Chapter 141: We Are Going Home

Mantou slowly sat up in bed, her eyes a pitch-black abyss.

The Power of the White Stone surged quietly in Yan Jing's hands. He could feel it—the moment that bird showed itself, he could trap her in a cage. But right now, the creature hadn't fully emerged.

Besides, locking her in a cage right now wasn't what he wanted.

"So you admit you have the item?"

"Mantou" looked at Yan Jing and broke into a sinister grin.

"Then why haven't you handed it over?"

Yan Jing shook his head with a smile.

"I prefer an equivalent exchange."

"What do you want?"

"Mantou" chuckled wickedly. "Want me to help you kill those guys?"

Yan Jing nodded, his gaze calm.

"Once this is over, I can give you what you're looking for."

"Hahaha!"

"Mantou" burst into laughter. "Do you realize that once you die, I can still take the Fear Sapling?"

"But what if I agree to their terms?" Yan Jing asked with a smile.

"What if I agree to go and produce that dual-pathway child?"

"When the day comes that the child is actually born, the Fear Sapling will die in my place."

"Mantou" froze, her expression stiffening at his words.

The next moment, a violent black aura erupted around her.

She glared viciously at Yan Jing.

"You think you'll survive? The moment that child is born, you'll be the first one they kill!"

Yan Jing burst into laughter.

Yes, this was the exact flaw in Mr. San's plan.

Unless the child was born inside the White House, and unless the other third-tier figures were entirely absent from the scene, it was impossible for the Cameraman to survive until the moment the Fear Bird went berserk.

If a third-tier expert was standing beside the Cameraman when it happened, the moment they realized he hadn't died, he would be the first one killed.

Every third-tier figure could potentially become the "parents" of this child, but it could absolutely never be the Cameraman.

"That's exactly why I called it an equivalent exchange."

He looked at "Mantou" and smiled.

"So, do we have a deal? We don't have much time."

"Mantou" fell silent, a deep struggle flashing through her dark eyes for a long time. Finally, she sneered.

"Did you think I haven't considered that?"

"But even I can't handle those third-tier figures outside."

"The Fear Power here is far too weak. After coming here from the outside world and staying all these years, my body started breaking down a long time ago. San Shan didn't know about that."

"I don't know why he let me go, but the only reason I squeezed into this idiot's body was because I was on the verge of collapsing."

"Without the Fear Sapling, I can't even separate myself from this idiot's body."

Yan Jing fell silent.

He hadn't expected the information left by Mr. San to have such a critical oversight.

This single flaw could cause the entire plan to collapse completely.

Eventually, he spoke slowly.

"So why did you choose Mantou? She doesn't seem like the optimal choice, does she?"

"..."

The Fear Bird's eyes darkened. After a long silence, she replied coldly.

"That has nothing to do with you."

"Regardless, there's no way I can defeat the third-tier figures out there in my current state."

With that, she sneered at Yan Jing.

"I forgot to tell you—if I had the Fear Sapling, this girl could live for a few more years."

"But without the sapling, given the condition of her body, she can hold out for a little over a year at most."

"After that, her body will explode and she'll die."

"For her sake, you'd better leave the Fear Sapling behind."

"Either way, I am absolutely not revealing myself right now."

Yan Jing remained quiet for a moment, eventually letting out a soft chuckle.

"Then you can come take it yourself after I'm dead."

He pushed the door open and walked out, leaving the Fear Bird staring at his back in astonishment.

Watching Yan Jing leave, the Fear Bird's gaze grew heavy.

She had assumed that for the sake of the idiot she was possessing, the man would choose the safest route and hand over the Fear Sapling.

If he had, she could have seized complete control over this body and lived out her remaining years in comfort.

But this guy was utterly stubborn.

"Heh, do you see that? That's the man you care about so much," she muttered.

She let out a cold snort, but suddenly, her expression shifted.

It seemed her awakening had roused the slumbering Mantou, who was now fighting her for control of the body.

"Damn it! Now is not the time for you to come out!"

She cursed anxiously.

She didn't want Mantou to see Yan Jing being taken away.

She could vividly imagine just how heartbroken this simple-minded fool would be upon witnessing such a scene.

But the sheer force of the girl's will was growing stronger and stronger, rapidly spiraling beyond her control.

"Damn it! I'm doing this for your own good!"

She practically roared.

She still remembered the day she first met Mantou.

