Who left their last words here?

Chapter 42 Scavenger Camp, The Rejected

As a rising "influential figure" in Tinghai.

Bai Zhou was staring at Ya with clear eyes.

Under the moonlight, the two shadows were very close together.

"You mean, while you were waiting for me here, you casually dug a book out of the tree pit..."

"A forbidden text?!"

The crow couldn't help but raise its voice.

"You didn't know beforehand that the Dead Sea Scrolls were here, which is why you came to Dongxing Road, did you?"

She said, "Of all the places, why did Bai Zhou choose this one remote, obscure spot on the map?"

It turns out they came prepared.

Bai Zhou, who was holding the forbidden book, coughed lightly and cleared his throat.

"Actually, I heard a story like this from Wancheng."

Bai Zhou is about to tell his little stories about the city at night again:
"There was a little boy who sold lighters. During the Chinese New Year, he was shivering from the cold and huddled in a street corner."

"So he used a lighter to warm himself, and in the firelight he saw a warm illusion..."

Crow raised an eyebrow slightly: "And then?"

Bai Zhou continued his narration:

Just then, a passing man in a black robe saw the poor little boy and kindly reminded him—

"They're burning offenders in the Civic Square. The fire's huge there. If you're really cold, you can go there and warm yourself up by the fire."

This story tells of the Black Robe's deep concern for the lower classes.

The novel uses contrast to create a stark contrast between cruelty towards the enemy and compassion towards one's own people.

crow:"……"

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

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

Bai Zhou spoke in a very serious tone.

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

"did not expect……"

Bai Zhou shook the Dead Sea Scroll in his hand.

"It's so true!"

The crow's expression turned stern.

This wasn't the first time Ya had heard strange and unusual tales about the city from Bai Zhou.

As always, it's full of flaws.

But in the history of the extraordinary, many unknown truths are indeed often hidden in inconspicuous stories and nursery rhymes.

Perhaps something happened to the former owner, and it's sending a message to its companions;
Or perhaps it was to evade inspection, using a ritual to erase their memories of forbidden texts, and leaving this story behind in advance...

The specific reason is no longer important.

The crow looked at the white boat with a very strange expression.
"The important thing is that the Dead Sea Scrolls are now in your hands."

"Fortunately, neither the Blood Worship Cult nor the Special Administration knew about this."

Otherwise, someone really might go crazy!

"Uh-huh."

Bai Zhou nodded repeatedly.

The story he just told—

Of course not.

This is pure fabrication.

To be precise, the first half of the story did indeed exist in Wancheng, which is why he could recite it so readily.

Back in the youth training group, he always got full marks on reading comprehension exercises like this. Even the black-robed officer praised him, saying he should go to the propaganda department in the future.

...But Dongxing Road and the like definitely don't exist.

"So, the Special Administration's intelligence was true..."

"The Dead Sea Scrolls have indeed been lost."

"It seems there are serious problems within the Blood Worship Cult..."

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

"Crow, do you know it?"

Bai Zhou asked in surprise.

But the crow just shook its head.

"I know some, but not much."

"In Tinghai, anyone who knows about the Blood Worship Cult knows a little bit about it."

"All I know is that it is one of the three forbidden scriptures of the Blood Worship Cult, and the only one listed as a 'secret scroll' level forbidden scripture."

"According to legend, it is a copy written by a founder of the Blood Worship Cult after reading the legendary Dead Sea Scrolls."

"but."

The crow's call paused briefly.

"I've heard that this forbidden book hasn't approved anyone for a long time."

Even the higher-ups of the Blood Worship Cult themselves are not entirely clear about what's inside.

"The blood-worshipping cultists who stole it probably ended up in a pretty desperate situation."

It's quite hopeless.

When he stole the forbidden book, he was probably already prepared to lie low in the deserted city of Wancheng, studying diligently for ten years until he emerged invincible.

Unfortunately, the mysterious world is not a legendary novel.

There were no lucky ones who stole the secret manual and rose to power overnight, and the Blood Worship Cult was not like the Shaolin Temple that was beaten and kicked by the Fire-Worker Monk.

