Chapter 696: Night Moves and Unusual Encounters

After having supper, it was already very late when Lu Xin returned home alone.

Wawa wanted to follow him, but she was whisked away as if kidnapped by members of the nanny teams.

Watching Wawa’s pitiful eyes as she was loaded into the car, Lu Xin suddenly felt as if he were part of a scene from an old movie.

Damn, rich families…

……

……

After seeing Wawa off, he drove his Jeep through the slumbering city.

Be it facing the truth before Teacher Xiao Lu or the satisfying dinner, his mood had brightened considerably.

He arrived beneath the Old Apartment Building, parked his car by the roadside, and left the car keys inside.

This car belongs to the Special Cleaning Department and must be returned.

After all, he owns three Jeeps himself; why would he want theirs?

Anyway, since it’s a Special Cleaning Department vehicle, they’ll naturally send someone to retrieve it. And if a thief ever dares to fancy it…

…Lu Xin would sympathize with him.

Not in a hurry to go upstairs, Lu Xin circled around the old building, examining it carefully.

He had previously mentioned to Chen Jing and the others that he had moved an old building to Flame City, which had startled them.

But in reality, as someone who experienced it firsthand, Lu Xin was equally amazed upon reflection.

This was a real, bona fide old building.

From the cement and bricks to the foundations and steel framework, everything was genuinely in place.

How on earth did he manage to relocate it from one city to another?

Moreover, if he could actually haul it to Central City, would the plan even be feasible?

After making a full circuit around the building, Lu Xin marveled with quiet astonishment.

Strangely, even though the building had been moved once, the foundation remained perfectly aligned with no sign of disruption.

Normally, even an ordinary stone left in one spot for a long time would show traces if moved and returned, but this old building showed no signs of being touched.

“Incredible…”

Lu Xin glanced down at his right hand, shaking his head in wonder and reflection.

His right palm, pierced by a nail, throbbed slightly as if something were still lodged there.

Turning to head upstairs, he noticed that the ambiance in the hallway felt different.

Perhaps it was because of the unsettling scene he witnessed inside the old building during his clash with the Mental Monster army of the Cangzhang Sect, a preconception had taken root. Previously, entering an old building felt like stepping into a realm of complete silence and death.

Yet this time, he sensed a distinct disarray inside.

Many things hid in unlit shadowy corners and behind closed doors…

As he ascended the steps, a flurry of commotion broke out—either frantic scurrying or fearful stares fixed on him.

He could even sense the soft, incessant scratching sounds and scattered, faint drafts of air.

“Ahem…”

Upon reaching Apartment 401 on the fourth floor, he couldn’t help but let out a cough at the overwhelming disorder.

Instantly, the chaotic hallway fell into an eerie silence.

Lu Xin exhaled softly, quickened his pace, and arrived at Apartment 401. He gently pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Warm light immediately poured in.

The coldness of the hallway was dispelled, and his eyes fluttered as he saw his family gathered together.

His sister was comfortably seated on the sofa watching TV, clutching a toy teddy bear that had been torn and mended, while her little feet playfully pinched a yellow Screaming Chicken. As she watched the cartoon ‘Pleasant Goat,’ the sound of a sudden scream would occasionally break through.

This unique blend of cartoon laughter and sporadic screams gave the scene a distinctive atmosphere.

His father was busy cooking in the kitchen, with the pressure cooker bubbling away.

Instead of making a phone call, Mom gracefully set the table, having replaced the tablecloth, with rice and vegetables already arranged.

“Huh?”

Taking in the heartwarming atmosphere, Lu Xin paused and asked, “Are we celebrating?”

“Yes,”

Mom glanced at him and smiled, “Wash your hands quickly; we’ve been waiting for you.”

Embarrassed, Lu Xin replied, “But I’ve already eaten…”

“Hmm?”

Mom at the dining table looked up; his sister on the sofa turned her head; even his father peeked out from the kitchen.

Their eyes, tinged with a hint of reproach, all turned toward him.

Lu Xin’s skin prickled as he hastily said, “I suppose I could eat a bit more…”

Then his family returned to their tasks, and the atmosphere became warm and delightful once more.

After washing his hands, Lu Xin looked at the rice and vegetables on the table, savoring the blissful life. Recalling the eerie sounds in the hallway, he took a bowl of rice, added some vegetables, and stepped out.

In the corridor, countless unseen things crowded together in chaotic clusters.

They seemed to be jostling, all eager to peer in through the door cracks.

“Squeak…”

Suddenly, the door swung open, and bright light flooded the dark corridor.

All the commotion and clamor scattered in fright, vanishing without a trace.

Lu Xin glanced down the empty hallway, placed the bowl of rice by the door, and stepped back inside.

The moment the room door closed, the corridor erupted again in even more tangled, chaotic activity.

