Embers Ad Infinitum

To the Old Task Force, the name Qiao Chu not only represented a military exoskeleton, but it also symbolized their past weakness and powerlessness.

It was the first time they had encountered the danger of being unable to fight back. They had barely escaped his control through various fortuitous encounters.

If anything had gone wrong, they would’ve been wiped out. Therefore, even Long Yuehong—who didn’t bear grudges—had beef with Qiao Chu.

“Yes.” Jiang Baimian nodded. “That wolf might very well be in a situation of ‘uncontrollable charm.’ However, we can’t be sure if this is the price it paid for its Awakening or an ability obtained from mutation.”

“Just like the Nightmare Horse and Ghost Cat from before.” Bai Chen also had a deep impression of Xiaochong’s ‘pets.’

Jiang Baimian tersely acknowledged her words. “Forget it. There’s no need for us to join in the fun. We’ll just sell a piece of information to the guild later. Let’s hope that it helps the hunters who accepted the mission.”

“This can also raise some supplies to exchange for the mechanical arm and exoskeleton.” Long Yuehong found the idea of selling information excellent.

Jiang Baimian replied with a grin, “Actually, with the information we have, it will be easy for us to exchange for the mechanical arm and exoskeleton if we really divulge everything. However, the company won’t let us off for that.”

As they chatted, Shang Jianyao returned from his shower, and it was Long Yuehong’s turn.

As they were exhausted from their traveling, they didn’t wait for lights out in Weed City’s residential area before going to bed in the darkness.

In the silence that seemed to ebb slowly, Jiang Baimian suddenly sighed. “I hope the trip to First City will end well.”

Shang Jianyao—who was on the upper bunk—replied, “I’m calculating how many people in First City owe us a feast. Bai Xiao, Lin Tong’s team, Oudick, and Han Wanghuo…”

Jiang Baimian decided to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep.

…

At 7 a.m. the next day, the sky lit up, and the entire city was revived once again.

While walking on South Street, Long Yuehong looked around and said in surprise, “Why aren’t many breakfast shops open?”

He remembered that although it was winter the last time they came, there were many shops that sold breakfast here. Their business was pretty good, and it could even be considered popular. After all, most Ruin Hunters didn’t have a home here and only rented rooms for a short period of time. They couldn’t cook and could only buy food on the streets.

The dry and coarse but cheap cornbread matched with 1 Cass per cup of warm water was their favorite.

But today, apart from the three to four breakfast shops doing business, the rest were closed. Even the ones selling breakfast had average business.

It was understandable if the streets were deserted and pedestrians were few. However, Long Yuehong swept his gaze and saw a large number of Ruin Hunters in tattered clothes gathering at Central Square as if they were waiting for something.

Bai Chen was also a little puzzled. “Usually, breakfast business is very good during this season.”

Ruin Hunters in the surrounding area would gather in Weed City.

Shang Jianyao looked at Central Square with an eager expression. “There might be something interesting happening.”

“Yes, let’s go take a look.” Jiang Baimian was in no rush to have breakfast.

They walked along a street that could only accommodate two side-by-side cars. They trod on green or grayish-white stone bricks and walked to Central Square among four to five-storey buildings with eaves and arches.

Before they really approached, they heard a bell gong.

The bell echoed in Weed City in the early morning. It was long and ethereal as if it could cleanse everyone’s hearts.

Clang!

Clang!

The bell rang another two more times as the Ruin Hunters and local residents of South Street rushed to Central Square. Most of them held all kinds of lunch boxes and large bowls made of various materials.

Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen became increasingly puzzled.

Shang Jianyao quickened his pace and entered the crowd.

They soon arrived at Central Square. What greeted their noses was the complex smells that would inevitably arise when there were many people.

It had to be known that many Ruin Hunters often didn’t shower for two to three weeks. Some had already developed such habits.

After all, apart from Weed City and Redstone Collection—which occupied relatively abundant water sources—many settlements would occasionally use polluted water sources to survive.

It was also because of this that the Water Conservation Committee or similar institutions had a high status in many factions.

