I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 32 - The Falling Bus

—

My name is Xu Guang. I’m 24 years old.

I’ve wandered through life, leaving the orphanage at 15 and surviving on the outskirts of Yuan City. Eventually, I built my own organization, believing it would be the foundation of my future empire.

I, Xu Guang, have never bowed to anyone!

But one day, a student named Yang Dian approached me, asking me to teach a lesson to a kid named Xu Shen. He even had the backing of Xinhuo Guard squad leader Zhang Ling.

I went.

It didn’t end well. I got stabbed in all four limbs.

But even then, I didn’t hold a grudge against Xu Shen. I knew someone as ruthless as him—who could stab me and walk away unscathed—must have connections. His future was bound to be extraordinary.

Later, I heard that during the ghoul outbreak, Xu Shen had gone toe-to-toe with a third-tier ghoul.

When Xu Shen called me for help to surround an organization, I agreed without hesitation. I wanted to build a connection with him.

It turned out to be the right choice—not just for me but also for Yang Dian and Zhang Zhuangshi. The three of us shared the same thought: following Brother Shen would lead to great achievements!

But now… I’m in the sky.

I might die. There’s a lunatic driving this flying bus. It doesn’t even have brakes!!

And he’s missing a leg!!

I don’t know if I’ll survive, but…

—

Changbai Mountain

As one of Xia Nation’s legendary mountains, Changbai has been a critical battleground since the resurgence of spiritual energy and the emergence of ghouls.

Legends tell of Yinshen Realm experts venturing deep into its forests, only to return gravely injured—or not at all. One such expert from the Northeast District perished there.

Since that year, no one has dared to force their way into its depths. What lies within remains a mystery.

Even now, Xia Nation has only reclaimed about one-tenth of Changbai Mountain’s outskirts. Yet even this fraction is a vital strategic stronghold.

—

In a snow-covered clearing, once-pristine white snow was now stained with blood—black and red were the only colors visible on the ground.

Figures stood on high alert, their bodies emanating ghostly energy as runes flickered across their skin. Their eyes scanned the distant forests and nearby thickets with vigilance.

Behind them lay a sprawling base of tents. Medical personnel rushed back and forth across the blood-soaked snow. Low groans of pain echoed from within the tents.

At the frontlines, countless ghoul corpses lay scattered—limbs and blood covering the ground. Among them were human remains as well…

“These bastards are trying to wear us down,” grumbled a burly man drenched in blood. Sitting at the front with a blade in hand, he wiped his face clean and cursed under his breath.

“Exactly, Captain. There’s definitely a third-tier ghoul controlling them from behind,” said a young man missing his left arm. He took a swig from a flask before continuing. “They match our cultivation levels but outnumber us significantly. It’s like they’re trying to grind us down slowly.”

“I know that already! But what can we do? We can’t lose this position!” The captain snatched the flask and took a long drink himself.

“Hah! It’s been ages since I’ve had a drink. Once this wave is over, I’m going home to celebrate with my wife!” he said with a hearty laugh.

The young man’s face turned pale with horror. He immediately stood up and slapped the captain across the face.

“What the hell?!” The captain clutched his cheek, staring blankly at the young man.

“Captain, don’t jinx it! People who say stuff like that usually don’t last two days!” the young man said urgently.

The captain’s expression darkened as he slapped himself hard across the face. “Damn it! Why can’t I keep my mouth shut?!”

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Not far away, five young figures approached. Three men and two women, all covered in blood with disheveled hair, looking like they hadn’t slept in days.

Leading them was a girl with her hair tied in a ponytail and faint golden light glowing in her eyes. She glanced curiously at the red mark on the captain’s face.

“Murong Xin? How are you holding up here?” The captain stood up and greeted them with a faint smile.

“It’s… rougher than we expected,” Murong Xin replied with a nod, dark circles under her eyes.

They had arrived yesterday and were immediately thrown into battle upon disembarking. Since then, they’d barely had an hour of sleep before alarms blared again, forcing them back into combat.

In just one day, they’d fought six battles against endless waves of ghouls with incredibly tough bodies. If not for the Xinhuo Guards stepping in occasionally, they would’ve been severely injured—or worse.

“This is nothing,” the captain said with a sigh. “The worst time lasted an entire day—we even lost a Flame Mastery Realm fighter.”

“If you’re tired, Murong Xin, go rest. I can cover for you,” offered Shi Jian, a burly young man with thunder attribute talent. His rune Thunder Surge made his attacks devastatingly powerful.

