Chapter 29: A Visitor Part 2

After that came the business of selling their spoils, returning the vehicles, and the like. Ying Li had made a hefty profit on this trip. After deducting all expenses, he’d earned about two million credits. In his past life, he could never have earned this much at this stage. His current strength was already comparable to his past self right after being promoted to A-rank.

Having such a large sum suddenly appear in his account might attract unwanted attention. After some consideration, Ying Li went to an Auto Repair Shop located in the Surface Exchange.

It was called a repair shop, but their main business was vehicle modification. Cars driven inside the Underground City had to meet various standards and couldn’t be freely altered, but cars Sentinels drove out hunting in the wilds could be modified however they wanted; no one cared.

Ying Li came to this shop because he knew they sold used vehicles. He didn’t have enough money for a brand-new car, but he could afford a used one. Once he earned more money later, he could use it to modify that used car.

As for why he chose this particular shop… it was one of the very few businesses without a major family backing. The only reason it survived was that the boss was so incredibly skilled at vehicle modification that even people from the great families sought him out.

The shop owner was a middle-aged, B-rank Sentinel named Lin. He was missing a leg.

He’d been born in the Upper City District and moved to the Central District after reaching B-rank, joining a family’s Hunting Team. Because he was skilled at modifying vehicles, he’d done well in the team despite his relatively low rank. Unfortunately, on a particular hunt, he lost his leg. Although a prosthetic allowed him to live a normal life, hunting was far too dangerous.

So, he’d left the Hunting Team, returned to live in the Upper City District, and made a living modifying vehicles for others. Later, he’d opened his Auto Repair Shop at the Surface Exchange.

Ying Li brought Xiang Ye to meet him and said he wanted to use Crystal Cores to buy a used car.

Boss Lin stared at Ying Li for a long time before letting out a soft chuckle. “I do have a suitable car. Your money isn’t quite enough, but you can pay the rest later.”

He took all of Ying Li’s Crystal Cores on the spot and even had Ying Li write an IOU. After all that was done, he added, “Young man, once your debt is cleared, I’ll transfer the car’s ownership to you.”

“Alright,” Ying Li nodded.

Boss Lin chuckled again, then suddenly said, “Who knows if the choices you’re making are the right ones.” Ying Li didn’t reply.

He knew Boss Lin also harbored resentment towards the great families. In Starlight City, many people resented those families. But with S-Rank Sentinels guarding them, even if people were dissatisfied, there was nothing they could do. After all, they couldn’t win a fight. If they did rebel, the best possible outcome for them would be like Xiang Ye in his previous life—fleeing Starlight City and living as a wanderer in the wilds, forever an outcast.

He was hiding his true strength, and Boss Lin had definitely noticed. And he was willing to help. Hiding his strength could help Ying Li avoid the schemes of the great families, but if it were ever discovered, he would absolutely suffer the consequences.

Although it was a used car, Boss Lin had refurbished it until it looked brand new. Ying Li studied it and found that while the doors weren’t original, the patch-up job used materials harvested from Mutant Beasts, making them even sturdier than the originals. He’d gotten an incredible deal on this car!

Having his own vehicle put Ying Li in an excellent mood. He parked the car along with his other gear in the warehouse he rented, then headed back into the city with Xiang Ye.

On this return trip, he didn’t give Luo Qiming and the others any Crystal Cores, but he did give them the feathers, bones, and assorted other parts from the beasts they’d hunted. They could sell those at the Surface Exchange for over a hundred thousand credits, roughly splitting thirty to forty thousand per person.

Since he’d used all his Crystal Cores to buy the car, Ying Li was empty-handed as they went back. Xiang Ye only held two Mutant Beast eggs in his hands. D-rank eggs weren’t something you could eat a lot of, and they weren’t valuable enough to worry about, so the staff let them pass without charging any tax. The two hurried back into the city.

The Upper City District was cramped and oppressive, and the air didn’t smell good, but once inside, Ying Li finally felt himself relax. He turned to Xiang Ye and said, “Let’s go home, take a shower, and then get a good, long sleep.”

Xiang Ye nodded.

The two of them, in high spirits, headed towards home.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the district, the teachers from the Guide Academy were rushing frantically towards their residence.

They’d tried contacting Xiang Ye earlier but hadn’t been able to reach him. They’d sent him a message and then put the matter aside. But two days passed with no response from Xiang Ye.

Growing worried, they investigated and discovered that Xiang Ye had no record of entering the city during those two days! Meaning Xiang Ye had been outside the city the entire time!

