Chapter 183: Your Brother Chu is Doing Alright in the New District
Martial Arts Center Hospital.
Inside the hospital room.
Chu Zhengxiong was half-sitting up in bed, eating a banana.
After two days of recovery, his spirits were clearly much better.
Though the injuries on his body had yet to fully heal.
"The Martial Arts Examination Champion Scholar for the whole district... I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!"
"Did you finish filling out your university applications today?"
Chu Zhengxiong said, his words muffled by the banana in his mouth.
Lin Yi nodded. "All done. I just came from school."
"Good, you’ve got some heart. I really didn’t expect you to actually come in first in the entire district!"
"Come on, tell me how you feel. Are you thrilled? Excited? Can’t sleep at night?" Chu Zhengxiong’s eyes were wide, trying to catch any change in Lin Yi’s expression.
But he was disappointed.
Lin Yi just smiled calmly. "Is there anything to be thrilled about? It was the expected outcome."
"Holy shit..."
Hearing Lin Yi’s impossibly cocky words...
Chu Zhengxiong couldn’t help but swear.
Then, he said with a look of utter disdain, "Can you stop being such a show-off, kid?"
"I’m starting to realize you’re becoming more and more like someone."
"Who?"
"Old Mo. Mo Yanfeng. He’s just like you—cold, aloof, a total show-off, and always trying to lecture people!"
"He annoys the hell out of me. Don’t you dare become like him in the future!"
"People like that aren’t likable. They don’t even have any friends. And that profound, mysterious act he puts on is especially infuriating!" Chu Zhengxiong said with an exaggerated expression.
Just as he finished speaking, someone walked in from outside.
"What are you saying behind my back now?"
The person who entered was none other than Mo Yanfeng.
Already tall to begin with, he was wearing a gray trench coat.
It made his figure seem even more perfect.
With a pair of glasses on his face, he looked refined and gentle.
No matter how you looked at him, he didn’t seem to have any connection to being a Demon Hunter.
And yet, he was widely acknowledged within the Demon Hunting Bureau as being ruthless and merciless.
Especially when slaying demonic beasts—he only ever left them dead, never taking any alive...
Chu Zhengxiong looked utterly helpless.
"You see that? In the future, don’t talk bad about people behind their backs!"
Hearing this, Lin Yi and Wei Nan both started to laugh.
Chu Zhengxiong glanced at Mo Yanfeng. "What have you been up to?"
"What else? The Bureau is investigating the Battle of Wushan. Han Bin, Mo Ya, Lan Yang, and the others were all called into a video conference."
"You’re injured, so you can’t participate for now. I gave the Bureau a simple report on the casualties."
"The deaths of Zhan Kai, Sun Lang, and Yin Xiaoyu also had to be reported to the Bureau, of course."
"The Bureau will help handle the aftermath."
Mo Yanfeng finished speaking without a shred of emotion.
There wasn’t a ripple of change in his eyes.
Especially when he mentioned Zhan Kai and Yin Xiaoyu.
His indifference was chilling to the bone.
No matter what, those were comrades who had fought side-by-side with them.
And they had worked together for many years.
It was as if Mo Yanfeng couldn’t care less about their deaths.
This didn’t leave a particularly good impression of him on Lin Yi or Wei Nan.
In contrast, when Chu Zhengxiong heard the names Zhan Kai, Sun Lang, and Yin Xiaoyu again...
...his expression turned sorrowful once more.
As the captain of the Demon Hunting Squad, the sacrifice of his team members hit him the hardest.
Especially since he had watched them die right in front of him.
Whenever he was alone and closed his eyes...
...the scenes from that night would replay over and over in his mind.
He had even woken up from nightmares countless times.
Mo Yanfeng glanced at him.
He didn’t comfort Chu Zhengxiong; it just wasn’t in his nature.
He couldn’t bring himself to say comforting words.
The only thing he could do was turn and leave quietly, giving Chu Zhengxiong space to process his emotions alone.
Just as Mo Yanfeng was about to walk out of the room, he stopped.
He turned his head slightly and said, "By the way, the Bureau wants us back as soon as possible."
"Once you’ve mostly recovered, we’ll have to return to the New District. Han Bin and Mo Ya might be heading out a day or two ahead of us."
"The casualties from the Battle of Wushan this time were too great."
"Especially the interns who came with us—most of them died on Wushan."
"Han Bin and the others also plan to go back personally to handle the aftermath."
Chu Zhengxiong nodded without saying anything.
He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should be able to get out of bed in a couple of days. We’ll head back then. I’ll personally visit the families of Zhan Kai, Sun Lang, and Yin Xiaoyu."
"Right."
Mo Yanfeng responded softly and walked out.
The moment the hospital room door closed, Lin Yi and Wei Nan exchanged a look.
