Chapter 578: Embers in the Ruins

Xia Chong’s silhouette vanished among the ruins. On this desolate land, it seemed Lu Xin was the only one left.

Surveying the terrain around him, he clambered up the wall and onto the edge of a crumbling high-rise near the outskirts. He sat right at the ledge with his legs dangling, quietly gazing north, as he pulled a crumpled cigarette from his pocket.

The view was expansive here, ensuring that when the Hell’s Messenger appeared, he would catch its trail immediately.

After taking out his cigarette, Lu Xin sighed and retrieved his delicate Zippo lighter, giving it a quick wipe.

…No flame?

Fiddling with it for a moment, he disassembled the mechanism to find the sponge bone-dry and out of fuel.

He had spent too long earlier trying to light it for Xia Chong’s sake.

He rifled through his things and found the cigarette case and another lighter that Vice President Xiao had given him, but neither would spark.

They must have been unused for too long.

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Lu Xin felt a twinge of resignation. He looked up blankly at the barren wilderness.

After all, he prided himself on having a substantial savings of ten million, and another two million was about to hit his account…

…Yet now, he couldn’t even light a cigarette?

…

A sudden wave of defeat washed over him. After some serious thought, he decided against calling Xia Chong to send over a lighter.

Guess he’d just have to wait for the mission to wrap up and then hunt for another.

Lu Xin sighed in exasperation, letting his mind drift.

The perks for ability users from Central City like Xia Chong and her crew really were pretty good…

And speaking of perks, money was another matter.

He also thought about that cash from Number Seven’s guitar—it was definitely something he planned to reclaim.

Moreover, Number Seven’s work wasn’t exactly honorable; she had taken to the wastelands to work as a robber. But if she’d been in that line for years, she might have raked in a good sum. Too bad someone with her abilities was nearly impossible to catch.

He needed to consider his next move carefully—what plan would prevent her from slipping away the next time they met?

The thought of the children at the orphanage drifted into his mind as well.

Number Seven was alive, Little Nineteen was alive, and his sister… was still living a happy life by his side.

But just how many children remained alive in the orphanage?

What about the taciturn Number One?

The one with perpetually round little eyes since childhood, Number Two?

Number Three, who loved to squat in the corner like a wild man, baring his skin and even eating raw rats?

The brawler, Number Five?

The tattletale, Number Eight?

And then there were Greedy Number Eleven, Sleepwalking Number Twelve, and Number Fourteen who always scared everyone by hanging from the rafters…

…

Gradually, a strange warmth began to swell in Lu Xin’s heart.

How he longed for them…

In Heichao City, he felt as if he’d been trapped in a vivid nightmare. In that nightmare, he endlessly approached the most hopeless sea, but upon waking, he felt an intense, clear surge of emotion in his heart.

Though he was reluctant to admit it, he realized he’d grown a bit sentimental.

He found himself missing Teacher Xiao Lu from Qinggang and even those classmates he thought he’d never see again.

Even Number Seven—he missed her and longed to see her face once more.

Missing her and wanting to kill her were two entirely different things.

…

…

Lost in his thoughts, Lu Xin allowed his emotions to leap from one memory to another. Beneath the Red Moon, he appeared as nothing more than a guy perched on the edge of a dilapidated building, swinging his legs while idly puffing on a cigarette.

Yet in his memories, he was immersed in a bittersweet mix of joy and sorrow.

Whenever he recalled happier times, he instinctively tried to spark his lighter, only to see a burst of sparks again.

He craved a smoke. When would the Hell’s Messenger show up? This delay was really a hassle…

Just as he pondered this, the distant drone of an engine began to intrude.

Lu Xin turned his head to see a convoy slowly driving in from the far end of the abandoned town, silhouetted by the Red Moon.

None of the vehicles had their lights on; they moved cautiously, guided by the moonlight along the road.

The friction of tires against the road produced a soft, sandy rustle.

As they drew nearer, he recognized a convoy of about seven or eight vehicles. Up front were armored ‘Steel Monsters’ with reinforced bodies and bumpers, armed with heavy weaponry. Trailing behind was a towering, jet-black truck.

“Just a passing convoy?”

Lu Xin mused silently, wondering if he could borrow some fire from them.

“Creak…”

The convoy reached the town’s edge but didn’t venture into the maze of broken streets. Instead, they parked just outside the town.

Soon, many people poured out, huddling together and discussing something. Then one team after another broke off, each armed with a mini flashlight, swiftly scouring the ruined town as if checking for ambushes.

