Chapter 26: Twilight of a Man
The eastern part of the Southern Phoenix Continent.
The season had stepped into summer, and with the gradual increase in rainfall, the weather slowly appeared hot.
"It's May." As the sun rose on this day, Xu Qing, who had finished his lessons and left from Master Park's tent, looked up at the blue sky and gazed at the dazzling sun, murmuring in a low voice.
Without realizing it, two months had passed since he came to the camp.
Recalling his experience within the Blood Rain City Pool two months ago, it seemed like a long time had passed, but in Xu Qing's mind, it was still vivid in his mind.
However, compared to when he was living in the slums more than two months ago, the changes in him had been tremendous.
Whether it was the increase in his cultivation or the harvest of knowledge of grasses and trees, it made Xu Qing feel that he was growing up.
He had also eaten a lot of meat under the Lei Team's bountiful meals during this period of time, so his body had become slightly more refined from its original thinness.
Even more so, due to practicing the Hai Shan Skill, it made his masculine qi and blood extremely vigorous, and his body instinctively exuded an aura that gave off a sense of sharpness.
Perhaps it was also due to copying that slash inside the temple, Xu Qing's eyes were much brighter than the others, and the more he copied, the more so.
Especially as he went to Grandmaster Park's class, the accumulation of knowledge also added a scholarly air to him.
All of this made Xu Qing, whose hands were used to being clean, even though the dirt on his face still hadn't been washed away, he was no longer quite able to conceal the cleanliness of his brows.
This could be seen from the way the windswept women in the feathered tents within the camp called out to him with their eyes often flickering.
However, Xu Qing didn't pay any attention to all of this, as his mood had always been a bit low these past few days.
On the one hand, the Heavenly Fate Flower had not been found, and on the other hand, Team Lei's pallor and weakness had become more and more apparent.
So the forbidden jungle, Xu Qing went less and less, every day after Master Park's course, he would instinctively walk towards his residence, even if he practiced alone most of the time, but feeling the Lei Team next door, Xu Qing would be a lot more solid in his heart.
The dinner time every night was even more treasured by him.
Today, it was the same, as Xu Qing, who walked silently within the campground, didn't bother with the scavengers around him, and first went to the grocery store.
After seeing his figure, the busy little girl ran behind the counter without saying a word, taking out a jug of wine from inside and directly handing it to Xu Qing.
She had already gotten used to these days, Xu Qing's arrival at this time every day to buy wine.
"Thanks." Xu Qing said softly, glancing at the scars on the little girl's face.
Despite the hideous scars, the little girl was optimistic, she smiled at Xu Qing and when she was about to say something, she was shouted over by the other scavengers.
Xu Qing didn't mind, taking the wine pot and preparing to leave, while his back fell into the little girl's afterglow, she hurriedly said a few words to the scavengers and ran to the gate, looking at Xu Qing who was about to walk away, she suddenly shouted.
"Kid brother."
Xu Qing's footsteps lurched, and when he looked back, the little girl ran over with quick steps.
After approaching Xu Qing, her right hand stretched out and unfolded towards him, with a piece of candy inside.
"I don't know why you've been in a low mood lately, but every time I was unhappy, my mom would give me candy to eat, and as I ate it, I became happy."
"This is my last piece of candy for you."
The little girl said, fearing Xu Qing's refusal, after placing it directly in his hand, she quickly ran towards the store until she reached the store door, she looked back at Xu Qing and shouted.
"Kid brother, be happy!"
Xu Qing stood there in a daze, looking at the little girl s figure walking into the store, he looked down at the sugar in his hand for a long time ...... he put the piece of sugar away carefully.
On the way back, there was a clamor coming out of the camp, and from afar Xu Qing saw two convoys outside the camp, arriving one after the other.
The caravan in front, whether it was the brand newness of the carriages or the robustness of the horses, was too much beyond the caravans Xu Qing had once watched, and not only were there guards within them, but there were also three to five middle-aged people, with spirit energy fluctuations emanating from their bodies that were clearly strong.
And they were clearly not the core of the caravan.
With the arrival of the caravan, a group of teenage boys and girls walked down from it, all of them were in the age of sixteen or seventeen years old, they were high-visaged, well-dressed, and while their skin was fair, the men were handsome and the women were beautiful.
Apparently identity background are very extraordinary, at the moment seems to dislike the camp within the dirty, so camp outside the camp, the sense of command is very obvious.
And each seems to have followers around the entourage, about hundreds of people for their fifteen or sixteen young men and women services.
And in their rear of the second caravan, although also good, but with the former compared to the obvious sense of meanness.
And obviously know the identity of those young men and women, so this second caravan on the way unwilling to contact with the former, avoiding them into the camp, walking down the people are very low profile.
