After Raising Monsters, I Was Loved by Everyone in the Wasteland – CH61

Chapter 61

Even those directly involved couldn’t help but feel tempted. It’s easy to imagine how much appeal this sky-high bounty would hold for the average person.

And let’s not forget, this was only the reward offered by the First Base—several other factions were willing to advance 80% of the payment upfront!

Upon hearing this news, even the usually naive fox, Xiao Qi, immediately sensed the impending danger. Without hesitation, he severed the mental link with the neighboring Idealism Sect follower.

But it was futile.

Even if this conversation hadn’t been leaked, by tomorrow morning, everyone in the city would know that the City A military and the Idealism Sect were confronting each other at the eastern gate, all in pursuit of one person: Wen Xin.

It was as if an invisible blade was pressed against his heart.

Anxious and uneasy, Xiao Qi’s mind raced.

—He had to do something.

But just as he was about to raise his hand to cast an illusion, Wen Xin gently caught it.

Wen Xin understood Xiao Qi. He knew exactly what the little fox was thinking.

But influencing the emotions of tens of thousands in the city had already drained Xiao Qi considerably. Adding another layer of mental suggestions—how could the young one endure that?

Besides, it was too late.

Wen Xin locked eyes with the fox and shook his head. “Almost two hours have passed. Any mercenary in the city who’s heard the news would have already spread it. It’s pointless now.”

“Wen Xin…”

Xiao Qi bit his lip, regretting not thinking of this sooner.

The young fox tugged on the sleeve of the man beside him. “Don’t worry, with me here, no one can lay a hand on you!”

Before Wen Xin could respond, Wen Jingfeng cut in bluntly.

“With all due respect, Your Holiness, the Idealism Sect couldn’t even stop me. How do you plan to stop the First Base?”

The little fox was about to retort.

But Wen Jingfeng, as if anticipating his response, smirked. “Were you about to say that you held back because I’m Wen Xin’s brother?”

Though Xiao Qi remained silent, his lifted chin and the glimmer in his eyes clearly read: Why else?

Seeing this, Wen Jingfeng’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

Sensing tensions about to flare up again, Wen Xin hurriedly stepped between them, preventing these two gunpowder kegs from igniting.

He placed a hand on Xiao Qi’s head while turning to Wen Jingfeng. “What exactly does the First Base want from me?”

“That’s something you’ll have to answer, my dear brother.”

Wen Jingfeng’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “To be honest, when I first heard the intel, I almost suspected you were secretly running for Presidency.”

“Or perhaps you awakened superpowers at the age of three, stole the Pyramid, blew up the space hub, triggered volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes, and even contributed to global warming.”

Wen Xin: “…”

“And on top of that, you’ve supposedly mastered cloning, capable of flirting with the leaders of all four major factions at once in a single day.”

Wen Xin: “………”

He rubbed his aching temples. “None of these jokes are funny.”

“They were never meant to be funny.”

Although Wen Jingfeng’s lips were curved, his eyes remained cold and devoid of any humor.

“When rumors spread like wildfire, who knows what kind of crimes they’ll fabricate for you.”

The only silver lining was that, with the current network outages, the rumors weren’t spreading as quickly.

“What I want to tell you is that, outside, there’s nothing but wild speculations and baseless slander. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason why the First Base has taken such a keen interest in you.”

Wen Jingfeng continued, “I had people look into the timing of the bounty release.”

Compared to other factions, the First Base was nearly four days late, only starting to gather information about Wen Xin as if belatedly realizing his significance.

“It’s possible that they were just following the trend out of curiosity. But if it were merely that, they wouldn’t have offered such a high bounty.”

“So, I suspect that one or more of the factions searching for you might have originally been the First Base’s targets, like the S-class mutant black snake that appeared in the eastern region.”

“The First Base has made multiple attempts to capture that snake, expending substantial resources, yet always coming up empty-handed.”

As he spoke, a cold smile crept onto his face.

“And then, you appeared like a divine golden fleece, perfectly positioned to act as the stepping stone in their quest.”

Listening to Wen Jingfeng’s sharp analysis, Wen Xin understood why, despite his young age, Wen Jingfeng had managed to become the ruler of City A, commanding the respect of everyone under him.

Wen Jingfeng’s voice, heavy with gloom, trailed off, and he turned to see Wen Xin looking at him with undisguised admiration.

