The Decaying World

"Sixteen!?" Lin Hui dodged the broom, his face a mask of disbelief. He took another long look at the old man before him.

White hair, white eyebrows, and a white beard. His face was a web of wrinkles, his skin loose and sagging, and his face and neck were covered in age spots.

’Sixteen? Fucking sixteen??’

"Why don’t you just say you’re six?" he said, speechless.

"How do you know the people serving time in this godforsaken place aren’t only six?" The old man pointed across the street to a long-haired old woman watering a potted plant in a shop.

"That one over there is nine this year. Believe it?"

"..." Lin Hui stared at the old man as if he were an idiot. "Do you even believe what you’re saying?"

"It seems you really don’t know anything, yet you just waltzed in here..." The old man’s anger subsided. He sighed and put down his broom.

He turned, went back into his shop, pulled out a chair, and plopped down.

A faint scent of tobacco filled the shop. The mahogany tabletop was sprinkled with a bit of gray ash.

The old man flipped the book he’d been reading upside down on the table, leaned back in his chair, and exhaled.

"Go on, what do you want to ask? To be honest, it’s been years since I’ve seen a strange fellow like you. If I say you’re high-status, you didn’t arrive at the tower in a Moth Car. If I say you’re low-status, you’re just strolling around nonchalantly, completely unconcerned about the void field emitted by the tower."

"I’m just carrying a permit from the Inner City," Lin Hui said truthfully.

"A permit? That thing can only hold off the void field for a little while before it’s used up. Besides, the way you say ’Inner City’ tells me you’re from the Outer City. People from the other districts don’t usually say it like that. Only people from the Outer City would call this place ’Inner.’"

"A good deduction. Very meticulous. Can I ask my questions now?" Lin Hui nodded.

"Fine. Go ahead."

"Is this the Deep Domain of the Core Area? Why are you able to stay here all the time? How do I enter the Moon Tower? How do I apply?" Lin Hui fired off three questions at once.

"One vial of Feather Blood per question." The old man held out his hand.

"...Fine!" Lin Hui said through gritted teeth. He didn’t have much Feather Blood himself, but realizing he needed answers to these questions, he reached into his waist pouch, took out three vials, and placed them on the old man’s table.

"First question: this isn’t the Deep Domain. It’s just a buffer zone before the Deep Domain and the Moon Tower. To get to the Deep Domain, you have to go down into the great pits at the base of the Moon Tower. The subterranean world at the very bottom, that’s the real Deep Domain. The place is quite large, equivalent to several small towns," the old man answered.

"Second question." The old man held up two fingers. "I’m a prisoner, a convict captured by the Moon Tower, so I have to stay here. I can’t leave. Everyone living here has the same status as me."

"Third, how to enter the Moon Tower and how to apply? That’s really one question. There are two ways to get in. One is by invitation from the Original Blood in the Moon Tower’s core. If you receive an invitation from one of the Original Blood, you can enter without any restrictions."

"The other way is through the Deep Domain. The Deep Domain controls the basic requirements for lower-class people to enter the Moon Tower. There’s a Paradise Platform there. Go take a look at the instructions. If you can complete the tasks on it and break into the top hundred for the day, you’ll be allowed to enter the Moon Tower for one day. Of course, the conditions are said to be very harsh and strange. I’ve never been, anyway. I can’t go anywhere from here. This is all just what I’ve heard from the merchant caravans that come and go," the old man added.

"Prisoners? Why are you all imprisoned here?" Lin Hui asked with a frown.

"No reason." The old man didn’t ask for Feather Blood this time. His own expression flickered with a mix of confusion, doubt, bewilderment, and hatred.

"I’ve been here for many years. I’ve seen many people captured and brought here by the Original Blood, all of them for no reason. They’re just snatched up inexplicably."

"Right, I just ran into a little kid on the stone bridge with glowing red eyes..." Lin Hui described the little tyke he’d just seen. "What’s her status? Is she one of the Original Blood?"

The old man held out his hand and accepted the vial of Feather Blood that Lin Hui tactfully offered.

"She is indeed one of the Original Blood, and one of the few who likes to enter and exit the Moon Tower from the ground. In the entire Moon Tower, there are only about a hundred Original Blood in total. She’s a rather special one. Very kind. She’s helped quite a few travelers who’ve run into trouble."

"Last question." Lin Hui took out another vial of Feather Blood. "Why have you all become so old? Were you serious when you said you were sixteen?"

"Of course I was. We’re old because we’re prisoners... This place doesn’t allow us to leave. As for the aging..." A flash of terror crossed the old man’s eyes.

"That is the power of the Wheel of Longevity. Our lifespans are constantly being drained away here, then gathered and transferred to the Original Blood inside the Moon Tower."

’The Wheel of Longevity...’ This wasn’t the first time Lin Hui had heard that name. Back in the Outer City, he’d heard about Inner City Great Clans fighting over a replica of the Wheel of Longevity, a conflict that resulted in the complete annihilation of many Outer City families.

He never expected to hear the name again after so long, here in the Core Area of the Inner City.

Suddenly, he thought of his big brother, Liu Wu Jun. ’Given his status, he might know something. I should find a chance to ask him when I get back.’

"Anything else to ask?" the old man asked again, weighing the Feather Blood in his hand.

"One last question, and I don’t want to pay with Feather Blood for it. You can choose not to answer. What’s your name?" Lin Hui asked finally.

