Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 20: Home?

In the wind and snow, Xu Qing returned to the courtyard. Before he could enter, he heard Captain Lei’s cheerful laughter from inside.

Accompanied by bursts of barking, Xu Qing pushed open the door and saw over a dozen stray dogs in the yard.

They lay there, coldly staring at Xu Qing. Xu Qing swept his gaze over them without emitting any sharp aura. With just that one glance, the dozen or so stray dogs bristled and slowly retreated.

A soft exclamation of surprise came from Captain Lei’s room.

As the door opened, Cross and Luan Ya walked out. They looked at Xu Qing, then at the dozen or so stray dogs. Cross smiled slightly.

“Kid, they say you have a very heavy killing aura,” Luan Ya said, squatting down and gently stroking the head of a stray dog beside her, smiling at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing didn’t speak, looking instead at Captain Lei, who was now emerging from the room.

Captain Lei wore a thick fur coat and held a tobacco pouch. As he stepped out, he pointed at Luan Ya and said with some helplessness, “This girl Luan Ya thinks I’m injured and worries about safety in the camp, so she insisted on sending these dozen or so stray dogs to guard the house.”

These words were simple, but Xu Qing understood.

Captain Lei hadn’t told them about Xu Qing’s matters, just as Xu Qing hadn’t mentioned the singing incident, leaving the choice to Captain Lei. Similarly, Captain Lei left the decision of whether to reveal this matter to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing nodded, took out the leather bag containing the White Pills, and handed it to Captain Lei.

Captain Lei took it, glanced inside, smiled, and didn’t stand on ceremony. “Alright, I do need this stuff, but don’t buy it anymore in the future. I have plenty of savings, enough to buy it myself.” After saying this, he looked at Cross.

“Cross, the kid is back too. Whatever you have to say, you can say it now.”

Cross put away his smile, his expression turning serious as he slowly spoke. “This time we came for two reasons.”

“The first is the captain’s medicine. Luan Ya and I have already bought it, about a month’s supply. As for later, we’ll buy more after it’s used up.” As he spoke, Cross untied a leather bag from his waist and placed it to the side.

“The second matter is, because of the Blood Shadow Squad’s annihilation, although other scavengers also participated in the previous Seven-Leaf Grass gathering, none gathered as much as we did.”

“Yesterday, Luan Ya and I went to the camp leader to hand over the goods and collect the reward, but… the camp leader still habitually deducted it. He didn’t give three Clear Dust Pills, only one.” Cross said, looking at Luan Ya.

Luan Ya took out four leather bags and placed them to the side, then took out a wooden box. In front of everyone, she opened it, revealing a green pill the size of a pigeon egg inside.

A medicinal fragrance wafted out, clearly indicating this pill was far superior to the White Pills.

“Barbarian Ghost has no relatives. I decided to split his share. These four leather bags contain our respective Spirit Coins. As for this Clear Dust Pill…”

Cross trailed off here, looking at Captain Lei, waiting for his distribution.

“Give it to the kid,” Captain Lei said calmly. At this moment, the aura of the Thunder Squad captain seemed to return to him somewhat.

Cross nodded. Luan Ya was momentarily stunned, then seemed thoughtful. They had previously asked Captain Lei what happened in the jungle, but Captain Lei hadn’t said. This distribution clearly gave the answer.

“As for Barbarian Ghost… splitting it is right. We are his family now.”

Captain Lei sighed softly, picking up his share. Cross and Luan Ya each took theirs. Xu Qing remained silent, also picking up a leather bag.

As for the Clear Dust Pill Luan Ya handed over, Xu Qing took it and glanced at Captain Lei. Captain Lei’s eyes held a sternness that made Xu Qing understand the meaning, so he silently put it away.

The four of them talked for a while longer, mainly Cross and the other two speaking. Xu Qing, as usual, was taciturn, quietly listening on the side.

But neither Cross nor Luan Ya ignored Xu Qing’s presence, occasionally asking for his opinion.

Thus, time passed, and soon noon arrived. As the wind and snow temporarily stopped, Cross and Luan Ya chose to take their leave. Before leaving, Cross spoke to Xu Qing in a low voice.

“Kid, Luan Ya and I have accepted a mission and need to go out for a while. During this time… the captain is in your care.” As he spoke, he took out a dagger and handed it to Xu Qing. “Your dagger is rusty. Change to this one; it’s very sharp.”