Although we don't know how many tricks he used or how much effort he put into the Dead Sea Scrolls.

But he certainly didn't fully enjoy the Dead Sea Scrolls.

I tried everything I could, but I still couldn't satisfy them...

Of 0.1%.

—A useless black robe!

In the end, the incompetent older brother could only bury it in front of the funeral home.

His last thought before being beheaded, no matter how you interpret it, seems to be, "If I can't have it, neither can you."

—It has become distorted and pathological.

Then Bai Zhou, who happened to be passing by, picked up the bargain.

When Bai Zhou told Ya the unlocking conditions, Ya showed an expression of sudden realization mixed with a sense of bewilderment.

"No wonder the requirements are so demanding."

"Official suppression and the arrival of peacetime have made this condition a pipe dream."

"The Dead Sea Scrolls, which cannot be unlocked, have more symbolic significance than practical significance for the Blood Worship Cult."

"There's nothing I can do about it."

Ultimately, the crow gave this assessment:

"Rather than saying you've acquired a forbidden book, it's more like you're carrying around the ashes of the Blood Worship Cult's ancestor."

"—You absolutely mustn't let them know."

Bai Zhou looked down at the ancient book in his hand, and at the iron chain on its thick spine.

...Is there no other way?

What can you do with a forbidden book that can't be unlocked?
Can it knock someone unconscious?
It seems——

We have to go, to the deeper parts of the Ruins.

I still have to go.

……

At 3:10 a.m., Shirafusa and Yama strolled through the streets.

The streetlights were off, and the air was thick with mist.

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

The intertwining of corals and algae in the water was actually the reflection of the trees and flowers along the street.

"Branch 36 will not let you get away with this."

"This outfit, at this time of day, is too conspicuous to walk on the street."

Ya looked at Bai Zhou, who was wearing a dirty suit and carrying a large suitcase, and offered his suggestion.

"Perhaps you need to find a safe and secluded place to settle down as a temporary base."

Where would be a good place for a homeless person like Shirazu to sleep?

Park benches? They're easy targets for strange people.

Sleeping under a bridge? That seems okay, but it's still not secluded enough.

"so."

"You need a free property."

—That's what the crow said.

This startled Bai Zhou, who waved his hands shyly.

"I'm so sorry..."

This surprise is too big.

I've already learned so much from Teacher Ya, do I still need to stay at someone else's place?
Giving away secret manuals and weapons is one thing, but why give away real estate as well?
That's incredibly generous.

Bai Zhou felt that his teeth seemed to have become softer for some reason, and his face looked even whiter and more delicate in the moonlight.

If things continue like this, how will Bai Zhou ever repay Teacher Ya?

Would you offer yourself in return? It's not that I can't reluctantly consider it...

Then, the crow led the white boat through three blocks...

— We arrived at a row of unfinished buildings.

"Is this the property?"

Bai Zhou blinked.

Beyond the path littered with debris, several jarring buildings stood at the end of an untended grove of trees, resembling the skeleton of a giant gray monster.

The rough cement exterior walls were dusty and gray, with rusty steel bars exposed and whistling in the wind.

The empty windows, without glass, looked down coldly at the overgrown wasteland below, like the eyes of a blind man.

Looking around, all I could see was desolation and darkness, with the moonlight as the only source of light. The air was filled with the chirping of cicadas and crickets, a scene that was both peaceful and strangely eerie.

—Don't even mention comparing it to the urban prosperity we've seen along the way.

Even compared to Dongxing Road, this place is much more remote.

This is the true edge of the city, forgotten by the city.

—Here, if you look up and look around, you can't even see the landmark sign that says "Welcome to the Sea".

"Free property."

Nodding, Crow emphasized the word "free".

"I happened to catch a glimpse of this place from afar when I was passing by just now, and it looked surprisingly nice."

Her expression was very serious, and she genuinely believed that using an unfinished building as a hiding place was a brilliant idea.

—Her idea.

