Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai gathered the scattered bones and piled them into the large crater left by Li Hong's death. After a moment of thought, he found a stone slab and carved an epitaph on it: "Here Li Hong died with the Extraterrestrial Creatures."

Luo Kai now understood that Li Hong had borne him no malice. He was only acting to prevent potential disasters, nipping anything that could become a crisis for humanity in the bud. In this world, there was no true right or wrong, only a kind of law of the dark forest.

He followed the frequency of the Evil Qi to find his military dagger and his foldable straight blade. The three weapons he carried were of a special make and had not been incinerated by the horrifying heat.

With his hands and feet still bound in shackles, he could only inch his way slowly through the wilderness.

As he walked, he immersed his consciousness into the shackles, trying to crack their frequency code. The task was slow and arduous. When hungry, he caught rats and insects to eat; when thirsty, he condensed a ball of water to drink. When tired, he would just collapse and lie down in the wilderness. The wilderness was boundless. In a daze, it felt as if he were the only person in the entire world, and he truly became one with it.

This went on for three days. Finally, at a certain moment, he synchronized with the frequency of the shackles. At his thought, there was a sharp CLICK, and the cuffs on his hands and feet simultaneously contracted, becoming two fist-sized metal balls.

He stretched his limbs, then curiously picked up the two metal balls from the ground. They were soft to the touch, like two lumps of modeling clay. They could transform into various shapes according to his thoughts, even into firearms. 'This stuff is straight out of science fiction!'

With his limbs free, he broke into a run through the wilderness. Gradually, signs of human settlement appeared, and a small farmstead came into view ahead. An old farmer saw him, his jaw dropping in shock. Then, cursing, he raised his hoe and charged at him.

Luo Kai backed away in confusion, then a realization dawned on him. He looked down at himself—his clothes had been completely burned away by the intense heat. He had been running naked through the wilderness for days. Embarrassed, he shouted to the old farmer, "Sir, my clothes were burned off in a fire!"

The old farmer ignored him completely, yelling and calling for others. A few farm women came rushing over as well.

Startled, Luo Kai turned and fled, vanishing in a flash. After a while, he snuck back, found an empty farmhouse, and took a set of coarse cloth clothes. In their place, he left a Gold Coin that had been melted into a lump. Seeing a few smoked rabbits hanging from the eaves, he grabbed them and began to gnaw on one ravenously. After days of eating rats, he'd been about to puke.

This was still the territory of Jinlan Prefecture. Unwilling to enter a city, Luo Kai waited by the train tracks. As soon as a southbound train appeared, he climbed aboard.

After seven or eight hours, the scenery grew familiar. He had returned to Longyang City. Lobster Lane looked just as it always had, but strangely, Lu Qing's flower shop was closed. A vague sense of unease crept over Luo Kai. He rushed to Granny Hua's small courtyard. It was empty. Only Zilan remained, blooming in solitude. Sensing his arrival, its blossom turned toward him and opened, a familiar, sweet fragrance wafting over him.

The rooms were neat and clean, and there were some covered leftovers in the kitchen. Luo Kai breathed a small sigh of relief. 'If Zilan is alright, Granny Hua should be, too.'

He waited until nightfall. Just as Luo Kai was beginning to grow impatient, the faint hum of a car engine sounded from outside, followed by light footsteps approaching the courtyard.

It was Lu Qing. She seemed haggard; her soft, round face had thinned, and her large eyes were red and swollen. The moment she entered the gate, she hurried to the well to draw water for the plants in the courtyard.

"Qing'Er," Luo Kai called softly, standing in the doorway.

Lu Qing trembled. She turned and saw the man she had been longing for day and night. Her eyes instantly reddened, and she rushed forward, throwing herself into his arms and bursting into tears.

Luo Kai wrapped his arms around her slender waist and gently smoothed her messy hair. "Hey, why are you crying the second you see me?" he said softly.

"You bastard! So you do know how to come back!" Lu Qing wiped the tears from her cheeks and bit him hard on the chest. But by now, Luo Kai's body was as tough as leather, and the impact made her teeth ache instead.

Luo Kai feigned a cry of pain. "What, are you a puppy again?"

Lu Qing huffed and hugged his waist tightly, as if afraid he would disappear the very next second.

Neither of them spoke again, simply enjoying the quiet warmth of the moment.

After a long moment, Lu Qing suddenly remembered something. She quickly pulled away from his embrace, glanced around, and asked nervously, "Did you escape? Are people coming to arrest you?"

Luo Kai sighed softly. "So you already know. I don't know if anyone will come after me, but I imagine they will."

"Then what should we do? Let's run away together! We'll find somewhere nobody can find us. I refuse to believe that so-called Judgement Department will be able to track us down."

"Okay." Luo Kai nodded. He too had grown weary. All he wanted now was to find a quiet place and live a peaceful life.

After a pause, Luo Kai asked quietly, "By the way, where's Granny?"

Lu Qing's eyes reddened again. "Granny's gone. The day she heard you'd been arrested, she said she needed to go find something to prolong Zilan's life. Then she just… disappeared!"

Luo Kai's expression grew taut. "Did Granny Hua say where she was going?"

Lu Qing shook her head. "No. But I asked Young Master Su to make some inquiries. He said Granny might have gone to the Mist Mountain Range."

A cold glint flashed in Luo Kai's eyes. 'Looks like that kid is still after Lu Qing,' he thought, then asked, "Why didn't Granny Hua take Zilan with her?"

Lu Qing looked at him blankly. "Zilan is a plant. How would she take it with her?"

'It seems Lu Qing doesn't even know the first thing about Elemental Masters,' Luo Kai thought. After a moment, he pressed on, "Do you know what mode of transport she took?"

"I don't know. But Young Master Su checked the travel records and said Granny went to Han State County. It's right next to the Mist Mountain Range. He's already sent people to look for her."

Luo Kai frowned. 'The Mist Mountain Range is teeming with mutated creatures, and there might even be Fierce Beasts. An Elemental Master's primary combat strength comes from the Elemental Essence they cultivate. If Granny Hua was going there, she should have taken Zilan. But I don't know much about Wood Element Elemental Masters, so I can't be certain.'

"Alright, I'll go to Han State tomorrow and take a look. If Granny Hua is really there, I'm sure I can find her."

"Then I'm going with you," Lu Qing said at once.

Luo Kai hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright. But on the way, you have to do as I say."

The Mist Mountain Range was located in the southernmost part of the Xingma Kingdom. It was a long, narrow, crescent-shaped range, bordered on one side by the high-altitude Azure Sky Plateau. Atop this plateau sat the Land of the Colorful Clouds, the smallest of humanity's nine Lordship Kingdoms.

The mountains were dense with jungles and swamps from which mist perennially rose, giving the Mist Mountain Range its name. It was one of the most seldom-traveled regions in human territory. Many years ago, the allied human armies had conducted a great purge, hunting down all the Fierce Beasts. In recent years, however, rumors had begun to circulate of new sightings.

In addition to Fierce Beasts and mutated creatures, the swamps also produced a number of rare medicinal herbs. These herbs carried abundant Active Energy, making them optimal supplements for human Body Refining. Some possessed other special properties, and their prices were in no way lower than those of Genetic Potions. Consequently, a great number of adventurers would venture deep into the region each year.