Chapter 65
Wen Xin found himself momentarily at a loss.
Although this was a city governed by mutants, the staff managing the day-to-day operations were still predominantly human.
The reason was simple—mutants preferred not to deal with humans, especially when they couldn’t eat them.
The official in charge of distributing the supplies had once been diligent in his work. But as the number of fake “Wen Xins” increased, each one more shameless than the last, he had grown desensitized.
Seeing Wen Xin standing still without taking the supply bag or leaving, the official’s tone turned impatient, “What do you want now?”
Wen Xin opened his mouth, “I’m not here for—”
Before he could finish, a figure suddenly darted out from a different queue.
Noticing that Wen Xin hadn’t moved, the man flashed a grin, quickly snatching the bag meant for Wen Xin. “If you’re too dumb to take free food, I will! Don’t mind if I do!”
The thief’s arms were already cradling another supply bag.
The other people in line didn’t react, merely watching with a mix of amusement and pity. It was as if they knew exactly what was going to happen next.
But the thief didn’t care; he was thrilled with his windfall and made a run for it, completely ignoring the stares.
The official remained unmoving, only letting out a faint, mocking laugh.
That laugh seemed to be an ominous prelude to something.
Alarms blared in Wen Xin’s mind. On instinct, he quickly pulled the little red panda from his shoulder, shielding it in his arms. His eyes scanned the sky for the source of the impending danger.
It didn’t take long for him to spot it—a line of red falcons perched on a nearby utility pole.
Despite being small birds of prey, these falcons were as robust as eagles.
One of them, having locked onto the fleeing thief below, flapped its wings and vanished from its perch in a blur of motion.
Wen Xin’s gaze tracked the movement until it settled on the thief, who had abruptly frozen in place.
With a dull thud, the thief crumpled to the ground, the two stolen bags falling beside him. Screams erupted from the crowd at the sight of the dead man, but they were quickly stifled, as if someone had covered the mouths of those who had cried out.
The official, unfazed, gestured for someone to drag the body away.
A hush fell over the crowd, broken only by a few hushed whispers.
“Every time, it’s the newcomers who don’t follow the rules.”
“Honestly, the mutants here are quite lenient. They don’t bite or kill humans and even give out supplies. Who knows what their goal is…”
“I heard that this might be the last time they’re handing out these aid packages. Apparently, that S-level mutant is nearing the final stage of its evolution. Once it’s done, it’s going to personally hunt down the real Wen Xin.”
…
Amidst the murmurs, Wen Xin tried to calm his racing heart.
It wasn’t just the recent danger that unsettled him—what the people had inadvertently revealed made him even more anxious.
—If he didn’t seize this opportunity, he might never get another chance to enter the foggy marsh.
—And he might lose his best shot at finding Ah Lü.
When Wen Xin turned back around, he found the official giving him a peculiar look. More precisely, the man’s eyes were darting between him and the little red panda in his arms.
It was rare to see a human protecting a mutant, given that mutants were generally far stronger than humans.
Unbeknownst to Wen Xin, both the red falcons perched above and the hidden mutants lurking in the shadows were feeling increasingly uneasy.
Their fearful gazes were all directed at the unassuming young man standing before the official.
Though faint, there was no mistaking it—that was the aura of an S-level mutant!
But why would a human like him carry the scent of an S-level mutant?
Flap, flap, flap—
Wen Xin and the official simultaneously heard the sound of wings flapping. They looked up to see the red falcons preparing to take flight.
The official was puzzled, “Wait a minute, it’s still working hours. Where do you think you’re going?”
The red falcons typically never left their posts unless something was terribly wrong.
But as one of the falcons prepared to take off to relay a message, it found itself meeting Wen Xin’s gaze. It froze instantly, retracting its wings and lowering its head as if in submission.
The official blinked in confusion, “What… just happened?”
The falcons, normally so proud and aloof, seemed almost depressed, unwilling to interact with anyone.
It was a well-known fact that no one could make these haughty mutants bow their heads. The official was left shaking his head in bewilderment as he turned back to Wen Xin.
“So, what was it you were trying to say?” he asked, his tone slightly more respectful than before, considering Wen Xin’s earlier calmness.