Luan Ya also handed Xu Qing a whistle. “Kid, your combat strength is strong, but you also need eyes and helpers, right? This whistle can simply control the stray dogs in the camp. If needed, you can blow it. They’re very smart and will know what to do.”

The two gave some instructions, clasped their fists to Xu Qing, and left.

Watching their retreating figures, Xu Qing put away the whistle and tucked the dagger Cross gave into his boot, though he didn’t discard his original one.

Then he looked up, gazing at their figures until Cross and Luan Ya disappeared from sight. Xu Qing then turned to look at Captain Lei’s room.

After a long while, he finally walked through the stray dogs and returned to his hut.

He closed his eyes and sat cross-legged in meditation.

The wind outside was strong, creating a wailing sound as it swept across the land. The snow from the sky and the snow on the ground mingled in the air, seeping through the gaps in tents and huts, disturbing the people inside.

It also blew on Captain Lei, who was resting in his hut, but long accustomed to it, he paid no mind to the cold wind.

Yet his mind conjured the image of Xu Qing huddling in the cold wind. So he turned to look in the direction of Xu Qing’s hut, remained silent for a long while, then put on his fur hat and walked out of the hut.

Time passed, and three days went by in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, it seemed the snowflakes wanted to exhaust their last strength, spreading their remaining cold as they continuously fell. The snow on the ground had no time to melt, accumulating into a thick layer.

Although the weather was harsh, for scavengers, survival was more important than the cold.

Thus, the camp gradually became more populated. Some continued to seek medical treatment, others headed to the Forbidden Zone.

At the same time, the Blood Shadow Squad’s prolonged absence slowly sparked discussion among the scavengers. Rumors emerged from somewhere, saying the Blood Shadow Squad had been completely wiped out in the Forbidden Zone.

At first, few believed this rumor, as every member of the Blood Shadow Squad was not to be underestimated.

Especially the Blood Shadow Squad captain, who was a powerhouse among the scavengers in the camp. Such a person had been to the Forbidden Zone countless times; the likelihood of complete annihilation was small.

But as time passed and another two days went by with no trace of the Blood Shadow Squad, the camp’s scavengers gradually began to believe the rumor.

And they remembered the day Captain Lei returned, unconscious.

Coupled with Barbarian Ghost’s disappearance, everything seemed to have an answer.

Regardless of truth, without the Blood Shadow Squad, the Thunder Squad was now the strongest team in the camp.

So during these days when Xu Qing went out, what he saw most were the awed gazes from the surrounding scavengers.

He knew these people revered the Thunder Squad, not him, but he didn’t mind. What puzzled him these days was that Captain Lei’s figure was always leaving early and returning late, busy with something unknown.

But Xu Qing knew everyone was independent; there was no need to disturb them. He himself also had many things to do, so most of the time, Xu Qing was alone in his hut, silently cultivating.

His cultivation also slowly improved under this effort, with his strength and speed steadily increasing.

As for his own shadow, Xu Qing had studied it many times.

But this shadow never showed any changes, except for absorbing Mutagen, which remained as before, causing the Mutation Points on Xu Qing’s arm to completely disappear now.

The purity within his body made Xu Qing clearly feel his cultivation speed was much faster than before.

Until two days later in the afternoon, while sitting cross-legged in meditation, preparing to stabilize his cultivation for a few more days before attempting to break through to the fourth layer of the Sea Mountain Technique, he frowned slightly and opened his eyes.

The stray dogs outside were barking, and the bamboo door was being knocked.

Walking out of the hut, Xu Qing noticed Captain Lei wasn’t back. He looked toward the bamboo door and saw a scavenger standing there, his expression hesitant.

Xu Qing had seen this person before; he was one of the seven or eight people Xu Qing had saved when returning from the Forbidden Zone.

Noticing Xu Qing’s appearance, the scavenger quickly clasped his fists. “Brother Kid, it’s me, I’m Gu Dao.”

“What is it?” Xu Qing said expressionlessly, his tone flat.

“Well…” Gu Dao hesitated, but after brief consideration, he gritted his teeth and spoke. “Brother Kid, I want to buy an insurance policy from you for five White Pills.” As he spoke, he first threw a leather bag toward Xu Qing.

Xu Qing didn’t catch it, looking at Gu Dao with confusion. The leather bag the other threw landed on the ground; the stray dogs nearby looked at it but didn’t dare approach.

