[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-beyond-the-passage-of-time":3,"chapter-beyond-the-passage-of-time-beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Beyond the Passage of Time",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2344444,4583,"Chapter 4: Uninvited Guests","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>The moment he turned, Xu Qing swept his gaze rapidly behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw seven or eight zhang away, seven people in different positions, approaching him in a scattered formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These seven were all adults, men and women, dressed mostly in fur coats of deep gray, hung with many leather pouches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each person carried weapons, and they were all separated from one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, three held bows and two held blades; none of them turned their backs to the others, appearing to be on guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also one person wearing gauntlets on their hands, walking alone, positioned in the very center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the one who had spoken in that strange, mocking tone earlier, it was a tall, burly man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man carried a massive battle axe on his shoulder and was also the closest to Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was extremely brawny, with a hideous scar on his face and a thick beard; at this moment, his eyes held cruelty, and he strode toward Xu Qing with a sinister grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this was seen by Xu Qing in a single glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pupils contracted as his mind instantly analyzed that these people did not seem like a cohesive group, but rather a team assembled temporarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This point could be clearly seen from their positioning and the way they were on guard against each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as for the identities of these people, Xu Qing had already guessed it: they... were scavengers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no shortage of scavengers in Nanhuangzhou; most were brutal and lacked any real bottom line, where everything was a naked struggle for survival of the fittest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this time, as the blood rain in the forbidden zone stopped and the barrier opened, the surrounding scavengers had been attracted and swarmed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, although the forbidden zone was dangerous, they were people who lived on the edge of a blade, and the resources contained within the empty city were enough to make their eyes turn red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if most of the supplies were contaminated, there were still items of value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As thoughts raced through his mind, Xu Qing’s body swayed, preparing to leap away to one side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the burly man approaching him, seeing Xu Qing about to run, felt his cruelty intensify, his sinister grin tinged with bloodlust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Want to run? I love torturing little brats like you to death. You must have quite a lot in that leather pouch of yours. Team Leader Lei, give this kid to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cruelty in the burly man’s eyes seemed to radiate from his pupils, forming a deterrent that, combined with his tall frame and battle axe, created immense pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He charged over with long strides, his right hand swinging the battle axe, throwing it directly toward the direction Xu Qing was about to leap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a whoosh, the battle axe whistled, tearing through the distance between them and arriving in an instant from mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burly man was strong and his movements were not slow, but Xu Qing was faster; almost the moment the axe arrived, his body accelerated violently to dodge to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle axe whistled past him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind it kicked up scraped against Xu Qing’s face, blowing up some of his messy hair and revealing the cold, wolf-like eyes beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Xu Qing rolled along the ground; instead of fleeing, he arrived right in front of the burly man, his right hand lifting to reveal a pitch-black iron spike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking advantage of his smaller stature, Xu Qing leaped upward violently, the iron spike in his hand thrusting from bottom to top toward the burly man’s chin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It all happened too fast; Xu Qing’s small, thin body and his previous attempt to flee served as a natural cover for his strike, to the point that even the burly man felt a sense of life-and-death crisis in that instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was experienced after all; his expression changed drastically as his upper body jerked backward, narrowly avoiding the iron spike, though a bloody gash was still carved into his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his inner rage could burn, Xu Qing’s expression remained cold; failing the first strike, his left hand quickly drew a dagger from his calf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the burly man’s upper body leaned back, he lowered his body and followed through, stabbing the dagger fiercely into the top of the burly man’s right foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a squelch, the dagger pierced through the straw sandal and flesh, pinning directly into the mud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burly man’s expression twisted as intense pain surged through his body, a shrill scream erupting; just as he was about to counterattack, Xu Qing was too agile, and after the strike, his body shot backward to the cover of a broken wall, crouching there, ready to strike again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flickering firelight obscured his face, making him appear somewhat in shadow, but those wolf-like eyes, which the firelight could not hide, looked toward the scavengers with vigilance and ferocity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It all happened too quickly, and Xu Qing’s age and physique were deceptive, so many of the scavengers were careless and did not react immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they all revealed fierce glares, and the three holding bows had eyes that turned sharp in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing, hiding behind the cover, did not look at the burly man not far away who was screaming shrilly while struggling to pull the dagger from his foot; instead, he swept his gaze over the three archers and finally looked at the person wearing gauntlets standing in the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This person was an old man; although his clothing was similar to the others, his gaze was the sharpest, and Xu Qing faintly sensed a subtle fluctuation of spiritual energy from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, from his position and the way the others’ gazes instinctively converged on him, Xu Qing had a judgment in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other party... should be the temporary leader of these scavengers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing watched the old man and analyzed him, while the old man also watched him, his eyes appearing to hold something strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the old man shifted his gaze, looking at the pile of cremation flames still rising not far away, falling silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the burly man who had pulled out the dagger had violent rage in his eyes; he let out a roar and was about to charge toward Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little brat, watch how I kill you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, revealing a sharp glint, and was just about to act when a calm, aged voice arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two words seemed to possess a deterrent effect, forcing the roaring burly man to stop his steps and look back at the person who spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who spoke was the old man with gauntlets whom Xu Qing had been watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Team Leader Lei...