I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 42 - Chang Kai

—

Xu Shen wasn’t sure why Chang Kai had come to see him, but he let him in anyway.

Sitting on the bed, Xu Shen watched as Chang Kai pulled up a chair and sat down. The man’s eyes roamed over Xu Shen, nodding and smiling as if admiring a younger generation.

But he didn’t say a word.

“Do you need something?” Xu Shen finally asked, feeling uncomfortable under the man’s gaze. Was it just his imagination, or did Chang Kai look at him like he was a piece of art?

“Hehe, I wasn’t here earlier. When I returned and heard about you, I thought I’d come take a look,” Chang Kai said cryptically.

“Well, you’ve seen me. Anything else?” Xu Shen stood up, ready to leave. Something about Chang Kai felt off, though he couldn’t pinpoint what. He just didn’t feel comfortable around him.

Chang Kai’s smile twitched slightly. This kid was impatient—he hadn’t even been sitting for half a minute before Xu Shen was already trying to send him off.

“I came to ask you a question,” Chang Kai said directly.

“What question?” Xu Shen asked as he walked toward the door.

“What do you think of the Moon Cult?”

Xu Shen froze mid-step, his back to Chang Kai. A flicker of light flashed in his eyes before he turned around to face the man, who was still smiling as if they were old friends chatting.

“Brother Chang, you’re not part of the Moon Cult, are you? Why even ask that question?” Xu Shen joked with a grin.

Chang Kai shook his head slightly. “It’s better to ask. The Moon Cult’s methods are strange, and I need to make sure you’re not one of them.”

“After all, their techniques are beyond what you can imagine. Even here in the Changbai Mountains, their traces can be found.”

Xu Shen stared at Chang Kai, his brows furrowing slightly. “You suspect me?”

“I’ve suspected everyone here at some point,” Chang Kai replied calmly.

Xu Shen rubbed his chin thoughtfully before glancing at the clock. “I need to head out for something. Can we talk while we walk?”

Chang Kai was momentarily stunned by the suggestion but nodded. “Sure, it’s just a few questions.”

“Let’s go then,” Xu Shen said with a grin, pushing the door open and stepping out.

—

As they walked down the corridor, their conversation grew increasingly casual.

“My thoughts on the Moon Cult? They’re inhuman scum,” Xu Shen said bluntly. “Turning people into ghoul-like monsters—how is that okay? They can’t even enjoy taking a proper dump anymore. Life’s biggest joy gone.”

“…What would you do if you encountered someone from the Moon Cult?” Chang Kai asked.

“If I can fight them, I’ll fight. If not, I’ll surrender—gotta stay alive,” Xu Shen replied nonchalantly.

“That’s actually the smartest approach for survival. You’re more pragmatic than I expected,” Chang Kai remarked with a chuckle.

“Well, they say knowing when to adapt is the mark of a wise man,” Xu Shen quipped.

The two continued chatting as they exited the building, their camaraderie growing so much that they were nearly walking arm-in-arm.

“Brother Chang, where are you from?” Xu Shen asked with a laugh, slinging an arm around Chang Kai’s shoulders.

“Sichuan region. If you ever visit, I’ll treat you to hotpot,” Chang Kai replied with a smile.

“I’ll hold you to that! Haha!” Xu Shen laughed heartily.

“By the way, Brother Xu, where are you headed dressed like that?” Chang Kai asked, glancing at Xu Shen’s thin hospital gown. He couldn’t understand what Xu Shen planned to do in such attire.

Xu Shen turned to him with a friendly smile that revealed his teeth.

“Why, of course…”

“…to kill you.”

The warmth in Xu Shen’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling coldness. A black gleam appeared in his right hand as he drove his blade straight toward Chang Kai’s heart with lightning speed!

—

PFFT!

The black blade plunged deep into Chang Kai’s chest, blood spraying onto the pristine snow beneath them. A surge of blood energy rippled through the blade, instantly shattering Chang Kai’s heart.

Chang Kai’s eyes widened in confusion as he stared at the gaping wound in his chest. His body swayed before collapsing to the ground.

“Xu Shen!!! What are you doing?!”

“Are you insane?!”

Shouts erupted as several people nearby witnessed the scene. Among them was the captain who had been fighting earlier—his eyes now bloodshot with rage.

Xu Shen… had just killed a Flame Mastery captain?!

Although Chang Kai’s role mainly involved reconnaissance and his combat strength wasn’t particularly high, no one could survive having their heart destroyed at such close range—not even someone at Flame Mastery level.

—

“Stay back!!” Xu Shen roared suddenly, his voice reverberating like a shockwave that stopped everyone in their tracks.

The onlookers hesitated but didn’t lower their guard. Their eyes were filled with hostility as they watched Xu Shen warily. Some activated their runes while others drew their weapons.

This kid was acting too strange—was he losing his mind? Or had he always been hiding something?

“Xu Shen, I don’t know why you attacked Captain Chang…” someone began cautiously, stepping forward.

