Chapter 132 - 129: Helian

Chapter 132: Chapter 129: Helian

The dense fog reeked of blood.

The little boy just watched quietly, watching as one life after another was extinguished.

There wasn’t the slightest ripple of emotion in his eyes.

On the street, he often saw parents holding the hands of children his age.

The parents would teach their children that the world was a warm place, and that they should love this warm world.

The child would ask joyfully:

"If I love the world, can you take me to the amusement park to eat hamburgers?"

The parents would reply indulgently:

"Of course, because the world rewards good children."

The little boy felt that he and they lived in two completely different worlds.

When he wandered the streets, the world offered him no warmth. Only the summer heat kept the cold at bay.

He was different from other children.

He was indifferent as beautiful lives departed from this beautiful world.

Xiaobai was incredible, taking out all the assassins in just a few minutes.

It was a predator at the top of the food chain; no prey could escape its nose and claws.

The little boy looked at the corpses strewn across the ground and frowned.

’How am I going to move all these bodies?’

He was young, but he wasn’t stupid.

If he had Xiaobai move so many bodies, a Sheriff would arrest him the very next day.

Just then, the sound of steady footsteps echoed through the fog.

The little boy’s gaze sharpened.

"Xiaobai!"

But the majestic white dog showed no hostility. Instead, it sat down, wagging its tail and panting at someone in the distance.

The little boy froze.

’What’s going on?’

A figure slowly emerged from the fog.

His posture was ramrod straight, each step firm and powerful.

Gradually, he drew closer.

He wore a black suit with a trench coat draped over it.

Surprisingly, a Crow with a cunning look in its eyes perched on his shoulder.

The little boy’s eyes lit up.

"Master!"

He ran over excitedly, wanting to hug Jiang Chaosheng’s leg, but then he remembered how dirty he was and stopped short. He just stood before Jiang Chaosheng, smiling sweetly.

Jiang Chaosheng glanced at the bodies on the ground, then shot a suspicious look at the little boy.

Just then, the black shadow on his wrist transformed into a tiny figure, crawled up his arm to his shoulder, and whispered in his ear.

Jiang Chaosheng understood everything.

Yang Xiao’s shadows were all over this street.

When he looked at the little boy again, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

When Jiang Chaosheng returned from the World Dream ceremony, he didn’t go straight back to Antique Shop Zero.

He had been strolling nearby, enjoying the night scenery.

He’d also taken the opportunity to buy a cell phone.

After all, his old phone wasn’t just second-hand; it was also ancient and unbearably laggy.

No, scratch that. He’d bought two phones.

When he went back to get the money, the Evil Crow had insisted on tagging along.

It wanted to buy a phone too.

The first smartphone had only appeared in the modern world thirty years ago.

The Evil Crow had been serving as the Wang Family’s Guardian God for a hundred years and hadn’t gotten to enjoy any of it.

Jiang Chaosheng looked at the little boy and asked:

"When did you get here?"

The little boy smiled shyly.

"I’ve been looking for you ever since the first time you missed our appointment."

Jiang Chaosheng remembered.

He had promised the boy that he could wait for him on the street corner where they first met whenever it rained.

He had been busy ever since the Sea Coachman incident and had indeed forgotten to meet him.

Jiang Chaosheng asked:

"Have you been around here this whole time?"

The little boy shook his head.

"I had Xiaobai look for you. We just found this place."

Jiang Chaosheng looked at the white dog.

It was no longer the small dog from their first meeting. It was now huge, like a pure-white North American Gray Wolf.

This white dog had drunk Netherworld Water and was, in essence, now a Corpse Ghost.

Its bodily functions could no longer be explained by common sense, so it wasn’t surprising that it could find his general location in a few months.

Jiang Chaosheng said:

"Do you have anywhere else to go?"

The little boy shook his head.

Jiang Chaosheng started walking deeper into Anxiang Street, ignoring the surrounding corpses. He said leisurely:

"The New Year is almost here. Come home with me."

The little boy froze for a moment, then his eyes sparkled.

’Home?’

’Master wants me to go home with him?’

’Do I have a home now?’

The little boy quickly caught up to his master, skipping and hopping with glee.

Suddenly, he sensed something and turned around.

A refrigerated truck had appeared at the end of the street.

Immediately after, dark figures leaped across the rooftops of Anxiang Street.

They wore raincoats and plague doctor-style gas masks.

They avoided the surveillance cameras and arrived at the scene.

Some loaded the bodies onto the refrigerated truck, while others methodically cleaned up all biological traces.

Five minutes later, all the Cleaner Fish had left. The scene was spotless.

No tourist tomorrow would ever guess that murders had taken place here late at night.

The little boy’s mouth slowly fell open.

