Chapter 24: First Steps into the Boundary Point

Everyone turned around in astonishment to see a pale-faced man, dragging a child in each hand, charging toward them like a madman.

The man appeared to be around forty, a commoner with no signs of supernatural energy. The girl he dragged with his left hand was about eleven or twelve, while the boy on his right was five or six. The girl looked dull and vacant, while the boy appeared sickly and listless.

Ni Ximei’s face drained of color, turning unusually awkward. She asked the man, "Chen Tao, why—why are you here?"

"Could I stay away?" The man, called Chen Tao, shoved the two children toward her feet. "You’re obsessed with your work, your career—do you even care about this home or these two kids anymore? Go to the boundary point, then! Just die at the boundary point for all I care!"

Ni Ximei hurriedly produced a pair of gloves, pulled them on, and lifted the children from the ground. The boy’s trousers had torn at the knee, revealing a scraped joint; the pain caused him to burst into loud sobs.

The girl had bumped her head, yet she seemed not to feel any pain at all. Once pulled up, she stood there blankly, even smiling.

"Young Miss, Captain... I—I am so sorry." Ni Ximei stammered, apologizing to Yan Ruobing and Yan Tong. "This is... this is my husband, Chen Tao... He’s had too much to drink, he doesn’t know what he’s saying... Our family relationship is actually quite good..."

"Good, my foot!" Chen Tao swung his hand sharply, slapping her across the cheek with a heavy thud. "Divorce! We’re getting a divorce today!"

Their argument drew a crowd of onlookers, who began to point and whisper.

Supernatural beings possess a protective layer of energy, so the slap caused no physical injury—not even a red mark remained—but the public humiliation was profound. Tears suddenly welled up in Ni Ximei’s eyes.

"Let’s talk this over calmly; don't resort to violence," Yan Tong said, stepping in to separate them and creating a significant distance between the two.

"Young Miss, Captain. Please excuse the scene," Ni Ximei said, wiping away her tears.

Perhaps it was the weight of the mission under the gaze of so many that forced her to harden her resolve. She suddenly shouted at Chen Tao, "You want a divorce? Fine! Once this boundary mission is over, we’ll get a divorce immediately! I’ve had enough of you, too! A grown man, worth nothing, counting on a woman to earn the money to feed the family and pay for the children’s medical bills! So what if I’m an esper? Is it my sole responsibility to earn money? If you’re so capable, why don’t you earn the money! Why can't you?"

She sounded as if she had lost her mind.

Everyone present was stunned.

Shuisheng heard Yan Ruobing whisper to Wen Fengxian, "I’ve seen Ni Ximei at meetings and events twice before; she has a lovely personality. How did she become like this?"

"Perhaps she’s been driven to it by life," Wen Fengxian replied, though she knew little of the details. "It looks like both her children are ill; the expenses must be enormous... A chief inspector's salary can’t possibly be enough."

"That’s true," Yan Tong leaned in and said. "They’ve spent everything they have on the children’s treatment and are deep in debt. The Brigade’s work is demanding and keeps her busy, leaving her little time at home... People in the Brigade have donated money privately to help, but it’s a bottomless pit. Besides the children, their elderly parents are also in poor health, which adds to the burden. Chen Tao used to have a good temperament, but he’s been pushed to this point. He just can’t take it anymore."

"Ni Ximei has a strong sense of pride. She keeps a detailed record of every donation she’s received and works herself to the bone to pay them back. Aside from her work at the Brigade, she delivers food and sets up street stalls in secret... No one would imagine that a leader of the Yan family’s security detail would live like this."

Shuisheng felt a surge of sorrow listening to this. Thinking of his own solitary life, never knowing who his parents were, he felt a deep sense of empathy.

Hearing Ni Ximei’s near-hysterical screaming, Chen Tao gritted his teeth and pointed at her. "Fine! You said it! I’ll be waiting at home! We’re getting a divorce the moment you get back!" With that, he dragged the two children away, ignoring the fact that the boy’s legs were dragging along the ground.

"Wah!" The boy cried even harder, but Chen Tao acted as if he heard nothing.

Ni Ximei stood motionless, watching their retreating backs until they vanished, tears streaming down her face.

"Inspector Ni, would you like to skip this mission and go home to deal with your family matters?" Yan Tong asked in a low voice.

"No!" Ni Ximei wiped her eyes, her expression suddenly becoming incredibly firm and resolute. "Family is family, work is work! Without the salary from this job, how can I feed them or pay for their medicine?"

Having said this, she turned and leaped forward first.

Fengmen Island was an undeveloped sea island without even basic roads. Everyone had to leap across jagged rocks and boulders along the shore until they reached the summit.

The Yan family members led the way, with Shuisheng following closely behind, his speed proving to be no less than that of the guards.

The sea breeze on the island was fierce and howling. At the very peak sat a massive boulder that seemed to sway whenever the wind blew; local fishermen called it the "Wind-Moving Rock."

The Wind-Moving Rock was the boundary point between the two worlds.

Currently, known boundary points could be anything—a tree, a blade of grass, a stone, a clear spring—all caused by spatial rifts and turbulence. Fishermen had discovered the anomaly here, and word had spread until everyone knew it was a boundary point.

Around the Wind-Moving Rock, hundreds of espers from various factions had gathered. In the innermost circle were a dozen enforcement officers from the "Heavenly Court" organization, maintaining order. They had no authority to stop anyone from passing through to the other world; their duty was primarily to prevent unlawful acts on the spot.

Under their supervision, the espers took turns placing their hands on the Wind-Moving Rock and channeling their energy into it. Within a second or two, accompanied by a ripple of power, they would vanish from the spot, transported to the alien world known as Ice Prison Island.

Occasionally, espers would return from Ice Prison Island. Most returned covered in blood; some had gained something, while others had not.

Those who had slain creatures from the other world brought back carcasses to sell for a high price, grinning like fools.

Others whose companions had died inside brought back their corpses, weeping over them.

Some returned to find their companions had left no bones behind, their eyes dull and their hearts shattered.

Yan Ruobing and the others met up with the 36 members of the Yan family’s 4th Special Task Guard. The guards were thrilled to see the Young Miss arrive in person. Yan Ruobing didn’t say much, merely nodding to everyone, which was enough.

"We will enter the world called Ice Prison Island shortly," Yan Tong said. "There are so many espers entering through the boundary point right now that the danger inside shouldn't be too great; the monsters will likely be cleared out quickly. Still, we cannot lower our guard. You must protect the Young Miss at all costs."

All the guards pledged to protect the Young Miss with their lives.

After distributing the supplies, they followed the schedule and entered the boundary point one by one in an orderly fashion.

Shuisheng was at the very end of the line. When it was his turn, he noticed that one of the "Heavenly Court" enforcement officers nearby was the young man he had saved earlier. The officer recognized him and waved from a distance, though he could not leave his post to come over.

Like the others, Shuisheng placed his hand on the Wind-Moving Rock and gently channeled his energy into it.

A wave of dizzying emptiness rushed over him, and he lost consciousness for an instant. His senses returned a second or two later, and he found himself facing a world of ice and snow—a sea of floating ice.

The bone-chilling cold immediately made him sneeze.