Chapter 38: A New Guest at Swallow Garden (III)

Building No. 19 in the Yan family’s No. 3 residential compound had thus become Shuisheng’s temporary residence in Fuling City.

It was a two-story detached villa with a red pointed roof, pale yellow exterior walls, arched doorways, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the second floor. Nearly a third of the building was covered in creeping ivy, creating a lush, vibrant green from the first floor to the second.

Outside the house, a white fence enclosed a garden-like area planted with shrubs and trees, complete with a lawn. On the lawn sat a patio umbrella shading a set of table and chairs. Behind the building were two parking spaces.

Entering from the foyer, one was greeted by a spacious living room featuring a set of ocher-yellow leather sofas and a white solid-wood coffee table. The opposite wall was equipped with a large-screen LCD television and corresponding audio equipment.

"Such a nice house—is it really for me to live in?" Shuisheng asked Yan Ning, unable to believe it. In his nearly fifteen years of life, he had never lived in such a house; he had never even stepped inside one!

"For now... just stay here for the time being. This used to be the residence of the Third Security Team’s finance director. Later, he got into trouble, and since others considered the place bad luck, no one took it over, and it has been left vacant," Yan Ning explained. He led some men to unload Shuisheng’s books into the study, piling them up stack after stack.

"What do you mean, 'got into trouble'?" Shuisheng asked.

"He cooked the books and embezzled the security team’s funds. He was caught," Yan Ning said.

"Oh, that sounds quite serious. He must have been sentenced to several years in prison," Shuisheng remarked.

"He was killed," Yan Ning replied.

Shuisheng was startled.

"But, killing someone... aren't ordinary people supposed to be arrested and tried by the police and legal authorities? And if they are ability users, shouldn't they be arrested and tried by the Heavenly Court organization? How can your family just..." he asked, unable to grasp the situation.

"As for killing, there are many ways to do it," Yan Ning said. "Especially for organizations of ability users. I won't tell you the specific methods. I only warn you: the Yan family is a noble and prestigious clan with its own laws and codes; we are not some undisciplined, small-time outfit. In this day and age, without rules, nothing can be achieved. Without rules, the Yan family would never amount to anything."

"I am using this incident to warn you. You are not a member of the Yan family, but you are living in a Yan family property and, to some extent, working for the Yan family now. It is best to follow the rules and not stir up trouble. Otherwise, if you create a disaster, no one will be able to protect you."

"Since you are new here, remember one thing: watch your words and be cautious in your actions. Speak as little as possible, especially regarding Mei Yulang and the Ice Prison Island near the boundary point. Do not mention a single word to outsiders," Yan Ning added. "Speaking less won't bring you any harm, but I can guarantee that talking too much will surely invite disaster."

"Thank you for the reminder, Captain Yan Ning. Watch my words and be cautious in my actions—I will keep that in mind."

Shuisheng understood this principle. He hadn't read so many books for nothing; one of the most important lessons from reading was the importance of following rules.

"We are going to set up the surveillance lines. Building No. 20 to your east is where our people are staying; they are responsible for monitoring that villain's movements. If you have any questions or requests, you can come over to find us. You’ll have to organize your own books and belongings. Someone will be by shortly to deliver some essential daily necessities."

"I will remind you once more: you may go out, but when you do, our guards will follow you. Just go about your own business, ignore them, do not interact with them, and do not show any unusual behavior."

After giving these instructions, Yan Ning went about his own business.

Once he left, the villa fell silent. Shuisheng walked out to look at the flowerbeds and the lawn, then turned back to gaze at the building's pointed roof and walls. Looking at the surrounding villas, the roads, the vehicles, and the pedestrians, he still felt as if he were in a dream.

It was dusk, and the golden-red light of the setting sun bathed the villa. The house was not particularly large, but in Shuisheng’s eyes, it looked like a palace.