Wen Xin took a deep breath, steadying himself. “My name is Wen Xin. I heard you were looking for me.”
The official’s brief moment of goodwill evaporated instantly, replaced by a mocking sneer. “Yes, we’re looking for Wen Xin, but that only applies if you’re truly Wen Xin.”
Wen Xin awkwardly scratched his nose, “I really am Wen Xin.”
“Do you have an ID to prove it?” the official asked with a cynical smile.
“Well… nobody really uses IDs these days,” Wen Xin admitted, essentially confirming that he didn’t have one.
The official’s smile widened. “What a coincidence. Everyone here claims to be Wen Xin.”
Without waiting for Wen Xin to respond, the official raised his voice, addressing the crowd, “Hey, everyone, what’s your name?”
The crowd erupted into laughter, shouting back in unison, “We’re all Wen Xin!”
What followed was a flurry of playful banter.
“Hey, what a coincidence! Your name is Wen Xin too?”
“Yes, yes! Same name and all! Must be fate!”
“Wait, which Wen and which Xin are you? I’m the ‘Wen’ for warmth!”
“I’m the ‘Wen’ for prosperity!”
“I’m the ‘Xin’ for flourishing!”
“I’m the ‘Xin’ with triple gold characters!” …
The air was filled with cheerful laughter.
The official, already accustomed to this circus, turned back to Wen Xin with a bored look. “So, which Wen and which Xin are you?”
Faced with this ridiculous impersonation spectacle, Wen Xin’s lips twitched in frustration.
He could tell that the official was overwhelmed with all the false claims. Besides, Wen Xin wasn’t entirely confident in proving he was the real person they were looking for.
But he genuinely needed access to the foggy marsh to find Ah Lü.
Desperation pushed him to recall the advice the little red panda had given him about the search criteria.
Suppressing his overwhelming embarrassment, Wen Xin hesitated before saying, “Actually… I’m fairly good-looking. Maybe you should take a closer look?”
The moment he said this, the impatient people in line turned to stare at him.
Unfortunately, Wen Xin’s current appearance didn’t exactly back up his claim.
Despite following the little red panda’s suggestion to clean up beforehand, Wen Xin still looked like a mess. After all, he had been on the run for days, with his clothes covered in dust and grime.
The best he could manage was to use a damp cloth to scrape off some of the caked-on dirt and blood.
But his face was still smudged, resembling a hastily drawn sketch erased with a dirty eraser.
Recognizing his features? Nearly impossible.
The official was speechless, staring at him as if he were suicidal.
Did this young man really think the mutants who ruled an entire city were easy to deceive?
After several imposters had been sent back, the mutants were already on edge, especially since the S-level mutant’s evolution was nearing completion. The First Base had been constantly causing trouble, trying to thwart its progress, which only further infuriated the snake mutant in charge.
In such tense circumstances, people still dared to rush forward, begging to be bitten by snakes?
The official was about to say something further, perhaps even try to dissuade Wen Xin one last time, when another official from a neighboring line pulled him aside.
Leaning close, the second official whispered urgently, “Hey, if this guy wants to risk his life, let him. Why waste your breath trying to stop him?”
“If we keep failing to deliver the real Wen Xin, the mutants are going to get really upset. You don’t want them turning their anger on you, do you?”
The first official was clearly displeased with his colleague’s laissez-faire attitude.
“But what’s the difference between finding the wrong person and not finding anyone at all?” he argued. “Sending in an imposter isn’t going to make the mutants any less angry.”
The second official merely smirked, ignoring the concern. Without another word, he turned to Wen Xin with a gleam of opportunism in his eyes.
“You have quite a distinctive bone structure,” he said, appraising Wen Xin from head to toe. “A high, proud nose, a full and smooth forehead… You might just be the one we’re looking for! Conveniently, we’ve got a batch leaving soon—you can go with them.”
The second official’s flattery was more of a formality than genuine praise. He was eager to get Wen Xin off his hands as quickly as possible, worried that the young man might change his mind.
He reached out to grab Wen Xin by the wrist, intending to drag him along.
But Wen Xin, with a subtle shift, managed to avoid the grasp.