"No intermediaries needed, no troublesome landlords, and no strange roommates."

“It is a desolate, undeveloped area on the edge of the city, a blank, unclaimed land.”

"Not only are there plenty of discarded materials available on-site, but traps can also be set up to hinder potential pursuers..."

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

"look--"

As he spoke, the crow pointed to the dark window on the rooftop not far away.
"That's the best tactical high ground in the vicinity, easy to defend and difficult to attack, allowing for comprehensive monitoring."

"If we set up a Queen Bee-200 heavy machine gun there, we could control this entire road!" "--It would be even better if we had a cannon."

The crow shook its head regretfully.

"But it's okay, you can do some simple blasting rituals around here to act as landmines."

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

Seeing Ya's confident and eloquent manner, Bai Zhou took a deep breath.

—So skilled.

He seemed like a frequent target of his enemies.

He has the air of a notorious wanted criminal.

Bai Zhou's curiosity about Qi Ya's past experiences grew even stronger.

But as Ya recounted the story, Bai Zhou surveyed the dilapidated, unfinished buildings standing silently like haunted houses under the moonlight…

A strange sense of familiar warmth and vague anticipation rose in my heart.

This kind of original "simplicity" is similar to that of the evening city.

The place he lives in Wancheng might not even be as good as the unfinished building by the sea...

A free, secluded corner where one can temporarily find refuge.

It is here.

At four in the morning, the moon in the sky had dimmed considerably.

Bai Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He's "home".

……

Driven by curiosity, Bai Zhou entered an unfinished building to explore.

The place was pitch black, filled with the musty smell of wall dust and broken steel bars and bricks, which made Bai Zhou feel inexplicably emotional.

—When I was reluctantly practicing bench leg exercises at the training base before,
If he had a steel bar to use, how happy he would be!
Unfortunately, belated steel bars are cheaper than grass...

I carefully made my way up to the next floor.

Bai Zhou was pondering whether to find a relatively intact small room to sleep in, or to settle down on the high-rise platform overlooking the entrance.

Suddenly, I smelled an indescribable stench, like that of a dog kennel, mixed with some kind of urine odor.

—The smell of urine?

Bai Zhou was startled and immediately stopped, retreating to the platform at the corner of the stairs.

"Danglang——"

I heard the sound of an empty soda can being kicked over.

But it didn't come from Shiraishu.

The sound seemed like some kind of signal, and a large group of people suddenly appeared in front of him, flashlight beams shining on his face.

Disheveled "wild men" appeared at the end of the stairs, carrying steel bars, and ran down to surround him.

“oi! oi——”

The "wild men" shouted and their noisy voices echoed in the corridor, as if they thought that shouting like this was particularly powerful and could scare Bai Zhou.

What brings you here?

A naked man with long hair and a large beard approached Bai Zhou, emanating a fermented smell that suggested he hadn't bathed for at least a month. He sized Bai Zhou up with an unfriendly expression.

“Just passing by, just passing by!”

"I was just passing by."

Bai Zhou raised his hand to indicate that he meant no harm.
“I didn’t know you were here, I just wanted to find a place to sleep.”

He understood what these people did.

Scavenger.

A wanderer.

It can only be said that great minds think alike; everyone has a special fondness for this building.

I accidentally wandered into their base.

—A camp for scavengers.

The bearded man looked Bai Zhou up and down in his dirty suit, and seeing how he was carrying a briefcase, his expression gradually softened.

Finally, he and Bai Zhou exchanged a knowing glance:
"It seems you're on the same path."

Homeless people often spontaneously band together.

“But we don’t want someone as young as you who runs away from home.”

He shook his head and had no intention of listening to Bai Zhou's explanation.

Just by looking at Bai Zhou's outfit, you can tell... he must come from a good family.

They're just willful kids; we're not like them.

It's not safe either.

"You're not welcome here."

"Get out of here—"

"Go back to your home!"

He pointed to the stairs leading down.

Although his speech was vulgar, Bai Zhou didn't find it offensive.

Being an orphan gave Bai Zhou a keen eye for understanding human nature and social dynamics.

