Chapter 13: A Foreboding Sense, a Genius Younger Sister?
Page 1 of 3
Before Feng Ju could finish speaking, Feng Mu interrupted him flatly. “No need. I’ve already promised my classmate that I’ll start work at the crematorium in a couple of days.”
Feng Ju’s brows knotted together. He gave a cold laugh and was about to rebuke him.
Beep, beep.
A text message arrived on his phone, urging him to return to his unit. He had only been passing by while on patrol today and had come home to collect some fresh clothes.
“I already ate outside. I’m a little tired, so I’m going back to my room to rest. From now on, I’ll give half my monthly wages to the family. Don’t worry.”
Feng Mu had no desire to quarrel with Feng Ju. As for handing over half his wages, that was simply to avoid escalating the conflict and provoking Feng Ju beyond endurance.
It would be unwise to do otherwise. It would serve no purpose in his present struggle for survival. He would just regard it as repayment for the three years of food and lodging he had received while borrowing this body.
Once he had the means to settle the debt, that would be the day he moved out. He believed that day would not be far off.
Feng Ju lowered his head and replied to his unit. He was about to lecture Feng Mu again when he saw that the latter had already returned to his room of his own accord, the bedroom door nearly shut.
The muscles in Feng Ju’s face twitched. “Ungrateful wretch. No ability, yet still refusing to be disciplined.”
Wang Xiuli hurried to console him. “All right, all right. Aren’t you in a hurry to get back to your unit? We can talk about this later.”
Suppressing his anger, Feng Ju gave her a few instructions. “Keep an eye on him at home. Both of you should go out less at night lately. Things have been unsettled everywhere, and a group of dangerous criminals from an extremely vile organization has infiltrated District Nine.”
In his haste, Feng Ju offered only a few more warnings. Just before leaving, the corner of his eye caught the graduation certificate on the coffee table.
It was crumpled.
Wait. Crumpled?
Something was wrong. It was not the certificate itself. Rather, Feng Mu seemed somehow different from before.
Standing behind the bedroom door, Feng Mu paused slightly as he casually drew it shut, then slowly closed it the rest of the way.
“An evil organization. Dangerous criminals. Could it be...”
Feng Mu lowered his head. His pitch-black eyes once again reflected the daily notification:
[Current inheritance progress: 1%. Reward sent. Please check your messages!]
A ludicrously absurd and terrifying thought surfaced in Feng Mu’s mind.
“Could the organization have sent a deliveryman to bring me a package?”
Feng Mu shuddered violently and prayed inwardly, “Please, no home delivery. Damn it!”
He went to the window and pulled open the curtains. Looking down at the narrow alley where filthy water flowed freely and indistinct figures passed to and fro, he suddenly felt that every single one of them moved suspiciously and wore a dubious expression.
They all looked exactly like vicious criminals concealed among the crowd.
Yes.
He, too, was one of those lying in wait.
Feng Mu knew he was becoming somewhat paranoid, but the uneasy foreboding in his heart was inexplicably intense.
“I’m simply too lacking in security. So the only answer is to train and level up,” he thought.
Feng Mu drew the curtains closed, turned on the computer, and opened the video. Following the instructions, he soon became completely absorbed in the body-tempering exercises.
Exhausting, monotonous, painful, yet fulfilling.
His sinews and bones groaned as they stretched. His muscles were drenched in sweat through endless repetition. His bones warped as they consumed iron. Time flowed with the hands of the clock, one revolution after another.
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
His movements still failed to extend fully. His posture and physique remained far from standard, and his rigid, hardened fascia had still not improved.
Yet during the slow movements, the air occasionally gave off a muffled sound—extremely faint, drowned out by his harsh breathing. Feng Mu did not notice it.
It was the savage roar of his bones, crying out at the world through flesh and skin.
[Iron Eater: First Rank]
[Edible iron types: 1]
[Metal properties available for absorption: 1]
[Current edible iron detected—ordinary pig iron. Edibility: 10.5%.]
[Properties absorbed: ???]
Almost there.
Even faster now.
His progress had increased by 4.2% today, faster than yesterday—almost twice the growth of his first day.
“Training day after day without interruption means the fatigue accumulates. The daily expenditure accumulates as well, causing my edibility to increase faster with each passing day.”
Feng Mu collapsed onto the bed, every bone and muscle aching as though his body had fallen apart, yet his mouth stretched into a satisfied grin.
“For other people, fatigue and pain are debuffs best removed through rest. But for me, I hope those debuffs will continue stacking without limit.”
