Chapter 55: Pursuit in the Dead of Night

Rapid footsteps could be heard, followed by bursts of noise and loud knocking. The once pitch-black night was instantly illuminated by flames, the silence broken by these sounds!
Hearing this, he quickly retracted his internal energy back to his dantian, opened his eyes, and looked at the sky lit by the fire. Through the window, he could faintly see everything outside in red, a hint of confusion on his face.
“Something’s wrong. Hurry up and get ready—it might be those guys!”
Realizing that something was amiss outside, Ada, who had been nearby, approached Rod with a serious expression, showing caution.
Frowning slightly as if struck by an idea, Rod’s expression suddenly changed drastically. He quickly got up and headed toward the bed.
“It’s too late. We have to find a solution now. I’ll go see the captain first and see how he handles it.”
Seeing Rod’s reaction, thinking he was scared because of that incident, Ada tried to comfort him before heading outside.
“Damn it! Am I supposed to be scared? I just want to see how this guy is. If he dies, that would be a huge loss—I worked so hard to bring him back!”
Rod glared at Ada in frustration.
“You… forget it. You decide for yourself. I think we’re in trouble tonight. Alright, I’ll go see the captain. Be careful here. Remember, don’t act impulsively. Under no circumstances leave until I return—stay in the room and wait for us!”
Rod’s words almost made Ada faint. Disappointed at his lack of concern, she couldn’t believe he was still worried about such things at a time like this. Fearing he might cause more trouble, she quickly left and rushed toward Landy’s room.
Rod didn’t seem too worried or anxious about Ada’s departure. Instead, he went straight to his own bed and looked at the boy who still had his eyes tightly closed. Calling him a “boy” might not be accurate—his age was probably around Rod’s, no more than two years older, as Rod himself was only seventeen.

Looking at the boy lying peacefully on the bed, no longer pale as before, with a faint smile on his lips and even breathing, his condition was much better than before. Rod couldn’t help but sigh in relief—his efforts hadn’t been in vain. The boy’s condition was actually quite good.

“Damn it, even better recovery ability than mine?”

With a bitter smile, Rod muttered to himself. Indeed, he had always thought his own recovery ability was already extraordinary. To find someone even more so here was something that made him deeply impressed.

Upon closer inspection, his sharply defined face made him appear extremely thin, with golden hair scattered messily at the back of his head. Even in deep sleep, though there was a faint smile on his lips, one could still sense a hint of worry and fear hidden beneath it. His arms were tightly wrapped around his body, and his body would tremble from time to time, as if he were having some nightmare that kept him uneasy even in sleep.

The shouting outside grew louder, and faint sounds of heavy doors opening could be heard, followed by noisy footsteps. Even through the walls and floors, the clashing of tables and chairs downstairs was clearly audible.

“Cough, cough, cough…” Rod, who was about to go check what was going on, stopped when he heard the coughing from the bed.

Turning back to look at the boy, he saw his brows slightly raised, as if trying to open his eyes. Perhaps due to the pain from his wounds, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Glancing outside, he sighed helplessly and walked over to the bed, carefully observing the boy. Under these circumstances, it was impossible to go out and investigate!

It was better to stay in the room as Aida suggested, avoiding trouble and focusing on taking care of this troublesome guy.

This didn’t mean he was actually scared. On the contrary, he wasn’t afraid at all. Instead, he wanted to go out and have a good fight—against those damned nobles and city lords who spent their days causing trouble, bullying people, which only fueled his hatred.

“Where is this? Who… who are you?” Under Rod’s gaze, the young boy slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He found himself in a strange environment with a stranger watching him. Seeing this, the clever boy quickly rolled to the foot of the bed and, with a trembling voice, asked the man in front of him cautiously.

“I… please don’t hit me. I really can’t take it anymore. I really won’t run away again. Sir, please spare me! I really can’t bear it anymore!”

Seemingly recalling something, the boy then pleaded with a trembling voice.

He touched his nose, thinking he wasn’t that ugly. Why was he considered a villain?

He mocked himself silently, a hint of helplessness appearing on his lips. After sighing, he moved closer to the boy and sat down beside him, looking at him earnestly. He could clearly sense the boy’s fear and worry, as his trembling body was evident to him. “Don’t worry. I’m not that scoundrel’s subordinate. I just rescued you as an ordinary passerby. If you don’t like me, you can ignore me—just know I have no ill intentions toward you!”

With that, he believed further words were unnecessary. The boy wasn’t a child anymore and should be able to judge for himself.

The boy’s gaze was complex as he carefully looked at the dark-haired man smiling at him, while the blond man’s eyes wandered restlessly. After a long while, it seemed he reached a decision. Letting out a sigh, his expression relaxed somewhat.

“I… I remember now. It was you who saved me, sir. My name is Sean. Thank you for saving my life!”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, the man named Sean paled, frowned in pain, struggled to get up, and knelt before Rod, speaking in a low voice.

Rod was momentarily stunned by this action before reacting. “Damn it, get up! A man’s knees should never touch the ground except in front of his parents. Remember that. I just dealt with a guy I disliked. You don’t need to do this. If you have the energy, it’s better to be a good person. Remember, if you don’t want to be bullied, you must be strong—strong enough that no one can bully you. Think about it. That guy who beat you seems to have brought others here to cause trouble. I don’t have time to waste here with you. Let’s go check it out!”

To be honest, Rod truly despised the systems of this world. Before, he always believed that vile people had their own reasons for being vile—just like beggars had their reasons for begging. Seeing those young beggars with hands and feet yet still begging filled him with deep disgust. But after coming to this world, he realized that sometimes, under forceful measures and systems, some people weren’t actually vile yet became so due to the circumstances—it was all the fault of the systems and environment. Take this young man for example; so young already, completely corrupted by the world, having accepted his own identity and status, relegating himself to a lower class. The saying “There’s gold beneath a man’s knees” seemed to mean nothing to him anymore. Dignity seemed like something he simply couldn’t understand.

Watching the young man lost in thought, Rod sighed and walked alone toward the door. He slowly opened it, stepped out quickly, and closed it behind him. Seeing the chaotic scene downstairs, he was amazed—how many people had gathered here? Not to mention the brightly lit torches outside, there must be no fewer than a few hundred soldiers inside the shop.

Some of them had split into small teams and were heading upstairs. As for the hotel owner, he stood there with a grim face, pleading with an officer. Next to the officer was that annoying young city lord, his head wrapped in bandages, looking around fiercely as if searching for something. Rod’s expression changed slightly as he saw the soldiers approaching—headache setting in!

“Over there! That’s him, the bastard! Kill him!”

A sharp shout made Rod’s face turn pale. Who else could it be but that young city lord? He was surprisingly perceptive, able to spot Rod right away, even though he was hiding behind a large pillar.

“Hmph, little brat, didn’t I knock you out? Well, that’s too bad. What, came to disturb me while I’m drinking? Sorry, I’m busy today. I know you admire me, but how about making an appointment another time? Why bring people here and cause a racket at night? I can’t sleep, but others still need to!”

Now that he’d been discovered, Rod stopped hiding. He stepped forward, facing the soldiers charging at him, and looked at the young city lord glaring at him from the ground, saying with a playful smile, “Kill him! Don’t let him escape!”

Rod’s words nearly drove the young city lord mad. He snatched a knife from a soldier at his side and charged toward Rod, shouting at his men to join in. Instantly, hundreds of soldiers rushed at Rod from inside the shop, while flames outside flickered and quickly gathered in their direction.