Before dawn, Chu Xiuyan and the dust-covered Cui Zhiyong returned to the village.
The boy’s hand was still holding a dozen or so wriggling silver-white little fish, humming the tune of “Great harvest, great harvest.”
Cui Zhiyong, on the other hand, looked completely dejected, his clothes torn and stained, with fine blood cracks marking his skin, making him appear particularly miserable.
He gloomily said, “If I go with you to the Back Mountain again next time, I’m a dog.”
Chu Xiuyan remained calm.
“It’s okay. Next time, bring Xiao Hei from the village entrance along, so you won’t be the only dog in the team.”
Cui Zhiyong: “? Get lost.”
He turned and walked toward his home.
Just then, the sky suddenly began to drizzle.
Scarlet rain, tinged with an icy, bone-chilling coldness, quickly turned the world into a sea of blood-red.
Cui Zhiyong’s expression changed instantly.
“Damn it, it’s Blood Rain! Hurry back inside—”
He whipped his head around, only to see the black-haired boy standing there dumbfounded, staring blankly and even raising his hand as if trying to catch the falling droplets.
Irritated, Cui Zhiyong dashed over and grabbed the boy’s wrist, dragging him straight toward Zhang Chun’s house.
“It’s Blood Rain! Don’t you know exposure to this rain causes corrosion and pollution?!”
Scorch marks were already appearing on Cui Zhiyong’s cheek and arm, faint smoke rising.
Meanwhile, Chu Xiuyan felt the power inside him growing stronger and fell into thought.
System: [Pollution Value is slowly rising.]
Chu Xiuyan: [Sorry to the water monster brother who suddenly cares about me, but… let me enjoy the rain—]
He was kicked inside the house, where Zhang Chun had just woken up. Groggy, he was filling a cup with water in the kitchen and froze upon seeing Cui Zhiyong and Chu Xiuyan rushing in.
“What’s going on with you two?”
Cui Zhiyong quickly pulled out the medical kit from the living room and began disinfecting his corroded skin, grumbling, “It’s Blood Rain outside. For the next couple of days, we have to warn the villagers not to go out.”
Zhang Chun instantly snapped to attention.
“Blood Rain? The Blood Rain that hasn’t appeared for almost half a year?”
Cui Zhiyong nodded.
“Troubles just keep coming.”
Chu Xiuyan sat in a chair, watching Zhang Chun and Cui Zhiyong discuss what to do next, feeling somewhat dazed.
After the Blood Rain gradually stopped outside and Cui Zhiyong left, Zhang Chun said to him, “Next time you see Blood Rain, remember to hide. Anything red falling from the sky on this continent is basically harmful to humans.”
Chu Xiuyan nodded seriously.
Zhang Chun glanced at him and then said slowly, “Of course, if there’s no one around, then it’s up to you.”
Chu Xiuyan immediately laughed.
The arrival of Blood Rain unsettled the village, but as days passed with no incidents, the tense atmosphere gradually eased.
Chu Xiuyan obediently stayed inside dazed on the first day of the Blood Rain, but couldn’t resist going out to play in the village afterward.
Sometimes he would sneak off to the Back Mountain looking for that mysterious person, but just like Zhang Chun, he found nothing—only vague glances from the shadows suggesting the other party had not yet left.
Chu Xiuyan’s life repeated, shuttling back and forth between the Blood Crystal World and the original world.
Recently, most of his comic scenes depicted him playing around the village, making him completely come across to readers as a “happy-go-lucky country boy.”
On the second day of his fourth round of crossing, heavy snow began to fall.
Pure white flakes drifted everywhere, settling on the eaves, branches, and thickly covering the stone paths.
The whole world looked exceptionally clean and clear; even the air seemed fresher.
Wrapped in a quilt, Chu Xiuyan curled into a cocoon shape and stood by the window, peering outside.
The temperature dropped sharply overnight but gradually didn’t feel as cold.
[Body is automatically adapting to the ambient temperature,] Chu Xiuyan complained to the System, [what kind of body did you give me? This is way too smart.]
System replied coolly: [I told you it’s not my problem. It was normal during the trial; it’s your issue.]
Chu Xiuyan was unconvinced: [You’re just brushing me off again—]
[But speaking of which, the snow here isn’t like the rain, is it clean?]
System: [Still carries some pollution…]
Chu Xiuyan became a little nervous.
The System slowly finished its sentence: [If it keeps falling for ten years or so, humans might experience mild mutations.]
Chu Xiuyan bared his teeth and clawed the air: [System, you scared me!]
