I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 14 - The Guide

—

The school grounds were eerily silent, a stark contrast to the chaos and shouting outside.

“I knew it! Brother Shen is definitely in the mafia.”

“Obviously. Do you think normal people have the guts to act like him?”

“Those guys are terrifying. Aren’t they called the Bald Gang or something?”

“I’ve heard of them...”

The students whispered among themselves, occasionally pointing at Xu Shen and the Bald Gang. Their leader, the bald-headed man, clearly heard the murmurs but paid them no mind. Internally, however, he was cursing his rotten luck.

He had heard the rumors—how Xu Shen had dragged Yang Dian into his repair shop and subjected him to some inhumane torture. When Yang Dian emerged, he acted like Xu Shen was his god, following him around like a devoted lackey.

The bald leader had planned to apologize to Xu Shen eventually, but the ghoul chaos had erupted before he could. He had thought this was the perfect opportunity to find a school to protect while earning some cash on the side.

But of all places, he had to run into Xu Shen at the first stop.

Now, he wished he could slap himself for his stupidity.

Xu Shen, meanwhile, noticed the students’ chatter and the strange looks from both Ding Wentian and Wang Qingqing. His face darkened as he waved dismissively at the Bald Gang.

“Get lost!”

“Yes, yes! Right away!” The bald leader beamed with relief, turning to leave.

“Wait!” Xu Shen called out.

“Any other instructions, Brother Shen?” The bald man snapped to attention like a soldier.

“Protect the elderly and children. If I hear you’ve charged anyone money, I’ll come find you,” Xu Shen said coldly.

“Understood! We’ll complete the mission!” The bald leader saluted before running off with his gang.

Once they were a few hundred meters away, he finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“Boss, who was that guy? Why are we so scared of him?” a younger member of the gang grumbled.

SMACK!

The bald leader slapped him across the head. “You idiot! Do you know who that is?!”

“No...?”

“The scars on my body? He’s the one who gave them to me!”

“Then why don’t we fight him?!” the younger man exclaimed in shock.

“Fight? Fight your ass! If you want to die, go ahead!” The bald leader glared at him before walking off.

“Where are you going, Boss?”

“Didn’t you hear him? We’re protecting the elderly and children. I don’t want him coming after me later!”

The chaos lasted for over three hours. By 8 PM, the last ghoul had been hunted down and killed. The massive holes in the ground were sealed, and the alarms finally stopped.

But East District was left in ruins—bloodstains, collapsed buildings, corpses, and fires dotted the landscape. Xu Shen took it all in silently, his hand clenched into a tight fist.

Ten years ago, it had been worse. The entire West District had been reduced to rubble. His parents had sent him and his siblings away before turning back to fight alongside their neighbors.

Now, seeing this familiar scene again stirred something deep within him. Thankfully, this time, fewer lives were lost.

—

With Wang Qingqing and Yang Dian supporting him, Xu Shen returned to Wang Qingqing’s home. Their neighborhood had been relatively untouched by the chaos—any ghouls that appeared were swiftly dealt with by Li Li.

As soon as they entered, Xu Dong and Xu Xia ran up to Xu Shen with teary eyes, throwing themselves into his arms. Despite the pain from his injuries, Xu Shen hugged them tightly.

After all, 

Being alive is good.

Li Li helped Xu Shen onto the sofa and examined his injuries. After a moment, she sighed in relief. “He’s fine—just some surface wounds and exhaustion. Resting should be enough.”

Though she said this, she couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Wang Bing had called her earlier, saying Xu Shen’s bones were broken. But when she checked him now, everything seemed healed—even internal injuries were almost gone.

Yang Dian said his goodbyes and left to check on his father.

Leaning against the sofa with his head resting on Wang Qingqing’s shoulder, Xu Shen quickly fell into a deep sleep.

—

When he woke up the next day, he found himself lying in a soft, fragrant bed. His eyes snapped open as he sat up abruptly, patting himself down. Finding no signs of tampering with his clothes, he sighed in disappointment.

The bloodstains on his body were gone—clearly cleaned off by Li Li using her runes.

Stepping out of Wang Qingqing’s room, he saw her sitting on the couch watching the news. Wang Bing and Li Li were nowhere to be seen, and Xu Dong and Xu Xia were likely at school.

“You’re awake?” Wang Qingqing glanced at him.

“Yeah. Feeling much better,” Xu Shen replied as he stretched. Aside from some lingering chest pain and minor soreness, he was mostly recovered. He sat beside her and turned his attention to the news broadcast.