“Squeak…”

The door unexpectedly opened once more, and Lu Xin stood in the doorway.

Everything in the corridor froze, as countless invisible eyes fixed blankly on the figure at the entrance.

After a moment, Lu Xin stuck a pair of chopsticks into the rice, then retreated back inside.

The corridor fell silent for a moment before erupting into lively, festive chaos again, once it was clear he wouldn’t emerge.

……

……

With a satisfied smile, Lu Xin sat down at the dining table.

If this was a celebration, then even the entities in the corridor had contributed during his clash with the Cangzhang Sect.

So naturally, he’d share a bit with them—even if it was just a bowl of rice.

Mom, his sister, and his father were all seated at the table. Although they had already eaten, Lu Xin still picked up his bowl. It wasn’t about the food—it was about being with family, and after foiling the Cangzhang Sect’s plan in Flame City, he couldn’t help but reflect, despite delayed discussions and analyses over trivial matters…

“There’s nothing more to discuss.”

But when Lu Xin spoke, Mom smiled and said, “Even though this plan is a bit complicated, it’s not something to dwell on. There will be many more such events in the future. They might never play fair, but the advantage will always be on our side.”

“Alright…”

Seeing Mom’s confident smile, Lu Xin lowered his head and took a few bites.

This time, he really came out ahead.

During the skirmish in Flame City, the Cangzhang Sect’s Domination Chain was apparently confiscated by Doctor An of the Moon Eclipse Research Institute. According to Mom, Doctor An would distribute it as payment to Number Seven and the Woman Wearing a Crown of Thorns, while their family got nothing. In the end, Lu Xin was lucky enough to receive a bit of flesh gifted by the Cangzhang Sect—so…

Not bad.

What could rival the flesh from the Cangzhang Sect and the Pale Hand’s palm?

After wolfing down a few bites, Lu Xin quietly asked, “Am I really that formidable now?”

“Huh?”

Both his sister and his father looked up at him in curiosity.

Mom smiled gracefully and tenderly, her eyes gently fixed on Lu Xin as she asked, “What do you think?”

“I’m a bit stronger than before…”

Lu Xin nodded softly and added, “Then, can I confidently face the Orphanage Director’s fifth trial?”

The room’s lights flickered like unstable electrical currents.

Though the change was brief and subtle, it caused a delicate shift in the room’s atmosphere.

Lu Xin asked with earnest seriousness.

He recalled how Mom had gone to great lengths—even revealing her less poised side in public—just to help him secure the Pale Hand, which was not merely for countering the Cangzhang Sect. Her very first words revealed her true motive: to strengthen her hand against the Orphanage Director’s trial.

Lu Xin was reluctant to admit the fear within him.

The arrival of Number Eight had truly heightened his tension—a state of unpredictable change.

What if it were the Orphanage Director who came?

Deep inside, he anxiously yearned for Mom’s reassurance.

……

……

After hearing Lu Xin, Mom fell silent for a moment, holding a glass cup to her lips but not drinking.

After a while, she shook her head and said frankly, “I really don’t know.”

Then, a gentle smile spread across her face as she added, “But if we’ve done our best, there’s nothing to fear, right?”

The atmosphere in the room became tender and comforting.

It seemed that both his wide-eyed sister and his father were silently nodding in agreement.

“Our best effort, you say?”

Lu Xin silently pondered.

Mom had clearly given her all for the family—a truly moving sight.

His sister, too, was trying her best, even at her young age.

As for his father…well, perhaps he was doing his best as well.

But what about him?

……

……

Munching slowly, Lu Xin contemplated before setting his bowl down and softly said,

“I encountered Number Eight.”

Mom looked at him quietly, nodding as if she had known all along.

Lu Xin continued, “He’s grown up now—a chief executioner at the Midnight Tribunal. He said he swung by to see us, so I treated him to dinner. He even invited me to watch him execute his judgments on others. The process was… bloody and complex. I had so much to say to him, but I never quite found the courage. The only thing I’m sure of is that I…”

After a pause, he precisely described it: “I envy him.”

“Right or wrong, Number Eight really knows what he wants and does what he must…”

“Compared to him, I’ve been muddling through these years without truly knowing my own story…”

“I haven’t worked as hard as he did; when it comes to his issues, I just can’t give a clear answer…”

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t been serious enough.”

“…”

As Lu Xin spoke, his face showed a trace of dejection.

“Brother…”

Noticing his expression, his sister softly called out and reached to grasp his hand.

Her little face was filled with worry and tender sympathy.

While holding his hand, she cautiously glanced toward his head.

Not sure what she saw, just a quick glimpse made her recoil in alarm, her voice dropping instinctively:

“But, brother, after all these years…”

“You’ve been carrying such a heavy burden all along…”