Under the white fluorescent lights, Wen Xin’s clear, bright eyes seemed to twinkle like stars reflecting in water.

“…” Wen Jingfeng abruptly paused, the anger he’d been harboring dissipating. He awkwardly turned away, his hostility melting away.

“Why are you staring at me? Instead, think about what you’ve done to bring this upon yourself.”

“While some may be speculating about the bounty, there are others who will not waste any time and come directly for you.”

Whether before or after the apocalypse, Wen Xin had always lived a quiet, unassuming life.

The most unconventional thing he had ever done was to take in a few mysterious little creatures.

Wen Xin rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Maybe it’s just some friends of mine looking for me.”

But as soon as he said this, he noticed Wen Jingfeng stiffen, staring at him with a peculiar expression—first puzzled, then utterly shocked.

It was like someone who’d never experienced nightlife accidentally wandered into the red-light district, his worldview completely shattered.

Wen Xin could tell his brother was overthinking it. He sighed and clarified, “No romantic entanglements. Just close friends.”

Wen Jingfeng was skeptical. “Close friends? How close? Another one of those brothers you picked up somewhere?”

Wen Xin was at a loss for words. Glancing at Xiao Qi, he wisely chose to remain silent on that matter.

After all, just acknowledging Xiao Qi as a brother had already caused Wen Jingfeng to react so fiercely.

If he revealed that there were five more he still hadn’t found, Wen Jingfeng might just explode.

Wen Xin deftly shifted the conversation. “But you know, brother, even if I leave City B, I can’t return to City A.”

Hearing this, Xiao Qi’s heart tightened. But then he felt Wen Xin’s reassuring hand patting his back, and he managed to calm down.

Wen Xin turned to the now-silent Wen Jingfeng. “The First Base is in the north, much closer to City A. If they decide to attack City A, it would be easier than attacking City B. You know this better than I do, brother.”

The reason First Base didn’t conquer City A initially was due to environmental constraints that made an invasion too costly. Forcing their way into City A would have been more trouble than it was worth.

However, if Wen Xin were to return to City A, all those constraints would disappear.

The sheer amount of money offered as a bounty would drive countless greedy mercenaries to pressure Wen Jingfeng. And that would be a burden City A couldn’t bear—nor could Wen Jingfeng shoulder it alone.

Wen Xin could not allow that to happen.

Wen Jingfeng crossed his arms, clenching his fists tightly. After a long silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice, “Before I came here, I thought about figuring out what exactly made them so interested in you. If I could find the source, I could create some smokescreens to confuse them.”

The world was searching for someone named Wen Xin, but they actually didn’t have that much information about the individual they were looking for.

He could spread false information; even if some of Wen Xin’s data had been leaked, it could mislead people into thinking Wen Xin was a woman, or older, or even a completely different person.

But that plan only worked if he hadn’t posted that public bounty looking for Wen Xin.

Once City A issued the bounty, it wasn’t long before everyone realized that Wen Xin was his brother.

Questions like why Wen Xin would travel all the way from City G to City A suddenly had a plausible explanation.

Wen Jingfeng, realizing this mistake, quickly tried to retract the bounty. But by then, the news had already spread.

All it took was a few clues amidst the chaos, and anyone paying attention would notice the connection.

On his way to the Idealism Sect, Wen Jingfeng sat in the armored vehicle, repeatedly looking at Wen Xin’s photo, asking himself—

What was I thinking?

Searching was one thing, issuing a bounty was another. But why did he have to emphasize that Wen Xin was his brother in the announcement?

Was it because he feared ruthless bounty hunters would harm Wen Xin? Or was he worried that the reward wouldn’t stand out enough to draw immediate attention if he didn’t sweeten the deal?

Wen Jingfeng questioned himself over and over again.

He had made mistakes before, learned hard lessons, and had always been cautious in crucial decisions. So why had he been so naive as to think that his current status and influence would be enough to protect Wen Xin?

Now, thanks to his foolish pride, everyone knew who Wen Xin was.

“Brother?”

The soft, clear voice of Wen Xin broke through Wen Jingfeng’s dark thoughts.

Seeing the sudden silence from the usually sharp-tongued man, Wen Xin asked with concern, “What were you just thinking about?”

“…Nothing.” Wen Jingfeng diverted the topic. “I’ve also spread some misleading information. I’m not sure how effective it will be, but it should throw them off a little.”

