Chapter 56: Is Page of Book trying to kill him?!

It was just an ordinary day, with the only peculiar aspect being the persistent bad weather over the past few days. Continuous drizzle filled the air with a distinct chill, and stepping outside without adequate clothing would bring a bone-deep coldness.

Wrapped in a thick down jacket, Qu Huachi huddled inside a small convenience store, a compact heater placed by his feet. Nearby, there was a bulging black backpack, suggesting he planned to embark on a long journey.

What exactly is happening to this world?

Qu Huachi was an average person, not particularly intelligent. Whenever any global crisis occurred, he invariably belonged to the first group to be forgotten and swiftly headed towards their demise.

By noon, Qu Huachi finally descended from the one-meter-wide folding bed where he had been curled up all morning. After stretching slightly, he opened a canned eight-treasure congee and began drinking slowly.

Initially, he could cook simple dishes and prepare meals, but selling vegetables in the current market had become difficult. Although the reopening of the eastern route was mentioned, the incoming supply of resources still fell short. Fresh vegetables were not only expensive, but more importantly, they were hard to find.

Many small markets and supermarkets had already closed down. To stabilize the populace, the An City municipal government established designated markets where produce was sold for one hour each morning from 8 to 9 AM, and another hour each evening from 5 to 6 PM. While the vegetable prices were somewhat higher, it wasn’t excessively so. However, during these two-hour periods, the markets would be overwhelmingly crowded, with all varieties of vegetables typically getting snatched up within twenty minutes, leaving none remaining.

Due to Qu Huachi’s mobility issues, he couldn’t compete in such crowds and thus didn’t bother going. Fortunately, Duan Wenxuan had taken only some rice from his convenience store, leaving most of the snack inventory intact. For now, Qu Huachi wouldn’t go hungry anytime soon.

• Clank, clank, clank -

Halfway through eating his Eight Treasure Porridge, Qu Huachi heard loud knocks on the lowered metal gate outside.

“Not open for business,” Qu Huachi called out anxiously.

During this period, numerous people had knocked on his door wanting to purchase goods, including some local residents he knew who tried leveraging their connections for food. Despite Qu Huachi’s reluctance, they often managed to buy items from him.

“Open up, we’re police officers—not here to shop.”

Startled, Qu Huachi hastily lifted the roller shutter slightly and, as expected, saw four or five armed policemen standing outside, with a police car parked nearby.

“Officer… I-I haven’t done anything wrong, I’ve never committed any illegal acts…” Nervous and timid, Qu Huachi nearly collapsed after opening the gate.

The police officers ignored him, except for one who gently tore off a badge previously given by Duan Wenxuan from the roller shutter, then placed it onto a device. After a few seconds, the officer spoke, “Qu Huachi, male, currently 56 years old, originally from Gaorutang Village?”

“Yes, that’s me,” Qu Huachi stammered, looking around helplessly, visibly shaken.

“One of you, press your hand here; we need to verify your fingerprints.”

“Okay, okay.”

“Correct.” The officer’s expression slightly relaxed. “You have ten minutes to prepare. You can bring one bag, but its contents must not exceed five kilograms. We suggest packing some comfortable clothes and essential items; avoid carrying unnecessary things.”

”…Are you the ones Mr. Duan mentioned who would escort me…”

“Sir, these matters are confidential. Please refrain from discussing them openly.”

“Oh, okay.” Qu Huachi promptly covered his mouth, then rushed inside the room and swiftly grabbed the backpack he had previously placed on the bed. He was well-prepared beforehand.

Duan Wenxuan had instructed him to be ready, mentioning that government personnel might unexpectedly take him temporarily to a safe location, advising him to trust and follow their lead. Qu Huachi, being uneducated and indecisive, simply adhered to whatever his boss said.

The police officers were unsurprised by Qu Huachi’s evident preparedness.

