Vines of the Abyss

Shen Nian was powerful and radiant, like a tree bursting with life.

But Nan Yue was different; the dark weight and mystery she carried were just as striking as her strength.

Such a dangerous individual, who clearly seemed like someone who could cause the destruction of the world, possessed a heart that was stubborn and soft.

This was a contradiction in itself.

If one had to say... Nan Yue was more like a vine growing in the abyss, rooted in darkness but constantly struggling toward the sky.

She was covered in venomous thorns because she had to hack through brambles all the way.

But such a dangerous plant kept several fluffy little animals that looked like they had fangs and claws but were actually soft.

When facing these little animals, she would retract her thorns.

No, it should be said that as long as she faced a living being, she would retract her thorns.

Her thorns were only pointed toward the darkness...

And sometimes, toward herself.

Jiang Siyan appeared calm on the surface, but his blood was actually boiling.

He was indeed curious, far too curious—why was Nan Yue like this, and what secrets did she truly hold?

He felt like a desperate traveler lost in the desert who had finally found the direction of an oasis.

So, from the first moment he saw Nan Yue, even though he hadn't thought so deeply or specifically yet...

The cells screaming frantically inside his body were enough to make him take notice of her.

Though he didn't know why or what use it would be, he decided to surround her first; whether to eat or to keep her would be decided later.

But he hadn't expected...

Jiang Siyan thought of how a drunken Nan Yue on the Devil's Bay had directly torn through his heavy layers of disguise and circumvention, pointing out his true thoughts.

He gave a somewhat helpless smile. How did it look now as if he, the one who had set the trap to hunt her, had become the one delivered before Nan Yue to be dealt with?

Nan Yue looked at Jiang Siyan with a strange expression. Why was this man smiling to himself while thinking?

It was quite hair-raising.

The four of them returned to the hotel and upgraded to a larger suite. They ordered hot pot for dinner, as Gu Xiang Kai noticed Nan Yue was obsessed with eating it before and after missions.

He even secretly suspected that there were addictive substances in it.

To be honest, Jiang Siyan hadn't really eaten this kind of thing much. For someone like him, appetite for food didn't exist; as long as he could maintain his vital signs, it was enough.

He took two bites, but aside from it being a bit spicy, he didn't taste anything special.

However, Nan Yue, sitting opposite him, ate with glowing eyes, nearly coming to blows with Gu Xiang Kai over a piece of blanched tripe.

To the side, Zhu Xi Ning dragged Gu Xiang Kai into drinking, reducing his combat effectiveness.

How should he put it...

It was a kind of warmth that Jiang Siyan had never experienced before.

It was a warmth that felt very human.

There were many scavengers who formed teams, and many had relationships where they could entrust their lives to one another in life-or-death situations.

But they all shared a certain worry for the future or a numbness toward reality.

They presented two extremes.

Those with average abilities lived in constant terror, while those with strong abilities indulged in wine and women to numb themselves.

In essence, they all carried a special sense of desolation common to people whose lives didn't belong to them, who knew they might face death at any moment.

That was what was normal.

That was the temperament those born for purification, who would one day die for purification, should have.

But this team didn't have it.

One could arguably say Gu Xiang Kai didn't have it because his nerves were too thick to feel fear for the unknown death.

But the only reason the entire team had this atmosphere was because of Nan Yue.

Nan Yue was very formidable. She wasn't prominent yet, but Jiang Siyan had seen her ability. Even though he had met so many people and knew so many things, he still didn't know what Nan Yue's ability was.

He always felt it wasn't a common ability for a scavenger.

But one thing was undeniable: Nan Yue was powerful.

Extremely powerful.

Jiang Siyan had a premonition that if Nan Yue could survive, she would one day grow to be as powerful as Shen Nian, or even surpass her.

Nan Yue herself might not even be clear about the power she contained, but she was very confident. She believed she could lead her companions forward.

They were born for purification, but they would not die because of it.

Jiang Siyan took a sip of beer. This was very interesting.

A vine growing in the darkness, covered in sharp thorns that glinted with a cold light, yet able to lead her companions toward the sun.

Zhu Xi Ning was half-drunk. When she saw Jiang Siyan pour some beer, her eyes immediately lit up.

"Old Jiang, come on, drink!"

Because of his strength and refined air, combined with the short time he had been with them, Jiang Siyan always felt a bit out of place.

But at this moment, as he was being pressured by Zhu Xi Ning to drink, he felt as though he was beginning to integrate into this team.

What a... rare thing.

Half an hour later, Jiang Siyan watched Nan Yue and Zhu Xi Ning hugging each other while singing, and his eyelids twitched.

"..."

And they were the ones pressuring him to drink?

Gu Xiang Kai, on the other hand, didn't even turn red or lose his breath. After finishing one bottle of beer, he opened another.

He clinked his bottle against Jiang Siyan's. "Just get used to it. The boss's alcohol tolerance is absolute garbage."

Zhu Xi Ning was a bit better than Nan Yue, but not by much.

Speaking of alcohol tolerance, Gu Xiang Kai's drinking motion paused. He wondered when Wen Xiang Yuan would return to the team.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to join."

Gu Xiang Kai looked at Jiang Siyan with a very serious expression. "I know you joined us for a reason, but I hope you won't hurt Nan Yue."

"She's strong, but there are many ways to hurt a person. Once she accepts you, it means she trusts you with her whole heart. I hope that no matter what your reason is, you won't hurt her in the end."

Gu Xiang Kai's gaze was very direct. For a moment, Jiang Siyan even felt like he was looking into the eyes of some animal.

Direct and simple.

It seemed this man wasn't as thick-headed as he had thought.

Rather than thick-headed, it was more like he was rough but meticulous.

Jiang Siyan said nothing; he simply drank that bottle of beer.

In the end, Nan Yue and Zhu Xi Ning were carried into their rooms and settled by the two men. As Jiang Siyan used a wet towel to wipe Nan Yue's face, he thought to himself that this sort of thing was something he would usually turn up his nose at.

But doing it now, he didn't seem to feel impatient or forced.

When Nan Yue woke up the next day, she felt very refreshed, completely different from the last time she was drunk.

After washing up and going out, she saw Jiang Siyan sitting on the sofa reading a book, and only then did she realize it was Jiang Siyan who had sent her to bed last night.

"He really is a healer; he's meticulous in everything he does."

Jiang Siyan heard Nan Yue whispering to Gu Xiang Kai, telling him to learn from him, and that if he couldn't, he should just let Jiang Siyan do all these things in the future.

Jiang Siyan suddenly felt like he couldn't focus on the book in his hand anymore.

For the next few days, Jiang Siyan didn't see Wen Xiang Yuan. He was a smart man and didn't ask questions.

There was no shortage of mysterious people among scavengers, and certainly no shortage of desperate people like Wen Xiang Yuan. He was just interested that such a person could be attracted by Nan Yue.

Or rather, people with such distinct personalities could all be drawn together by Nan Yue to become a perfectly fitting team.