Xiao Qi couldn’t hold back any longer and interjected, “But they already know you came to the Idealism Sect for Wen Xin.”

Given Wen Jingfeng’s high-profile arrival, it would be hard not to know.

“Exactly.” Wen Jingfeng’s tone was flat, as if reciting from a script.

“So Wen Xin has to come back with me. But on the way, we’ll encounter an ‘unexpected incident’ where Wen Xin will suddenly go missing.”

“After that, I’ll quietly hide him on a remote northern island. Then, I’ll release two conflicting reports: one claiming Wen Xin tragically died, and the other suggesting he was captured amidst the chaos.”

Xiao Qi quickly grasped Wen Jingfeng’s plan. He intended to orchestrate a staged disappearance to once again throw everyone off the trail.

Wen Jingfeng turned to Wen Xin, his expression cold as he forced a smile. “I had considered not coming to find you. But clearly, His Holiness the Pope hasn’t been paying much attention to protecting information about you.”

“The spies I sent barely spent half a day in the city before they discovered that just a few days ago, you returned with Cardinal Shi and entered the church together.”

The fox’s small paws tightened instantly. “What did you say?”

Thinking back, Xiao Qi realized it was true. At the time, he had no idea that such a high bounty had been posted. How could he have thought to help Wen Xin conceal his tracks?

With a loud crack, the chair under Xiao Qi’s hand splintered into several pieces.

Seeing Xiao Qi’s troubled expression, Wen Xin reached out and flicked his forehead lightly.

Thwok.

The little fox, caught off guard, clutched his forehead with a soft whimper. “Ouch!”

“What are you thinking?” Wen Xin smiled gently, with no trace of fear. “Even I didn’t think to hide my movements, so why are you blaming yourself?”

“If anyone’s at fault, shouldn’t it be me?”

Wen Xin’s words were met with immediate protests.

Wen Jingfeng frowned, “Stop saying stupid things.”

Xiao Qi shook his head firmly, “It’s those people looking for you who are wrong. It has nothing to do with you.”

“So, I shouldn’t blame myself?” Wen Xin teased.

Wen Jingfeng retorted, “Why would you blame yourself, idiot?”

“Of course not!” Xiao Qi echoed.

Seeing their reactions, Wen Xin’s eyes curved into a bright smile. “If I shouldn’t blame myself, then neither should you two. Stop beating yourselves up.”

Wen Jingfeng was momentarily stunned, his frustration softening as he let out a sigh, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Xiao Qi, trying to hide his own guilt, buried his head in Wen Xin’s chest, nuzzling him as a gesture of comfort.

Wen Xin gently patted the back of the little fox’s head.

The three of them continued discussing matters late into the night. Although Wen Jingfeng didn’t explicitly mention the matter of the box, he subtly hinted that he had once visited the First Base.

With that hint, Xiao Qi quickly connected the dots.

The reason he had sensed danger during his earlier confrontation with Wen Jingfeng, along with that overwhelming sense of discomfort, was because the First Base possessed technology capable of suppressing mutants.

While Wen Xin might be relatively safe here, Xiao Qi was only about 80% sure he could protect him. The lingering 20% uncertainty caused him hesitation.

For that reason, the young fox fell silent, no longer stubbornly insisting that Wen Xin stay.

However, he still wasn’t happy with Wen Jingfeng’s plan.

“You can’t just hide Wen Xin on a deserted island. He loves lively places. He’ll be lonely there.”

“There won’t be anyone?” Wen Jingfeng smirked. “There will be hundreds of soldiers stationed there to protect him.”

“That’s not the same!” Xiao Qi protested. “They aren’t his family!”

Wen Jingfeng, the official guardian, found himself lectured by a newly adopted “wild” younger brother. He raised an eyebrow, unbothered.

But then he caught a glimpse of Wen Xin’s lips tightening at those words.

That indescribable feeling spread from Wen Jingfeng’s heart to his tongue, turning his faint smile into a rigid line.

Wen Xin’s moment of silence was brief. He quickly put on a cheerful expression and said, “What’s the difference? Once the heat dies down, I can return. And if you miss me, you can always visit the island.”

Their discussion seemed to reach a conclusion. The plan was feasible, and no one had any objections.

As they were getting ready to head back, Wen Xin suddenly heard Wen Jingfeng call out to him.