After locking the roller gate securely and carefully pocketing the key, Qu Huachi, with his backpack slung over his shoulder, took a few shivering steps forward. The area now appeared mostly deserted, with hardly anyone in sight.

Suddenly, Qu Huachi lifted his head and glanced around cautiously.

Behind the convenience store lay residential apartments, and from some of these street-facing apartments, people on the first and second floors were already peering out through their balconies, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and concern.

For some reason, Qu Huachi suddenly seemed to grasp something. As he was about to enter the police car, he blurted out, “What about them?”

One of the officers opened the rear door, “Get in.”

“Okay, alright…” Qu Huachi climbed inside, and soon several policemen, sitting upright with impeccable posture, joined him. Clutching his backpack, he appeared somewhat disheartened. “What about them?”

“We’re only responsible for transferring those with badges.”

Qu Huachi shuddered, gripping his backpack tighter in fear. Unbeknownst to him, the construction of the underground air raid shelter had started too late. Originally, it was estimated that upon completion, it could accommodate at least one-third of An City’s population, which amounted to approximately four million individuals.

However, now there were two issues: firstly, the speed of the spiritual tide’s eruption exceeded previous expectations, and secondly, the construction of the underground air raid shelter had not proceeded smoothly. As a result, if it were urgently put into use at this point, the capacity for accommodating people would be significantly reduced. Even the previously allocated slots for family members of exceptional talents were later decreased.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling to save more, but rather they were simply unable to do so.

Two days after Qu Huachi was taken away, An City reached its coldest extreme. Nearly half of the residential areas experienced water outages. The underground pipes had frozen entirely, with many sections cracking due to the ice, preventing the normal flow of water.

In Bu Village,

Jing Rui was shivering as he opened a page from his book. His situation was even worse; not only did the water stop, but the electricity went out too. This was unbearable, leaving him stiffened by the freezing cold.

“How could this happen? Didn’t you say staying in An City would cure my illness? Now I’m about to freeze to death,” Jing Rui tried to express anger, but the excessive coldness had drained him.

“Master, haven’t humans got a saying: ‘enduring hardships leads to greatness’? Moreover, you have obtained the power of Dying and Living, which was stolen from Osiris itself. How can it be considered a disease?” A flattering human face appeared on Page of Book, gently explaining to Jing Rui.

The reflection on Jing Rui’s phone screen showed him with now graying hair, but more importantly, his entire appearance had aged significantly, marked by wrinkled skin. That alone would have been bearable, but the most critical issue was that he had lost the typical male… response.

Jing Rui not only rapidly aged to appear around fifty or sixty, but effectively became impotent. Although the physical attributes were still present, there was no reaction whatsoever.

“Bull… bull… Ah-choo…shit!” Jing Rui felt an intense urge to tear Page of Book apart.

Indeed, he had acquired the power of Dying and Living. Without external harm, he could theoretically remain immortal indefinitely, as Osiris’ strength resided within him.

However, being immortal did not mean he couldn’t fall ill or age.

Living with such a severely deteriorated body, barely clinging to life, was not the immortality Jing Rui desired. Furthermore, going from a man in his twenties to this state overnight was simply unacceptable for him.

Observing Jing Rui’s clenched jaw, Page of Book sensed the imminent danger of being buried underground, away from daylight. Although it didn’t speak further, its thoughts were clear: “Master, not allowing you to leave An City was truly for your own good. I know you’re troubled by your current physical state, but this is because the power you obtained last time was incomplete. Once completed, the adverse effects caused by ‘death’ will instantly disappear.”

“Explain.” Jing Rui had decided to trust it one final time before digging a hole and burying the artifact for good!

“Do you remember the black mist on the outskirts? When you left earlier…you should have gone inside. The treasure within has now fully matured. If we reclaim its power again, once balanced, the side effects brought about by ‘death’ will immediately vanish.”

Jing Rui’s brow twitched nervously. Considering how perilous that place was, was Page of Book trying to get him killed?!