CHAPTER 94: FINALLY SAFE

Chapter 94: Finally Safe

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Night had fallen over Qiyan.

The shadows had swallowed the streets, and with them, the entire atmosphere of the city had changed.

In place of the daytime rush, there was now a different kind of vibe.

the warm glow of lanterns and signboards,

night stalls roasting skewers and selling spiced tea,

merchants doing business until late.

Basically, nighttime life had begun for many.

Toward the center, the noise grew quieter. The streets widened, the buildings grew more imposing.

There stood the Masters Pavilion, where at the moment there was little to no visible activity.

Most of the staff had gone home, while the few unlucky ones assigned to evening or night shifts had arrived, sitting at their desks, sorting through some paperwork, or flipping through manuals to pass the time.

Behind the reception counter near the pavilion’s entrance, a night shift attendant was lazily leafing through an old register.

At that hour, hardly anyone ever passed by.

Those who rented the workshop or training rooms paid in advance and disappeared for hours, and his job was simply to stay on guard and handle the occasional client who decided to crawl out of their lair.

It didn’t happen often, but it happened, and so someone always had to be here.

He was bored and a little tired, but he didn’t let it get to him. He took a sip from the steaming cup of tea next to him before going back to reading.

That’s when he heard it.

A sharp, distant sound, like a dragging step. Then another. And another.

The attendant looked up, annoyed at first, wondering which idiot had decided to make noise at this hour of the night, but then he noticed it.

There, near the pavilion entrance, a silhouette was moving through the hall leading to the reception.

It wasn’t running.

It wasn’t even walking with purpose, it seemed to be dragging itself.

And every now and then, from that direction, came a wet, muffled sound, like someone mumbling with their mouth barely open.

"Hey... you need something?" he asked, raising his voice just a little.

No answer.

Just those low, broken murmurs, too soft to make out.

This left the attendant unsure what to do, and for a moment he wondered if this might be bad news.

’No, the guards outside would’ve checked him before letting him in, right?’

The figure drew closer, and with it, a growing sense of unease.

It finally stepped into a more lit area, and there, the light revealed details that made the attendant stiffen.

The clothes were in tatters, ripped in several places, caked with dirt and dust.

Stains of blood, some dark and dry, others fresh and red, spotted the fabric and still trickled down, dripping onto the floor with small, steady ’tiks’.

The man moved with difficulty, each step accompanied by a faint tremor in his legs. His shoulders were hunched, his head bowed, filthy hair covering his face.

The attendant felt his heartbeat quicken, and before he realized it, he’d taken a few steps back.

"Hey... are you alright? Do you need help?" he tried again, but his voice came out less steady.

The figure didn’t reply. It was only a few steps from the counter when, with a slow, unnatural motion, it lifted its head.

The eyes were swollen with exhaustion, but still alive. The skin bore scratches and cuts, and every breath seemed to weigh like a boulder.

Their gazes locked for an instant that felt like forever. Then, in a hoarse, dragging voice, the man spoke:

"Giiiiiive... me a training room."

Hearing the sudden dry voice almost made the attendant jump out of his skin, but once his brain registered the words, he calmed down a little before proceeding with the man’s request.

He wanted to strangle him for giving him such a sudden scare, but decided to keep his frustration to himself for now.

It had been weird and unexpected, but at least now he was more awake, doubting he’d be able to close an eye after work anyway.

Meanwhile, the clearly battered figure took the key to the room and made his way inside, letting out a tired sigh before lying down on the floor.

The figure in question was none other than Zhu Rong, who, after a long walk from the mine, had finally arrived in the city.

It was already night, and the distance from here to the academy was too big for him to make it in a short time given his current condition, so he decided to rent a training room at the pavilion.

Going to the academy like this would have only caused unnecessary chaos, and there was no point, he had injuries to tend to first, and he couldn’t go to sleep yet.

The training room was the best choice, it gave him plenty of space, a good environment rich in mana, and peace to fix his body.

He stayed on the floor for a few minutes, letting the day’s exhaustion fade just a little, and after a while, with a calmer mind, he got up and took a meditation posture, immediately beginning to heal himself.

The damage he’d taken wasn’t small, and the fact that he had pushed his body hard even while injured hadn’t helped matters.

He already had a vague idea of the internal injuries he was carrying, so he decided to identify the most problematic ones and heal those first.

They were serious wounds, but nothing he couldn’t handle, he had been careful not to damage himself too badly, and had successfully protected his vital points.

Slowly, he began circulating his Qi through his body, targeting the injured areas one by one.

The recovery wasn’t instant, but good enough for now, the important thing was to take care of the more severe wounds first and deal with the lighter ones later.

The more he healed, the more a sense of relief spread through his body.

At that moment, as the Qi continued to flow from his dantian and along the various channels to reach all the parts he had chosen, he stopped, his brow furrowing slightly.

’This energy... where is it coming from?’