But when Xu Shen turned his bloodshot eyes on them, their words caught in their throat.

Xu Shen slowly backed away while keeping his gaze fixed on Chang Kai’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. His hand holding the black blade trembled slightly—not from fear but because the blade itself was vibrating!

This time, there was no mistaking it—Chang Kai wasn’t human!

—

From the moment Chang Kai had entered his room earlier, Xu Shen had felt the black blade begin to tremble faintly. The closer Chang Kai got, the stronger the vibrations became.

Moon Cult!

The thought had struck Xu Shen like lightning. Normally, the black blade would react strongly to ghouls even from a distance. But with Chang Kai, it only reached that level when Xu Shen was practically hanging off his neck!

Combined with what he’d heard about Moon Cult members being neither human nor ghoul… Xu Shen couldn’t be certain, but he trusted his blade implicitly.

After all, there was no way Chang Kai could be a ghoul emperor disguised as a normal person… right?

To avoid any sudden moves inside the building, Xu Shen had lured him outside before striking.

—

“Stop pretending—I know you’re not dead,” Xu Shen said coldly, staring at Chang Kai’s motionless body. “Isn’t that right… Captain Chang of the Moon Cult?”

His words sent shockwaves through the crowd. People gasped audibly and instinctively stepped back while activating their ghostly runes.

Even if Xu Shen couldn’t escape this situation, what if he was right? What if Captain Chang really was with the Moon Cult?

The captain who had been fighting earlier looked visibly shaken. He’d been stationed here for nearly five years and had heard that Chang Kai had been around for ten years—how could he possibly be part of the Moon Cult?

—

Then it happened.

Gray mist began seeping from the gaping wound in Chang Kai’s chest—a mist that radiated an eerie and malevolent aura…

His once-rigid body started moving again as his lifeless eyes regained focus.

Xu Shen’s face twitched as he resisted the urge to strike again. From the moment he’d delivered that first blow, he’d sensed that continuing would unleash something far worse.

Chang Kai sat up slowly, his complexion pale and his eyes now tinged with gray. Dusting snow off himself casually, he smiled at Xu Shen as if nothing had happened.

“I’m curious—how did you figure me out?” he asked lightly, his tone conversational as though they were still chatting like old friends.

“Instinct,” Xu Shen replied curtly.

“Instinct?” Chang Kai chuckled softly and shook his head. “What if you’d been wrong? Did you think about what would happen then?”

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Xu Shen shrugged nonchalantly. “If I was wrong? Then so be it—I didn’t like your face anyway.”

For a moment, silence hung between them as Chang Kai studied him with those unsettling gray eyes.

—

“Chang Kai… we’ve known each other for years. When did this happen?” Xu Wei asked as he approached cautiously, his expression conflicted.

Other Flame Mastery captains began closing in from different directions, surrounding Chang Kai with heavy hearts. They couldn’t believe it—someone they’d fought alongside and even saved each other’s lives with… was Moon Cult?

How long had he been hiding this? If not for Xu Shen’s intervention today, how much longer would it have gone unnoticed?

“You’re mistaken,” Chang Kai said with a faint smile. “I’ve always been with the Moon Cult—I never joined this place.”

“And what about our bond? Does my identity erase that?” he added almost mockingly.

—

“Give yourself up,” Xu Wei said firmly. “If we take you to Xinhuo Guard headquarters alive, you might still have a chance.”

“Sigh… You people fail to see the truth of this world,” Chang Kai said wistfully as faint ripples of energy began emanating from beneath him.

His body… began to rise into the air!

The captains’ faces stiffened in shock—Chang Kai was Tongyou Realm?!

—

“Commander Dong!” someone shouted as Dong Tianming appeared wielding a massive broadsword.

“So this is how deep you’ve hidden yourself,” Dong Tianming said coldly. “If not for Xu Shen, you might’ve stayed hidden for another decade.”

“To be honest,” Chang Kai replied calmly, “I was about to give up on this place after ten years without results.”

“But who knew… there’d be such an unexpected surprise?”

Dong Tianming’s expression darkened as he pointed his broadsword at Chang Kai. “No matter what your plans are—you’re not leaving here alive!”

With a deafening roar of energy, Dong Tianming unleashed his full Tongyou Realm power. Behind him appeared a massive phantom figure shrouded in misty light.

Chang Kai remained unfazed. Raising one hand slowly, he revealed a massive gray heart—rotten and pulsating with ominous energy…

As soon as it appeared, Dong Tianming’s face changed drastically. He lunged forward with his broadsword glowing brightly and roared: “STOP!!”

But it was too late.

“My gift to you all—a chance for transformation,” Chang Kai said softly before crushing the heart in his hand.

“This will make you stronger… so you can face the real world.”

“If you survive… perhaps then you’ll understand me.”

With those final words and an eerie smile directed at Dong Tianming and Xu Shen… the heart exploded!