Xu Qing swept past this.
The caravan in the camp would appear every now and then, either to release a mission or would enter the forbidden zone alone, and there were all sorts of people within it.
This was the basis of the Scavenger Camp's existence, and Xu Qing took it for granted.
When he returned to the residence, he saw the Lei Team who was moving his body in the courtyard, and under the sunlight, the Lei Team's body had a twilight meaning, which made Xu Qing's heart sink even lower as he looked at it.
"Bought me wine again ah, not bad not bad." Noticing the wine pot in Xu Qing's hand, Lei Team smiled and spoke.
"Alright, you go clean up the kitchen, I'm going to sneak outside and buy some ingredients back." Lei Team said, leaving with his hands behind his back.
This was what he had agreed with Xu Qing, the ingredients had to be bought by him, Xu Qing didn't refuse, but gave more rent.
It seemed that this was how he got along with Team Lei.
On this day, Lei Team came back earlier than before, Xu Qing had almost just finished cleaning up the kitchen when he walked back carrying some meat, smiled at Xu Qing and started cooking.
Xu Qing, as in the past, sat next to him to study, but looking at it, he felt that something was wrong ...... According to this, the time of today s meal will be advanced, and it will no longer be in the evening.
Realizing this, Xu Qing understood something in the bottom of his heart, looking at the busy Lei team wanted to say something, and finally fell silent.
Lei Team, on the other hand, was as usual, burning vegetables and talking at the same time.
In the midst of the family talk, before dusk arrived, the meal was already cooked. After placing it on the table, Team Lei looked at the silent Xu Qing and touched his head.
"Kid, I've already bought Songtao City's entry qualification, I'll organize my luggage later, and I'll leave early tomorrow morning." Team Lei picked up the wine Xu Qing had bought for him and took a large sip.
Xu Qing's movements froze, and after a long moment of silence, he lowered his head and whispered.
"So soon."
Lei Team didn't say anything, and Xu Qiu passed out a laugh.
"In fact, it has long been bought, has not been told you, you ah, there is no need to give up, this world, there is no unbroken feast." Lei team said, and drank another large mouthful of wine.
"Come, eat."
Xu Qing looked at the vicissitudes of Lei Team, silently picked up his chopsticks, and silently ate, this day's meal should have been delicious, but in Xu Qing's mouth, there was no longer any flavor.
Lei Team looked at all this, and sighed softly in his heart, but still wore a smile on his face, talking about the trivial matters within the camp, until after an incense stick was burned, Xu Qing suddenly opened his mouth.
"Won't you wait for Cross and Luan Teeth, they should be coming back soon as well."
"Don't wait, coming back is estimated to be the same as you, adding to the sadness in vain, besides, you guys have time later, come to see me is."
Lei team took out the pipe from his arms and took a puff, the smoke exhaled covered his expression, making his whole person a little hazy.
This meal, Lei Team ate quickly.
Until he left to organize his luggage, Xu Qing was still sitting there silently, looking at the table's meal, unable to eat, after a long time he stood up, and for the first time, he didn't go to clean the dishes, but instead came to Lei Team's room.
"Are you really leaving?" Xu Qing asked softly.
"Don't be so sad, I'm going to live in the city, you should be happy for me."
Lei Team laughed and greeted Xu Qing as he came over to help him fold his clothes.
Xu Qing walked over in silence, first carefully washing his hands, then folding them neatly.
With his help, soon Lei Team's luggage was finished organizing, the vast majority of which he didn't want and left for Xu Qing.
"What about this house, it's also for you."
"I'll pay the rent." Xu Qing said seriously.
Team Lei smiled at this and didn't go into this topic, instead pulling Xu Qing to sit there, and with the passage of time, spoke to him about the character of the scavengers in the camp, of which the focus was on the camp master.
"The camp's camp master, is not a simple person, his background is the Vajra Sect."
"And the Vajra Sect, is the number one force within this large area, dozens of cities and camps, are all within their control, its old ancestor is even a Foundation Establishment powerhouse, you are here in the future, you have to be on your guard against him at all times."
Speaking here, it was already late outside, Xu Qing noticed the exhaustion on Team Lei's face and silently stood up to leave.
Looking at his figure for a long time, Team Lei let out a soft sigh.
And this night was the first night that Xu Qing hadn't practiced cultivation in a while.
He sat there staring blankly at the dark night outside until he saw the sky whiten, until he saw the rays of the early sun.
"It passed so quickly." Xu Qing muttered as a sense of melancholy filled his heart, and instead of leaving the room at this time as he had done in the past, he waited until the sound of the Lei Team opening the door before he slowly stepped out.