Just as they too felt the atmosphere in the room grow heavy and were preparing to leave to give Chu Zhengxiong some space...
Chu Zhengxiong wiped away the tears that had welled in the corners of his eyes, and his mood instantly recovered.
"Right, you two still haven’t told me which university you applied to."
Lin Yi and Wei Nan: "..."
One second, Chu Zhengxiong was heartbroken and grieving.
The next, he was like a completely different person. Lin Yi couldn’t help but roast him.
"Brother Chu, do you have multiple personalities or something?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Chu Zhengxiong took a bite of his banana.
He tossed the peel into the trash can under the bed.
He looked at Lin Yi with a straight face, waiting for his answer.
"Weren’t you heartbroken just a moment ago? How did you forget so quickly?"
"Yeah, I was about to start crying with you just now. How’d you change on a dime like that?"
Wei Nan nodded along emphatically.
Chu Zhengxiong glanced at them and sighed lightly.
"What do you two little brats know? Zhan Kai and the others were my comrades, my brothers-in-arms!"
"We went through life and death together, fought side-by-side. From the day we joined the Demon Hunting Bureau, we were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice!"
"Death itself isn’t frightening. What’s frightening is being forgotten."
"The reason I’m sad is that I’ve lost my brothers-in-arms. But we, the living, can’t just wallow in sorrow, can we? As long as we keep them in our hearts, that’s enough!"
"If you just stay lost in grief, what’s the goddamn point of living?"
Chu Zhengxiong’s words...
...were a lesson for Lin Yi and Wei Nan.
Though spoken colloquially, they made a lot of sense.
"Quick, tell me, which school did you two apply to?"
"Xingwu University!"
The two of them said it almost in unison.
In response, it was Chu Zhengxiong’s turn to be stunned.
"Xingwu University? You want to join the Demon Hunting Bureau?"
Chu Zhengxiong’s expression froze as he stared at them in surprise.
Lin Yi nodded. "That’s right."
At his words, Chu Zhengxiong fell silent.
Instead, he sighed deeply and subconsciously reached for his pocket.
Suddenly, he remembered something. "You two... either of you got a smoke?"
"Brother Chu, we’re still students. We don’t smoke!"
"Oh, right, right, I forgot!"
A flash of panic crossed Chu Zhengxiong’s eyes.
After a long moment, he spoke again. "Why didn’t you two ask me before filling out your applications?"
"Did you have to choose Xingwu University? Did you have to become a Demon Hunter?"
"The Battle of Wushan a few days ago—Wei Nan didn’t see it, but Lin Yi, didn’t you?"
"I remember you went up the mountain, right? You saw the carnage there, didn’t you?"
"Are you tired of living, or do you just have a death wish? Why insist on becoming a Demon Hunter?"
Chu Zhengxiong’s tone grew increasingly harsh.
A rare anger flared in his eyes.
Lin Yi had never seen him like this before.
However, the expression he showed was more one of worry and confusion.
As a Demon Hunter himself...
...he naturally understood the dangers of the job.
It wasn’t just about dealing with demonic beasts year-round.
They also had to periodically enter the [Restricted Area] to hunt other strange beasts.
The danger level of those strange beasts was far greater than that of demonic beasts.
In addition, they were also responsible for apprehending certain criminals.
Those criminals were all Martial Artists who practiced Martial Arts.
Their cultivation levels varied, and their viciousness was no more merciful than that of the demonic beasts.
It was also common for Demon Hunters to be ambushed, assassinated, or lured into traps.
It was an extremely dangerous job.
A job where you were always one step away from death.
Lin Yi looked at the worried expression on Chu Zhengxiong’s face.
He chuckled and said, "Brother Chu, when we first met, wasn’t I already Demon Hunting?"
"Back then, I was all alone.
If I can join the Demon Hunting Bureau in the future, I’ll have comrades and brothers-in-arms too!"
"Besides, I’ll have you, right? With you looking out for me, who could possibly hurt me, be they man or demon?"
Lin Yi’s words...
...made Chu Zhengxiong stare at him intently again.
After a long while, he couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.
"You kid, you really have a way with words!"
"Anyway, you two have already submitted your applications. It’s too late to change them now!"
"But, once you get to the New District, come find me if you have any trouble. I’ll give you my phone number later.
Your Brother Chu is... doing alright in the New District. I can look out for you two, especially at Xingwu University!"
As soon as he said that, Wei Nan’s eyes lit up.
"Brother Chu, in that case, I’m definitely going to be clinging to that thigh of yours!"
Chu Zhengxiong laughed and nodded. "Cling away! Cling on tight! When you get to the New District, you can walk sideways. Tell everyone you meet that Chu Zhengxiong is your big brother, and then just wait and see if anyone beats you up!"