“Yeah,  Sister, you haven’t slept much,” added Lin Sancai, a frail-looking girl with sword attribute talent. Despite her sickly appearance, her body radiated faint sword light.

The other two were Cai Tianpeng, who had wind attribute talent, and Murong Xin’s cousin Murong Jian, who shared her gold attribute talent.

Murong Xin had gathered these well-known talents from Yuan City for this expedition. However, Wang Qingqing had declined her invitation, forcing her to rely on her cousin instead. Without five members, they couldn’t form a team.

“It’s a shame Wang Qingqing didn’t join us,” Murong Jian lamented. “Her ghost attribute talent would’ve made things much easier.”

“Hmph! That Wang Qingqing thinks she’s too good for us,” Cai Tianpeng scoffed. “Who cares if she didn’t come? I can handle this alone!”

“Wang Qingqing? The ghost attribute girl? I’ve heard about her,” the captain said thoughtfully.

“So what if she has ghost talent? If she doesn’t even dare come to the frontlines, it’s wasted potential!” Cai Tianpeng sneered.

The captain glanced at Cai Tianpeng but said nothing. He remembered this kid hiding in the back during battles—not exactly impressive behavior. Still, he wasn’t part of the Xinhuo Guard, so there wasn’t much to say as long as he contributed.

“Hehe… Let’s not jump to conclusions—”

Shi Jian began to speak but was interrupted by an ear-piercing alarm.

“Damn it! They’re coming again!” The captain’s face darkened as he shouted orders. “Everyone to the front! Don’t let those ghouls reach the living area!”

Drawing his blade, he charged forward with ghostly energy surging around him. The one-armed young man followed silently.

Murong Xin and her team exchanged glances before leaping into action toward the defensive line.

—

Behind them lay the living area; ahead stretched endless mountains and forests. Between them was a vast plain spanning dozens of miles—the defensive line.

Boom… Boom…

The snowy ground trembled as thunderous noises echoed from deep within the mountains.

ROAR!!

Suddenly, a massive ghoul burst from the forest—a three-meter-tall creature covered in white fur with iron-gray skin. Its monkey-like face was rotting, exposing blackened bones that dripped foul-smelling liquid.

As it emerged, countless more ghouls appeared behind it—a seemingly endless horde advancing toward the defensive line!

“So many corpse apes?! Damn it—they’re trying to overwhelm us in one go!” The captain cursed loudly before turning to the one-armed young man beside him. “Go back to the living area and request reinforcements! Medium-level outbreak—no third-tier ghouls yet!”

The young man nodded and sprinted back toward the base.

Raising his blade high, the captain unleashed his ghostly energy as his Ghost Wolf Rune enveloped his body. His eyes burned with killing intent as he roared:

“Brothers! We are Xinhuo Guards! Burn your souls if you must—death is nothing to fear!!”

“Burn our souls—death is nothing to fear!!” came the thunderous response as every guard raised their weapons and charged forward with reckless abandon.

Murong Xin’s team paled at the sight—it was their first time witnessing such carnage. They’d only faced small-scale ghoul outbreaks before—nothing like this!

Cai Tianpeng began inching backward nervously. He was a genius—he couldn’t die here! Once he grew stronger…

BOOM!!

A massive slash appeared on the ground in front of him as the captain glared coldly at him.

“Anyone retreating now will be treated as deserters—and killed!”

Cai Tianpeng swallowed hard under the hostile gazes of those around him. Forcing an awkward smile, he said weakly:

“I was just scouting the terrain… These beasts are my mortal enemies!”

Ignoring him, the captain focused on the approaching ghoul tide until they were less than ten miles away. His eyes turned blood-red as he roared:

“CHARGE!!”

“CHARGE!!”

The guards surged forward like madmen—but suddenly stopped as they noticed something strange.

The ghouls had halted their advance and were staring upward at the sky!

Hearing faint whistling sounds above them, everyone looked up—and saw a flash of dark green streak across the sky.

A moment later, a bus hurtled down from above in a spiraling descent!

BOOM!!

The impact created an enormous shockwave as it crashed into the ghoul horde—instantly obliterating over ten ghouls upon landing!

Sliding nearly 100 meters across the ground before coming to a stop, the bus left behind stunned ghouls who stared at it in fear and confusion.

BANG!!

The bus door flew open as an angry voice echoed:

“Wang Chui Feng! If I ever ride your shitty bus again, I’ll write my name backward!! Blegh…”