At the beginning of the sun, the morning sunlight sprinkled down, and in the courtyard, an old man and a young man stared at each other.
"Kid, I'm leaving." After a long time, a smile appeared on Team Lei's face.
"I'll see you off."
"No need, you go to class quickly."
"I'll see you off."
"You ......"
"I'll send you." Xu Qing looked at Team Lei and spoke again.
Lei Team looked at Xu Qing, revealing helplessness after a long while, and nodded.
Just like that, an old and a young duo, in this early morning camp, in which most of the other scavengers had not woken up, marched forward to leave, and when they passed by Grandmaster Park's tent, Xu Qing ran over.
Grandmaster Park had yet to arrive, and the teenager Chen Feiyuan was also absent, with only Ting Yu there carrying the medicinal dictionary.
"Trouble you, take a day off for me." Upon seeing Ting Yu, Xu Qing spoke quickly, paying a bow to him and turning to leave.
Ting Yu was a little surprised, and as she walked out, she saw Xu Qing and Team Lei's distant figures.
The light of the early sun, spilling down onto the earth, reflected in front of Xu Qing and the Thunder Team, also shrouding their silhouettes further and further away.
Along the way, Xu Qing took the package on Lei Team and carried it on his back, silent.
Lei Team's heart was complicated, looking at the stubborn teenager, wanting to go on about the trivialities of the camp's neighbors as usual, but after a few sentences, he couldn't go on.
In silence, the two of them walked into the big mountain where they came from in the first place, and walked to the place where they used to rest, at that time, it was the same two of them, with Lei Team standing upright in the front, and Xu Qing discreetly in the back.
The former was as deep as a sword, the latter as withdrawn as a wolf.
Today, Xu Qing was at the front, and the Lei team was at the back.
The former stood tall as a peak, the latter hobbled and drooped.
Here, at Xu Qing's insistence, he carried the aged Lei Team on his back, as he had done back in the jungle.
Lei Team sighed softly in the bottom of his heart, looking at the side of this teenager's face in front of him, he spoke softly after silence.
"In the camp afterward, you have to pay more attention to those scavengers."
"I know that you are now very strong in battle, but you can not underestimate them, scavengers ah, that is the outlaws, for them to do whatever it takes is already a family affair ......"
"At night, don't forget to feed those dogs, these little guys are the most trustworthy in the camp now."
"And you have to remember to eat, don't eat cold, don't mind the trouble, heat it up before eating ...... You're still growing, you can't be sloppy."
"Otherwise ah, when you are older in the future, you will know the bitter, by the way, don't sleep on the bedpan in the future, the bedding don't be afraid to get dirty, after washing remember to have the sun when the sun."
"And ......"
Lei Team opened his mouth softly, his words were fine and contained deep care.
Xu Qing carried the Lei Team on his back, gently nodding his head, putting the other party's words, all in his heart.
Until the time when Lei Team spoke and fell into a deep sleep due to the weakness of his body, listening to the snoring behind him, Xu Qing's footsteps softened.
As much as possible, he kept himself from jumping, and even detours were kept smooth.
Just like this, he carried the Thunder Team on his back through the wilderness and around the basin until dusk appeared, and as the sky turned dim, the afterglow lengthened their silhouettes, and a city was reflected in Xu Qing's eyes.
It was also at this time that Team Lei woke up, he looked at the city, looked at the gates, and after a long while, he softly said.
"Arrived."
Xu Qing gave a light hmmm, a stuffed feeling in his chest, and gently put it down at Team Lei's request.
Taking the parcel from Xu Qing's hand, Team Lei looked at the city gates, then at Xu Qing, and after a few moments of silence, he smiled, lifting his hand to touch Xu Qing's head, messing up his hair a bit.
"Kid, go back, in the future, if you want me as an old man, come over at any time, I live in the south of the city on Shuiqing Road, Di Zi C number." Saying that, Team Lei took his luggage and walked towards the city gates.
Xu Qing stood there, looking at the Lei team that was walking farther and farther away, a thousand words in his heart but he didn't know how to speak, he could only stare blankly.
After walking to the city gates and submitting his qualifications to enter the city, Team Lei suddenly turned back.
He gave Xu Qing a deep look, raised his hand and waved it, and under the urging of the guards at the city gate, he walked into the city and disappeared.
Xu Qing looked forlorn, waiting for a long time ...... When dusk fell and the city gates closed at the moment, his heart was suddenly empty.
"Take care ......" After a long time, Xu Qing muttered, bitterly turning around, the feeling of loneliness, once again filled his whole body.
As darkness fell, his lonely figure was gradually covered.
A person walks towards the wilderness, a person walks towards the basin, a person walks towards the mountains.
It is getting ...... farther and farther away.
