Li Changan, although always jokingly calling Jiang Shuibu's shop a stand, it was actually quite a big tavern. Although the prices of wine were expensive, there was never a lack of generous customers. After all, this was the safest place in North City.
The tavern's walls were written with 'No Noise, No Fighting', and no one dared to disobey, after all this place had once belonged to the largest gang in North City, but overnight, because of those three people, it was wiped out.
Of those three people, one had gone to the Trials Facility, and the remaining two sat facing each other. From their expressions they didn't look like friends, instead more like enemies.
"How can you shamelessly come to my place and drink free wine?" Jiang Shuibu rolled his eyes lazily leaning back in his chair, his legs crossed shaking.
Sitting opposite, Brother Lin still had the decadent appearance of an old man. Shaking the wine bottle in his hand, he looked towards Wu Liuyan who was busy behind the counter.
Jiang Shibu knocked on the table impatiently.
"The little girl Changan brought back? If you can't teach her properly then give her to me." As soon as Brother Lin opened his mouth, Jiang Shuibu could not help his anger rising.
"You're saying I can't teach?" Jiang Shuibu pushed against the table, his gaze icy cold.
Brother Lin nodded calmly, "With your temper, I'm afraid you'll lead the child astray. Back then you were the one who taught Changan how to interact with people, what was the result?"
When it came to this matter, Jiang Shuibu's fighting spirit immediately faded. Bowing his head silently, muttering discontentedly, "Always bringing this up to mock me, you're extremely boring."
"If you hadn't killed someone else's boss, would Changan have secretly snuck into someone else's gang and massacred them?"
"It's also because I was too trusting you could really teach him to get along with people, which led to him now, other than you and me, when facing strangers he would only choose to kill them or leave them alive. He simply doesn't know how to make friends."
Brother Lin continued relentlessly. He also had a bellyful of anger!
"Stop scolding, stop scolding, I know I was wrong. Aren't I trying to make amends now? Besides there's no big problem with this, human hearts are sinister, don't you know that." Jiang Shuibu's excuses were weak and powerless.
After a long time Brother Lin sighed, "When the three of us met, he had just passed the third Trial right. Now it's already the eighth, turning back so many years have passed in the blink of an eye."
"Don't suddenly reminisce alright, this is not a good omen. I opened my shop in a place where so many people died, it's already inauspicious enough, don't continue jinxing it." Jiang Shuibu stood up ready to leave, pouring wine into Brother Lin's mouth.
Brother Lin stood up first, pushing Jiang Shuibu back down, shaking his head, "I'm not joking with you. I plan to go back for a visit."
"I don't agree." Jiang Shuibu interrupted decisively, "Don't say anything else. If you want to speak, wait until Changan comes back. With him not here, anything you say I will disagree to."
"Damn brat, am I asking your opinion? No matter what, I want to go back and take another look. Consider today me coming to say farewell." Patting Jiang Shuibu's shoulder, Brother Lin lit a cigarette and walked out the door.
Brother Lin left without looking back...
At least leave the cup for me!
------
When the light of day began to brighten, Li Changan pushed aside the rubble and climbed out. Next to him was a headless corpse, the head ten steps away, its face still filled with shock and even a footprint.
"Talking loudly in the middle of the night, truly unafraid of death." Li Changan shook his head, searching the corpse he only found an empty water bottle. The one who killed must have already ransacked the body.
After eating a few military food pills, Li Changan was about to leave when he suddenly stopped. Taking out the Bronze Sparrow from his clothes, the sparrow's tail was trembling slightly. Lightly flicking the sparrow's tail, Jiang Shuibu's voice came out from the sparrow's beak.
"Calling Changan, can you hear me?"
"I can hear you." Lowering his voice, Li Changan smiled slightly. This thing really was useful.
The Trials Facility was isolated from the outside world. No matter what methods were unable to transmit messages. Only this Bronze Sparrow was, as far as Li Changan knew, the only effective method.
Of course this Bronze Sparrow that cost all his savings was not only capable of transmitting sounds.
"That's good. Brother Lin plans to return home for a visit. You should understand his circumstances right? I can't stop him now. How long until you can come out? Can you speed up a bit?"
Brother Lin wants to return home? He's gone crazy again! Li Changan frowned. "I'll try to be quick. This time there's nearly two hundred people, and quite a few fierce ones. You try to delay him first."
"Alright, then come back quickly."
Li Changan put away the Bronze Sparrow, stretching lazily, cracking sounds coming from his body.
No choice, can only speed up. Must take initiative this time! Li Changan was anxious for the first time to get out.
Moving through the concrete jungle, Li Changan was completely focused, listening for any suspicious sounds.
Li Changan suddenly twisted his waist, rushing north without any hesitation. Just now there was the sound of something breaking through the air over there, seemingly the sound of an arrow.
If there was no one else using a bow in the Trials Facility, then it would be a narrow escape from calamity.
Inserting his hands into the cement wall to climb upwards, Li Changan lay prone on the rooftop, like a dog yet also like a rat, raising his head slightly wrinkling his nose sniffing the smells in the air.
Perhaps no other esper could compare to his sensitivity to the smell of blood. Jiang Shuibu once jokingly said Li Changan was a [Blood Manipulation] esper.
Li Changan shook his head. There was no smell of blood nearby, at least none within five hundred meters. The smell of blood became extremely weak beyond five hundred meters, easily mixing with other odors.
Just as he was about to get up, Li Changan suddenly rolled to the side. The spot he had been lying on was shattered by tremendous force.
"Discovered a little mouse!" A coarse male voice came from below.
Li Changan swept his leg, kicking the rubble around him into the hole in the ground. His own body flipped backwards landing on the ground, smashing both fists into the already crumbling floor. Relying on the concrete's sturdy strength and steel bars, under his two fists the ground fully fractured.
A scorching heat, at least Class C [Flame Control] esper! In just a fleeting moment, Li Changan made a judgement. Only Class C and above flame espers could achieve compressed explosive flames.
With just the two words 'Class C', following common sense it should be upgraded by one level to view, meaning this opponent was probably Class A esper.
"Want to run?" Below, the man's voice was accompanied by surging crimson flames.
Li Changan stomped heavily, the ground collapsed, rocks entirely caved in, suppressing the flames.
Letting the rocks rain down on him, Li Changan lowered his body rushing towards the source of the voice. Ahead, berserk flames billowed, the wild intense heat pushing aside small rocks, but larger boulders could only be dodged by himself.
"Hehe!" Hearing the man coldly laugh amidst the chaos, "You want to ambush me!"
In a fleeting glance, the man had already glimpsed Li Changan's burning sleeve, as well as his scorched arms, vaguely showing signs of charring.
Overthrowing the man, Li Changan raised his hand.
Decisive!