The sight was absolutely staggering!

’Are these all Master’s subordinates?’

’They’re so cool! So amazing!’

The back seat of the refrigerated truck had been converted into a cramped computer room, with just enough space for one person.

The Cleaner Fish, who was furiously typing on a keyboard, gave an "OK" sign to his companion in the driver’s seat.

He had successfully hacked the local surveillance system and erased any incriminating footage.

His hacking skills were average, a far cry from the Gorging Witch of the Witch Association.

But hacking into the unsecured networks of a few local businesses was almost too easy.

Besides, as long as nothing was stolen, no business owner would bother checking their security footage.

Princess Qilin had told Zhu Chuanwu to make a bigger scene.

However, the defensive systems of Anxiang Street far exceeded his imagination.

So many assassins had lost their lives here without so much as a ripple.

...

「Antique Shop Zero, second floor, guest room.」

The little boy rolled around happily on the bed, while Xiaobai wagged its tail and barked excitedly in the living room.

They finally had a home.

Although his master had been expressionless when he told him he would be living here from now on.

But the little boy could feel his master’s kindness.

The little boy hugged Xiaobai’s head.

"Xiaobai, did you know?

We get to live here now. We have another family."

Xiaobai nodded repeatedly. It understood.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Without waiting for the boy’s permission, the person outside pushed the door right open.

The little boy looked at the visitor, his eyes full of surprise.

It was the Crow that had been perched on his master’s shoulder.

The Evil Crow flew over and landed on Xiaobai’s head.

Xiaobai didn’t move, just rolled its eyes up to look at the Crow on its head.

The Evil Crow said haughtily:

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the butler of Antique Shop Zero. I’m in charge of many things here."

The little boy was impressed, though he didn’t quite understand why.

"That’s amazing!"

The Evil Crow grew even more arrogant.

"But of course! I’m in charge of the cooking in the kitchen, and I’m in charge of the sweeping and mopping.

Serving tea and water? Heh heh, that’s my job too!

Let’s just say my authority is immense. If I’m not careful, no one might get any hot water to drink!"

The little boy was stunned.

’It does sound amazing, but something feels a little off.’

The Evil Crow looked at the little boy.

"You can call me Little Master Hei."

The little boy said obediently:

"Okay, Master Hei!"

The Evil Crow said:

"I have to teach you a few rules."

The little boy’s expression turned serious.

"Okay!"

The Evil Crow said:

"First, don’t touch anything in the back hall.

Second, you’re not allowed in the basement.

Third, whatever you do, don’t go wandering into the bedroom next door. There’s a very scary woman in there.

Fourth, from now on, you’re in charge of cooking and mopping the floor!"

The little boy raised his hand, beaming.

"I’m great at cooking!

I love eating meat, so the meat I make is delicious."

This was actually a rather strange thing to say.

How would a homeless child have the means to cook?

And even if he did, where would he get meat?

But the Evil Crow didn’t find it strange at all. Instead, it gave the little boy a deep look.

"Fine. But you can cook chicken, pork, and lamb.

I don’t eat beef or dog meat.

As for your master, just make him dumplings."

After it finished, the Evil Crow added a serious warning:

"Remember, no other weird kinds of meat!"

The little boy rubbed his nose.

"Okay."

The Evil Crow scratched its beak with its claw.

"What’s your name?"

The little boy frowned.

"I... I don’t have a name."

The Evil Crow said:

"Then I’ll give you one."

The little boy’s face lit up with pleasant surprise.

The Evil Crow pondered for a moment, then said:

"Everyone thinks the spider lilies of the Other Shore in Hell are beautiful, but they don’t know that there is an even more delicate lotus flower in Hell."

The Evil Crow looked at the boy and said:

"Helian. How about it?"

The boy wasn’t focused on the name Helian. He stared at the Evil Crow in astonishment.

"You’ve been to Hell?"

The Evil Crow puffed up with pride again.

"Heh heh heh, that was a thousand years ago!"

The little boy cried out:

"A thousand years ago?!"

The Evil Crow became even more pleased with itself. It was about to boast some more when it seemed to remember something and cleared its throat twice.

"There’s one more thing I need to tell you. Antique Shop Zero doesn’t support freeloaders.

I’m guessing your master took a liking to you because you performed well tonight.

Perhaps he wants to train you into an all-powerful Cleaner Fish.

So he’s going to train you hard. You’d better be able to take it.

If he ever decides you’re useless, he’ll toss you aside without a second thought."

The little boy’s expression grew solemn.

The Evil Crow glanced at the boy out of the corner of its eye.

"Of course, I’ll teach you a few things.

You may be slow-witted, but I, Master Hei, enjoy teaching dull apprentices the most."