Walker Of The Worlds

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.

He had no reason to speak to the man and should have focused on escaping, yet here he was, talking to him. He couldn't help but respond.

"Meng Bai… Hmm, fifteen years old and at the peak of the Core Condensation Realm." Lin Mu assessed him. "Impressive for someone your age."

This held true even when compared to noble clan children. While many reached the Core Condensation Realm in their teens, reaching its peak so soon was rare. Most took their time, usually breaking through at eighteen or nineteen.

Then, they would wait a few more years before advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm.

But those youths had the guidance of elders and abundant cultivation resources.

Looking at Meng Bai's tattered appearance, Lin Mu doubted he had enjoyed such luxuries.

Meng Bai was confused by the unexpected praise. He sensed sincerity in Lin Mu's words.

"You… Who are you?" the boy repeated, his courage growing. "I already told you my name."

"I'm Lin Mu," he said simply.

"Lin Mu?" The boy's mind raced to match the name with the city's known cultivators.

As a street urchin, information was one of his greatest assets, easily obtained with little effort. Knowing about the nobles and powerful individuals of the city was one of the first things he had learned.

Meng Bai had thousands of names memorized, yet none matched the man before him.

"You're not from the city," the boy stated.

"Correct," Lin Mu confirmed.

"Are you from the capital?" the boy wondered.

He had never left Ram Orchard City, but from what he knew, only the capital housed individuals as powerful as Lin Mu. He also considered the immortal sects, but Lin Mu wore no sect robes or insignia, making that possibility unlikely.

Most immortal clans and sects mandated their members openly display their affiliation as a matter of pride and status.

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.

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