At that moment, a group of villagers, bundled up in thick clothes, came outside and began shoveling snow in the village.
An uncle he recognized caught sight of Chu Xiuyan and called out cheerfully, “Kid, why are you just wrapped in a quilt? Didn’t the village chief prepare you warm clothes? Come to my place. My wife’s been nagging me about you; she even knitted you a sweater. Come on over!”
Chu Xiuyan’s eyes lit up. “I’m coming!”
He wrapped himself in the quilt and tried to jump out the window, only to be pulled back by a force from behind.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Zhang Chun stood inside, carrying a bulging sack of something in his right hand.
Outside, the snow-shoveling team smiled and greeted Zhang Chun before continuing toward the village entrance.
Chu Xiuyan scolded, “Uncle, if you’d come a little later, I’d have frozen to death inside!”
“I didn’t expect such a sudden temperature drop and snow today. It was still over ten degrees yesterday. And judging by your spirit just now, I knew you’d want to run outside wrapped in a quilt.”
Zhang Chun sighed. “But honestly, the weather’s been weird lately…”
He handed the sack to Chu Xiuyan.
“You’ve only been in the village a short time. I asked some folks to help prepare clothes for you, but judging by the situation, it might be too late. This sack has some thick clothes I haven’t worn before. Most were gifts from the villagers. Take them if you don’t mind.”
Chu Xiuyan opened the sack and laughed, “What a flashy bunch!”
“Don’t you like red coats, uncle? They look so festive.”
Zhang Chun scoffed, “You think that suits me?”
He wore all black that day, looking especially steady.
Chu Xiuyan said, “You already look old. If you don’t dress younger, you won’t find a partner.”
“…Thanks, but I don’t think these clothes make me look younger.”
Chu Xiuyan chuckled and put on the red coat.
After moving his arms, he mumbled, “The size seems too big; the hem reaches my calves. It’s inconvenient to move.”
He stood next to Zhang Chun and gestured to compare heights, surprised to find himself a whole head shorter than the uncle!
“How can this be—”
He couldn’t believe it.
Zhang Chun didn’t bother watching his antics and turned to go discuss post-snow matters.
Chu Xiuyan left to visit his aunt’s house, where Shu Xiumei wrapped a scarf around his neck multiple times. After lunch, he took Guo Li out to play.
The child was bundled tightly in clothes, like a fluffy ball, moving with difficulty. After being dragged out by Chu Xiuyan, Guo Li just stood still on the ground.
The boy, by contrast, was lively and bouncing around the snow, occasionally scooping up handfuls of snow and throwing them far toward Guo Li. “Little Guoli-chan, come throw snowballs!”
Guo Li blinked with deadpan eyes, disdainful: “Snow sticking to clothes makes them wet, and I don’t want to move. Go play with someone else.”
Chu Xiuyan coaxed the child for a long time. When Guo Li refused to budge, he helplessly picked him up and started wandering the village.
Guo Li: “…Then why don’t you just play alone? Let me go home—”
Chu Xiuyan, self-righteous: “Playing alone is too lonely! Rabbits die like that!!”
Guo Li: “What kind of terrifying rabbit breed are you!?”
They laughed and played until they unexpectedly met Zhang Chun, who was walking down the road talking with Cui Zhiyong.
***
“The weather’s been strange lately. After the snow melts nearby, you should take people to the Ruins City and bring back various supplies. I feel… the Beast Tide is coming soon.”
Zhang Chun’s expression was serious.
Cui Zhiyong’s face grew grave at the news.
“This early this year? It’s just early winter. Usually, beasts and strange plants don’t want to trek in such extreme cold to attack human settlements. It’s too much trouble for no gain. They’re not stupid.”
Zhang Chun rubbed his brow.
“Just being cautious. Hopefully, I’m wrong…”
Suddenly, the sound of howling wind came.
Zhang Chun dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a snowball thrown from behind.
He then quickly ducked, weaving left and right with agile reflexes to perfectly dodge another snowball.
Cui Zhiyong: “…?”
He looked back in surprise, just as a snowball struck him squarely in the face with a crisp “smack.”
Nearby, the black-haired boy holding a handful of snowballs laughed wildly.
Zhang Chun looked at Cui Zhiyong, hesitating to say something.
“Ah, you, uh…”
Cui Zhiyong slowly raised a hand, activating his ability.
A massive water ball, twice the size of his head, spun between his palms before instantly freezing.
Seeing the danger, the black-haired boy grabbed the child beside him and dashed away.
