In truth, most people in this world had long since grown used to the blazing orb hanging above their heads, eternal and unchanging. So accustomed, in fact, that they had come to ignore its beauty.
But for Huaxi, who had grown up in the wasteland, it was truly beautiful.
—Inside the Martial Hall's training ground.
Hearing her words, Lin Tuo stayed silent for a moment. Then, with a soft cough, he withdrew his gaze from the east and said, "Come with me." He led Huaxi into the bedroom.
There, he gave her a brief demonstration of how to use the bathroom fixtures before saying:
"Go wash up first. It's summer here now, very hot. I'll find you some clothes… well, I don't have anything in your size, so I'll take you out later to buy some."
Having said this, Lin Tuo turned and walked away, leaving the bathroom to the girl.
Huaxi obeyed, nodding quietly despite her overflowing curiosity. Only after he left did she cautiously remove her thick, filthy cotton coat piece by piece, stepping into the bathroom. With awkward fingers, she twisted open the showerhead.
"Shhh…"
Hearing the sound of running water, Lin Tuo exhaled silently. He opened the wardrobe, finding a pair of unused shorts, the smallest shirt he could, and a pair of slippers.
"This will have to do for now," he muttered under his breath. Setting the clothes outside the bathroom door, he said:"The clothes are here. Change into them when you're done."
"Okay."
Hearing her response, Lin Tuo returned to the study. He checked the potted plant to make sure all was calm, then released his avatar, changed out of his winter coat, and came back to the bedroom—leaving his true body in the study.
"I'm done."
When Lin Tuo, now dressed for summer, walked back into the room, he heard her voice. A small figure slowly emerged.
Her messy hair dripped with water.
She wore the loose shirt, its hem nearly covering the shorts entirely, her small feet lost inside his slippers. Her toes, rubbed red, curled tightly in nervousness.
For a moment, Lin Tuo froze—then his brows furrowed in surprise.
He hadn't expected Huaxi to be so frail.
In the wasteland, he had known she wasn't tall, but with her whole body wrapped tightly, she had always looked more stout than small.
Only now, stripped of layers of rags, did he see how thin she really was—her frame delicate, her bones small. Clearly the toll of years of hunger.
Sensing the change in his gaze, Huaxi grew visibly more tense.
Several seconds passed before Lin Tuo quietly exhaled. He turned, handing her a baseball cap and sunglasses:
"Wear these too. In a moment, I'll take you… transfer you to a nearby city for a walk. Remember, the language here isn't the same as yours, and neither are the rules.
So watch more, speak less. If you don't understand something, ask me quietly."
After these instructions, Lin Tuo took her into the Evolution Sand Table and directly "transferred" them into a secluded alley near Yang City's commercial district.
Beep beep!
As the two figures stepped out of the alley, the city's noise—cars, voices—rushed over them like a wave, engulfing Huaxi.
It was early morning, rush hour. Traffic jammed the roads, pedestrians hurried past, shops opened along the street—the entire city sprang awake at once.
Every scene filled Huaxi's wide eyes, leaving her overwhelmed.
She clung tightly to Lin Tuo, staring round-eyed, ears straining, desperately trying to make sense of this world using her wasteland-born instincts.
"City…"
The word was not unfamiliar to her.
She had visited Blackstone City near the mining town many times.
That place too had shops, streets, vehicles, pedestrians. In her old worldview, Blackstone City had already seemed "prosperous."
But compared to this… they weren't even the same concept.
The vehicles she once saw strictly controlled by the Burning Flame Company—rarely allowed on the road—were here so numerous she couldn't even count them. And their shapes were strange and varied.
The towering skyscrapers rising into the sky made her tremble instinctively.
But what shocked her most were the people.
The humans.
So many of them. Striding down the streets in different clothes, but all of them normal in shape, tall, healthy.
In the wasteland, true Evolutionaries were few. Most were hunched, mutated, or scarred drifters.
But here, such deformities didn't seem to exist at all.
These people spoke a language Huaxi didn't know, busying themselves—some fiddling with palm-sized devices, tapping away.
When someone glanced at her, their eyes weren't cruel like wastelanders', and they quickly looked away.
Everything here was new.
"Are they… all Evolutionaries?" she whispered at last.
"No… they're ordinary people."
"They… don't seem to recognize you?"
"That's right. It's a bit complicated, but here, they don't know me. In this world, I'm just one among the masses."
"Why don't they carry weapons? Isn't there war here?"
"Of course there is. Wherever there are people, there's conflict."
They continued walking, Huaxi asking question after question, Lin Tuo answering patiently—until her questions grew… more difficult.
"Why is that man wearing a skirt? And… stockings?"
"…Personal preference, I guess."
"Why does that woman have a tail?"
"Uh… probably a job requirement."
"?"
"Cough… enough. No more questions. Let's go buy you some clothes. Don't speak, just pretend you're mute."
Cutting her off, Lin Tuo led the confused girl into a mall.
After some time, under the odd looks of shop clerks, he managed to buy her a few sets of clothes before fleeing the store and heading toward a nearby park.
Along the way, he also checked on the spread of the Azure Spirit Breathing Technique.
Having spent the last days focused entirely on the wasteland, he hadn't kept up with Yang City.
From glimpses via the Evolution Sand Table, he had noticed a pattern: after an initial surge of interest, the number of practitioners had sharply dropped, then began slowly rising again.
The logic was clear.
At first, many tried it out of curiosity. But not everyone had talent—after a few failed attempts, most gave up.
Only those with real aptitude, who gained results, stuck with it. They spread the word to family and friends, building momentum.
City-wide, the numbers were still small.
"No need to rush. As long as it keeps growing, it'll eventually explode."
Walking a lap through the park, Lin Tuo spotted two elderly men sitting cross-legged on a bench, apparently practicing. Pleased, he left with Huaxi.
Next, he took her on a bus, wandering the city aimlessly, helping her adapt and teaching her basic common sense. The key lesson: stay low-profile.
By noon, they returned to the commercial district and found a buffet restaurant. They ate heavily.
"This place—eat as much as you want. Just don't overstuff yourself. You're far too thin—you need nutrition."
Hearing the words "eat as much as you want," Huaxi's eyes nearly turned red.
She devoured food like a starving wolf, even channeling her ability to repair the hidden injuries in her body.
By the end of the meal, all her lingering wounds were healed, her complexion radiant again.
Though… still thin.
That wasn't an injury—it would take time.
Knowing she needed time to process everything, Lin Tuo took her back to Lishan in the afternoon—not by "transfer," but by car, so she could learn the way.
Carrying their shopping bags, they crossed the small town and reached the foot of the mountain. Even Lin Tuo felt a touch of weariness.
Not physical—mental.
"See that building up there? That's where I live. From now on, you'll live there too. I'll get you an online course to learn this world's language. That way, it'll be easier for you to get around."
As they climbed the sunlit mountain road, Lin Tuo explained, Huaxi listening quietly. With no one else nearby, there was no need to whisper.
Just as they reached the Martial Hall, Huaxi, who had been silent, suddenly spoke:
"Can I ask that question now?"
Lin Tuo paused, then sighed softly. "Go ahead."
Of course, he knew what she meant. And after this morning, he had decided how to answer.
"So… are you a god?" Huaxi asked seriously.
On the mountain path, Lin Tuo wiped the sweat from his forehead. Feeling the breeze drifting down from the Taihe Mountains, he shook his head firmly and said calmly:
"I am not a god. I'm just an ordinary man who got lucky."
(End of Chapter)