I Am Your Natural Enemy

Chapter 18 - 18 Going Home

Wen Yan gazed at Feng Yao’s receding figure, sighing inwardly. In the end, he’d still been bought off by empty promises.

The follow-up and wrap-up weren’t his business. He didn’t need to take care of it; someone else would write the report, someone else would handle reimbursements. Apart from the danger during the fights, everything else about this job was incredibly comfortable.

Zhang Laoxi, who had been waiting at the side for quite a while, had a hint of envy in his eyes. He knew that all the things Feng Yao promised actually came true.

If Feng Yao was willing to spin those promises for this long, that at least meant one thing: Wen Yan was definitely worth more.

”Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.” Zhang Laoxi came over, grinning. ”I’m done with work anyway, and I’ve got nothing else to do.”

”Thanks, then. I’m heading to this address.” Wen Yan gave him an address.

He happened to need to consult a professional, so he took out the jade pendant.

”Is there a way to let her come out during the day?”

”Inside the house, it’s not a big problem.” Zhang Laoxi just glanced at the jade pendant and didn’t take it in hand. He added, ”But she’s about to dissipate—the jade pendant can’t protect her anymore.”

”Then let’s go.”

On the way, Wen Yan remembered the prize winner that Feng Yao had mentioned earlier.

”Do you know Tuoba Martial God from the Scorching Sun Department?”

”Of course I know. Number one expert in the Nanwu County Scorching Sun Department. He’s obsessed with martial training—just can’t help himself. A typical martial arts fanatic. He rarely makes a move and appears even less often.

Last year, a domain with an ancient-time environment popped up in Qingyun Mountain. Supposedly, it was sealing off an ancient demon. When the Scorching Sun Department first investigated, they suffered heavy casualties.

Later, they even used ’training exercises’ as a cover and blasted Qingyun Mountain with artillery, but still couldn’t completely wipe the thing out.

From that point on, this domain was rated the first sixth-level domain in Nanwu County by the Scorching Sun Department.

Then, Tuoba Martial God—who hadn’t shown himself for a whole year—went in at 8 pm. By 9 pm, the Yang energy he unleashed, so intense it didn’t seem human, had burned a hole through the domain, and he walked out from inside.

I was at least twenty or thirty miles away at the time and could still feel the terrifying strength of his Yang energy. Just by standing there and letting his aura leak out, he made every hidden evil spirit in all of Yu State City pack up and move out that night.”

”Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?” Wen Yan muttered in awe.

”Not at all! The Scorching Sun Department really caught quite a few evil things trying to skip town overnight. I even caught a little monster carrying trace blood energy and used the opportunity to swap it at the Scorching Sun Department for some good stuff.

House prices in Yu State went up again last year, and I think it’s actually got something to do with this incident. I’ve heard a lot of the Scorching Sun Department personnel’s families have settled in Yu State City.

If I ever get rich, I’ll move to Yu State City too—and just go out to earn money if I need to.”

”...”

Wen Yan was speechless. He’d never thought about any of this before. These secret things, unknown to ordinary people, had already quietly started affecting everyone’s life.

The two of them chatted like this all the way to Donghua Residential Area, where the little dental nurse lived.

The environment here was really nice—the greenery was lush, the spacing between buildings was wide, and there was a good separation between cars and pedestrians. It was basically the most expensive real estate in Virtue City.

North from this complex was the newly planned district; this area was the required route between the old and new areas. Housing prices here were still slowly rising.

Zhang Laoxi parked the car in a roadside space. They walked into the complex together. At the gate, the security guard stopped them, but after Zhang Laoxi said something, the guard’s expression changed and he quickly opened the access gate for them both.

”What did you say to him?” Wen Yan was curious.

”I told him their boss invited me. If they didn’t let me in, I’d change into my Taoist robe and do my work right at the door.”

”You know their boss?”

”Before they broke ground here, I came to do the feng shui.”

”You know that stuff too?”

”A man’s gotta eat. Use whatever works.”

Wen Yan realized he’d probably underestimated Old Xi before. Thinking about it, that made sense—how is Feng Yao as a person?

Feng Yao’d rather be short-staffed than bring in someone fake. If Old Xi got urgently called in by Feng Yao, he must have some real skills.

Besides, even if you set all that aside, just imagine a Taoist holding a ritual at a residential gate—the mere rumor would crash the housing prices immediately in this kind of complex.

