Volume One: Wild Boy Chapter Twenty-Nine: "Common Martial Arts" and "Boundary Martial Arts"

“What a pity, what a pity,” Lin Changtian stood up, feigning regret toward the black cloth. Scarface was bewildered by Lin Changtian’s inexplicable behavior and quickly grasped the edge of the table, saying, “What do you mean by that? Why do you say it’s a pity?”

Lin Changtian stared intently at the scars on his face, scrutinizing them without pause. Scarface was unnerved by his gaze and hurriedly waved his hand. “Sir, I don’t deal in flesh trades. If you’re not buying, perhaps you should look elsewhere.”

Lin Changtian snorted coldly, straightening his back and lifting his chin. “You rough types are always dreaming of making easy money with your bodies. Let’s be serious—you, you don’t have long to live.”

Scarface eyed Lin Changtian, who was shaking his head, with suspicion, thinking to himself, “Did I mistake him for someone else? Is this kid just a charlatan trying to trick me?” As if reading his mind, Lin Changtian spoke, “I know you don’t believe me. Tell me, that scar—wasn’t it left by the astral force of a Boundary Walker? An ordinary person would be dead from such a touch, yet you only bear a scar on your face. If I’m not mistaken, you must be an Awakened, aren’t you?”

Scarface’s eyes narrowed, all traces of his earlier servility gone. He replied coldly, “Even if I am, so what?”

Lin Changtian smiled. “The rules in Brahma City are clear. When a Boundary Walker dies, all their possessions, if surrendered to the authorities, earn generous rewards—almost all ‘mortal’ material resources will be provided. That’s far better than the uncertainty of the black market. For a seasoned old fox like you, the former should be far more appealing. So what made you choose to gamble on the black market instead? If I’m right, you’re hardly someone who can show your face in public these days.”

Scarface licked his lips and reached for the firearm hidden behind his back, grinning fiercely, intent on sending this “big shot” on his way amid the chaos. Lin Changtian ignored his little maneuver and, right before his eyes, gathered a flash of golden light at his fingertips, which vanished in an instant.

Scarface’s smile froze. Slowly, he placed his hand on the table, his voice awkward. “If you’d said you were a Boundary Walker, I wouldn’t have tried anything foolish. Now that we’re here, why not point me in the right direction?”

Lin Changtian nodded. “Let’s speak frankly, then. Tell me what troubles you. If I can help, the knife is mine and the matter is settled. What do you say?”

Scarface hesitated for a moment, then spoke at once. “I originally meant to trade this knife for some ‘mortal weaponry’ to settle my affairs. But with my abilities, even a ‘Boundary Armament’ would be a moth to the flame. With the help of a Boundary Walker like you, the matter would be much easier to resolve. I’ll take the deal.”

Lin Changtian exhaled in relief. “Then tell me your story. By the way, what is a ‘Boundary Armament’?”

Scarface rubbed his head, as though organizing his thoughts. After a long pause, he said slowly, “To be honest, my real name is Chen Mo. I belonged to the Awakened Corps of the Lin Clan’s Fuxi Legion. Not long ago—as you know—in retaliation for the Zhou Clan’s bionic mechs, nearly all Awakened and Boundary Walker combatants were transferred to the frontline at the Zhu Rong Legion’s original position.”

“And then you lost? Don’t tell me you’re a deserter.”

He shook his head, sighed, and then nodded helplessly. “I wouldn’t call it a defeat, but it was far from a victory. And yes, I became a bona fide deserter. At first, the fight against the Zhou Clan’s bionic mechs went smoothly. Their tech armor was designed to target the mental domains of ordinary soldiers and the Awakened. Its strength was limited by human endurance. Under the full assault of the Lin Legion, it was as fragile as paper. But as we pushed forward, the Zhou Clan revealed their trump card: the so-called ‘Boundary Armaments.’”

Lin Changtian looked puzzled. “Honestly, I’m lost in your backstory here.”

Chen Mo tapped his skull, troubled. “It’s difficult to explain. Let’s see—do you know where the term ‘mortal resources’ comes from?”

“To prepare for future mutations, the resources of the old world were dubbed ‘mortal.’ Conventional weapons—automatic firearms, electronic devices, new metal blades—were called ‘mortal weapons.’ The assumption was that anything born of mutation would follow entirely different laws. This was a required topic in higher academy entrance exams. Once the Age of Awakening arrived, the concept was proven true.”

“Indeed. But after the Awakening, new resources emerged, yet their value and the rules of new weaponry remain unexplored. That’s one of the axioms of Zhongtu now. But during the attack on the Zhou Clan, their most advanced bionic mechs shattered this understanding.

“As everyone knows, when a Boundary Walker unleashes their astral force, it destroys all unlinked matter around them. That’s why modern weapons can’t be used by Boundary Walkers; at most, they wield cold weapons forged from unknown metals to channel their energy.

“But the Zhou Clan’s top-tier bionic mechs could be worn by Boundary Walkers. Not only were they unaffected by astral force, they became even stronger. We called these hybrid creations ‘Boundary Armaments.’ A fusion of modern technology and the raw power of a Boundary Walker, these monsters crushed our offensive. It’s no exaggeration—six or seven Boundary Walkers of equal power were needed to bring one down. My unit was attacked by such a ‘Boundary Armament’—just one of them wiped out our elite forces. This blade was stripped from the hands of the Boundary Walker inside that monster. I have nothing to hide. There are still people in Brahma City hoping I’m alive, so I dared not keep fighting—I became a deserter.”

“So, what is it you want?” Lin Changtian yawned, tilting his head toward Chen Mo.

Seeing Lin Changtian unmoved, Chen Mo gritted his teeth. “I’ll be honest. From the moment I deserted, my wife and daughter were thrown into prison by the Lin Clan. If you can help me rescue them, not just this blade—even my life is yours!”

Lin Changtian rolled his eyes. “It’s not impossible, but it’ll take planning. There are people waiting for me outside. Why don’t we continue this discussion elsewhere?”

Chen Mo, understanding his caution, nodded in agreement.

“Hey, what’s with this kind of mushroom on your table?” Lin Changtian asked, looking at the long-stemmed fungus.

Chen Mo followed his gaze. “Oh, that. I found it inside a Boundary Armament. We think it’s a new kind of military ration. Supposedly, it’s a fungus hundreds of years old—called ‘golden needle mushroom’ or something. I also heard it’s sometimes called ‘see you tomorrow’—no idea why. Records say many poor folk used to survive for a whole month on just one of these small mushrooms. There’s something about ‘eating dirt’ too, like it was similar. People back then were wild—they could even eat dirt.”

Lin Changtian nodded vigorously. He truly couldn’t understand how anyone could survive on a single golden needle mushroom.