Had Ying Li taken him not to a training ground, but out hunting? Taking a D-rank Guide on a hunt was far too dangerous! What if something happened to him?! Even if D-rank Guides weren’t highly valued in Starlight City, he was still a Guide!

Today, upon receiving notification that Xiang Ye had returned to the city, they rushed over without delay to find Ying Li and Xiang Ye and check on Xiang Ye’s condition.

Twenty days ago, when Xiang Ye had his examination at the Guide Academy, his physical condition had been extremely poor. In these twenty days, he’d been leaving the city daily for the first part, and then for the last ten days, he hadn’t returned to the city at all. They could only imagine how thin he’d become now!

Of course, among the teachers, some felt Xiang Ye didn’t look like someone who’d suffered. “I saw the photo taken when Xiang Ye entered the city. His complexion looks good; he probably didn’t endure much hardship.”

“You can’t tell anything from a photo,” another teacher sighed. “He could have been wearing makeup. A low-level guide spending that long outside… he’s likely going to fall seriously ill after this return.”

The first teacher fell silent.

The group rushed at full speed to Ying Li’s front door and knocked.

The door opened quickly, and Ying Li appeared before them. He hadn’t showered yet after getting home; the smell of the disinfectant sprayed by the city’s sanitation equipment still clung to him.

Seeing the Guide Academy teachers, he was puzzled. “Can I help you?”

With a grim expression, Teacher Zhou demanded, “Yes, you can! Where is Xiang Ye?”

“He’s taking a shower,” Ying Li said. He’d let Xiang Ye go first, but as soon as Xiang Ye had stepped in, they’d arrived.

“Ying Li, did you take Xiang Ye hunting?” another teacher spoke up angrily. “He’s a Guide, not a Sentinel! Do you have any idea how dangerous the wilderness is for him? If something had happened to him, could you bear that responsibility?!”

There was no rule in Starlight City forbidding Guides from going hunting outside the city, but no Guide from the Upper City District would ever follow a Sentinel on a hunt!

The teachers, furious, berated Ying Li and voiced their concern for Xiang Ye. Ying Li was initially confused, but once he grasped the situation, he was unfazed. Being lectured was nothing. He was actually quite happy that people genuinely cared about Xiang Ye’s safety.

But their assumption that Xiang Ye had suffered greatly on the hunt? That couldn’t be further from the truth! He’d put on weight these past ten days, and so had Xiang Ye. The nutrition from Mutant Beast meat and eggs was far superior to Nutrient Paste! Especially since Xiang Ye was eating even more than he was. Considering Xiang Ye was still growing, whenever they had a late-night snack, he’d intentionally set aside some of the meat, cut it into small strips, and let Xiang Ye save it for the next day. When Luo Qiming and the others asked about it, they just said it was dried meat Xiang Ye had brought from the Underground City. So, over this trip, Xiang Ye had gained about five or six jin.

As they were talking, Xiang Ye emerged from the bathroom, wearing loose-fitting clothes. He called out in a slightly affected tone, “Big Brother Ying…”

The apartment Ying Li rented was built for Sentinels and had excellent soundproofing. Xiang Ye, having returned to the Upper City District, wasn’t using his Mental Power anymore. So, he had no idea they had visitors.

Thus, wearing Ying Li’s old shirt, one button deliberately left undone, and his hair artfully tousled, Xiang Ye stepped fresh out of the shower—and walked straight into a room full of people.

Xiang Ye: “…”

Guide Academy Teachers: “…”

Ying Li was also speechless. Actually, when Xiang Ye came out, he’d scanned him with his Mental Power. Seeing that Xiang Ye was wearing clothes, he hadn’t stopped him from coming out.

And this was the result? Xiang Ye was clothed, yes, but only in a shirt and shorts, leaving his legs bare, one button undone, and calling out to him in that pretentiously coy way… Was this little brat trying to imitate a seduction scene from a TV drama? But his legs were like sticks, and you could see his ribs through his open shirt. It wasn’t seductive at all; it just looked ridiculous.

What a scene!

Xiang Ye reacted quickly. He dashed back into the bathroom at lightning speed, the door slamming shut with a loud bang, leaving Ying Li and the Guide Academy teachers staring awkwardly at each other.

The teachers had been about to continue berating Ying Li for mistreating Xiang Ye, but after that brief glimpse… compared to the last time they saw him, Xiang Ye seemed to have gained weight? As for the old clothes… was that some kind of… personal preference?