Chapter 26: A Dusk for One Person

Eastern Nanhuang Continent.

The season had entered summer, and with the gradual increase of rain, the weather slowly began to show heat.

"It's May." This day, when the sun was high in the sky, Xu Qing, who had finished the class and left Master Bai's tent, looked up at the blue sky, looked at the dazzling sun, and murmured in a low voice.

Unknowingly, he had arrived at the camp for two months.

Recalling his experience in the Blood Rain City two months ago, it seemed like a long time had passed, but in Xu Qing's heart, it was still vivid.

But compared to living in the slums more than two months ago, the changes in him were already huge.

Whether it was the improvement of cultivation or the harvest of grass and wood knowledge, Xu Qing felt that he was constantly growing.

And under Lei Ting's rich food during this period, he ate a lot of meat, so his body changed from the original thinness to being slightly refined.

It was also because of cultivating the Sea Mountain Technique that his Yang-gang blood energy was extremely vigorous, and the aura he emitted instinctively gave people a sense of sharpness.

Perhaps it was also because of imitating that blade in the temple, Xu Qing's eyes were much brighter than others, and the more he imitated, the more it was so.

Especially with going to Master Bai's side to listen to the class, the accumulation of knowledge also added a layer of scholar's temperament to him.

All of this made Xu Qing, who was used to clean hands, even if the grime on his face could not be washed away, it could no longer cover the clarity of his brows.

This point could be seen from the fact that the dust-laden women in the tents with feathers in the camp often called him with beautiful eyes.

But Xu Qing didn't pay attention to these. His emotions had been somewhat low for the past few days.

On one hand, the Destiny Flower hadn't been found, and on the other hand, Lei Ting's aging and weakness were becoming more and more obvious.

So Xu Qing went to the forbidden zone jungle less and less. Every day after Master Bai's class ended, he would instinctively walk toward his residence. Even if most of the time he was cultivating alone, he could feel Lei Ting next door, which made Xu Qing feel much more at ease.

The meal time every night made him cherish it even more.

Today was the same. Xu Qing, who was walking silently in the camp, didn't pay attention to the scavengers around him and first went to the grocery store.

After the busy little girl saw his figure, she didn't say a word, ran behind the counter, took out a pot of wine from inside, and handed it directly to Xu Qing.

She had already gotten used to this period of time, Xu Qing coming to buy wine at this time every day.

"Thank you," Xu Qing said softly, glancing at the scar on the little girl's face.

Although there was a ferocious scar, the little girl was very optimistic. She smiled at Xu Qing and was about to say something when she was called away by other scavengers.

Xu Qing didn't mind, took the wine pot and prepared to leave, and his back fell into the little girl's peripheral vision. She hurriedly said a few words to the scavenger, ran to the side of the big gate, looked at Xu Qing who was about to walk far away, and suddenly shouted.

"Brother Kid."

Xu Qing paused his footsteps. When he looked back, the little girl ran over quickly.

After approaching Xu Qing, she stretched out her right hand, opened it toward Xu Qing, and there was a piece of candy inside.

"I don't know why you've been low recently, but every time I'm unhappy, my mother will give me candy to eat. Every time I eat it, I become happy."

"This is my last piece of candy, I'll give it to you."

The little girl said, fearing that Xu Qing would refuse, she placed it in his hand and ran quickly toward the shop. Until she reached the side of the shop door, she looked back at Xu Qing and shouted loudly.

"Brother Kid, be happy!"

Xu Qing stood there dazed, watching the little girl's figure walk into the shop. He looked down at the candy in his palm, and for a long time... he carefully put this piece of candy away.

On the way back, there was a clamor in the camp. From afar, Xu Qing saw two caravans arriving one after another outside the camp.

The caravan in front, whether it was the newness of the carriage or the robustness of the horses, far exceeded the caravans Xu Qing had once seen. Inside, there were not only guards but also three or five middle-aged men whose spiritual energy fluctuations were obviously powerful.

And they were clearly not the core of the caravan.

With the arrival of the caravan, a group of young boys and girls walked down from it. They were all about sixteen or seventeen years old, walking with their heads high and their chests out, their clothes were bright, and while their skin was white, the men were handsome and the women were beautiful.

Clearly, their identities and backgrounds were very extraordinary. At this moment, they seemed to dislike the dirt and chaos in the camp, so they camped outside the camp, and the sense of being bossy was very obvious.

And each one seemed to have followers and attendants by their side, with about a hundred people serving these fifteen or sixteen young boys and girls.

