Chapter 140: 139 Anchor

“Crack! Crack! Crack!”

Looking at the burly old man blocking the lobby of Happiness Apartments, giant scissors in hand and glaring at him, Li Ang rubbed his temples in exasperation.

Damn it—after my Devil’s Badge upgraded to Gold, the “devilish stench” in my soul has become too strong; until my Holy Spirit Badge reaches Gold rank, I’ll probably have to sleep in the office.

Or maybe…

After glancing at the manager aunt, who wore an apologetic expression, Li Ang ventured cautiously:

“Um… Aunt Mary, would you mind if I used a little force to tie up your husband for a bit? I haven’t been home in over a week—I really miss seeing you all…”

“Tie him up, tie him up!”

After twisting the old man’s waist several times without making him move, the manager aunt could only shake her snowy white curls, sighing helplessly:

“I know you’re a good boy. Your soul’s problem is clearly the Cleanup Bureau’s fault—they have no right to stop you from going home. But my old man just won’t listen… Alright, as long as you don’t hurt him, you can tie him up all night.”

“No, no, no need for that long—just a moment will do.”

Li Ang held deep respect for these two elders, who had always done good deeds in life and death; hearing her offer, he quickly refused, then slowly activated the power of his Holy Spirit pendant, pinning the burly old man firmly in place, and without looking back, sprinted up the stairs.

“Crack!”

Seeing the “wicked devil spawn” climbing the stairs, the old man’s eyes bulged wide; his powerful latissimus dorsi muscles surged, forcing the Holy Spirit pendant’s restraint open slightly, and he swung his giant scissors to chase after him.

But he’d barely taken two steps when tangles of yarn wrapped around him, pinning him tightly beside the stairs, and his waist flesh was pinched hard.

“You stubborn old man! Stubborn when alive, even more stubborn dead… Stick your neck out a bit—I’m measuring for length!”

After squeezing his waist twice, watching her husband still clutching the scissors and trying to rush upstairs, the manager aunt shook her head helplessly, then brought over a small stool and sat in the hallway, measuring his neck as she began knitting a woolen scarf.

After waiting a moment on the third floor and seeing the old man didn’t follow, Li Ang exhaled in relief and dashed up to the sixth floor.

“Brother?”

As always, the door opened early; the instant Li Ang reached the sixth floor, the apartment door beside the stairs burst open, spilling warm orange light into the dim corridor, bathing Li Ang in its glow.

Though she’d recognized his footsteps, seeing him return dusty, weary, and worn-out, Anna—already looking slightly haggard—brightened instantly, her eyes filled with palpable relief.

But before Li Ang could speak, that relief in her eyes turned to deep worry and hurt.

After biting her lower lip hard, the frail girl turned her head slightly, her voice soft yet tinged with reproach:

“Finished work?”

“Uh… not yet…”

Catching the faint resentment in his sister’s eyes, Li Ang halted, his gaze apologetic:

“Sorry, Anna. The Bureau’s been swamped lately—I just slipped away for a quick look at you all. I’ll have to leave again soon…”

“Alright…”

Hearing Li Ang’s words, though still annoyed he’d vanished for nearly a week without a word, the frail girl bit her lip again, her heart aching as she whispered:

“Remember to take care of yourself. Don’t carry everything on your shoulders. If you’re truly exhausted, take more leave—even if it means less pay.”

Our life at home’s much better now. My health’s improved a lot. If both of us can work, we can afford Melanie and the others even with less income—you don’t have to push yourself so hard…”

「

“Don’t worry—I’m fine.”

Watching his sister, her face full of concern as she scolded him, Li Ang unconsciously smiled, feeling a sudden, long-absent lightness and ease wash over him.

Whether the ruthless brutality of having just slain the Archpriest, or the lingering stench of blood since the Ryan Massacre—all vanished the moment he stepped into this warm little home, bathed in its warm light.

In this moment, he was no longer the Cleanup Agent—cold, decisive, merciless in action—nor the alienated outsider suppressing rage and resentment, out of sync with this world. He was just an ordinary man, exhausted from a long day’s work, yearning for quiet rest in his harbor.

“Anna… I’m glad you’re here…”

With a heartfelt sigh, Li Ang, having reclaimed a sliver of his humanity, stepped forward and pulled his sister into a tight embrace, burying his face against her still-thin shoulder, breathing her in as if starving.

Though he’d joined the Cleanup Bureau for only a month, looking back now, he realized he was almost a different person—certainly, a month ago, he would never have crushed someone’s skull on hearing the words “Scale Faith.”

He could tell himself it was necessary for the job, but the truth was—he was slipping out of normalcy, advancing steadily toward the “inhuman,” and faster each day.

Though Anna’s shoulders were frail, just as she held up this family from collapsing, her and the two little ones’ presence held him fast to his sense of being human.

If not for them as his “anchor,” he might never become a monster—but he’d still, under the constant corruption of anomalies, become one of those Cleanup Agents: human in appearance only, utterly alien to humanity, like those in the Black Goat’s mouth…

“Oh! You… you stop…”

Suddenly crushed in Li Ang’s embrace, his face buried against her neck, Anna gasped, blushing and instinctively trying to push him away.

But after a few seconds, sensing the depth of his grip, she froze—then stopped struggling. Ignoring the dust on him, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer.

Resting her chin on his shoulder, the frail girl tilted her head slightly, shyly pressing her cheek against his jaw, then, enduring the warm, tickling breath on her neck, gently stroked his back as she whispered softly:

“Brother… no matter what, if you’re ever tired, come home. I’ll always be waiting for you.”