The hesitation in Wen Jingfeng’s voice was apparent. “This arrangement… are you truly okay with it?”

Wen Xin paused for a moment. He sighed softly and said, “If there were a better solution, of course, I would choose it. But since there isn’t, what other choice do I have?”

“…”

Wen Jingfeng’s expression turned dark. His hands, resting at his sides, clenched slowly into fists.

Outside the window, the moon was half-obscured by clouds, casting flickering shadows down the corridor. The oppressive darkness seemed to reach for Wen Jingfeng, threatening to swallow him whole.

But just as the gloom started to consume him, Wen Xin’s tone suddenly lightened, almost playfully. “Well then, brother, why not just sell me off to the First Base? They’re offering a whopping 450 million!”

Wen Jingfeng’s eye twitched violently. Forgetting his usual composure, he quickly took a few strides forward and tugged hard on Wen Xin’s ear, his eyes narrowing with a sinister glint. “You dare joke about that?”

“Ow, ow! I’m sorry! I really am, brother! It hurts!” Wen Xin yelped, grabbing his brother’s hand and wincing. Yet, despite the pain, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Unintentionally, Wen Xin guided Wen Jingfeng out of the shadowy corridor and into the soft, silver glow of moonlight streaming through a nearby window.

Wen Jingfeng’s headache intensified as Wen Xin’s constant pleas for mercy filled his ears. With a reluctant sigh, he let go, rubbing his temples in frustration.

*

That night, Xiao Qi reverted to his fluffy, fox-like form—a small pink ball of fur—and returned to the room ahead of Wen Xin, patiently waiting on the bed.

When Wen Xin entered, he feigned surprise, scooping up the pink furball into his arms. He playfully pinched its soft cheeks. “You little troublemaker, where did you run off to earlier?”

“Yip—”

The little fox whimpered a few times in protest, as if trying to explain its innocence. Wen Xin chuckled at its cute attempt to communicate and planted a light kiss on its forehead.

According to Wen Jingfeng’s plan, they would have to leave as early as the next morning.

After washing up, Wen Xin climbed into bed, preparing to get some rest and recharge his energy for the journey ahead. But Xiao Qi didn’t immediately snuggle under the covers as usual.

Instead, he stood at the edge of the pillow, clearly wanting to say something.

“What’s on your mind?” Wen Xin asked gently.

Right in front of Wen Xin, Xiao Qi extended a soft paw and started to draw lines on the bed.

The marks it made were clear, and Wen Xin quickly realized that Xiao Qi was trying to write something.

But if the little fox could write, wouldn’t it be easier to just speak? Wen Xin sighed with a soft laugh, patting the fluffy head before focusing on deciphering what was being written.

The tiny pink paw moved back and forth, slowly spelling out two characters.

Wen Xin’s smile faded as he read them aloud: “Xiao Hei?”

Wen Xin’s eyes widened as he sat up abruptly. “Are you saying we should go find Xiao Hei?”

The little fox eagerly squeaked twice in response, “Yip, yip.”

Yes, they should seek out Xiao Hei.

They couldn’t stand up to the First Base, but Xiao Hei definitely could!

Wen Xin’s heart raced as he considered this. He looked at Xiao Qi and asked, “Xiao Qi, do you know where Xiao Hei is?”

Although Wen Xin had long suspected that some of his little companions might be looking for him, he hadn’t been able to confirm it.

Unless he recklessly threw himself into danger to test it out, there were just too many unknown variables.

At this question, Xiao Qi’s tail, which had been wagging excitedly, suddenly froze. His upright ears drooped in disappointment.

It seemed that once fully evolved, Xiao Hei had gained the ability to conceal its presence completely. Xiao Qi couldn’t sense its location.

Wen Xin felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head, and his excitement gradually ebbed away. He steadied himself, hiding his disappointment as he gently comforted Xiao Qi, “It’s alright, it’s okay. We can always look for them later.”

But then, as if suddenly remembering something, Xiao Qi’s eyes lit up, and he raised his paw once again.

This time, he wrote a single word: record.

Wen Xin’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Record? What do you mean?”

After a moment’s thought, realization struck him. His voice trembled as he looked at Xiao Qi. “Are you talking about Ah Lü?”

(T/N: In simplified Chinese, “record” is pronounced as Lü)

The fox’s small squeak confirmed it.

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