TDU Chapter 271
Chapter 271 Not to Be Provoked
By the time Lin Qin and the others snapped out of it, the elderly woman and child had already disappeared from their sight.
It seemed they were chasing after Chen Junnan.
"We need to run..." Lin Qin came to her senses and said urgently. "Those two are too dangerous! We have to head back!"
The other three quickly nodded and ran towards the direction of {Passage to Heaven}.
...
Chen Junnan and Qin Dingdong, after a frantic dash, turned a corner, only to see the elderly woman and child standing right there, waiting.
"Ugh..." Seeing this, Chen Junnan slowly came to a stop, leaning against a wall as he gasped for breath.
He should never have left that probation room.
It’s only the first day!
What kind of mess have I gotten myself into?
Qin Dingdong stood nervously behind Chen Junnan, both of them trying their best to steady their breathing.
"Hey… I thought I saw a familiar face..." Chen Junnan ultimately lifted his head, a wide smile stretching across his face. "Well, well, if it isn’t Venerable Horse! What a coincidence, huh?"
"Oh..." The woman referred to as Venerable Horse narrowed her eyes slightly, as if evaluating him. "Xiao Chen, is that you?"
"Yep, that’s me!" Chen Junnan grinned, stepping closer to her, sweat beading down his face, trying to keep his composure. "I have to say, after all these years, you’re still as strong as ever!"
"Oh, stop flattering me," Venerable Horse chuckled, waving her hand dismissively. "I’m old now, not much use left..."
"Now, now, don’t say that," Chen Junnan said, supporting her as she sat down on a nearby bench. He reached over to pat the head of the little boy standing next to her, who was still dressed in nothing but a bright red dudou. "Look at you, Tiger! You’ve grown so tall!"
Qin Dingdong stood off to the side, trembling uncontrollably. She knew Chen Junnan was stalling for time, but she couldn’t think of a way to escape.
"Uncle Chen!" The little boy called out with a grin.
"Well, well, the little rascal knows to call me Uncle Chen! Come here, let Uncle give you a hug!"
Chen Junnan bent down, attempting to pick the child up. Though the boy was no taller than his thighs, he was as heavy as if rooted to the ground. No matter how much strength he exerted, the child's feet remained firmly planted on the floor.
"Heh..." Chen Junnan gritted his teeth, straining for what felt like an eternity before giving up. "Looks like Tiger’s grown up, huh? Uncle can’t even pick you up anymore..."
"Uncle..." The boy giggled as he sniffed Chen Junnan, "You smell really good today. You look like you’d taste delicious..."
"Hey!" Chen Junnan chuckled nervously, reaching to ruffle the boy’s hair. "I tell you, Tiger, don’t tease Uncle now. I’ve got important things to discuss with Venerable Horse!"
"Mm!" The boy nodded happily, his grin widening, as drool slowly dripped down his chin. "After you’re done talking, can I eat you?"
Upon hearing those words, the smile that had been fixed on Chen Junnan's face slowly faded away. He cast a wary glance at the little boy before turning his attention back to the elderly woman. "Venerable Horse... What brings you both here today, if I may ask?"
"Oh..." Venerable Horse sat to the side, gently patting her back, "Xiao Chen, you wouldn’t have heard the noise from a few days ago, would you? There was a {bang}—a sound so loud, so earth-shattering! So magnificent!"
"A few days ago...?" Chen Junnan furrowed his brow. Naturally, he didn’t know what had happened several days ago, so he turned to Qin Dingdong for clarification.
Qin Dingdong nodded in response, explaining, "About six days ago, a {Reverberation} we’ve never heard before manifested—it was powerful enough to shatter glass."
"What...?" Chen Junnan paused, clearly taken aback. "It shattered glass?"
He wasn't unfamiliar with the events at End Point, but he had never witnessed a {Reverberation} of that magnitude before.
"Was it Ole Qiao’s?" Chen Junnan asked softly.
"No... it's even more formidable than that..."
"More formidable than that?!" Chen Junnan stroked his chin, thinking for a long while. He ran through the list of all the well-known {End Point} {Reverberatees}, but none seemed to fit the description.
"Xiao Chen ah..." Venerable Horse pounded her back again, then, with great effort, stood up. "We must find that child and see what kind of ability he possesses."
"Ah... isn't this simple?" Chen Junnan's eyes gleamed, and he quickly stepped forward to help the elderly woman. "Here's what we'll do: you and Tiger find somewhere to rest. I'll take care of this for you!"
"Oh... that won’t do..." The elderly woman shook her head. "If this doesn’t go well, Xiao Tiger and I will be in trouble. Xiao Chen, we appreciate your good intentions, but you must be busy with your own tasks."
"Busy...? Me, busy? Heh, you are far too polite," Chen Junnan rolled up his sleeves, revealing his fair arms. "Even if I'm swamped, I can't ignore you. Besides, Tiger just said he wanted to eat me! As an uncle, how could I leave? Come on, Tiger, your Uncle Chen hasn't bathed today, so I reckon I’m the perfect level of salty."
Qin Dingdong nervously grabbed Chen Junnan’s shirt, whispering, "Bastard... what are you planning to do?"
Chen Junnan turned around, his expression heavy, and whispered back, "Dong jie, I'm done for today. Go quickly and inform Ole Qi. I'll see him in ten days. While they’re eating me, you better run like the wind."
Qin Dingdong hesitated, her face conflicted. She had only just caught this man—who could guarantee he wouldn’t disappear again?
"Xiao Tiger ah, stop eating." Venerable Horse said, shaking her head in mild reproach. With a gentle step, she was already seven paces distant. "If we dawdle any longer, it shall be you who is devoured."
"Ah... that’s right," the child suddenly remembered something, nodding hurriedly. Stepping forward, he took the elderly woman’s hand, and in the blink of an eye, they disappeared from the street.
Watching them fade from view, Chen Junnan plopped down onto the ground.
"That was way too terrifying..." he muttered, still shaken, lifting his head to ask Qin Dingdong, "Fuck! This is just the first day! {Celestial Horse} and {Celestial Tiger} are already wandering around the streets..."
Qin Dingdong also felt weak, her body sagging as she leaned against the wall and slowly sat down.
But within three seconds, she felt something was wrong. She immediately stood up and kicked Chen Junnan.
"Huh?"
Before Chen Junnan could react, Qin Dingdong began punching and kicking him relentlessly.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Chen Junnan shouted, "Dong jie, you're making me lose face here!"
As Qin Dingdong continued her assault, her expression suddenly changed. Tears, as big as beans, began to stream down her face.
"Chen Junnan, you bastard..." She stopped her blows, her eyes reddened as she spoke, "Explain to me... Is {Penalty Proxy} really supposed to be used in this manner? What makes you think you have the right to die for me?!"
Chen Junnan slowly rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes, and smiled. "Perhaps it’s because this young master is willing?"
"You—"
Chen Junnan shook his head. "Dong jie, the past is the past. This time, I just want to help Ole Qi and Ole Qiao escape. The situation doesn’t look good right now; we need to meet up with them as soon as possible."
Qin Dingdong pondered for a long moment before asking, "So, do you have a plan?"
"I don’t know what a {plan} is, but I do know that with me around, they’re given an additional chance at life."
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
