Chapter 55 – They Say Luocheng's Flowers Bloom Like Brocade, Yet I Arrive Out of Season

Luocheng, October 9th, 2:00 AM, Happiness Residential Area.

While Lu Chen was fully focused on clearing instances and continuously improving his Traceless Swordplay Rank,

an unfamiliar figure silently appeared around his residential area.

The person wore a hooded jacket and stood under a streetlamp, gazing from afar at the residential building where Lu Chen’s apartment was located. He murmured softly, “Happiness Residential Area… This is the right place.”

This person was none other than Zhao Lu, a student from the Humanity Class at Luocheng High School No. 3.

Zhao Lu licked his chapped lips and effortlessly vaulted over the residential area’s fence, entering the complex directly.

Soon after, following the information in his hand, Zhao Lu arrived at the door of Unit 402, where Lu Chen lived.

He looked at the tightly shut door but didn’t rush to enter.

Instead, he took out a peculiar bottle from his chest.

When he opened the bottle, a fleshy worm about the length of a finger slowly crawled out and landed in Zhao Lu’s palm.

Staring at the eerie fleshy worm in his hand, Zhao Lu whispered in a hushed tone, “Go on, check the situation inside.”

Upon hearing this, the strange fleshy worm immediately leaped from Zhao Lu’s palm, slipping through the door gap directly into Lu Chen’s apartment.

After three minutes, the worm crawled back and made its way up to Zhao Lu’s palm again.

Zhao Lu observed it for a moment before suddenly swallowing it whole.

Squelch!

After a few chews, the disgusting fleshy worm was devoured.

In the next second, all the scenes the worm had witnessed after entering the room flooded into Zhao Lu’s mind.

“Still not back yet…”

Seeing that the room was empty, a cold, sinister smile curled at the corner of Zhao Lu’s lips.

He then placed his hand on the door lock.

Instantly, his hand transformed into a mass of twisted, fleshy tumors that infiltrated the keyhole.

Shortly after, the previously tightly shut door… swung open.

Zhao Lu stepped inside, looking at the vacant room, and muttered, “Since no one’s here, I’ll just wait until you return.”

“After all, it’s just a Blood Worm Clone. Even if I fail in the end, no one would ever suspect it was me.”

‘Zhao Lu’ entered Lu Chen’s bedroom, and his body instantly dissolved into countless tiny insects, hiding in the dark space under the bed, scattering and concealing themselves.

Meanwhile, in the cultivation room at Third High, Zhao Lu’s main body slowly opened his eyes.

A thumb-sized bulge on his forehead began to wriggle incessantly, as if something was living inside his brain.

This abnormality lasted for a moment before settling down, undetectable to anyone else.

The Blood Worm Clone was a special reward Zhao Lu had obtained after completing several tasks for the Black Lotus Sect.

Relying on this sinister technique, he had been able to hunt geniuses in the city without drawing attention,

thereby compensating for his own lack of Aptitude.

“Ding dong.”

Just as Zhao Lu was about to resume his cultivation, his phone chimed with a text message.

Reading the content, Zhao Lu frowned.

[Son, your birthday is the day after tomorrow. I know you’re under a lot of pressure from cultivation, but don’t always shut yourself up at school. Try to go out and relax when you have time.][“Mom ordered a birthday cake for you, how about coming back the day after tomorrow?”]

[“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to trouble you. I just thought it’s been a while since you’ve been home, so I wanted to make you some good food to nourish your body.”]

[“Mom doesn’t know how to use a phone. I had Shouyi help me send this message. Remember to eat on time at school, take care of your health, and don’t overwork yourself.”]

Zhao Lu stared at the dense text on his phone, feeling inexplicably irritated.

That Shouyi really was too meddlesome…

Go home for his birthday?

How could he possibly have time for something like a birthday celebration now?

If he didn’t seize this period to improve his cultivation Aptitude as much as possible,

how could he hope to catch up with the other talented students at school within this single year?

Birthdays could be celebrated anytime, but this opportunity to enhance his Aptitude only came once.

If he failed to complete the tasks assigned by the Black Lotus emissaries on time, everything he currently had might be lost.

That old woman was so short-sighted and completely lacking in perception, always getting in my way.

With these thoughts, Zhao Lu simply pretended he hadn’t seen the message, muted his phone, and set it aside.

In the dim Cultivation Room, Zhao Lu suppressed his inner irritation and quietly clenched his fists.

They say Luocheng’s flowers bloom like brocade, yet spring never arrives when I’m here.

Why couldn’t this vast Luocheng bear the name Zhao Lu?

And why couldn’t I be the one standing in the light…

Meanwhile, in a rundown residential area in the southern part of the city.

“Young Master Bian, did you really send the message to Lu’er? It’s been so long and he still hasn’t replied. Could something have happened to him at school?”

Zhao Lu’s mother sat on the sofa holding her worn secondhand phone, her face filled with anxiety.

Bian Shouyi, who was pouring water for her nearby, thought for a moment before replying: “Zhao Lu is probably cultivating right now, so he might not have seen it.”

“Auntie, there’s no need to worry. It’s perfectly normal for Cultivators to seclude themselves for days during cultivation. It’s nothing serious.”

Hearing Bian Shouyi’s words, Mother Zhao’s anxiety eased considerably.

Then, noticing Bian Shouyi pouring water, she belatedly stood up and said: “Ah, Young Master Bian, what are you doing? I can’t possibly have you pouring water for me.”

“You’ve already helped me tremendously by specially sending that message to Lu’er.”

“Such trivial matters should be handled by me. I couldn’t possibly trouble you with them.”

Having worked as a housekeeper in Bian Shouyi’s household for over ten years, Mother Zhao naturally didn’t treat Bian Shouyi as an ordinary young person in her heart.

But Bian Shouyi didn’t see anything unusual about it.

He placed the poured cup of water before Mother Zhao and said politely: “Auntie, you’re being too formal. You’ve worked in our family for so many years that we’ve long stopped seeing you as just a housekeeper.”

“Zhao Lu is probably just under some pressure from his recent cultivation. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“I visited him at school recently, and he’s perfectly fine.”

Hearing this from Bian Shouyi, the weary expression on Mother Zhao’s face finally relaxed.

She might not believe such words from others, but if Bian Shouyi said it, she would always believe him.

Because she had watched Bian Shouyi grow up, and he never lied.”I’m really troubling you, Young Master Bian. I just feel Lu’er has been acting strange lately. It’s been over a month since school started and he still hasn’t come home. I’m truly worried something might have happened to him.”

“You know how Lu’er is – he’s like a sealed jar, keeping everything to himself and never sharing with me.”

“But you have a good relationship with him, Young Master Bian. I thought even if he doesn’t want to tell me things, he might confide in you. That’s why I’ve troubled you to come.”

“Still, hearing you say this puts my mind at ease.”

Hearing these words, Bian Shouyi unusually lowered his head.

Because he had… actually lied just now.

He instinctively felt that Zhao Lu seemed to have something on his mind.

But seeing Mother Zhao’s worried expression, after hesitating for a moment, he decided not to reveal this.

Even if he told her, besides losing sleep at night, Mother Zhao wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

Rather than that, it was better to tell a white lie to comfort her.

Perhaps because it was his first time lying, Bian Shouyi couldn’t quite face Mother Zhao directly.

So after exchanging a few pleasantries, he stood up and left.

After leaving the residential area where Mother Zhao lived, Bian Shouyi couldn’t help but recall the scene when he and Zhao Lu were at the entrance of Third High.

“Zhao Lu… you better not have done anything foolish.”

“Please don’t let Auntie down.”

(End of Chapter)