They made their way to Wang Xin’s building. There was a security door, and Wen Yan handed the jade pendant to Zhang Laoxi.

”Let’s just stop here. If I suddenly show up at their door, that’d be a bit much.”

After all, he worked at the Funeral Home. This line of work actually had quite a few unspoken rules—mainly to be considerate of others and avoid unnecessary conflict.

During holidays, you don’t pay New Year visits. If you’re not close, it’s best not to visit anyone’s home without warning.

Zhang Laoxi nodded, took the jade pendant, and pulled a black umbrella from his backpack. After opening it and chanting softly, they saw smoky wisps fly out from the jade pendant, forming Wang Xin’s figure under the black umbrella.

The little nurse’s face looked completely dead, her form a bit transparent, standing on the ground as if she might drift upward at any moment.

”Go now. Remember—not to touch anything, don’t stay too long. It’s not good for your family. Go there and come back quickly, don’t get any other ideas. Wen Yan brought you here, and he’s already taking a risk.”

Zhang Laoxi sternly instructed.

He’d originally thought Wen Yan was looking to keep a female ghost for himself, but later realized Wen Yan was just doing a good deed, and Feng Yao just turned a blind eye and let it be.

But that was only possible on the premise that nothing went wrong. If something did, Wen Yan would have to take responsibility.

He felt that anyone who’d do this kind of thing couldn’t have a completely hard and blackened heart, definitely someone worth befriending.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered tagging along with Wen Yan for the trip.

He’d seen enough cold-blooded people, and plenty of evil spirits too. That just made him prefer hanging around people who weren’t so bad.

”Go on, hurry.” Wen Yan waved to Wang Xin.

Wang Xin was tongue-tied, wanting to express her thanks but not knowing how. She just bowed deeply to them both, then turned and drifted through the wall into the building.

Zhang Laoxi held up the black umbrella and let out a sigh.

”That girl’s definitely kind at heart. Stayed so long inside that domain, still has clear eyes and no resentment clinging to her. The moment she left the domain, she started to dissipate—she must never have hurt anyone. That’s rare.”

”The first time I stumbled into a domain, she helped me. Later on, she even gave me tons of intel...”

”Sigh. What a shame.”

Wen Yan fell silent, took out a pack of cigarettes, and offered them to Zhang Laoxi, letting him take one by himself. The two of them stood downstairs, quietly waiting.

Upstairs, Wang Xin made her way home. Seeing the familiar setting, she couldn’t help but want to cry, but was now so weak she couldn’t even shed tears.

In the kitchen, her mother sat on a little stool, wearing reading glasses, rubbing soaked green beans and picking out the leftover skins—meticulous as ever, just like always.

Wang Xin stood to the side, quietly watching for a long time, just like when she was a kid. Back then she’d squat nearby for ages just to get a chance to say ”put more sugar in” at the right moment.

Her mother, after finishing with the beans, stood up. For a second a natural smile appeared on her face as she glanced outside the kitchen.

The next moment, the smile vanished. She stared at the little stool by the kitchen door—her daughter used to love sitting there to watch, and even when she got older, still liked watching from there.

Back then, she always made a joke out of adding more sugar for Wang Xin—first her daughter begged for ”more sugar,” and later, grew up to tell her to ”add less sugar.”

Wang Xin stood at the door, her face both smiling and crying as she called out,

”It tastes fine without extra sugar.”

The old lady seemed startled, as if she’d heard something, and looked around.

At that moment, Wang Xin’s father walked out of the room and saw her mother holding the sugar, so he couldn’t help but say,

”Don’t add sugar. Your blood sugar was eight this morning.”

Wang Xin’s mother said nothing, simply put the sugar back without a word.

Wang Xin turned to look at her father. His hair was much whiter now; he no longer even bothered to dye it. He used to care a lot about his white hair.

Her father just said those two sentences and didn’t speak further, picking up a broom and a cloth, and started cleaning.

He even went into her room, wiping the desk and open bookshelf, even though there was barely any dust.

Wang Xin just stood there, watching the trivial routines of home, sobbing silently. After half an hour, she finally tore herself away and went to the door, murmured softly,

”Dad, Mom, try to go for walks when you can, eat less sweets, take care of yourselves. And... I’m leaving.”

Wang Xin left home. In the kitchen, her mother turned back and looked toward the main door.

”Old Wang, did you hear anything? I think... I think I heard Xinxin telling me to eat less sweets...”