Seeing how tense they were, Lu Xin remained seated, keeping quiet.

He didn’t want to stir up trouble or provoke them.

After all, the town wasn’t large; most buildings had collapsed and it was all very obvious.

Several small teams quickly swept the area. One of these teams soon approached the three-story building where Lu Xin had taken refuge, and footsteps began rapidly echoing from the base of the building toward the upper floors.

On closer inspection, the sounds of heavy leather boots pounding the ground mixed with the clatter and scrape of firearms.

It appeared to be a fully armed squad.

…

…

Not wanting to cause any trouble, Lu Xin stayed put in silence.

They were obviously on high alert for an important matter.

Any attempt to speak up might trigger an aggressive response.

Perhaps once they finished searching the building they would leave. After all, no one would think to check the roof, right?

Just as he was thinking this, footsteps raced through the room on the lower floor, pausing briefly as if about to depart. Then suddenly, a low voice said, “There’s a staircase going to the roof. Go check it out.”

“Is it really necessary to be so cautious?”

A team member muttered, “We’re just picking up cargo. Why all the nerves?”

Another added, “If there were an ambush, there wouldn’t be just one person—it would have been spotted long ago…”

…

“Enough chatter,”

another voice hissed in reprimand, “You want the team leader to derail you?”

A third instructed quietly, “Finish checking here, then move on quickly.”

…

The reprimanded member fell silent as the sound of climbing echoed. A few people reached the rooftop.

They crouched with guns in hand, their mini flashlights sweeping over the empty roof before they prepared to leave.

But just as they turned, one of them sensed something off.

Rigidly, he spun back and pointed at the side of the building in one swift motion.

Under the beam of his mini flashlight sat a young man on the ledge, slowly turning to face them.

His expression mixed resignation with awkwardness, yet he managed a warm, friendly smile and said:

“Hi there, got any fire?”

…

“Whoosh…”

The feeling among the group was indescribable.

An abandoned town, a silent, dilapidated building filled with spiderwebs, and empty rooms and stairs—places where no one should be—yet here was a gentle young man borrowing fire from them.

Their skin prickled instantly; every hair on their body stood on end.

One of them trembled as he nearly pulled the trigger. Only after a simultaneous shudder that lasted two or three seconds did they suddenly raise their guns high, staring down at Lu Xin.

Fingers tightening on the trigger, with safety already off, they shouted in a trembling voice, “Who… who are you?”

“Keep your hands up!”

…

“What’s the matter?”

Facing the dark barrels pointed at him, Lu Xin raised his hands slowly, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

He was just sitting there waiting—what harm was he causing?

“Who… who are you?”

“Get up quickly, and drop your weapon…”

…

Seeing Lu Xin raise his hands, the three armed men relaxed slightly, though their voices still trembled and none dared to let go of their triggers. It was just too unsettling to encounter someone like him in the middle of the night.

Lu Xin was a simple man.

He never thought that waiting for someone in the dead of night would inconvenience anyone.

Yet, seeing them so frightened while still holding guns, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

So he stood up and turned toward them, saying, “Don’t get worked up—I’m not a bad guy.”

“I’m just waiting for someone. I have nothing to do with you…”

…

He kept insisting he wasn’t a bad person…

Would a decent person really spend the night alone in such a forsaken place?

The three soldiers couldn’t afford any mistakes. They kept their guns trained on Lu Xin, ready to fire at the slightest unusual move. The leader quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie strapped to his collar and reported in a low voice that an unusual person had been spotted.

Soon, a voice crackled through the radio, “Bring him in.”

“Let’s move.”

Several guns were now leveled at Lu Xin’s face, leaving no room for doubt.

“Um…”

Lu Xin paused and rapidly weighed a few options in his mind.

Although the group seemed a bit overbearing, it wasn’t enough of a misunderstanding to warrant deadly force.

But if a conflict broke out, they would undoubtedly open fire on him.

Even if he could subdue them before they fired, their comrades would likely rush in immediately.

That could easily turn into a shootout, with casualties on both sides.

After all, if they were ready to shoot, it meant they intended to take his life in that instant…

In the interest of mutual survival, if they wanted to kill him, he might feel compelled to fight back.

So, to protect them as well…

He hesitated briefly, raised his hand, and nodded as he said, “Alright, alright. Don’t get worked up—I’ll come with you.”

“By the way, with all these of you around, surely someone has a light, right?”