Chapter Fifty-Two: Rebellion and the Nonconformist

The midday sunlight was warm and gentle, casting its glow over the bustling crowds on the commercial street. The glass windows of Silver Blossom Café reflected golden rays, yet the interior felt rather deserted. Few chose to treat coffee and desserts as lunch; only a handful of guests sat in the corners, conversing quietly. Many seats remained empty, and employees were strictly forbidden from using them. The manager believed that letting staff sit in the café would tarnish its image. Thus, employees took their lunch breaks by the back door, either perched on low stools or simply standing.

Wang Juan leaned against the wall by the back entrance, cradling a cheap, hastily assembled meal. The dishes in her lunchbox were plain, bordering on meager, but she paid no mind. For her, nutrition was irrelevant; as long as her stomach was filled and the food wouldn't make her ill, it was enough.

Two young staff members sat on stools, chatting softly. Normally, Wang Juan would join their conversation, but today she lacked the mood. She mechanically scooped up a few mouthfuls of rice, her thoughts drifting far away.

Suddenly, there was a muffled thud in the air. She instinctively turned her head to see a tall, valiant man standing in the alley, clad in a sky-blue crane robe.

“Which one of you is Ms. Wang? I’m the one who picked up your order on the Exorcism App, number 3157.”

The two young employees froze, exchanging bewildered glances, clearly unable to grasp what was happening. Wang Juan snapped back to herself, hurriedly swallowed her food, and stepped forward, saying, “Hello, I’m the one who placed the order.”

As she spoke, she fumbled for her phone, accidentally knocking over her lunchbox. Bai Yuqing moved swiftly, catching it for her, his voice steady, “It’s alright, no need to be nervous.”

“Sorry.”

Wang Juan forced an awkward smile, a blush creeping across her cheeks. She felt embarrassed by her actions, but more than that, she was nervous. This was her first time placing an order on the Exorcism App, and she feared making a mistake and offending the esteemed spiritual master.

She quickly unlocked her phone, checked the order process, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for your trouble. I’m worried my son has joined some bad organization, and I hope you can check what they’re doing. If there’s anything illegal, please help report it to the police.”

Wang Juan had only recently discovered that her son seemed to be associating with questionable people. In a short time, he likely wouldn’t make any serious mistakes.

But if she continued to turn a blind eye, the future was uncertain. She didn’t want her son to take a wrong path.

Bai Yuqing nodded, “Do you know where your son is?”

“I have his phone’s location.” Wang Juan quickly pulled up her son’s phone tracker.

Bai Yuqing glanced at it, then vanished from the alley in an instant.

…

Thud.

A muffled sound burst through the air, the current stirring the thin sheets of metal, making them rattle. Bai Yuqing stood firmly atop the metal roof, his sky-blue crane robe fluttering lightly in the wind. Before him lay an unfinished housing development, desolation sweeping across the scene.

The green belt once planned by the developer was now overgrown with waist-high weeds, their withered blades swaying in the wind, like a silent mockery. The buildings were uneven; some had completed floors but lacked doors and windows, the bare concrete glaring harshly under the sunlight. Some structures were only half-built, steel skeletons exposed like the bones of abandoned giants. Others stood as solitary, single-story shells.

Bai Yuqing surveyed this wasteland, his gaze settling on a ten-story building. The crowd was gathered on the sixth floor.

He leapt lightly, disappearing like a phantom, and reappeared inside a room on the west side of the sixth floor.

Deafening rock music instantly assaulted his ears, the pounding drums and roaring electric guitars echoing through the empty hall. More than twenty adolescents were wildly dancing to the music. Their hair was dyed in vivid hues, their attire bold and unconventional, faces heavily painted, as if deliberately drawing a line between themselves and the world.

Bai Yuqing stood in a corner, his presence compressed to the utmost, like an unremarkable stone by the roadside, unnoticed by anyone.

He watched quietly. Though the behavior of these youths was rather improper, it was hardly illegal—at most, they were accumulating a future they'd wish to erase.

Bai Yuqing pondered for a moment, refraining from returning immediately to explain the situation to Wang Juan. He decided to observe the entirety of today's activities before determining whether to call the authorities.

Even for a minor order, Bai Yuqing never treated his duties lightly.

He was a deeply responsible man; whatever he promised, no matter how trivial, he would see it through with care, never perfunctory.

…

The revelry of "Void Vomit" continued until three in the afternoon, when everyone, exhausted from dancing, finally took a break.

Xiao Xing collapsed on the floor, leaning against the wall, his chest heaving, the frantic thumping of his heart echoing in his ears. His body was weary, yet a strange exhilaration burned within him, as if an uncontrollable fire raged inside.

Everything here felt novel and thrilling. Unlike the orderly life at school and in class, this place was filled with a sense of freedom and rebellion. Even the name "Void Vomit" felt incredibly cool to him. While others pursued lofty ideals, they declared themselves "vomit," as though proclaiming their uniqueness to the world.

Xiao Xing thought the atmosphere here was perfect, perfectly suited to him.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Zeng Xu tossed his fluffy bangs, still unable to reveal his right eye, only his left visible. “If you wore a wig and dyed your hair, you’d look even cooler.”

“Well…” Xiao Xing hesitated. “It’d be too obvious. I’m afraid my mom will nag.”

His words drew laughter from those around him.

Zeng Xu seemed unconcerned. “If Auntie knew what you’re about to achieve, dyed hair or even a little brother’s tattoo wouldn’t be a problem.”

At the mention of this, Xiao Xing’s face showed excitement. “Brother Zeng, is the person you mentioned really able to give us spiritual pressure?”

“Why would I lie to you?” Zeng Xu glanced smugly at his companions. “Brother Zhu used to live next door to me. He was just an ordinary guy without spiritual power. One lucky chance changed him from a regular person to a spiritual master. If it weren’t for our close relationship, I wouldn’t have called you guys in on this.”

Hearing this, Bai Yuqing’s eyes brightened in the corner, a spark of curiosity rising toward this "Brother Zhu."