I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 13 - You’re So Young, and Yet…

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—

Wang Bing was furious.

As Yuan City’s second Spirit Passage-level Xinhuo Guard, he had been immediately notified when a Spirit Passage-level ghoul appeared in the North District. Worried sick about Wang Qingqing and Xu Shen, he had rushed to deal with the ghoul, battling it for hours before finally killing it.

But when he arrived at the school, he found his daughter missing—and Xu Shen lying on the ground, gravely injured alongside Sun Yun.

“Qingqing!! Qingqing!!” Wang Bing roared, clutching his long blade as tears streamed down his face.

“You’re so young, and yet...”

“Dad!!”

“Uh...” Wang Bing froze mid-wail and turned around sharply.

There she was—Wang Qingqing, running toward him, unharmed.

“Qingqing!!” Wang Bing shouted as he rushed to embrace her, checking her from head to toe for injuries. Finding none, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Boss! Why did you have to leave us so soon?!” Yang Dian wailed dramatically as he sprinted toward Xu Shen’s battered body.

Xu Shen looked like he had been through hell. His chest was caved in from the ghoul’s tailbone strike, and his right fist was mangled beyond recognition—clearly broken in multiple places. Blood trickled from his mouth as his body twitched faintly.

Wang Bing’s eyes reddened again as he stormed over to Sun Yun, his breathing heavy. “What the hell were you doing?!”

“???” Sun Yun blinked in confusion. Boss, I’m half-dead too, and you’re blaming me?

Ignoring Sun Yun’s pitiful state, Wang Bing pried open his mouth and shoved a healing pill inside. Sun Yun’s complexion improved slightly as he weakly explained, “That kid... fought the ghoul...”

“Bullshit! He’s just an early Awakening Realm cultivator—how could he fight a Flame Mastery-level ghoul?! One slap would’ve turned him into paste!” Wang Bing snapped.

“It’s true!!” Sun Yun protested, feeling wronged.

“Uh... Uncle, it’s true,” Yang Dian chimed in awkwardly. He had seen the entire fight through the storage room door crack and still felt chills thinking about it. If Xu Shen had punched him with that kind of force earlier, he’d be a goner for sure.

Wang Bing was stunned into silence before reluctantly prying open Xu Shen’s mouth to feed him a pill as well. But just as he was about to drop it in, he froze.

A faint crackling sound reached his ears.

Looking down in confusion, Wang Bing’s eyes widened in shock. Xu Shen’s mangled right fist was glowing faintly with crimson light as the blood-red Weapon Rune absorbed spiritual energy. The crushed bones were visibly knitting themselves back together.

The cracking sound was the sound of bones regenerating.

Wang Bing quickly shoved the pill into Xu Shen’s mouth to mask what was happening. If anyone noticed that Xu Shen could heal like this without medicine, it would attract unwanted attention.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Bing glanced at Wang Qingqing one last time before leaping into the air and disappearing into the sky. There were still ghouls wreaking havoc across the city, and the Xinhuo Guard needed every available hand.

—

With Wang Bing gone, Principal Ding Wentian noticed that the remaining low-level ghouls at the school gates had stopped advancing. He let out a sigh of relief.

—

“Xu Shen! Xu Shen!!” Wang Qingqing called softly as she knelt beside him, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to shake him awake but didn’t dare touch him for fear of worsening his injuries.

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry,” Yang Dian said reassuringly. “Boss is healing himself.”

Cough cough. Sun Yun struggled to his feet, still bleeding but able to move. He glanced at Xu Shen with a complicated expression before limping over to Ding Wentian to report what had happened. Shortly after, a Xinhuo Guard team arrived to take him away for treatment.

Wiping her tears away, Wang Qingqing sat silently beside Xu Shen, refusing to leave his side. Yang Dian stood nearby like a bodyguard, his Skyhawk Rune glowing faintly as he kept watch for any threats.

—

“Miss Wang, is Xu Shen—”

“Don’t come any closer!” Wang Qingqing interrupted coldly as Ding Wentian approached. Her voice carried an icy edge she hadn’t even realized was there. Black ghostly energy began to swirl faintly around her.