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This child is likely a survivor from the slums outside; the gods have spared him, so don't make a move. We are leaving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But...\" The burly man’s eyes held intense unwillingness; he believed he had only been careless before, and if he really fought, he was confident he could crush Xu Qing’s neck within a few breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to speak, the old man glanced at him indifferently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you need me to say it a second time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burly man’s expression showed a struggle, but in the end, he lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when he lowered his head did he glance at Xu Qing hiding behind the cover, a flash of murderous intent crossing his face before he turned coldly, limping toward the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing felt this murderous intent; his eyes narrowed slightly, and he watched the group of scavengers with vigilance as they gradually walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as they had walked dozens of zhang away, the old man in the middle paused his steps, turned his head, and after a long while, whether looking at Xu Qing or the heat of the cremation fire, he suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Child, are you willing to leave here with me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing was stunned; he noticed that in the other’s words, he said \"me,\" not \"us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he fell silent, his gaze sweeping over the group, and the old man was patient, not urging him, standing in the distance waiting for an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until more than ten breaths later, Xu Qing swept his gaze over these people multiple times, looking at the old man, then at the burly man he had injured, who wore a cold expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange glint flashed through the youth’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly stood up, said nothing, and walked slowly toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xu Qing walking over, the old man smiled, turned, and continued forward, while the others also took a deep look at Xu Qing before following.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that, Xu Qing followed this group of scavengers, watching them search the city for items of value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, he learned the nickname of the hideous burly man; others called him Scar-Ox.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man also swept his gaze over Xu Qing multiple times, his eyes always holding a cold glint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But clearly, he was restraining himself; it seemed he was not in a hurry, waiting for an opportunity when the old man who stopped him from attacking was not around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he seemed very certain that such an opportunity would surely arise on the road ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing thought for a moment, considering the burly man’s greed, so relying on his familiarity with the city, he gave these scavengers some help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing kept a very low profile, allowing these scavengers to find items of value faster and find more of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Scar-Ox was clearly greedy; even when he could not carry more and it exceeded his own load, he still wanted to take more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, already injured, he searched a wider area than the others and carried heavier items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it was nothing, but as time passed, the burly man’s physical strength was clearly exhausted, and his fatigue far exceeded everyone else’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the area of the City Lord’s Mansion, Xu Qing considered that the old man called Team Leader Lei had been helpful to him, so he did not lead them there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until night was about to fall, the group finally left the city and camped in the former slums outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their movements were very practiced; they set up six tents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for the two blade-wielders who shared a tent, the others were alone, and they even lit incense outside the tents, while someone took out some powder and sprinkled a circle around the perimeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the sky grow darker and various roars beginning to echo within the city, these scavengers all walked into their tents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Team Leader Lei glanced at the lonely Xu Qing, took a sleeping bag from the side, and threw it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The incense can drive away strange beasts, and the powder can avoid the eerie; with your contribution today, with me here, Scar-Ox won't dare to target you. It’s safe enough here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, the old man ignored him further and walked into his tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing said nothing, only taking a deep look at the old man’s tent, picking up the sleeping bag, opening it, and crawling inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he did not seal it; instead, he left a gap facing the direction of the scavengers’ tents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dead of night, the roars and shrill sounds from outside grew more intense, and eerie weeping echoed ethereally; a terrifying atmosphere seemed to be everywhere outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed no one was willing to leave their sheltered dwellings at this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xu Qing...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his eyes inside the sleeping bag, motionless, waiting silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until time passed and it reached the deepest part of the night when people were most soundly asleep, Xu Qing slowly crawled out of the sleeping bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His movements were very careful, making as little sound as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roars and shrill sounds in the city echoed in his ears, but they did not distract his focus in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully crawling out, Xu Qing walked silently toward the tent where the burly man Scar-Ox was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not allow any hidden dangers that could threaten his life to exist around him; even if it were just a hidden danger, he would find a way to resolve it immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the rule Xu Qing had learned through bloody lessons while surviving in the slums. It was also the reason he had agreed to follow them this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even during the day, when he gave the group tips to help them harvest more, it was because he saw Scar-Ox’s greed and wanted to make him even more exhausted while injured, thus losing his vigilance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his act of deliberately keeping a low profile was also to numb the other party and make him lax in his defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this was for the strike now; at this moment, Xu Qing’s expression was calm as he approached the tent lightly, not acting rashly, but crouching there and listening carefully for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snoring that reached his ears was even, steady, and not fake; having