After getting used to the environment, Long Yuehong took in a whiff of the fragrance of the porridge cooked from rice.

At this moment, a voice with obvious electronic artificialness echoed in the square. “Patrons, please line up.”

Shang Jianyao’s eyes lit up as he shouted, “Which Zen Master is it?”

Nobody paid him any attention.

Most people in Central Square seemed to have sufficient experience. It didn’t take long for a long and neat line to form.

The crowd circled the square a few times, allowing Jiang Baimian and the others to see the situation where the sound came from.

At the intersection of the municipal square and the building where the library was, a grayish-white water tower stood proudly.

Under the water tower was a wooden frame with an iron-black bell hanging from it.

A robot in a yellow monk robe and a red kasaya stood on the wooden platform. He held a bell mallet and faced the crowd as he chanted, “Namo Annutara-Samyak-Subhuti. Patrons, please listen to This Penniless Monk. Everything is illusory, but consciousness is real. All reality a phantom, and all phantoms real…”

On the side of the mechanical monk’s wooden platform were several iron pots. Each pot contained simmering porridge that wasn’t too thin.

Near the iron pots was a table. On it were white or yellow buns and stacked medium-sized bowls.

The gathered people lined up in an orderly manner. As they listened to the scriptures, they waited for the mechanical monk’s human servants to scoop them a spoonful of porridge and give them two buns.

“Xu Liyan fulfilled his promise to the Monks Conclave…” Jiang Baimian sighed with emotion as she came to a realization.

The promise was to allow the Monks Conclave’s mechanical monks—who didn’t lose control easily—to preach at Weed City.

Long Yuehong curiously asked a passerby who passed by him, “How often does this happen?”

“It’s now once a month. It’s said that there are two additional Buddhist festivals a year,” the passerby quickly replied.

He didn’t want to delay the line.

When the time came, the porridge and buns might run out.

“How extravagant.” Long Yuehong sighed.

Jiang Baimian smiled. “The Monks Conclave don’t have to eat porridge or steamed buns. It’s quite a good solution for the food they exchanged for.”

As the Old Task Force spoke, a person sized them up from the library’s entrance. This person was in his twenties and had some Red River lineage. He had relatively deep facial features and was none other than Weed City’s Castellan, Xu Liyan.

He wasn’t dressed formally today, making himself look like an ordinary citizen. However, he didn’t have any clothes that had traces of sewing, making him look a little different.

Xu Liyan did so because he wanted to visit Pangu Biology’s four-person team in a friendly manner. But before he could implement this plan, he discovered Shang Jianyao, Jiang Baimian, and the others in the square.

This team is powerful and has special abilities. I don’t know what they are doing to return to Weed City. I can only build a relationship with them first. It’ll be easier to talk to them when the time comes… Xu Liyan muttered to himself silently. He straightened his clothes and signaled to the bodyguards around him.

At this moment, he saw Shang Jianyao take out a lunch box from his tactical backpack and rush to the end of the line.

Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen followed closely behind.

“…” Xu Liyan suddenly wondered if he had recognized the wrong people. If he hadn’t experienced it himself, there was no way he would’ve believed that the four people in front of him were powerful figures judging from what the Qian Bai Team was doing.

With your abilities, why line up for such free food… Xu Liyan exhaled and walked over. When he approached, he had a smile on his face.

Before he could greet him, Shang Jianyao had already seen the other. He pointed in front of him in surprise, joy, and excitement and shouted, “Here, here!”

Xu Liyan was stunned for a second before awkwardly shuffling his feet and cutting in line under everyone’s gazes.

His bodyguards quietly scattered around and dutifully completed their missions. Among them were the two Awakened Xu Liyan hired with a large sum of money.

Xu Liyan calmed down and pretended to complain. “When did you guys come? Why didn’t you look for me?”

Jiang Baimian—who was behind Shang Jianyao—smiled first. “We’re just passing by. We won’t be staying for long.”

“Is that so…” Xu Liyan secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

After chatting for a while, as the crowd kept moving forward, Xu Liyan casually asked, “Why did Uncle Zhao look for you yesterday?”