The coolness in his chest had spread outward from a single point at the xiphoid process, extending across several ribs. Even the air he exhaled carried a trace of chill.
At four in the morning, Feng Mu went to sleep.
In his dream, the bones throughout his body pierced through his flesh and transformed into cold iron armor covering him from head to toe, leaving only a pair of pitch-black eyes exposed.
He was slaughtering people. Blood covered the ground.
One uniformed constable after another surrounded him and attacked. Feng Ju was among them, roaring in terror and fury, denouncing him for having become a monster.
Suddenly, his chest caved inward and split apart, twisting into a jagged array of razor-sharp teeth. His head blossomed into the shape of a flower.
He died and became a hideous Ominous Corpse.
Feng Mu opened his eyes in fury. A gray ceiling filled his vision instead of the furnace where corpses were burned.
“Grass. A kind of plant.”
Feng Mu picked up his phone and glanced at the time: 8:33 a.m.
He had slept for a little over four hours. The nightmare had driven away his drowsiness.
“I don’t have to go to school today, and there’s no rush to start at the crematorium. That means I can train from morning until night without wasting a single second.”
Feng Mu’s eyes gleamed. He was eager to see how much his edibility would soar if he could devote all his time to training and digestion without schoolwork and trivial matters getting in the way.
First, he had to go out and buy some iron pellets.
Without even checking his remaining stock, he knew he had less than two pounds left.
“I thought they’d last four days, but they’re only enough for two. What a delightful yet irritating surprise.”
Feng Mu quickly got dressed and went out.
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
He went to a new general store and spent the rest of his money, replenishing his iron reserves to a little over five pounds.
Then he returned home and trained.
Apart from going to the bathroom and bringing his meals into the room, Feng Mu did not open the door again.
Standing outside, Wang Xiuli secretly listened to the elongated counting—“one, two, three, four”—that continued from morning until night inside the room. Her expression grew somewhat solemn.
“Didn’t he give up on the college entrance examination and graduate already?”
“Why is he still doing the body-tempering exercises?”
Several times, Wang Xiuli wanted to knock on the door, but each time she stopped herself. In the end, she took out her phone and sent a text message to her daughter.
[Your brother seems to have become obsessed with something. He’s locked himself in his room and has been doing body-tempering exercises all day. If you have time this weekend, come home and comfort him.]
Eighth High School, First-Year Martial Arts Honors Class.
Several pretty girls with clear features and confident expressions had gathered together to chat. Feng Yuhuai was among them.
With exceptionally fine natural aptitude, attractive looks, and a sweet tongue, Feng Yuhuai had risen from the ordinary class only a few days earlier. She had quickly blended into this circle and faintly begun to emerge as its central figure.
“You’re incredible, Yuhuai. You have no idea how fierce our martial arts coach usually is. He wears a sour expression whenever he looks at anyone. I never imagined he’d praise you through two consecutive lessons, grinning like a blooming chrysanthemum.”
“What did you expect? Yuhuai is just like Zhang Xi. They’re both martial arts seedlings personally selected by the coach. They have the finest natural aptitude. Ordinary people like us can only envy them.”
“Oh, stop it. I’m nowhere near as good as you make me sound.”
Feng Yuhuai gave a light, toothy laugh and gently stroked the ends of her hair. Her beautiful eyes were filled with bright pride.
Suddenly, her phone beeped.
Feng Yuhuai pulled it from her pocket and swiped open the message. Her slender brows drew together slightly, and a trace of melancholy crept into her radiant eyes.
“Did something happen?” Lu Yazhi asked with concern.
Feng Yuhuai sounded somewhat irritated. “I don’t know what my brother is freaking out about at home again. My mother is worried and wants me to go back and check on him.”
“Yuhuai has an older brother?”
“Who is he? Does he attend our school? Someone as gifted as Yuhuai must have an amazing brother too, right?”
The girls chattered curiously.
Feng Yuhuai shook her head. With graceful composure, she showed them the message on her phone and sighed wistfully.
“My brother doesn’t have much talent. He’s also sensitive and insecure, and he often does things that upset our parents.”
“Oh, I see. It must be difficult for you to have a brother like that,” Lu Yazhi comforted her sympathetically.
Feng Yuhuai lifted her chin and tossed her high ponytail with a smile.
“That’s why I have to work even harder. I must make something of myself. I’m carrying more than just my own hopes—I’m carrying our parents’ expectations, as well as a brother who holds me back.”
“Wow, Yuhuai is so mature.”
“As expected of Yuhuai. I wish she were my little sister.”
... Page 3 of 3