And in the second caravan behind them, although it was also not bad, compared to the former, it obviously had a sense of shabbiness.

And clearly knowing the identities of those young boys and girls, this second caravan was unwilling to contact the former along the way, avoided them and entered the camp, and the people who walked down were very low-key.

Xu Qing swept over this at a glance.

Caravans in the camp would appear every few days, either to issue tasks or to enter the forbidden zone alone, and there were all kinds of people inside.

This was also the foundation for the existence of the scavenger camp, and Xu Qing was accustomed to it.

When he returned to his residence, he saw Lei Ting exercising his body in the courtyard. In the sunlight, there was a sense of twilight on Lei Ting, which made Xu Qing feel even lower.

"Bought wine for me again, not bad, not bad." Noticing the wine pot in Xu Qing's hand, Lei Ting said with a smile.

"Alright, you go tidy up the kitchen, I'll go out for a stroll and buy some ingredients back." Lei Ting said, leaving with his hands behind his back.

This was what he and Xu Qing had agreed upon, that he must go buy the ingredients, and Xu Qing didn't refuse, but gave more rent.

It seemed that this was the way he and Lei Ting got along.

This day, Lei Ting returned earlier than usual. Xu Qing had just finished tidying up the kitchen when he walked back with some meat and smiled at Xu Qing, starting to cook.

Xu Qing learned from the side as usual, but looking and looking, he felt something was wrong... at this rate, today's meal time would be advanced, and it would no longer be dusk.

Realizing this, Xu Qing understood something in his heart. Looking at the busy Lei Ting, he wanted to speak but stopped, and finally fell silent.

Lei Ting was talking as usual while cooking.

Amidst the trivial matters, before dusk arrived, the food was already cooked. After placing it on the table, Lei Ting looked at the silent Xu Qing and touched his head.

"Kid, I have already bought the qualification to enter the city of Songtao. Later, I will tidy up my luggage, and I will leave early tomorrow morning." Lei Ting picked up the wine Xu Qing had bought for him and drank a large gulp.

Xu Qing's movements stiffened. Half an hour later, he lowered his head and said softly.

"So fast?"

Lei Ting didn't speak. Half an hour later, laughter came out.

"Actually, I bought it long ago, but I didn't tell you. You, don't be reluctant. In this world, there is no banquet that doesn't end." Lei Ting said, and drank another large gulp of wine.

"Come, eat."

Xu Qing looked at the vicissitudes of Lei Ting, ate silently, and this day's food should have been very delicious, but in Xu Qing's mouth, it had no taste.

Lei Ting looked at all this, sighed in his heart, but still had a smile on his face, talking about the trivial things in the camp, until a stick of incense later, Xu Qing suddenly spoke.

"Aren't you waiting for Cross and Luan Ya? They should be back soon."

"Not waiting. If they come back, I guess it will be the same as you, adding to the sadness. Besides, you can come see me when you have time in the future."

Lei Ting took out the tobacco pipe from his bosom and took a puff. The smoke exhaled covered his expression, making him somewhat hazy.

Lei Ting ate this meal very quickly.

Until he left to tidy up his luggage, Xu Qing was still sitting there, looking at the food on the table, unable to eat anymore. Half an hour later, he stood up and for the first time didn't wash the bowls and chopsticks, but came to Lei Ting'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 Ting laughed heartily, beckoned Xu Qing to come help him fold his clothes.

Xu Qing walked over silently, first washed his hands carefully, and then folded them very neatly.

With his help, Lei Ting's luggage was soon finished, most of which he didn't want and left for Xu Qing.

"This house, it's yours too."

"I'll pay rent," Xu Qing said earnestly.

Lei Ting smiled upon hearing this, didn't talk about this topic, but pulled Xu Qing to sit there. As time passed, he told him about the personalities of the scavengers in the camp, focusing on the camp leader.

"The camp leader of the camp is not a simple person, and his background is the Jin Gang Sect."

"And the Jin Gang Sect is the number one force in this large area. Dozens of cities and camps are under their control, and their ancestor is a Foundation Establishment powerhouse. You must be vigilant against him at all times in the future."

Speaking of this, it was very late outside, Xu Qing noticed the fatigue on Lei Ting's face and stood up silently to leave.

Watching his figure, Lei Ting sighed softly after a long time.

And this night was also the first night Xu Qing hadn't cultivated for a long time.

He sat there staring blankly at the dark night outside, until he saw the sky turn white, until he saw the light of the morning sun.

"Passed so fast," Xu Qing murmured, the melancholy in his heart permeated, and he didn't leave the room at this time as usual, but waited until he heard the sound of Lei Ting opening the door before he slowly walked out.

