Chapter 458: Returning, Still a Youth

"I am a failure. I barely pay attention to whether the sun is shining or not, because I have no time.

"My parents couldn't provide me with support, my education wasn't high, and I was alone in the city, searching for a future.

"I found many jobs, but I couldn't get hired. Perhaps no one likes someone who isn't good at speaking, doesn't like to communicate, and hasn't shown enough ability."

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"I ate only two loaves of bread for three whole days. Hunger kept me from sleeping at night. Fortunately, I had paid a month's rent in advance, so I could continue living in that dark basement without having to go outside and endure the abnormally cold winter wind.

"Finally, I found a job: working the night shift at a hospital, guarding the morgue.

"The hospital at night was even colder than I imagined. The corridor wall lamps weren't lit, and everything was dim; I could only rely on the faint light seeping out from the rooms to help me see where I was stepping.

"The smell there was terrible. From time to time, the deceased would be sent over stuffed in body bags, and we would cooperate to help move them into the morgue.

"It wasn't a very good job, but at least it allowed me to afford bread. The free time at night could also be used for studying; after all, no one wants to come to the morgue unless there are bodies that need to be delivered or taken away for cremation. Of course, I didn't have enough money to buy books yet, and for now, I couldn't see any hope of saving money.

"I have to thank my predecessor. If he hadn't suddenly resigned, I might not have even been able to get a job like this.

"I dreamed of being able to rotate to the day shift. Now, I always sleep when the sun comes out and wake up after night falls, which has made my body a bit weak, and my head occasionally throbs with pain.

"One day, the movers brought a new body.

"I heard from others that this was my former colleague who had suddenly resigned.

"I was a bit curious about him. After everyone left, I pulled out the cabinet and quietly opened the body bag.

"He was an old man, his face blue and white, covered in wrinkles, looking very frightening in the extremely dim light.

"He didn't have much hair, most of it was white, and all his clothes had been stripped off; not even a scrap of fabric was left for him.

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"I saw a strange mark on his chest, blue-black in color. I couldn't describe exactly what it looked like; the light at the time was just too dim.

"I reached out and touched the mark; there was nothing special about it.

"Looking at this former colleague, I wondered, if I keep going like this, when I get old, will I end up like him..."

"I told him that tomorrow I would accompany him to the crematorium and personally take his ashes to the nearest free cemetery, so that those responsible for these matters wouldn't find it troublesome and just throw them in some random river or wasteland.

"This would sacrifice one morning of my sleep, but fortunately, it's Sunday soon, so I can make up for it.

"After saying that, I fixed the body bag and stuffed it back into the cabinet.

"The light in the room seemed to get even dimmer..."

"Since that day, every time I sleep, I always dream of a thick fog.

"I have a premonition that something will happen soon, a premonition that sooner or later, something that I don't know if I can call human will come looking for me. But no one is willing to believe me; they think that in such an environment and such a job, my mind has become abnormal and I need to see a doctor..."

A male guest sitting at the bar looked at the storyteller who had suddenly stopped:

"And then?"

This male guest was in his thirties, wearing a brown tweed jacket and light yellow trousers. His hair was pressed very flat, and there was a simple dark bowler hat beside his hand.

He looked ordinary, just like most people in the tavern: black hair, light blue eyes, not handsome, not ugly, lacking any obvious features.

And the storyteller in his eyes was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a tall, straight figure and long limbs. He also had short black hair and light blue eyes, but his features were deep and striking, enough to make one's eyes light up.

The young man looked at the empty wine glass in front of him and sighed:

"And then?

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"Then I quit my job, returned to the countryside, and came here to brag to you."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, a smile with a hint of mischief.

The male guest was stunned for a moment:

"Was what you just told me bragging?"

"Haha." A burst of laughter erupted around the bar.

As the laughter subsided slightly, a thin, middle-aged man looked at the slightly embarrassed guest and said:

"Outsider, you actually believed Lu Mian's story? What he tells every day is different. Yesterday, he was a loser whose engagement was broken by his fiancée because of poverty, and today he's become a morgue guard!"

"Right, talking about thirty years on the east side of the Sailunzuohe, thirty years on the right side of the Sailunzuohe, just babbling nonsense!" another tavern regular added.

They were all farmers from the large village of Kordu, wearing short jackets that were black, gray, or brown.

The black-haired young man called Lu Mian leaned on the bar with both hands, stood up slowly, and said with a smile:

"You know, this isn't a story I made up; it was all written by my sister. She loves writing stories the most and is even a columnist for 'Novel Weekly'."

After speaking, he turned his body to the side, spread his hands toward the outsider, and said with a bright smile:

"It seems she writes really well.

"I'm sorry for misleading you."

The man in the brown tweed jacket, who looked ordinary, was not angry. He stood up as well and responded with a smile:

"A very interesting story.