Noticing Xu Qing’s confusion, Gu Dao outside the bamboo door quickly explained. Listening to his words, Xu Qing gradually understood the meaning of so-called insurance.

According to Gu Dao, he wanted Xu Qing, if he hadn’t returned in three days, to go to the Poison Dragon Pool area in the Forbidden Zone and rescue him like last time.

“Brother Kid, I’m not worried about the mutated beasts in the Forbidden Zone; dying in their mouths is fate. What I fear most is the mist; dying in the mist is too unjust.”

Xu Qing’s expression turned somewhat odd. He hadn’t expected the other to make such a request, so after thinking, he asked, “What if there’s no mist within three days, or you come back early?”

“The pills need not be returned. I’m also buying peace of mind.” Gu Dao bowed deeply to Xu Qing, his expression pleading.

Xu Qing fell silent, looked at the leather bag, flicked it up with his toe, and opened it.

Inside were five White Pills. Although he didn’t need them, they were hard currency in the camp. After some thought, he felt this matter wasn’t unfeasible.

So after pondering, Xu Qing nodded.

Seeing Xu Qing agree, Gu Dao relaxed, thanked him with a clasped fist, and then left.

Xu Qing held the leather bag, narrowing his eyes. He was inherently vigilant and didn’t fully believe the other’s words.

However, he thought the possibility of it being a trap was low.

If the mist didn’t rise, he didn’t have to go. And if the other could accurately predict the mist’s arrival three days in advance, such ability wouldn’t need to scheme against others like this.

But he still remained cautious, planning to decide when the time came.

Thus, he turned and returned to the hut, continuing his meditation. The night passed.

The next morning, just after finishing his cultivation, Xu Qing looked up toward the outside of the hut, hearing the sound of dogs barking.

Walking out, Xu Qing saw a strange scene: Captain Lei was packing things, tying large and small bundles onto the stray dogs, causing them to stick out their tongues, with a few almost crushed under the weight.

“Finished cultivating? Come, I’ll take you somewhere.”

Captain Lei wiped his sweat, smiling as he spoke, then patted a stray dog beside him, opened the bamboo door, and waved to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing, puzzled, followed. The stray dogs also followed behind. Thus, two people and a pack of dogs walked through the camp.

They went from the middle ring to the inner ring area, where there were many shops, and the huts were mostly brick and tile, looking very sturdy.

Until they reached a large courtyard with four separate brick-and-tile huts inside, each much better than Xu Qing’s previous dwelling—sturdier and more sealed.

Looking at this place, Xu Qing turned to Captain Lei.

“From now on, this will be our new home,” Captain Lei said with a smile.

“New home?” Xu Qing was stunned. The word “home” gave him a sense of familiar strangeness.

“I’ve worked hard most of my life and saved a lot. Since my body isn’t what it used to be, I might as well change to a big house and enjoy it.”

Captain Lei laughed heartily, walking ahead first. He took the bundles from the stray dogs and began to busy himself.

Xu Qing stood there for a long while, then slowly walked in. Gazing at the green bricks on the ground and the huts before him, he felt somewhat dazed. Even when Captain Lei called him to help, he still felt somewhat unaccustomed.

After half a day of busy work, when night fell again, the cold wind outside remained, the snow still falling, the wailing sound rising and falling. Xu Qing and Captain Lei sat by the hut’s stove, warm currents brushing their faces, warmth permeating the entire room.

The walls here had no gaps; the cold wind couldn’t seep in at all. Xu Qing quickly noticed this, feeling his body warm and cozy.

“Not cold anymore, right?” Captain Lei said with a smile.

“Mm, not cold,” Xu Qing nodded, looking at Captain Lei. In the stove’s glow, a glimmer seemed to appear in Xu Qing’s eyes.

He truly wasn’t cold anymore. In this warmth, Xu Qing even felt a tremor deep in his heart.

After a long, long time, when Captain Lei left and returned to his room, Xu Qing alone leaned close to the stove, murmuring softly.

“Home?”

At this moment, in the adjacent hut, Captain Lei, having returned to his room, still had a smile on his face, but soon his complexion turned somewhat flushed.

He covered his mouth and coughed a few times. After a long while, he forcefully swallowed a hint of metallic saltiness in his mouth, sighed softly, stood by the window, looked up toward the direction of the Forbidden Zone, his eyes carrying reminiscence as he murmured softly.

“I really want… to take one more look.”