EFB Chapter 2657 Meng Bai
Chapter 2657 Meng Bai
Chapter 2657 Meng Bai
The darkness of the sewers prevented one from seeing, but for a cultivator, their senses were enough to detect the presence of others, if not perceive them entirely.
As such, the boy could clearly tell that someone was standing right in front of him. A few seconds later, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he made out the faint silhouette of a man.
"You... How did you get here?" The boy was astonished. "I closed the manhole upon entering." He couldn't understand.
To him, there was only one method of entry: the manholes. Of course, unless someone decided to bore through the ground—but that was not something permitted in Ram Orchard City and would quickly attract the attention of the authorities.
The manhole he had entered through had not been reopened, and he was standing directly beneath it. There was no way Lin Mu could have entered that way. The other manholes were sealed, and the closest unsecured one was over three kilometers away.
Even for an Immortal, flying there, finding the entrance, and navigating back through the maze-like sewer would take considerable time. And yet, Lin Mu had appeared before him as if he were a ghost haunting his every step.
Lin Mu, however, did not answer.
Instead, he observed the boy. Even in the dark, he could see him as clearly as in daylight.
The boy's disheveled hair hung past his shoulders, matted with dirt and grime from his frantic escape. Sweat mixed with dust streaked his face. Several scars marred his body, the ones on his hands particularly prominent.
His robes were old and patched in multiple places with different fabrics, making them look odd and mismatched.
His face reflected a mix of anxiety and fear, yet his eyes held a trace of determination rarely seen.
"W-Who are you?" the boy asked, summoning his courage.
It was the question that had plagued him since the encounter began. Nothing about Lin Mu made sense to him.
"You want to know who I am?" Lin Mu asked. "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
"I... I'm... Meng Bai," the boy answered, not even knowing why.
However, Meng Bai knew there were powerful independent cultivators in the capital who weren't bound by such rules. With his limited knowledge, it seemed logical that Lin Mu might be one of them.
"I'm not," Lin Mu replied. "But a decent guess."
Meng Bai fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"What... What do you want from me?" he asked. "You already got your storage pouch back. I didn't even get to steal from you."
"I know. I'm just interested in you," Lin Mu replied. "To have the skill to avoid triggering my senses and pickpocket me... then to display mastery over a high-rank escape technique and even use a Qi-Obscuring Smoke Talisman—those aren't things just anyone can learn or acquire."
"Huh?" Meng Bai was taken aback.
No one had ever taken an interest in him for such reasons before. He had tried to showcase his skills, hoping to secure a stable job or become an apprentice.
Yet, every attempt had ended in failure. No one wanted to take in a street urchin with no status.
No one had ever trusted him.
It was understandably so too, as such individuals could very well scam or trick the others, taking advantage of their goodwill. There had been plenty of examples of this and as such most never took in people like Meng Bai.
If he had gotten a proper job or training, he would have never become a common pickpocket. After all no one wanted a job that would threaten their lives and could get the imprisoned.
To Lin Mu though, Meng Bai was merely a young boy trying to survive in the world. On some level he could even see himself in him.
'If I had not obtained the ring and met Senior Xukong would I have ended up like this too?' Lin Mu couldn't help but wonder.
SIGH
He shook his head and snapped his fingers, illuminating the tunnel with a small flame.
SHUA
"Let's go talk somewhere else. This isn't the most pleasant place to be." Lin Mu stated.