When she flew out of the birdcage, she had thought the world was vast and she had finally escaped that man's grasp. But shortly after taking flight, her wings had grown immensely heavy. Her feathers felt as if they were soaked in water, becoming so heavy she couldn't even flap them.

That was when she realized something was terribly wrong.

The Fear Power in this Domain was far too weak to sustain her daily needs. Separated from the original Domain's power sustained by the White Stone, she had been reduced to an ordinary bird—if not worse.

Not long after, she plummeted straight into the dirt.

At the time, pedestrians had walked right past her without casting a single glance her way.

Someone had even stepped directly on her wing, sending a wave of agonizing, heart-rending pain through her body.

But then, a pair of trembling hands had scooped her up from the ground.

"Wh... why are you... here?"

A small head wearing an Electric Helmet stared down at her with wide eyes. Seeing her injured wing, the girl anxiously cradled her to her chest and ran off in a frantic hurry.

"I... I'll... I'll find you some medicine... You... you can't die..."

Ultimately, under this idiot's tender care, she had finally recovered. Relying on the Weird Energy the fool fed her, she slipped inside the girl's body.

"From now on, nobody will ever bully you again! You'll be the one doing the bullying!"

That was the first thing she said upon entering the idiot's body.

"No... you can't... bully... people..."

And that was the first thing the idiot said to her in return.

"You have... have to be good..."

"If... if you want... want to help me... you can... you can help me pick things up..."

"If... if we could get... get thirty bottles a day... that... that would be so wonderful..."

Pick up bottles?!

She seriously couldn't fathom what was going on in this braindead idiot's head.

She was the Fear Bird!

The uncrowned king of the Fear Swamp!

What kind of utter nonsense was this?!

She had firmly decided she wouldn't help this fool pick up a single bottle. Forget bottles—she wouldn't even pick up half a pebble!

Until one day, when the idiot failed to find any bottles, the girl had sat in a corner and mumbled with a foolish grin:

"Bad... birdie... Today... today I didn't find any bottles... We might... we might have to go hungry..."

She rubbed her belly and offered a silly smile.

"I'm sor... ry... that you're stuck with me..."

Damn it, this absolute idiot.

From that day on, she had started helping the girl pick up bottles.

Together, their lives had visibly begun to improve bit by bit.

If only this man hadn't shown up... If only she hadn't accidentally badmouthed him...

Damn it, wasn't she doing all this for the idiot's own good?!

Thinking of this, the Fear Bird forcefully resisted Mantou's struggle for control.

"Didn't you see?! I told you he wasn't a good person!"

"Bad... birdie! Stop... stop... misbehaving! I... I heard... Yi... Ji's... voice..."

Hearing a name she hadn't heard in a long time made the Fear Bird's consciousness jolt violently.

Finally, she let out a long sigh and spoke softly.

"You're going to regret this."

With that, she surrendered her grip on the body.

Mantou's consciousness slowly and steadily awakened.

...

...

Not far away, outside the house.

Yan Jing had found a good spot to sit down, one perfectly angled so the Fear Bird could see him clearly.

A minute or two later, Giant Mouth strolled out from the entrance of the alley.

Looking at Yan Jing sitting on the steps of a house, Giant Mouth laughed.

"I thought you would have run further."

Yan Jing materialized a pure black spear in his hands, fully manifesting his Fear Stance. As a watery pool formed beneath his feet, he looked at Giant Mouth and smiled.

"I don't plan on running anymore."

"I'm going to kill you right here."

"Ha, hahaha."

As if hearing the funniest joke in the world, the corners of Giant Mouth's massive lips curled up wildly.

"Come on then. Let me show you the true power of a third-tier expert."

The moment those words left his mouth, Yan Jing and Giant Mouth moved simultaneously.

The black spear in Yan Jing's hands slashed through the air like a dark fissure, thrusting straight toward Giant Mouth's eye.

But Giant Mouth just smiled faintly. He raised his right arm to block his front and reached out to grab Yan Jing.

"Freeze Frame Moment."

Just as the spear was about to strike Giant Mouth's right arm, Yan Jing activated his freezing ability.

Taking advantage of the fraction of a second when Giant Mouth was immobilized, Yan Jing feinted with the spear and thrust it directly into his upper jaw—the closest target available.

But a second later, Yan Jing's expression shifted slightly.

This time, the spear barely managed to scrape off a layer of Giant Mouth's skin. It didn't even draw blood.

This wasn't because Giant Mouth's physical resilience surpassed Yu Yan's, but because Yan Jing hadn't used the Power of the White Stone.