The morning sun, the morning light fell, and in the courtyard, an old man and a young boy looked at each other.

"Kid, I'm leaving." After a long time, a smile appeared on Lei Ting's face.

"I'll see you off."

"No need, you go to class quickly."

"I'll see you off."

"You..."

"I'll see you off." Xu Qing looked at Lei Ting and spoke again.

Lei Ting looked at Xu Qing. Half an hour later, he revealed helplessness and nodded.

Just like that, the old man and the young boy, in this morning camp, while other scavengers hadn't woken up, moved forward and left. Passing by Master Bai's tent, Xu Qing ran over.

Master Bai hadn't arrived yet, and the young boy Chen Feiyuan was not there either. Only Ting Yu was there reciting the Pharmacopoeia.

"Trouble you, help me ask for a day off." After seeing Ting Yu, Xu Qing spoke rapidly, bowed to her, and turned to leave.

Ting Yu was somewhat surprised. When she walked out, she saw the figures of Xu Qing and Lei Ting going far away.

The light of the morning sun fell on the earth, reflecting in front of Xu Qing and Lei Ting, and also shrouded their figures, further and further away.

Along the way, Xu Qing took the luggage from Lei Ting, carried it on his back, and remained silent.

Lei Ting's heart was complicated. Looking at the stubborn young boy, he wanted to talk about the trivial things in the camp like usual, but after saying a few words, he couldn't continue.

In silence, the two walked into the big mountain they had come from, walked to the place where they had rested before. At that time, it was also the two of them, Lei Ting was tall and straight in front, and Xu Qing was cautious behind.

The former was deep like a sword, the latter was lonely like a wolf.

Today, Xu Qing was in front, and Lei Ting was behind.

The former was tall like a peak, the latter was staggering and twilight.

Here, under Xu Qing's insistence, he carried the old Lei Ting on his back, just like in the jungle before.

Lei Ting sighed in his heart, looking at the side face of this young boy, after silence, he spoke softly.

"After that, in the camp, you must pay more attention to those scavengers."

"I know your combat power is very strong now, but you can't underestimate them. Scavengers, they are desperate people. For them, unscrupulous means are already a common occurrence..."

"At night, don't forget to feed those dogs. These little guys are the most trustworthy in the camp."

"And you must remember to eat, don't eat cold food, don't be afraid of trouble, heat it up before eating... You are still growing, you can't be careless."

"Otherwise, when you are older in the future, you will know the bitterness. By the way, don't sleep on the bed board in the future, don't be afraid of getting the bedding dirty, remember to sun it when there is sun after washing."

"And..."

Lei Ting spoke softly, his words were fragmented, containing deep care.

Xu Qing carried Lei Ting on his back, nodded gently, and etched the other party's words into his heart.

Until Lei Ting fell asleep due to physical weakness while talking, listening to the snoring on his back, Xu Qing's footsteps also became gentle.

He tried his best not to jump, even if he took a detour, he kept it steady.

Just like that, he carried Lei Ting across the wilderness, bypassed the basin, until dusk appeared. As the sky turned dim, the afterglow stretched their figures, and a city entered Xu Qing's eyes.

It was also at this time that Lei Ting woke up. He looked at the city, looked at the city gate, and after half an hour, said softly.

"We're here."

Xu Qing said "en" lightly, feeling a blockage in his chest. At Lei Ting's request, he gently put him down.

Taking the luggage from Xu Qing's hand, Lei Ting looked at the city gate, then looked at Xu Qing, and after a moment of silence, smiled.

"Kid, go back. If you miss this old man in the future, come over at any time. I live at No. C, Di, Shuiqing Road, South City." After finishing, Lei Ting took his luggage and walked toward the city gate.

Xu Qing stood there, watching Lei Ting walking further and further away. There were thousands of words in his heart, but he didn't know how to speak, so he could only stare blankly.

Until he reached the city gate and handed over the entry qualification, Lei Ting suddenly looked back.

He looked deeply at Xu Qing, waved his hand, and under the urging of the city gate guards, walked into the city and disappeared.

Xu Qing's expression was lonely. After waiting for a long time... when dusk fell and the city gate closed, his heart suddenly felt empty.

"Take care..." Half an hour later, Xu Qing murmured, turned around bitterly, and the feeling of loneliness permeated his whole body again.

As night fell, his lonely figure was gradually covered.

One person walked toward the wilderness, one person walked toward the basin, one person walked toward the big mountain.

Further... and further away. ===== CHAPTER 27 =====