For example, he now knows what this attitude of what appears to be the leader of the scavengers means.

"..."

Standing in the dark corner, Bai Zhou looked up and glanced discreetly at the man behind the bearded man.

Those pairs of eyes sparkled with curiosity, while others were simply sleepy.

But some are greedy, and some have ill intentions.

only……

Come back home?

Where exactly is his home?

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

Someone, a little agitated, shouted at the bearded man, "Boss!"

"What are you doing? What do you want to do!"

The bearded man turned around and glared at him, his beard bristling and eyes wide with a menacing expression.

"He's just a child!"

"If your child ran away from home at this time, wouldn't you be anxious? Wouldn't you be worried?"

"Fine..." the man muttered, lowering his head.

"Alright, alright, everyone disperse!"

The bearded man beckoned to the crowd, making a gesture as if to drive them away.
"Go back to sleep, you have to go to the garbage dump first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Wow—"

Everyone dispersed in a hurry.

However, two people, under the pretext of going to the toilet, secretly got together and slipped out of the unfinished building.

"Did you notice that kid just now?"

Following and watching Bai Zhou's retreating figure, the two crouched behind the bushes.
A skinny, bony man, swinging his toothpick-like arms, his shrewd little eyes gleaming.
"That suit doesn't look cheap."

"Ah."

A burly man with thick eyebrows, wearing a sleeveless white vest, grinned maliciously: "There's definitely something in his briefcase!"

The skinny man winked and asked, "Do you want to...?"

"But what about the boss?" The burly man with thick eyebrows asked with some concern.

"What's there to be afraid of? He won't know."

"Don't rush in yet. Let's follow him and see where he's going."

Like a greedy mouse, the skinny man revealed a sly smile as if he was about to get his meal.

His speech was quite practiced, as if he had victory firmly in his grasp.

"As long as it's fast enough, it can be cleaned up silently."

"—Like last time."

"You saw it yourself just now, just a well-behaved child..."

How much resistance can they possibly have?

As he spoke, the skinny man confidently bent his arm, wanting to show off his biceps.

But as the muscular man looked at the idiot, the skinny man chuckled and put away his stick-like arms, then pulled out a folding knife.

"We have knives!"

"These are the toys that 'adults' should play with."

"Um……"

The burly man with thick eyebrows nodded.

This is indeed convincing.

This folding knife has seen blood... and more than once.

Then, the burly man cautiously peeked out from the bushes and paused for a moment.

"...Where is that kid?"

"broken!"

The skinny man got anxious and immediately crawled out of the bushes, jogging a few steps and looking around.

"Damn kid, he got away!"

He stomped his foot on the ground angrily, his teeth itching with rage.

—We missed out on a big deal!

Such a young child must be healthy.

Even without any valuables, it would still be valuable if taken to the black market and "broken apart" to be sold.

It was all because of that annoying boss that they wasted their time...

"Excuse me, um—"

Suddenly, a shy voice came softly from behind him.

His tone was calm, with a hint of embarrassment, as if he were asking for directions:
"Are you looking for me?"

—Was that the kid from earlier?
He is back?

Am I dreaming?
Walking right into a trap, haha!

The skinny man turned around, half bewildered and half surprised.

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

Suddenly, a cold sweat broke out on my back.

Because a hard, cold, black object was pressed against his head.

"What a coincidence, we meet again."

The seemingly harmless "good boy" who had obediently left after being rejected gave him a shy smile.

"I knew it! Why were you all staring at me like that?"

"Are you worried about something?"

The boy was holding an object that was both familiar and unfamiliar to the two of them, and he was pointing it at the skinny man's forehead.

With a clang,
The skinny guy's "dangerous" adult toy—a folding knife—fell to the ground.

Beside him, the muscular man in the white vest was already terrified.

He spread his arms wide, leaning tightly against the rough tree, his mouth wide open and tongue lolling out, yet he dared not utter a single sound.

...Under the moonlight, the object faintly reflected a cool light.

—It's a gun.

(End of this chapter)