Giant Mouth simply stretched out his arm, seized the spear right out of Yan Jing's grip, and ruthlessly threw him away.

Yan Jing crashed heavily into a wall and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Giant Mouth touched the scraped skin on his jaw and laughed.

"Surprisingly painful. Is this your ability?"

"But... it's not enough."

He reached out, his massive hand grasping toward Yan Jing.

Yan Jing brandished his spear once more. This time, petals rained down from the sky.

Then, taking advantage of the moment Giant Mouth fell into a state of terror from the petals, Yan Jing charged forward again.

Another spear thrust.

But clearly...

It still wasn't enough.

Very quickly, he was slammed against the wall once more.

And then...

Again.

And again.

After a few more exchanges, Giant Mouth unhappily touched the shallow wounds on his body and frowned. He could tell Yan Jing was actively seeking death.

However, just as he was preparing to unleash his strongest stance and take Yan Jing down in a single blow, a thunderous voice suddenly drowned out the rumbling in the sky.

"Giant Mouth! Listen closely!"

"Sun-Swallowing Tower has been taken over!"

"And Dandelion Manor! And Sleepland! If you don't come back right now, we'll kill one person every minute!"

Giant Mouth jumped in shock. Looking back, he saw a colossal giant standing tall against the sky.

The giant was draped in a crumpled animal suit. The crooked "King" character on its forehead looked as though it hadn't been washed in ages, coated in a thick layer of grease.

Seeing Giant Mouth glare at him, the giant shivered all over but still forced himself to shout:

"That's right! I'm talking to you! Giant Mouth, you little son of a bitch!"

After shouting that, the giant vanished completely into thin air.

Before Giant Mouth's fury could even explode, a deafening blast echoed from the distant Sun-Swallowing Tower, instantly kicking up a massive cloud of dust from its outer walls.

As if to prove the giant's words true, a series of subsequent explosions blasted across the tower's exterior, sending dust and debris flying into the air.

"My Tower!"

Giant Mouth's eyes nearly split from rage. He turned to glare furiously at Yan Jing.

"Exploiting weaknesses... bringing in helpers... and now attacking our homes behind our backs... Just how much did you prepare?!"

Yan Jing chuckled.

"A lot more. Do you want to go home and take a look, Mr. Giant Mouth?"

To his surprise, the moment he finished speaking, the previously enraged Giant Mouth suddenly burst into roaring laughter.

"Go back? Of course I'll go back! But... someone else is going to take you away!"

As he spoke, an old man with a white beard trailing all the way to the ground stepped out from behind him.

The elder wore a golden robe and possessed an incredibly kind and gentle countenance. The moment he appeared, he sighed heavily.

"I originally didn't want to make the time to come here. I still need to practice diligently, after all."

The Great Elder of Virtue Bridge, Diligence.

At the same time, a middle-aged man in a black trench coat stepped out from his left side.

The right sleeve of the middle-aged man's coat hung empty; he was clearly missing an arm. Additionally, a distinct knife scar was etched just above his left eyebrow.

"Let's just finish this quickly."

When he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on an empty space, not looking at anyone in particular.

First Ward Chief of Solitude Lane, Mo Ran.

Naturally, these two had been summoned by Giant Mouth using his Weird Energy when he was eating the rice earlier.

"If my guess is right, had it just been me, the moment I left to go back, someone else would have swooped in to take you away, wouldn't they?!"

Giant Mouth laughed uproariously.

"You are exactly as clever as your brother!"

"What a pity, what a pity... you made the exact same mistake your brother did... my little cutie..."

Hearing this while leaning against the corner of the wall, Yan Jing couldn't help but smile.

Sure enough, his guess had been right.

Back then, Mr. San hadn't been killed by one person, or two people, or even three.

He had prepared himself to fight one-versus-three, but... he hadn't prepared for a one-versus-five.

It was only at this moment that Yan Jing finally understood the true purpose of the banquet at the tower.

All those factions that had been invited...

They were all part of this Homecoming Plan.

The only ones who actually needed to be incited to pick a side were the ordinary residents of the Domains.

As for the ringleaders, they had delegated that task to Giant Mouth, the one most capable of talking people into a frenzy.

And they had used that opportunity to ensure the three main leaders claimed the lion's share of the profits.

As for the Ward Chief of Solitude Lane and the Great Elder of Virtue Bridge, they probably didn't care about becoming the Lord of Old Sin City. Perhaps the other three had promised them something else entirely.

Five third-tier experts.

