Chapter 9: You Have Already Become an Outstanding and Exceptional Young Man

Wang Peng was furious. Casting all caution to the wind, he prepared to jump down right then and there to fight Ren Jie to the death.

There was no such thing as being this insulting. "What the hell, don't litter in the river?"

"That is highly un-river-like!"

Ren Jie, however, was delighted. In just this short span of time, he had already harvested a significant amount of white mist from Wang Peng.

But as fate would have it, a crosswind swept across the bridge. With his legs already jelly-like, Wang Peng lost his footing, swayed backward, and plummeted straight off the edge.

"Ah!!! Help..."

This sudden turn of events made everyone shiver in fright!

"Tch~" Ren Jie’s eyes widened. He lunged forward, and almost instinctively, several dazzling sparks erupted beneath the soles of his shoes.

With a loud "boom," his shoes exploded on the spot, leaving black burn marks even on the asphalt road. Relying on this thrust, Ren Jie darted forward like lightning and reached out to grab Wang Peng.

He lived up to expectations and grabbed Wang Peng!

...his phone!

"Ahhh! My phone! My phone! Don't look at my browser history!"

Ren Jie didn't give up, though. Clinging to the railing, he reached out toward Wang Peng, who was falling toward the river.

The next moment, his left palm detached directly from the wrist, ejecting outward like a projectile.

With pinpoint accuracy, it latched onto a sensitive spot on Wang Peng, locking on with a vice-like grip.

"Aiyah!"

A pig-like scream echoed through the air.

Wang Peng was left dangling in mid-air by the mechanical hand, eyes bulging, tears streaming, struggling violently!

"Let go! For heaven's sake, let go! Where are you grabbing?!"

His entire body weight was now concentrated on that singular, fragile point.

The peacekeepers and onlookers swarmed over, peering down at the bridge. They looked horrified, shivering uncontrollably.

That was too cruel!

Would it even still work after that?

Ren Jie was taken aback, too. His mechanical arm had that function?

"Don't worry, I'm pulling you up right now."

As he spoke, he began retracting the mechanical hand.

Wang Peng: ???

His screams became even more agonizing.

Pulling him up? Wouldn't that just rip him apart?

"Ahhh! Let go! I beg you, put me down! I'd rather fall to my death, just stop saving me!"

Ren Jie looked solemn.

"Nonsense! A precious life is right before my eyes. As an officer of the Luminary Bureau, my duty does not allow me to let go!"

Wang Peng was already rolling his eyes back.

"Then at least pull gently, would you?"

Ren Jie offered an awkward smile.

"Sorry, I'm a beginner, still not quite used to it. I'll be quick, just bear with it."

In that moment, Wang Peng truly understood what it meant to wish for death.

Even the peacekeepers covered their faces.

What "beginner"?!

Had the Luminary Bureau’s rescue methods always been this brutal?

In the end, amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd and Wang Peng’s continuous, blood-curdling screams, Ren Jie finally hauled him back up.

During this time, the production of white mist never ceased, all of it flowing into the Mirror Lake space.

Wang Peng curled up on the ground like a cooked shrimp, glaring at Ren Jie with pure hatred, though he was already being propped up by the peacekeepers.

"Don't let me find out your name!"

Ren Jie smiled.

"My name is Ren Jie! No need to thank me, brother. As someone saved by my own hands, you’re practically an outstanding young man now. Live well, forget the past, and embrace tomorrow!"

With that, Ren Jie turned and walked away with a flourish.

As the saying goes, he left after his work was done, hiding his merit and virtue.

If not for the fact that one of his shoes was blown to shreds and his blackened sole made him walk with a limp, he might have actually looked quite dashing.

Wang Peng was driven mad with rage!

What kind of nonsense was "outstanding young man"?

Is that how being an outstanding young man is measured?

Don't let me run into you again!

"Let's go! Come back to the station with us to give a statement!"

The "outstanding" Wang Peng yelled back, exasperated:

"Take me to the hospital first!"

If he didn't get to the hospital soon, he would become "Wang Peng" in name only!

...

On the way back, Ren Jie felt quite happy. He had finally figured out what that white mist was.

It must be the power of emotion.

That was why the Demon Spirit Fruit kept devouring that mist of emotions!

The reason he hadn't been affected by the Demon's Original Sin was likely due to that very mist. As long as he kept supplying it, keeping the total amount of emotional mist on the lake's surface from being completely consumed by the Demon Spirit, he shouldn't be influenced by any kind of Demon's Original Sin.

