Wasteland Border Inspector-Chapter 180 - 97: Dragon Power Fusion, Awakening from the Great Dream!
"The City Lord is here!"
Someone shouted, and in an instant, the dark shadow lunged forward, gripping his throat fiercely.
Although he had grown so strong, he couldn’t break free from those hands, the suffocation washed over him like a tide...
"Ah!"
Cheng Ye woke up with a start, abruptly sitting up, the sky outside already tinged with light.
He raised his hand to touch his forehead, which was covered in cold sweat, and the hairs on the back of his neck were still standing up.
The silhouette of that shadow in his mind lingered, much like the night on the verge of dawn; even though daylight was near, the deepest darkness pressed heavily on his heart.
"Assassinate the City Lord..."
What one thinks by day, one dreams by night.
Cheng Long was dead, yet the Red Blade was brought back, as if nothing had happened.
If the assassination were true, compared to the mess Cheng Wu left behind, what Cheng Long left him might be even more fatal.
Moreover, all of this was too bizarre; no matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t make sense of it all.
But one thing was certain.
An Xingfu’s strength must be incredibly formidable, to have held the position of City Lord for so many years, forcibly blending the Four Major Factions without any upheaval.
"The ease of these last few days, being noticed by the Elder, invested by the Idealist Faction, along with power enhancement, force expansion, and having the Tear of the Horned Starfish by my side... I subconsciously overlooked the dangers of the Wasteland."
"The power struggle in entering the Inspection Station signifies that I’ve already entered the sight of the upper echelon."
"From now on, I must be even more cautious with every move."
Standing by the window, Cheng Ye quietly watched the morning sun creep up from the horizon.
The suffocating feeling of being choked in his dream was clearly a subconscious warning not to let recent success go to his head, or he might find himself meeting a tragic end.
Time to wake up.
It was not just a dream.
"I have four days left, always thinking about the benefits of rising in rank, but never seriously considering the consequences of failure. Now’s the time to cool my mind and continue lying low..."
Cheng Ye took a deep breath, the brewing agitation in his chest gradually subsided, and the eyes blinded by power revealed a trace of clarity once again.
For the following four days, he no longer wandered around, commuting back and forth between the training ground.
Until there was only one day left before the Inspection Station reopened.
At dusk.
"Come on, you attack, I’ll defend!"
As soon as he said this, Wang Kang sprang forward with nimble steps.
The formal combat skills of the Blood Dragon Corps were learned adeptly by him, and although his strength still seemed lacking, he had an abundance of the martial spirit unique to a martial artist, with a punch that carried a determination that grew stronger over time.
Cheng Ye blocked left and right, feeling clearly the force coming from Wang Kang’s punches, more than doubled compared to four days ago.
In terms of systematic teaching, he wasn’t as good as Miao Yang.
In terms of profound realms, he couldn’t even see Liu Bi’s silhouette.
But in terms of grasping people’s hearts and understanding human nature, neither could match him, as ants are to a giant.
Receiving a direct punch, Cheng Ye intentionally staggered backward a few steps, steadying himself before speaking, "Kang, that’s enough."
"Hey, Brother Cheng, you were pushed back by me!"
Wang Kang was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but open his mouth wide, panting heavily while laughing out loud.
In his innocence, he’d long forgotten the frustration of being suppressed by Cheng Ye four days ago, forgotten the secret vow to "defeat Cheng Ye" he had made then.
Right now, merely making Cheng Ye step back two steps was a major victory in his eyes!
After all, even Long of the Embryo Realm would be evenly matched with Cheng Ye in a short encounter.
"You’ve already understood why you fight, naturally you can push me back."
"Really?"
Wang Kang raised his hand, looking blankly at his fist.
The thin calluses on his fist and the redness and swelling from training were no different from a few days ago, yet the spirit within him became exceptionally clear.
No longer was it aimless anger, but a certainty of knowing who to protect, what to block.
"Brother Cheng."
Wang Kang clenched his fist, the light in his eyes brighter than the morning sun, "Tomorrow when the Inspection Station opens, I want to go to the South Inspection Station alone for one day."
"Are you sure?"
Cheng Ye was stunned momentarily but did not directly refuse, "Have you remembered everything I’ve told you these past few days?"
"I remember it all!" Wang Kang nodded vigorously, his tone exceptionally firm, "How to survive, when to escape, when to call for support, I’ve memorized it all clearly!"
"But even if you do everything right, you could still die."
"I’m not afraid, my father is dead, becoming an inspector means I can never see my mother in the Inner City again, I’ve left all the inheritance for her — now I’m all alone, it’s time to do what I want."
"Didn’t you say you wanted to sing?"
"No, I don’t like singing."
Wang Kang raised his neck and shouted, thinking it wasn’t forceful enough, he raised his voice, "Singing isn’t as important as something else I have to do!"
The volume startled a few people around the training ground into looking over.
For this younger brother of his former self, Cheng Ye felt he’d done his utmost in nurturing.
And Wang Kang’s growth hadn’t disappointed his expectations either.
Having crawled up from the line between life and death himself, Cheng Ye understood better than anyone what Wang Kang needed now.
Just like how Liu Bi chose to let him go back then, it was now time for him to let Wang Kang go.
"Alright."
Cheng Ye nodded slightly, with a touch of gentleness in his voice, "If you’re scared before eight o’clock tomorrow morning, come to me at any time, I’ll report to the Inspection Station to let you adapt for another day."
"After I finish the last day at North Station, I’ll go to South Station to accompany you through your first duty cycle."
"Hmm!"
Wang Kang nodded vigorously, not knowing why, but suddenly his eyes grew warm.
He turned his head, his Adam’s apple moving, swallowing back the sob in his throat.
He and Cheng Ye were no longer children who would cry and sing together in the Inner City.
Now, they were inspectors, carrying heavy responsibilities on their shoulders!
Even if they were utterly unprepared, three months ago still hugging guitars and singing on street corners, but this was reality, like an unexpected infection wave, not allowing anyone preparation time.
Because this is not the glamorous world from an old-era magazine.
This is the Wasteland.
A man-eating... apocalypse!
...