Yan Jing chuckled, spitting out a mouthful of bloody froth.

He imagined the scene from three years ago—San Shan going to the meeting alone, fighting five opponents at once. What a staggering sight that must have been.

If possible, he wanted to try doing the same.

In the end, he simply hadn't had enough time.

But... if he really ended up getting captured this time...

He figured he might still have a chance.

It just meant stalling for time by producing a child while secretly entering Dungeons, cultivating, and expanding his influence in the Surface World... Even though there were countless variables, it wasn't completely impossible.

It was just that he was unwilling to take that step.

Given the ruthless methods of the people standing before him, they would almost certainly kidnap the people closest to him to use as leverage.

This was the very reason he had never wanted his close friends getting involved in this from the very beginning.

The enemies were far stronger than imagined.

The road ahead was far more perilous than it appeared.

For some things, he was enough on his own.

As for right now, the dust had yet to settle.

Giant Mouth spoke with a wide grin.

"Alright, you two take him back. I'll go see which rats are causing trouble at my place."

"Perhaps I'll even run into them on the way."

The moment Giant Mouth finished speaking, Yan Jing put his hands on his hips and blew a loud whistle:

"Fweee—fweee—fweee—fweee—"

At the entrance of Rotten Vegetable Village, Old Master Liu and Tiger, sitting on a motorcycle, listened to the sound coming from the walkie-talkie.

Both of them froze simultaneously.

Finally, the old man turned off the walkie-talkie, and the motorcycle beneath them rolled to a stop.

He took out a cigarette.

"Are... are we not going anymore, Old Master...?"

"We... we have to go. Like you said... we have to take the risk..."

Tiger grew anxious and spoke up hastily.

Even though he still shuddered a little when he remembered their opponents were third-tier experts, he had already thrown caution to the wind.

Today, he had ridden a motorcycle back and forth along the desolate avenue normally reserved only for the Terror Bus, delivering intel and helping the old man transport the human bombs from Dandelion Manor to the Sun-Swallowing Tower. All of it had given him an unparalleled thrill.

Especially after cursing out Giant Mouth just moments ago. His heart was still pounding, his blood still boiling.

Asking him to stop now—he just couldn't do it.

But the old man didn't say another word... He merely lifted his cigarette. His expression was incredibly solemn, his eyes carrying an unshakable sorrow.

The residential area of Rotten Vegetable Village.

Watching Yan Jing blow the whistle, Giant Mouth paused for a moment before sneering.

"Hehe, go easy on him, you two. He might have gone a bit crazy already. Don't accidentally break him."

With that, he turned and left.

And the First Ward Chief and the Great Elder of Virtue Bridge made their move.

Naturally, Yan Jing fiercely resisted. But soon, he was left collapsed in a corner, barely clinging to life.

It was about time.

Watching the First Ward Chief and the Great Elder of Virtue Bridge steadily approach, Yan Jing extended his hand. With lightning speed, he unleashed a raging torrent of Weird Energy that transformed into a vast, sprawling ocean.

Immediately afterward, thunderous rumbling echoed through the sky once more.

It sounded as if a Deity had descended upon the world, as if tens of thousands of celestial soldiers and generals were beating their war drums in unison. The deafening roar made the very earth tremble beneath them.

Seeing this spectacular scene, the First Ward Chief and the Great Elder of Virtue Bridge exchanged a glance and stepped back in unison.

They had seen what happened to Meng Dansheng and Yu Yan, so they knew the man before them was far from as simple as he appeared.

Fearing that Yan Jing might still have a hidden trump card, they decided to temporarily avoid the brunt of his attack.

But to their utmost shock, in the very next second, Yan Jing raised his palm and slammed it violently against his own chest.

To the two of them, this action was no different from suicide.

Up on a roof, Chen Nian sprang abruptly to his feet.

His eyes were completely bloodshot.

In a corner not far away, Old Master Liu's grip on the motorcycle handles suddenly tightened, the veins bulging on his knuckles.

Behind him, Tiger stared with a completely vacant, dumbfounded gaze.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing coughed up a geyser of blood and slumped to the ground in excruciating agony.

His eyelids drooped heavily, and his gaze turned dim and unfocused.

It was about time...

Immersed in overwhelming agony, with every inch of his battered body screaming in pain, Yan Jing's consciousness had begun to blur.

His physical body was completely exhausted, its oil depleted and lamp run dry, and his spirit was stretched to its absolute breaking point.

Yet, he forced himself to keep thinking.

It was about time...