Yang Dian immediately stepped in front of Ding Wentian, blocking his path. “What do you want?” he asked bluntly.

Ding Wentian blinked in surprise. “I just wanted to check on him.”

“My boss is healing. There’s no need for you to interfere,” Yang Dian replied with a sheepish grin. “Sister-in-law is worried about him.”

Ding Wentian raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. Instead, he turned and walked toward the field to reassure the other students.

—

Watching from afar, Ding Wentian couldn’t help but notice a change in Wang Qingqing’s demeanor. Her eyes now held a steely determination—a desire to grow stronger.

“Xu Shen and Miss Wang really are a perfect match,” Ding thought with a wry smile. He had witnessed Xu Shen’s earlier actions and had nearly popped his eyes out of their sockets in disbelief. How had a Forbidden Body cultivator managed to crack the skull of a Flame Mastery-level ghoul?

If someone else told him this story, he’d laugh it off as nonsense. But seeing it with his own eyes... it was undeniable.

“If this kid continues to grow...” Ding mused. Combined with Wang Qingqing’s Ghost Attribute talent, they could become an unstoppable duo.

—

An hour later, Xu Shen finally stirred awake. Pain immediately flooded his senses—his chest and right fist throbbed with agony, making him feel like his entire body was falling apart.

“Xu Shen!!” Wang Qingqing cried out as she noticed him waking up. Tears dripped onto his face as she leaned over him.

Xu Shen licked his lips weakly and managed a faint smile. “Why are you crying? I’m fine.”

“You’re crying instead of kissing me—”

SMACK!

Xu Shen’s eyes widened as Wang Qingqing suddenly kissed him on the cheek. The touch was soft and cold but carried a hint of sweetness.

Before he could process what had happened, she turned away with a flushed face.

For a moment, Xu Shen forgot about the pain coursing through his body. “Uh... I didn’t really feel that one. How about another—”

“Shut up!” Wang Qingqing snapped.

Nearby, Yang Dian pretended not to hear anything but silently marveled at Xu Shen’s audacity. No wonder Boss has such loyal followers—his determination is unmatched.

—

Cough cough. Ding Wentian cleared his throat as he approached cautiously. The school technically prohibited relationships between students, but these two were already eighteen and about to enter college. Besides, Ding didn’t dare interfere—he still owed Xu Shen a favor after everything that had happened today.

“Hey there, old man,” Xu Shen greeted weakly from where he lay against a rock. “Any rewards for my performance today?”

“You bet!” Ding replied enthusiastically. “I’ll get you enrolled in school and find you the best tutor for extra lessons!”

“I want spirit stones,” Xu Shen said bluntly.

Ding paused for a moment before nodding. “Don’t worry—the Xinhuo Guard will definitely reward you with spirit stones.”

Spirit stones were highly valuable—they contained concentrated spiritual energy that could greatly accelerate cultivation. One spirit stone was worth roughly 10,000 yuan or half a day of intense cultivation effort.

—

As Ding and Xu Shen spoke, shouting erupted outside the school gates.

“Charge! Kill those bastards!”

A group of over a hundred burly men stormed onto the school grounds wielding machetes and axes. Their leader—a massive bald man wrapped in bandages—scanned the area with fierce determination.

“There aren’t any ghouls left here,” he announced loudly. “We’re here to protect this school!”

“And when this is over,” he added with a grin, “you can all pay us for our trouble!”

Before he could finish speaking, an eerie silence fell over the crowd.

Confused by the sudden quiet, the bald man followed everyone’s gaze toward the rubble ahead of him.

There stood Ding Wentian at the base of the debris pile. To one side sat Wang Qingqing, her expression unreadable. On the other side stood Yang Dian like a loyal guard dog.

And in the center lay Xu Shen—bloodied but exuding an aura of authority as he reclined against the rubble like a king surveying his domain.

The bald man’s face turned pale as recognition dawned on him. With a loud THUD, he dropped to his knees.

His followers hesitated for only a moment before kneeling alongside him in unison.

“Brother Shen! We’re here to help you!!” they shouted in trembling voices.