—

“Yesterday’s ghoul outbreak in Yuan City’s Northeast District resulted in 36 deaths and 129 serious injuries in the South District.”

“The North District reported 52 deaths and 318 serious injuries.”

“Thirteen Xinhuo Guard members were killed in action...”

“The cause of the explosions and ground fissures is still under investigation. Authorities suspect it was a coordinated terrorist attack...”

—

Xu Shen and Wang Qingqing sat in silence. Eighty-eight lives lost—thirteen of them Xinhuo Guard members. While it was fewer than expected given the scale of the attack, seeing living people reduced to mere numbers left a heavy feeling in their hearts.

—

“I’m heading to the capital for a few days,” Wang Qingqing said suddenly.

“To retrieve Ghost Attribute cultivation techniques and runes?” Xu Shen guessed—it was something Jiang Youyi had mentioned earlier.

Wang Qingqing nodded. After yesterday’s events, her desire to cultivate had reached a peak. Seeing Xu Shen so badly injured had ignited a burning determination within her—she wanted to protect him too.

“When are you leaving?”

“Right away.”

“So soon?” Xu Shen raised an eyebrow at her urgency.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Wang Qingqing opened it to reveal a tall woman dressed in tight-fitting clothes with her hair tied in a ponytail. She looked at Wang Qingqing with a faint smile.

“It’s time to go,” the woman said coolly.

“Sister Ma, thank you for helping me,” Wang Qingqing replied politely before turning back to Xu Shen. “Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.”

“When have I ever caused trouble? Go on,” Xu Shen said with a grin.

Sister Ma tilted her head slightly at his voice and spotted him standing nearby. “Xu Shen? Interested in joining the Xinhuo Guard?” she asked with a smile.

“No thanks. Have a nice trip.” Xu Shen slammed the door shut without hesitation.

Sister Ma blinked in surprise at his bluntness. “Did I get uglier or something?” she muttered.

Wang Qingqing chuckled softly. “Don’t mind him—he’s always like that.”

“Let’s go,” Sister Ma said after giving the closed door one last glance. She couldn’t help but wonder about this eighteen-year-old boy who had survived a fight with a third-tier ghoul despite being a Forbidden Body cultivator.

—

After Wang Qingqing left, Xu Shen received a call from Ding Wentian.

“Brother Xu! We’re heading to the library now—want to come along?”

“Even though you’ve already started cultivating your technique,” Ding added slyly, “you should still visit Xia Nation’s sacred site.”

Xu Shen smirked—Ding clearly knew he had already begun cultivating but still extended the invitation anyway. “Alright, I’m coming.”

The library—or rather, Xinhuo Pavilion—was considered sacred ground in Xia Nation. It housed countless runes and cultivation techniques developed since the resurgence of spiritual energy. Rumor had it that deep within the main pavilion in the capital lay ancient techniques and runes from eras long past.

Every awakened student who entered would find techniques suited to their attributes—a treasure trove beyond imagination.

Each city’s pavilion also had a Guide, an enigmatic figure who transcended local authority and answered only to national emergencies like city-wide disasters. Guides never left their pavilions unless absolutely necessary.

Xu Shen’s main goal was to see just how powerful these Guides truly were.

“I’ve heard every Guide is at Shadow Soul level,” Xu Shen muttered as he hailed a taxi to take him downtown.

The driver assumed he was an awakened student heading to Xinhuo Pavilion and promised to get him there on time. His driving skills impressed even Xu Shen—it took less than fifteen minutes to reach their destination.

—

As Xu Shen stepped out of the taxi and paid the fare, he found himself facing an enormous plaza teeming with people—students from all four districts of Yuan City gathered with their schools for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

There were nearly ten thousand people present.

—

“Boss! Over here!” Yang Dian’s voice rang out as he waved from nearby. His eye was still bruised from yesterday’s fight.

“What happened now? Who hit you this time?” Xu Shen asked with a raised eyebrow as he approached.

“A kid from East District,” Yang Dian grumbled. “He heard Sister-in-law has a Ghost Attribute and started talking trash.”

“And you couldn’t let it slide?”

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“Of course not! I went straight for him—and then... well...” Yang Dian trailed off awkwardly.

“What did he say?” Xu Shen asked sharply, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“He said Ghost Attribute users are dangerous and should be strictly controlled...” Yang Dian mumbled as his voice grew quieter under Xu Shen’s piercing gaze.

A familiar smile spread across Xu Shen’s face—the kind that sent shivers down Yang Dian’s spine.

“Really now? Take me to him—I’d like to have a little chat.”