By now, that Fear Bird must think he was dead. As long as he manifested the Fear Sapling to bait her into rushing over... facing two third-tier experts, she would have no choice but to reveal her true form. And in the very instant she fused with the Fear Sapling...

The searing pain made it impossible for him to pursue that train of thought any further.

But it didn't matter. He had practiced this sequence countless times over the past few days. His body should have committed it to memory.

Over the past few days, he had considered countless possibilities, anticipated a myriad of reactions his two friends might have, and rigorously debated what the absolute optimal solution would be.

But... it was simply impossible to execute perfectly.

The situation was far too complex, far too volatile...

All he could do was ensure that, even in the absolute worst-case scenario, he could still do something for his few friends.

Mantou was sick...

She would die in two years.

Chen Nian, a traveler who had willingly trapped himself inside Rotten Vegetable Village all for the sake of his friend.

Old Master Liu, who harbored ambitions of becoming a reigning overlord.

He wanted to help them. He wanted to help these fools who had selflessly aided him when he first arrived in this world.

And as for the current situation... while it wasn't the absolute worst-case scenario, it was alarmingly close to it.

First... he had to cure Mantou's sickness...

With that thought in mind, through the unfocused blur of light and shadow before his eyes, he saw Mantou's hazy silhouette slowly step out of the house.

She was here.

She had finally come.

The Fear Bird...

In his palm, the Fear Sapling materialized, while the Power of the White Stone secretly readied itself.

But suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.

His previously unfocused vision snapped abruptly into sharp clarity.

Why...

Why weren't Mantou's eyes pitch-black?

Why?

"Don't... don't come over... Mantou... don't... don't... don't come over..."

True terror spread rapidly through his heart. Summoning the very last drop of his strength, he forced the words out from his cracked, dry lips.

His thoroughly exhausted body desperately wanted to wave her off, wanted to gesture for her to fall back. But ultimately, despite expending every ounce of strength he had left, he could only manage a faint twitch of his index finger.

Just a few seconds prior.

"Yi... Ji...?"

Mantou had opened her eyes. Standing by the window, she stared blankly at Yan Jing coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground, her eyes filled with profound confusion.

She couldn't understand why Yan Jing would be so heavily injured, lying in the dirt like that.

But... but just this morning, everything was fine.

She wanted to find someone to ask, but right now, there wasn't a single soul beside her...

Not Grandfather Liu, not Big Brother Chen Nian, not Mr. Tiger. She even repeatedly questioned the bad birdie inside her, but received absolutely no response...

It was as though she had merely taken a nap, only to wake up and find she had lost all of her friends.

As if she had just had a dream, transcending space and time to return to her past, reverting to that little girl who possessed absolutely nothing.

Due to a blind spot in her line of sight, she couldn't see the two men standing opposite Yan Jing in the distance.

But she could clearly see that there were people in the house directly across from them, and people in the house diagonally across from them. So she couldn't comprehend why not a single person had gone over to help Yan Jing up.

Her Yi Ji was lying collapsed on the ground like a piece of discarded trash, completely ignored by everyone.

She was too foolish; she couldn't understand the intricacies of these matters.

But she knew one thing for certain: her Yi Ji was currently lying on the ground like trash, which meant she had to bring him home.

He was her precious treasure!

And so, she stepped tremblingly out the door, dragging her unsteady feet forward until she finally reached Yan Jing's side.

"Don't... don't come over... don't come over... Mantou."

A faint, weak voice drifted from Yan Jing's lips, but Mantou couldn't quite hear him.

Slender tentacles slipped out from the crooks of her arms, gently and slowly dragging Yan Jing up onto her back.

"Heave-ho... heave-ho..."

Mantou secured Yan Jing firmly in place and began to trudge unsteadily back toward their home, step by trembling step.

"Yi... Ji... don't be afraid... we're... we're almost home..."

"Yi... Ji... once we're home... everything... everything will be okay..."

Mantou's soft voice echoed incessantly by Yan Jing's ear. As his consciousness hovered on the brink of total collapse, he vaguely remembered hearing those words somewhere before.

Where was it... just where...

Dangling in a twilight state between dreams and wakefulness, he finally remembered where he had heard that phrase.

It was his very first day in this world.

The first time he had ever met this girl.

That day, she had scooped him up into her arms, and all the way back, she had repeated this exact same sentence:

"Don't... don't be afraid... we're... we're almost home... once we're home... everything will be okay..."

Everything was exactly the same as the very first time they had met.