The young man’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

Whoever said that a gold-plated nest or a silver-plated nest isn't as good as one's own doghouse—well, he couldn't even remember what his old doghouse looked like anymore.

Bah! What doghouse! I am not a dog!

In truth, this wasn't a gold or silver nest either; it was a giant fishhook, and he was the bait on that hook.

He returned to the room, turned on all the lights, and walked around, inspecting this new world.

On either side of the living room were two bedrooms, a washroom, a bathroom, a storage room, a walk-in closet, a study, and a meditation room.

Shuisheng liked the study best. It was spacious—larger than the shed he used to live in—and had several large bookshelves that could easily accommodate his collection of nearly a thousand treasures.

Up the stairs to the second floor, the layout was roughly similar, though the living room was smaller and there was an additional collection room.

A staircase on the second floor led further up to a small, pointed-roof attic used for storage.

The basic appliances and furniture were already in place in every room. However, it looked like no one had lived there for a while, as everything was covered in a layer of dust.

Shuisheng found a rag and started by cleaning the bookshelves in the study, then moved on to the windows, walls, tables, and chairs, and finally swept and mopped the floor. It took him an hour to get the study spotlessly clean.

By then, the sun had set, and darkness had fallen outside the study window. He hadn't eaten for a while, yet he didn't feel hungry.

He began to categorize his precious books, placing them one by one onto the shelves.

The process was meticulous and required a great deal of patience.

As he worked on this slow, grinding task, Shuisheng recalled everything he had experienced from the morning until now.

The mysterious and eccentric Mei Yulang.
The priceless Boundary Stone space ring.
Meeting the eldest miss of the Yan family again.
Being forcibly taken away from the home he had lived in for nearly a decade.
The first experience of passing through a boundary point into another world.
Nearly being frozen to death by a giant Ice Prison Eagle.
The cunning and greedy members of the Crocodile God Society.
The powerful Ice Prison Warden.
The tragic battlefield.
The magical water droplet, "Water Pig."
And the matter of Ni Ximei.

So many things had happened in a single day that his mind felt overwhelmed. Now that things had quieted down, he was finally able to think them through carefully.

The world of ability users was truly profound! The first day away from the village had been so spectacular.

He felt like a real ability user now.

He possessed an iron-alloy blade, a weapon Ni Ximei had found for him from the hands of the dead.
He had learned some basic combat skills.
For the first time in his life, he had killed a magical beast—a powerful beast from another world—which greatly boosted his confidence.
He had discovered the miraculous abilities of "Water Pig."
He had learned "Ice Sealing Technique" from that drop of the Ice Prison Warden's vital blood, and he had previously practiced the "Water Stealth Technique."

If he were to encounter more opponents, he shouldn't be afraid to fight.

There were many gains, but also losses. Thinking of Ni Ximei's death, he felt quite regretful.

Misfortunes always strike the most vulnerable. Such a good person—how could she just be gone like that?

Someone entered. It was one of Yan Ning’s guards, bringing him a lunchbox for dinner.

"Thank you, brother," Shuisheng expressed his heartfelt gratitude. He was indeed hungry now.

"Don't mention it," the guard said. "Captain Yan Ning asked me to pass on a message: because your mobile phone isn't connected and the landline here is out of service until tomorrow, and our cameras haven't been fully installed yet, there are still many blind spots. We will be working through the night. So, tonight, you must not leave this place."

"Understood," Shuisheng said. He hadn't finished cleaning the house yet; he still had plenty of work to do.

"If you encounter a serious emergency, you can choose to shout for help. For minor issues, you can just go over there to seek assistance. Oh, you're cleaning up yourself?" The guard glanced at the study. "We hired a cleaning crew for you; they will arrive first thing tomorrow morning."

You could have told me that sooner...

"It's fine, I'm used to doing chores at home," Shuisheng laughed. "With such a nice house, it's better to clean it with my own hands."

"Doing things yourself brings peace of mind."