West District, Outer Ring.
A figure peeked out from a dilapidated street corner. His face, smeared with grime and filth, quickly scanned the surroundings. After confirming no one was passing by, he dashed toward a trash can across the street!
He reached the trash can, swiftly tied up the entire garbage bag, and sprinted back to his original hiding spot.
His eyes, green with hunger, frantically tore open the garbage bag. Like a wild dog, he rummaged through it, finding half a piece of uneaten bread. Without caring about the unknown black liquid staining it, he shoved it into his mouth!
He devoured anything edible with a ravenous, almost beast-like ferocity, his chewing sounds resembling those of an animal... His pale, emaciated body curled up in the dark corner, looking from afar like a starving jackal on the verge of collapse.
This was Jian Changsheng’s first meal in over ten days.
Since being discovered at Winterport and handed over to the Stellar Chamber of Commerce, he hadn’t eaten a single bite. After all, the chamber had no intention of letting him live—they planned to shatter his soul during interrogation, so why waste resources on a corpse? No matter how wealthy the Stellar Chamber of Commerce was, they wouldn’t squander supplies on a dead man.
Unfortunately, he survived the first soul-crushing interrogation. Then the second. And by the time he endured the third, he was thrown into the dungeon and forgotten... If not for the [Blood Robe]’s life-sustaining properties, Jian Changsheng would have starved to death long ago.
But the agony of soul-crushing interrogations had hollowed out both his mind and body. In his desperate struggles, his fat and muscle had withered away. After three rounds, he weighed less than eighty pounds—little more than skin and bones.
Just then, he heard the clamor of voices approaching from the street. His entire body tensed as he pressed himself against the wall, his eyes flashing with murderous vigilance.
However, the group didn’t seem to notice him. After searching the area briefly, they moved on.
"To catch me... they’ve mobilized this many people?" Jian Changsheng muttered, listening to the fading footsteps.
Having grown up in the Stellar Chamber of Commerce, Jian Changsheng knew exactly how far their influence reached in Aurora City... Any populated area could have their informants. So he had no choice but to avoid people entirely, sticking to deserted, cramped spaces.
But how long could he keep hiding like this? He couldn’t live as a fugitive forever. If survival meant this, he’d rather have died at Chen Ling’s hands in the Soldier's Ancient Repository.
Yet where else could he go now?
The first face that flashed in Jian Changsheng’s mind was his father’s... After miraculously escaping death, his father probably still thought he was dead. How was he coping alone? Jian Changsheng desperately wanted to go home and see him but he quickly dismissed the idea.
His father was a servant of the Yan family. After his escape, they’d undoubtedly have the entire area under surveillance. Going back now would be walking straight into a trap.
Jian Changsheng racked his brain, recalling every trustworthy person he knew in Aurora City, until he settled on one figure... Right now, this was the only person he could turn to.
Jian Changsheng stayed hidden in the corner, resting with his eyes closed until nightfall, when the streets were nearly empty. Only then did he move.
He agilely scaled nearby rooftops, moving like a ghost across eaves and walls under the cover of darkness. Silently crossing several streets, he finally landed near a small house.
Instead of rushing inside, Jian Changsheng hid in a corner across the street, scanning the area warily for any hidden ambush.
Just then, the house’s door creaked open. A figure stepped out, carrying a few bags of trash, and headed straight for the garbage bin opposite.
The moment Jian Changsheng saw him, his eyes lit up.
As the figure drew closer, Jian Changsheng whispered urgently from the shadows:
"Uncle!"
The man froze, his gaze instinctively darting toward the source of the voice. When he saw Jian Changsheng’s filthy, disheveled appearance, he stood stunned for a long moment, his eyes widening in shock!
He didn’t respond aloud. Instead, he calmly continued disposing of the trash, then subtly shook his head at Jian Changsheng, his eyes flicking meaningfully toward his house...
Understanding dawned on Jian Changsheng’s face, his expression twisting in dismay.
Had the Stellar Chamber of Commerce even tracked down this place?
This house belonged to his maternal uncle, the man who had watched him grow up. But after his mother’s death, when his father took him into the Yan household, the two families had drifted apart. Logically, the Yan family shouldn’t even know about this connection...
Yet they’d still planted spies here, hiding them so well that they’d clearly anticipated his visit—lying in wait to ambush him.
If not for the coincidence of his uncle stepping out to take out the trash, he would’ve walked straight into their trap.
A cold sweat broke out down Jian Changsheng’s back. He remained motionless in the shadows as his uncle finished disposing of the garbage and returned inside. When the sliver of light from the doorway vanished, Jian Changsheng felt as if the last glimmer of hope in his life had extinguished with it.
He laughed bitterly, despair flashing in his eyes.
Then, the door opened again.
His uncle emerged once more, carrying two fresh bags of trash.
"Why are you taking out the garbage again?" his aunt’s puzzled voice called from inside.
"These things are expired. Leaving them out will attract bugs," his uncle replied at the door before crossing the street and placing the two bags beside the trash bin.
Then, he glanced in Jian Changsheng’s direction and whispered, "Xiao Jian... my house is being watched. Stay outside for now. There’s enough in these bags to last you a few days... If you have nowhere to stay, there’s a doghouse west of the street, at the foot of the barren hill. The conditions are terrible, but at least it’ll keep you out of the wind and rain."
After hurriedly saying this, his uncle turned and went back inside. Jian Changsheng stared blankly at the scene, warmth flickering in his eyes.
Xiao Jian... It had been so long since anyone called him that.
After ensuring no one was around, Jian Changsheng picked up the two bags and followed his uncle’s directions to the barren hill. Hidden among the dense, uninhabited trees stood a wooden doghouse.
It must have been left behind by a previous neighbor who had moved away, now abandoned. A stray dog of unknown origin crouched inside, growling low in its throat as it sensed Jian Changsheng’s approach.
Jian Changsheng stared at the scene, a sudden, indescribable desolation washing over him. Never had he imagined a day would come when he’d have to fight a wild dog for shelter and scavenge for food in garbage bins.
His life and dignity had fallen lower than a stray’s—unable to return home, his talents useless... And all of it was the Stellar Chamber of Commerce’s doing.
Jian Changsheng took a deep breath, set down the bags, and slowly approached the dog... His pale face twisted with hatred and killing intent.
His life had already hit rock bottom. No matter what, it couldn’t get worse than this. As long as he stayed alive, he’d have a chance for revenge...
Everything would begin with killing this dog and stealing its den.