With the giant ice ball raised high, Cui Zhiyong’s face twisted with rage as he charged forward.
“Die! You little stinky brat! Aaaaaahhh—!!!”
Zhang Chun stood still, looking up at the sky, rubbing his brows helplessly.
Elsewhere—
The boy being chased, Chu Xiuyan, was not panicking at all; he was even taunting.
“No way, no way, you can’t catch me? Hahaha, dumb water monster—”
Cui Zhiyong behind: “Who’re you calling a water monster?!”
Guo Li, squeezed at Chu Xiuyan’s side, was utterly resigned.
“Put me down, I’m tired and want to go home.”
Chu Xiuyan: “What? It’s only two in the afternoon. Later I’ll take you to the village entrance to play with Xiao Hei…”
Suddenly, a deafening boom tore through the sky.
The rumbling thunder shook Chu Xiuyan’s steps, and he fell to the ground, supporting himself with his left hand in the snow, right hand covering the lower half of his face, his expression dazed.
Guo Li also fell but did not curse; instead, he noticed the boy’s strange reaction and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Cui Zhiyong, catching up, laughed wildly.
“Fallen down, huh? Hahaha!”
Chu Xiuyan hung his head silently, unresponsive.
The surrounding noise seemed to fade away; his head buzzed with a chaotic dizziness, making him slightly nauseous.
From the sky came a second boom.
[Signal restored to normal. Important information broadcast will begin shortly. Please listen carefully.]
Tick, tick…
Bright red blood dripped slowly from between Chu Xiuyan’s fingers, falling on the snow, spreading into a red stain.
Guo Li’s eyes widened at the scene.
Cui Zhiyong, watching, mocked, “No way, you fell and got a nosebleed? Tsk tsk, your body’s not up to it… ah!”
A sudden kick sent him flying far away.
Zhang Chun landed and said to Guo Li, “Sorry, Yun Yan might not be feeling well. I’m taking him home.”
Guo Li’s expression was a little uneasy but nodded softly.
Zhang Chun bent down, helped the black-haired boy up, and headed inside.
Cui Zhiyong followed behind, still mumbling, “Just a nosebleed, yet everyone’s so nervous. Treating him like a three- or four-year-old? Now is when we should focus on the Signal Tower’s message…”
Bang!
The door slammed, leaving him locked outside.
Cui Zhiyong: “???”
When no one else was around, Chu Xiuyan finally lowered the hand covering his face.
Blood flowed from his nostrils but quickly crystallized into a blood-red crystal, hanging stubbornly on his face.
His eyes, faintly showing a scarlet glow, were full of shock. He repeatedly wiped the blood crystals away with a tissue, his voice hoarse.
“What was that sound?”
No sooner had he spoken than another loud boom erupted in the sky, this time with continuous echoes.
[Within the jurisdiction of Ruins City, all Settlement leaders, please temporarily halt current activities and listen carefully.]
[—According to the Prediction-type Ability Users and rising Blood Crystal concentration trends, a Cold Wave will strike in about a week, followed by the first wave of the Beast Tide attack in half a month.]
[Ruins City has dispatched many Ability User teams to divide the battlefield but still requires more time. All Settlements must promptly establish defensive lines to hold out against the first Beast Tide wave until Support Teams arrive.]
[Repeat. Within the jurisdiction of Ruins City, all Settlement leaders, please temporarily halt…]
Chu Xiuyan’s head buzzed painfully; the pressure swelled inside him, unleashing an uncontrollable urge to smash something violently.
Zhang Chun’s calm voice sounded beside him.
“Signal Towers are giant structures scattered around large bases, usually responsible for reconnaissance and wide-area information dissemination. The sound waves emitted have a weakening effect on highly polluted mutated creatures, causing dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, pain, and other adverse reactions…”
He looked up, meeting a pair of scarlet eyes, then quickened his speech.
“Very rarely, there can be adverse reactions like mania… Let me be clear, if you and I fight here, the house will be destroyed and we’ll have nowhere to live—we’ll die in winter.”
Chu Xiuyan tugged at the corner of his mouth, weakly saying, “I can borrow my aunt’s place. The only one who’ll freeze is you, uncle.”
Then, unable to resist, he bit down on the wooden table corner, crunching loudly.
A small piece of wood broke off and fell to the floor.
Afterward, the boy set his sights on the sturdier rice bowl.
He looked at Zhang Chun.
Zhang Chun covered his face with his hand. “…Fine, suit yourself.”