"What should I call you?"

"Isn't it common sense to introduce yourself before asking others?" Lu Mian laughed.

The guest from out of town nodded:

"My name is Ryan Cos.

"These two are my companions, Valentine and Leah."

The latter sentence referred to the man and woman sitting right next to him.

The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with yellow hair dusted with powder. His eyes, which weren't very large, were a shade deeper than lake blue. He was wearing a white vest, a blue fine-wool coat, and black trousers; he had clearly dressed up carefully before going out.

He looked quite cold and didn't really look at the surrounding farmers and herdsmen.

The woman looked younger than the two men, with long light gray hair tied into a complex bun, wrapped in a white veil that served as a hat.

Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and her gaze toward Lu Mian carried an undisguised smile, as if she found what had just happened merely amusing.

Under the light of the tavern's gas wall lamp, the woman named Leah revealed a pert nose and beautifully curved lips; she was definitely a beauty in a countryside village like Kordu.

She wore a white, unpleated cashmere tight-fitting dress, paired with a beige little jacket and a pair of Ma Xier long boots. There were two small silver bells tied to her veil and boots respectively. When she walked into the tavern just now, she jingled all the way, which was very eye-catching and made many men stare blankly.

In their eyes, this must be the kind of fashionable attire only found in big cities like the provincial capital Bigor or the capital Trier.

Lu Mian nodded to the three outsiders:

"My name is Lu Mian Li. You can call me Lu Mian directly."

"Li?" Leah blurted out.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with my surname?" Lu Mian asked curiously.

Ryan Cos helped Leah explain:

"This surname of yours is terrifying. I almost couldn't control my voice just now."

Seeing the farmers and herdsmen around them looking puzzled, he further explained:

"Anyone who has had contact with sailors or sea merchants knows that there is such a saying circulating on the Five Seas:

"I would rather encounter those pirate generals or even kings than run into a man named Frank Li.

"That person's surname is also Li."

"Is he very scary?" Lu Mian asked.

Ryan shook his head:

"I'm not sure, but since there is such a legend, it certainly won't be bad."

He ended the topic and said to Lu Mian:

"Thank you for your story. It's worth a drink. What would you like?"

"A glass of 'Green Fairy'." Lu Mian wasn't polite at all and sat back down.

Ryan Cos frowned slightly and said:

"'Green Fairy'... Absinthe?

"I think I need to remind you: absinthe is harmful to the human body. This kind of alcohol can lead to mental confusion and cause you to have hallucinations."

"I didn't expect the fashion trend of Trier to have spread here already." Leah added with a smile.

Lu Mian said "Oh":

"So people in Trier also like to drink 'Green Fairy'...

"For us, life is already hard enough; there's no need to care about a little more harm. This kind of alcohol can allow our spirits to obtain greater relaxation."

"Alright." Ryan sat back in his seat and looked at the bartender, "A glass of 'Green Fairy', and add a glass of 'Spicy Heart' for me."

"Spicy Heart" was a famous fruit brandy.

"Why don't you give me a glass of 'Green Fairy' too? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can tell you the situation of this kid exactly as it is!" the thin middle-aged man who first exposed that Lu Mian told stories every day shouted with dissatisfaction, "Outsider, I can tell that you are still suspicious of the truth of that story!"

"Pierre, you really can do anything for a free drink!" Lu Mian shouted back.

Without waiting for Ryan to make a decision, Lu Mian added:

"Why can't I tell it myself? That way I can drink another glass of 'Green Fairy'!"

"Because they don't know whether they should believe the situation you're talking about." The middle-aged man named Pierre laughed triumphantly, "The story your sister loves to tell children the most is 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. People who always lie will inevitably lose their credibility."

"Alright." Lu Mian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a glass of pale green liquid in front of him.

Ryan looked at him and asked for confirmation:

"Is it okay?"

"No problem, as long as your wallet is enough to pay for these drinks." Lu Mian didn't care at all.

"Then another glass of 'Green Fairy'." Ryan nodded.

Pierre was suddenly all smiles:

"Generous outsider, this kid is the biggest prankster in the village. You must stay away from him.

"Five years ago, he was brought back to the village by his sister Aurore and hasn't left since. Think about it, before that, he was only thirteen years old; how could he possibly go to a hospital to be a morgue guard? Hmm, the nearest hospital to us is in Daliezh at the foot of the mountain, which takes a whole afternoon to walk to."

"Brought back to the village?" Leah asked sharply.

She tilted her head slightly, producing a jingling sound.

Pierre nodded:

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"Then, he followed Aurore and took the surname 'Li', and even the name 'Lu Mian' was chosen by Aurore."

"I've forgotten what I was originally called." Lu Mian took a sip of absinthe and said with a grin.

It seemed that he wasn't the least bit inferior or ashamed that his past was being exposed like this. ===== CHAPTER 459 =====