confirmed this, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, slowly drew his iron spike, lightly sliced open the tent’s fastener, and slowly crawled inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tent was dim, and Xu Qing vaguely saw Scar-Ox lying there, sleeping very soundly; clearly, the day’s exertion, combined with his injuries, had left him extremely exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the mindset of the strong made it impossible for Canniu to imagine, no matter what, that the youth who had acted so ingratiating and cooperative during the day would risk coming in the middle of the night while all the other scavengers were present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, at this moment, he did not know that there was an uninvited guest inside his tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing looked at the sleeping Canniu, his cold gaze as calm as the deep sea. He approached gently, and after standing beside him, Xu Qing did not hesitate in the slightest; a cold glint flashed from the dagger in his right hand, and he slashed fiercely across the throat of the unsuspecting Canniu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force was immense, nearly severing the head from the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fresh blood sprayed out in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The excruciating pain caused Canniu’s eyes to snap open, and he saw Xu Qing’s expressionless face. His expression revealed disbelief and terror. Just as he was about to struggle, Xu Qing’s left hand had already moved with lightning speed, pressing firmly over his mouth to prevent him from making a single sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The struggle grew increasingly intense at this moment; Canniu’s eyes widened, and his entire body convulsed wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Qing’s hand was like an iron clamp, pressing down with absolute force. He even raised his right foot and stepped directly onto Canniu’s stomach, his own body arching to use the stable leverage to make Canniu’s struggle futile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the blood continued to gush out, Canniu was like a fish out of water. A sense of despair slowly emerged intensely in his eyes, and he even began to plead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what he saw remained Xu Qing’s calm face. As for the sounds made by his body’s struggle, they were masked by the roars and shrill cries from the outside, unable to carry out at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed slowly until, after a dozen breaths, Canniu’s struggle gradually weakened. Finally, he shuddered once, his whole body went limp, and he remained motionless. Only his wide-open eyes retained the terror from before death as he breathed his last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing did not immediately lift his hand; instead, he waited a while longer. Only after confirming that the other party was truly dead did he release his hand. After wiping away the bloodstains, he opened his leather pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carefully took out the snake head wrapped in linen from inside and cautiously used the snake’s fangs to pierce Canniu’s skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, as the toxin spread, Canniu’s corpse began to bubble with green foam, slowly melting away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the corpse had completely turned into a pool of bloody water, seeping into the soil of the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing watched all of this silently and began to tidy up the scene. He also disposed of Canniu’s belongings to create the illusion that the other party had gone missing, and only then did he crawl out of the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold wind blew against his face, carrying away some of the bloody scent that had stained him. Xu Qing looked up at the dark night, took a deep breath of the icy air, and walked slowly back into his sleeping bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he lay down in the sleeping bag, his heart finally settled. The sense of security brought by the removal of the hidden danger allowed him to close his eyes and fall asleep quickly, yet the iron skewer in his hand remained tightly gripped, never loosening in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed without incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, the morning light spilled down, illuminating the earth. Xu Qing opened his eyes and quietly crawled out of the sleeping bag, his gaze sweeping casually toward the tent where Canniu had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, his pupils contracted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Canniu’s tent had actually disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing’s heart sank, and he became even more vigilant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the other scavengers also walked out of their tents in the morning. They discovered this immediately and were all surprised; some searched around to no avail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because Canniu had disappeared so thoroughly, even his tent gone, some judged that he must have been greedy for the items in the city and left in the middle of the night, or perhaps left without saying goodbye for some other reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, in this forbidden zone, there were too many reasons for a person to vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a temporarily assembled team, and Canniu was on his own, so these scavengers soon stopped paying attention to the matter. Some looked at Xu Qing, but they seemed to feel that this matter could not possibly be related to him, and since they had no obligation to investigate, they withdrew their suspicions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the old man known as Team Leader Lei, while collecting Xu Qing’s sleeping bag, gave him a meaningful look and spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, are you still coming with me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sentence was profound, and Xu Qing remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man said nothing more, calling out to the group to continue their journey under the early sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing stood in place for a moment, instinctively looking back at the ruined city. Finally, he turned his head, looked at the old man’s back, and after thinking for a moment, he stepped forward to follow. As he walked, his gait gradually became a bit firmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six scavengers and one child—their figures were stretched very long under the sunlight...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From far away, the wind blew, scattering the sighs and reflections they made as they moved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the divine calamity; the entire city perished.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is one more forbidden zone in this world...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s nothing. You’ve heard, right? Seven or eight years ago, there was a large city in the northern region. A god opened its eyes and looked at it, and that entire area, along with the city, just mysteriously vanished, as if it had never existed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation grew fainter. Under the early sun, among the figures traveling far away, the youth was silent, listening silently, walking silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking further and further away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a little newcomer, I have nervously published a fresh new book. Brothers and sisters, please take care of me. I ask for collections, recommendations, and monthly tickets.\u003C\u002Fp>",3293,"2026-06-21T00:45:15.441Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","21d8dc575b9b06b39d01fac2bb6db7dd6c6dade54027161163fd41fdd37de331","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-5","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-3",998,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbeyond-the-passage-of-time-cover.jpg"]