143: Chapter 143 Night Watch Intern, Chu Tian

The man rummaged through himself in a flurry, checking every pocket, then squatted down to search his backpack.

He took out the few items in his backpack one by one: an old jacket, a book with frayed edges, half a loaf of bread, a water bottle, and then there was nothing left.

People standing behind him began to get impatient, urging him to hurry up, while others turned and went to different windows.

Wang Lin looked at his face, then at the ID in his hand, and confirmed that he was indeed the person in the photo: Chu Tian.

Wang Lin handed the wallet over: "Your wallet."

Chu Tian was stunned for a moment, subconsciously took it, opened it, and glanced inside. His eyes were full of surprise and gratitude: "This is mine! Thank you! Thank you!"

Chu Tian clutched the wallet tightly and opened it again to double-check. The money was still there, the ID was still there, and nothing was missing.

"Thanks, really, thank you. My name is Chu Tian. What about you?"

Wang Lin looked at him: "Wang Lin."

Chu Tian put the wallet into his pocket, turned around, and said to the ticket seller: "Hello, I found my wallet. I'd like a ticket to the Holy City."

The ticket seller glanced at him and handed him a ticket. Chu Tian took the ticket, carefully folded it, put it in his pocket, thanked Wang Lin again, and walked toward the waiting hall.

Wang Lin also bought his ticket and walked toward the waiting hall.

...

After boarding the train, Wang Lin found his seat and sat down.

The carriage was crowded, with people sitting in rows; some were eating instant noodles, some were dozing off, and some were playing with their children.

The air was filled with the smell of instant noodles, sweat, and a scent unique to long journeys...

He placed his bag at his feet, leaned back against the seat, and looked at the scenery outside...

A voice muttered, approaching from a distance: "Carriage 7... Seat 14... Seat 14 is here!"

Chu Tian stopped and turned to look at Wang Lin: "Um... Wang Lin... My... My seat is next to yours."

Chu Tian handed over his ticket. Wang Lin took a look and smiled: "What a coincidence. Sit down..."

The train started moving, and the scenery outside the window began to slowly recede.

Chu Tian put his backpack on the luggage rack, sat down next to Wang Lin, and asked: "Wang Lin, what are you going to the Holy City for?"

"Taking care of some business," Wang Lin replied.

Chu Tian nodded, his voice filled with excitement and pride: "I'm also heading to the Holy City. I'm going to report to the Night Watchers headquarters."

"I passed the internship assessment, and this time I'm going to attend the induction ceremony."

Wang Lin opened his eyes and glanced at him: "Congratulations."

Chu Tian smiled, then asked cautiously: "What about you? Where do you work?"

Wang Lin thought for a moment: "The Holy Court."

Chu Tian's eyes widened: "The Holy Court? That's a major organization! They have the most complete collection of Ancient Martial Arts, techniques, and many forbidden artifacts..."

Wang Lin didn't respond, and Chu Tian started chattering away again.

He talked about how he had wanted to join the Night Watchers since he was a child, how much he had suffered to pass the assessment, training before dawn every day, and continuing to practice at night when everyone else was asleep. He talked about how many scars he had on his body, each one telling a story.

Chu Tian rolled up his sleeve, revealing a long scar on his arm. "This one was from a LV3 opponent during last year's assessment."

"Blood flowed all over the ground back then. I thought I was going to die. But I didn't die; I won."

Chu Tian lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing a bruise on his side. "This one was from my instructor during training last month."

"He said my reaction time was too slow, so he punched me, and I didn't dodge it." "But the next day, I dodged it."

There was pride and showing off in Chu Tian's voice, as well as the joy of 'years of hard work finally paying off.'

Wang Lin just listened without interrupting. Every person who works hard deserves respect.

Chu Tian was parched from talking. He took out his water bottle, took a sip, wiped his mouth, and looked at Wang Lin: "What about you? How did you join the Holy Court?"

Wang Lin was silent for a moment, thinking to himself: It was the Bishop of the Holy Court who invited me.

But after thinking about it, he decided not to say it out loud. When you're out and about, shouldn't you keep a low profile? So he said indifferently: "Someone introduced me."

Chu Tian's eyes widened: "Introduced? You can get into the Holy Court through an introduction?"

Wang Lin thought about it and nodded. It was indeed Bishop Qin who introduced him.

Chu Tian was envious: "That must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Wang Lin remembered the Spatial Ability that Bishop Qin Cang had promised him and said: "It did cost a lot of money, and even with money, you might not be able to buy it."

"Then your family must be very wealthy. What does your dad do?"

"My dad? My dad drives a van and delivers goods for people."

Chu Tian: "..."

The mist outside the window grew thinner, revealing a gray sky. Occasionally, distant mountains could be seen, blurry like an unfinished painting.

As he spoke, Chu Tian's voice gradually faded, and his eyes began to close. He was sleepy; he hadn't slept well last night, and today had been a long day of hassle.

Chu Tian's body was already exhausted, but his spirit had been holding on. Now, he couldn't hold on anymore. His head tilted toward the window, leaning against the glass, and he closed his eyes.

The train passed station after station; people got off, and others got on. The people in the carriage changed wave after wave, but the only things that remained constant were the smell of instant noodles and sweat.

Another station arrived, and the train slowed to a stop. The doors opened, and a few people boarded. They were wearing black combat uniforms, and each person had a red snake tattooed on their arm. The snake's body was entwined with thorns, winding from their wrists up into their sleeves, visible yet elusive.

Leading them was a bald man with a scar running diagonally from his forehead to his chin, and his left hand was an iron hook.

He scanned the carriage, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. Behind him followed several others, also tattooed with the red snake, their gazes sweeping over the passengers one by one.

Wang Lin looked at them. His gaze didn't dodge, nor did it linger; he took one look and then looked away.

Chu Tian's eyes snapped open. Because of his Night Watchers training, his body was more sensitive than his conscious mind, allowing him to perceive the aura of danger.

His eyes scanned the carriage, and when he saw those people with the red snake tattoos on their arms, his pupils contracted slightly.

His face turned ashen. His voice was low and urgent, audible only to Wang Lin: "Wang Lin... Don't look around. Those are people from the Red Snake Gang."

Wang Lin didn't move, nor did he look at him. Chu Tian didn't look at him either, his gaze never leaving the backs of those people, his voice even lower:

"I've seen the Red Snake Gang in the Night Watchers' files." "They are an illegal organization active on the railway line between the Holy City and the camps, specializing in robbing passing trains and committing all kinds of evil." "The bald man in the lead, nicknamed Iron Demon, is the boss of the Red Snake Gang, a Level 6."