110: Chapter 110 Reunion with Wang Yan

The night wind blew, making Lin Mo's robes flutter and snap.

He looked up at the starry sky overhead.

It seemed peaceful, yet who knew how many powerful experts were shedding rivers of blood in places unseen.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's voice rang in his ears.

"Lin Mo, get stronger quickly."

"Take a long-term view. Don't worry about ferocious beasts or Mimics; that's all just child's play."

"The real battlefield is in the sky, at the border, and in a future that wants to swallow Great Xia alive."

"When the day comes that I also end up in that pit..."

"Someone has to step up and keep holding up the sky."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe stubbed out his cigarette and patted Lin Mo's shoulder.

...

8:00 PM.

Lin Mo walked alone among the city's ruins.

Jiang City had not yet recovered from the flames of war. There were lights in the distance and smoke and dust nearby; broken walls and ruins were everywhere, and reconstruction was happening all around.

Lin Mo's heart felt a bit heavy as he walked step by step, the gravel crunching under his feet, his mind still replaying Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's words.

Sealed Land.

Starry Sky Alien Race.

Of the previous three inheritors of the Azure Dragon, two were already dead, leaving only one sole survivor...

Then there was the West Federation, the border, and that future that could break its seal at any moment.

Lin Mo stopped and looked up at the sky.

He suddenly felt that behind those stars lay the bones of countless people from over the past millennium.

"Phew—"

He let out a long breath.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from behind him.

"Brother Lin Mo!"

Lin Mo turned around.

A young officer jogged over, panting.

It was the adjutant by Chu Tianye's side, surnamed Zhou, whom Lin Mo had met a few times.

"Adjutant Zhou?"

Adjutant Zhou caught his breath, a strange expression on his face.

"Brother Lin Mo, there's something... Regiment Commander Chu asked me to let you know."

Lin Mo looked at him.

"What is it?"

Adjutant Zhou scratched his head.

"Well... your homeroom teacher, Wang Yan, has been arrested."

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment.

"Wang Yan?"

Adjutant Zhou nodded.

"Yes. During the beast tide, he refused the draft and hid at home without stepping out. He was later reported, so we arrested him."

He paused, carefully observing Lin Mo's expression.

"Normally, such a small matter wouldn't warrant bothering you... but Regiment Commander Chu said that since he's your teacher, we should still inform you."

Lin Mo fell silent.

Wang Yan. He hadn't heard anyone mention this name for a long time.

But now that it was suddenly brought up, those memories came rushing back like a tide.

That sanctimonious face, and the look of a successful conspirator when assigning positions.

Back then, standing under the gaze of the whole class, he had felt angry and aggrieved, wishing he could kill this man with his own hands.

But now...

Lin Mo suddenly smiled.

"Brother Lin Mo? Do you... want to see him?" Adjutant Zhou reminded him cautiously.

Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds.

Then he nodded.

"I'll see him. Of course I'll see him. After all, he is my teacher!"

He didn't know why he wanted to see him.

Perhaps it was for closure.

Perhaps it was to tell his former, angry self:

"See? Those things that once weighed so heavily on you are now not even worth a speck of dust."

Or perhaps, there was no reason at all.

He just felt he should meet him, at least to give some closure to the body he now occupied.

The night wind blew, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.

Lin Mo set off, walking toward the detention center.

...

Jiang City, First Detention Center.

Wang Yan squatted in the corner of the cell, hugging his knees.

He had been here for two whole days.

The beast tide two days ago had changed everything.

After refusing the draft, he had been hiding at home, not going to the air-raid shelters or temporary shelters, and hadn't even stepped out the door.

Normally, he shouldn't have been discovered so quickly, but who would have thought he'd had a dispute with a colleague in the office? In a fit of rage, that person had reported him.

Normally, for something like refusing the draft, spending six months to a year in jail and paying a fine would settle it.

But he heard that so many people had died in Jiang City this time that the higher-ups were cracking down on such cases to make an example of them.

He would likely be sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder.

"Fuck..."

Wang Yan irritably scratched his hair.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have refused the draft.

Well, going would have been certain death anyway; at least this way, he could live for a few more days.

Just then—

A set of footsteps came from the corridor outside the cell.

They were very orderly, not the lazy pace of a prison guard.

Wang Yan was stunned for a moment and looked up.

The cell door opened, and a row of soldiers stood at attention on either side.

Military boots stepped on the concrete floor, making a dull echo.

Wang Yan's heart began to race.

Was this... a big shot arriving?!

He quickly stood up and straightened his wrinkled prison uniform.

Someone must be here to bail him out!

Could it be a connection from the school leadership? It seemed the money he usually gave them had paid off at the critical moment!

Exactly!

It had to be!

He coughed and pulled himself together.

The door opened.

The first to walk in was a middle-aged man in a military uniform with a powerful aura.

Wang Yan didn't know this person, but he recognized the insignia on the man's shoulder. He had a significant background—he was a Colonel!

Wang Yan's heart leapt into his throat. Was the school's connection that strong? They even brought in a Colonel?

But then, Wang Yan saw the person behind the Colonel.

Wang Yan's pupils suddenly constricted.

"Lin... Lin Mo?!"

That person in the black trench coat, with a calm face, was Lin Mo—a student from his class.

A piece of trash he once could insult and order around at will.

Lin Mo? Why was he here?!

And by the look of it... he seemed to be doing quite well?!

This...

How was this possible?!

Wang Yan's mind went blank.

Two days ago, he had hidden at home and didn't know what was happening outside, only that the battle was brutal and many people must have died.

Afterward, Wang Yan was taken to the detention center, so he didn't know what had happened since, nor did he know that Lin Mo had now become the hero of all Jiang City.

Lin Mo slowly walked into the interrogation room.

He sat down across the table.

His posture was casual, yet it inexplicably gave off a sense of pressure.

Chu Tianye didn't sit; he stood behind Lin Mo, indifferent.

The door closed, and the others tactfully withdrew to wait outside. Only the three of them remained in the cell.

Wang Yan finally snapped out of it.

He pointed at Lin Mo, his finger trembling:

"Lin Mo?! How is it you?!"

"You... why would you come to a place like this?!"

His voice was loud, as if he were trying to cover his inner unease with a roar.

Lin Mo looked up and gave him a calm glance.

"Teacher Wang, long time no see!"

...