As for collecting the mist, it was simple.

He just needed the people around him to experience intense emotional fluctuations—whether it be sadness, sorrow, anger, or even joy.

As long as there was an emotional surge beyond the daily norm, he could collect it.

Whether it was his "resurrection" from the crematorium or the heroic rescue of the man on the bridge, both had verified this.

He just hadn't figured out the range of this collection yet.

He wondered if other Demon Contractors had this ability, but Sister Nuoyan had said that Demon Contractors usually supplied the Demon Spirit with their own emotional power.

He had never heard of collecting others' emotions.

Having grasped the principle, Ren Jie felt a sense of relief. As long as he kept collecting the emotional mist, he wouldn't be corrupted by the Demon's Original Sin. After all, he didn't want to turn into a total freak like Nuoyan!

And collecting the mist didn't seem too difficult.

Thinking of this, a fierce fighting spirit ignited in Ren Jie’s eyes. Once he officially awakened and gained greater strength, he would surely be able to work more jobs and earn even more money, right?

...

On Nanshan Road, located in the outer ring of District 69, the dim, yellow streetlights illuminated the slightly cluttered streets. Apartment buildings, worn by time, were crammed together, suffocatingly dense...

Balconies were draped with colorful laundry, and the thick, heavy scent of daily life rushed to meet him.

This was the place Ren Jie had lived for ten years, a dilapidated, old residential area...

Ren Jie walked toward a worn-out building with peeling wall paint.

The ground floor housed several shops—the "Double Satisfaction Supermarket," "Gangzi's Breakfast"—but they were all shuttered for the night.

Only one shop still had its sign lit, and the door remained open.

It read in large characters:

『Anning Laundry』

Ren Jie stepped inside. The shop was over twenty square meters and appeared exceptionally crowded, with rows of old washing machines on both sides, currently roaring with a desperate, straining sound...

Laundry lines were hung full of washed and cared-for clothes and quilts...

"Auntie Anning, you haven't rested yet?"

Ren Jie sighed, turned back to pull down the rolling shutter, and switched off the sign...

She left the door... for him.

He walked to the back, climbed the stairs to the second floor, and let his gaze sweep across the narrow corridor.

He saw a thin woman wearing an apron, hand-washing clothes at the laundry sink...

Her hands were cracked from years of exposure to water, her fingertips wrapped in layers of adhesive tape, and fine beads of sweat stood on her forehead...

There were still many clothes left in the laundry basket.

Though the woman was in her thirties or forties, she still possessed a refined beauty, though her face was etched with the hardships of life.

Hearing his footsteps, Anning turned to look at Ren Jie, a soft smile blooming on her face...

"Xiaojie, you're back? I left dinner for you in the fridge. Eat it when you can~"

Ren Jie’s heart tightened, and his nose felt a bit sore...

"It’s so late, why aren't you resting? Where's Yaoyao?"

Anning smiled, "She's asleep. She went to bed quite early today."

As he spoke, Ren Jie walked across the corridor, took the clothes from the laundry basket, and began to wash them!

Anning looked helpless. "Don't bother with that, go get some sleep. The training at the Luminary Bureau is exhausting, isn't it? Has Old Wei been taking good care of you?"

Ren Jie smiled. "I'll finish this quickly and then rest. Uncle Wei takes great care of me. Becoming a full-time officer is just a matter of time~"

At the mention of this, Anning’s eyes dimmed, and she then pretended to mention it casually: "Xiaojie... I received three more admission letters from prestigious universities today. Even Qingbei called, saying they could waive tuition fees..."

"The summer vacation isn't over yet, and enrollment hasn't started. Would you really not reconsider? Why not go to school..."

Ren Jie shook his head with a smile. "Auntie Anning, please don't try to persuade me. I'm 18; I have the right to decide my own life. I can learn even without going to university..."

"And being a Luminary Officer isn't a dead end. The pay is quite good, too~"

Anning’s eyes turned slightly red. "But it's too dangerous to be a Luminary Officer. This family is already a burden on you. I can't let your life be..."

Before she could finish, Ren Jie interrupted:

"If anyone is a burden, it’s me being a burden to you and Yaoyao..."

"Xiaojie..."

"Alright, Auntie Anning, let's not talk about this. Is it true that Old Wang next door is expecting a second child?"

Late into the night, the two chatted about domestic trivialities, their soft voices drifting out through the window and floating far... very far away...