The official’s hand froze in mid-air, and an ominous glint flashed in his eyes. It was clear he didn’t take rejection kindly.
Wen Xin politely lifted his cane to indicate his injured leg, explaining apologetically, “I’m not in great shape for someone to pull along. I can walk on my own.”
The official stared at him for a few tense seconds before letting out a sinister chuckle. “Fine. Do it your way.”
But as he turned away, the official’s foot suddenly angled towards Wen Xin’s cane, clearly intending to trip him.
The first official, realizing his colleague’s intent, quickly yanked him back, silently scolding him: Stop trying to cause trouble!
The second official merely sneered, “So what if there’s an incident? The mutants don’t care about humans fighting amongst themselves.”
He leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t forget the infamous Colosseum in the western sector. Those mutants love watching humans tear each other apart.”
The first official’s expression turned grim. “That still doesn’t give you the right to attack others.”
Just as tension escalated, a piercing cry rang out from above.
“Caw! Caw!”
Before the second official could react, a massive red falcon swooped down, its powerful wings slamming into him and knocking him to the ground!
The force of the impact was so intense that the man’s head hit the ground with a sickening thud, leaving him dazed and barely conscious. In his final moments before blacking out, he couldn’t understand why these normally aloof falcons had decided to intervene.
Through a haze of pain, he tried to lift his head, desperate for answers.
The last thing he saw was a sight he could scarcely believe: those haughty red falcons, usually disdainful of all humans, now stood before Wen Xin, bowing their heads respectfully.
Bowing… to a human?
How could this be possible?
With disbelief and terror reflected in his eyes, the second official’s vision went dark as he finally lost consciousness.
The first official was equally stunned by what he had witnessed.
Seeing the falcons bow with such reverence, his eyes widened, and a thought so absurd that it bordered on insanity crossed his mind.
Could it be that this young man was truly the Wen Xin they had been desperately searching for?
But then, something even more baffling happened.
After completing their short display of respect, the falcons flapped their wings and returned to their original posts, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
It was like watching soda being poured into a cup only to have it turn back into water—it left the official utterly confused.
So, is this young man the one or not?
If he wasn’t, then why did the falcons bow? But if he was, why were they acting so indifferent afterward?
The official was left wondering: Are birds capable of mood swings?
In truth, mutants held a deep reverence for strength. The red falcons, having sensed Wen Xin’s strength, chose to greet him with the utmost respect. However, seeing Wen Xin remain calm in the face of such disrespect from the officials, they assumed he had his own reasons for not revealing his true strength.
It was best, they decided, not to expose him on the spot.
—These red falcons, who had dealt with humans long enough to learn a few survival tactics, decided it would be smarter to wait until Wen Xin left before rushing back to inform their leader.
Even Wen Xin was caught off guard by the falcons’ unexpected behavior.
He stood there, dazed, before it finally occurred to him what might have caused their reaction. His hand subconsciously drifted to his chest pocket, where the black scale was hidden beneath his clothes.
Meanwhile, the unconscious second official was being dragged away like the dead thief earlier, without causing even the slightest ripple among the crowd.
Now, when the first official looked at Wen Xin, his gaze was markedly different—filled with a newfound respect, or perhaps even a hint of reverence.
“Please, follow me,” he said, his tone much more polite.
However, the direction he took was different from where the second official had been trying to lead Wen Xin earlier.
The first official intended to take Wen Xin to a reception room to treat him with proper courtesy, especially given how disheveled and battered the young man appeared. It was clear he had been through quite an ordeal.
But Wen Xin had only one thing on his mind: reaching the foggy marsh as quickly as possible.
“That other man said a group was about to depart. Shouldn’t we hurry to catch up with them?” Wen Xin insisted.
Seeing how determined the young man was, the official didn’t push the issue further.
With the strange behavior of the falcons still fresh in his mind, the official was now almost certain that Wen Xin might be the one they were looking for. Naturally, he wanted to confirm it as soon as possible.
Delegating the task of managing the crowds to his subordinates, the official personally escorted Wen Xin onto the bus bound for the foggy marsh.
The bus was already filled with people waiting to depart.
