into the distance, there was nothing but dense, dark mountain forests.

All passing carts and horses traveled in large groups, surrounded by armed men who warily scanned their surroundings for any movement.

Each convoy maintained a clear hundred-meter distance from the next, obviously wary of one another.

Besides Lin Hui, the only others traveling out of the city alone were a few numb-faced, seasoned Hunters and Medicine Gatherers.

But those people were all risking their lives just to earn a living.

Lin Hui paid no mind to the others’ stares and quickened his pace, jogging along the main road by himself.

*

*

*

In Black Donkey Village, adjacent to Buffalo Village.

Most of the scattered earthen houses in the village were tightly shut, their doors and windows all covered. Not a sound could be heard, not even the call of livestock.

Only the wind rustled through the trees, sending leaves showering down like raindrops.

At that moment, in a large, two-story old house in the center of the village.

Brother Hao, clad in a police uniform, along with the police department’s hired consultant—the Mage Zhu Xiang—and his friend, the fist-style master "Thunderclap Palm" Dai Yunhua, had been investigating the recurring "blood character case" here for over three days.

Compared to years ago, Brother Hao’s face was much harder and more aged. Though his police uniform was still crisp and neat, his eyes held a hint of bitterness that couldn’t be erased.

"Master Zhu, still no movement?" Brother Hao asked softly.

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