"Just call me Ah Zhe." The old man, Ah Zhe, smiled. "If you have any more questions in the future, you can come find me anytime. My spot doesn’t change; I’m always here. Don’t you forget it."

"Okay." Lin Hui nodded and turned to leave the shop.

"Are you planning to go to the Deep Domain?" Ah Zhe’s voice called out from behind him.

"Yes, why?" Lin Hui turned back to look at him.

"Seeing as you’re such an honest fellow, I’ll give you a piece of free advice. In the Deep Domain, don’t eat any food given to you by anyone. Don’t take anything that’s free. Remember, the things that are free are always the most expensive." Ah Zhe’s tone was grave.

The phrase struck Lin Hui as familiar. He remembered hearing it in his past life.

"Thank you." He cupped his fists at Ah Zhe and walked out of the shop.

This time, he didn’t hesitate. He followed the main road along with the flow of traffic until he reached the edge of the great pit at the base of the Moon Tower.

Then, he hurried down the spiral road that hugged the inner wall of the pit.

He wasn’t the only one on the road this time. A stream of large trucks, laden with unknown goods covered by gray tarps, was constantly moving up from the bottom.

There were also vehicles transporting goods down from the surface on other spiral roads, but they were far outnumbered by the vehicles heading out.

Lin Hui noticed that the drivers and passengers in the vehicles coming out all had flushed faces, pale lips, and slightly unfocused eyes. They seemed abnormally feverish.

They also carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. He couldn’t quite identify it; it wasn’t floral, nor was it fruity.

"Little brother, are you headed to the Deep Domain, too? Want to ride together?"

Halfway down, at the midpoint of the great pit.

A woman with a ponytail, sitting on a white ox-cart, waved at Lin Hui, her voice transmitted to him with a smile.

The side of the ox-cart was engraved with intricate floral patterns, which cleverly formed the character for "Li." It was clearly the carriage of one of the Inner City Great Clans with the surname Li.

The woman’s long hair draped over her shoulders. She had a voluptuous figure, clad in a tight, light-green tank top that accentuated her ample curves. Her lower body was clad only in white hot pants, revealing a pair of fair, rounded thighs.

She sat on the driver’s seat, holding the white ox’s reins in one hand. A dark red beauty mark sat at the corner of her eye, adding to her captivating charm.

"Don’t be afraid. This big sister doesn’t bite. It’s just that I happen to have a little brother about your age, and it pains my heart to see you traveling all alone on the road." The woman’s voice carried a peculiar, tingling quality.

Lin Hui glanced at the cargo bed behind her. It was piled high with things, all covered by gray tarps, their contents a mystery.

He wasn’t afraid.

He could faintly sense an aura of Inner Strength from her, so she must practice Martial Cultivation. As for whether she was a Summoning user, that was impossible to tell.

After a moment’s hesitation, he leaped up and landed effortlessly in the other driver’s seat beside the woman.

"My thanks, big sister," he said, cupping his fists.

"Nothing to thank me for. Running around on your own is a bit too conspicuous. Look around, who else is running everywhere on their own two feet? Anyone who dares come to this place arrives in a proper vehicle, right?" the woman said with a smile.

Seeing Lin Hui take his seat, she naturally reached out to grope his crotch.

"Come on, let big sister see what you’re working with. You can’t go to the Deep Domain without some capital..."

SWISH. Her hand grasped at empty air.

Then her vision blurred. The person who had been in the seat a moment ago was gone.

The next second, her hand was caught and held in mid-air by another.

Only then did she realize that Lin Hui had somehow appeared on her other side.

The woman struggled for a moment but found her hand was completely immobile. A look of terror flashed across her face.

"Wait! I just wanted to have some fun with you, I meant no harm! Don’t hurt me!" She instantly knew she’d run into a tough customer and immediately begged for mercy.

"I’m Li Xin Ruan, a lady of the Li Family from the Central Ring! If you let me go, I’ll be sure to reward you handsomely in the future!"

"Behave." Lin Hui frowned and released her hand. He returned to his seat. "I ask, you answer. Understand?"

"Understood!" Li Xin Ruan nodded repeatedly.

"What are you here in the Deep Domain for?"

"The Li Family has permanent storefronts and businesses in the Deep Domain. I’m here to deliver supplies and transport goods back to the family. The resources here in the Deep Domain are extremely abundant. Nourished by the Blood Stream flowing from the Moon Tower, you can just toss a handful of seeds on the ground and countless edible fruits will sprout in a few days. That’s why this place is the best for production," Li Xin Ruan said quickly, her voice slightly tense.

"It’s my first time in the Deep Domain. Is there anything I should watch out for?" Lin Hui didn’t bother hiding that he was a newcomer. It would be hard to conceal from an experienced eye anyway, so he might as well be upfront and gather more intelligence.

"Not much to watch out for. The Deep Domain is a place of pleasure. As long as you have Feather Blood, you can enjoy anything here. The longer you stay after entering, the more sensitive your body will naturally become, and the easier it will be to find pleasure... It’s something that can’t be explained with words. You’ll just have to experience it for yourself soon," Li Xin Ruan said nervously.

"Fine." Lin Hui, wearing his four-sided mask, was perplexed. ’I’m this well-covered and she still targeted me,’ he thought with resignation.

The ox-cart continued its descent. Now that he was riding in a vehicle, Lin Hui no longer attracted attention, and he had the time and leisure to observe his surroundings.

The Li Family’s cart seemed to hold a respectable status. As it moved forward, many of the oncoming vehicles would actively make way for it.

This gave Lin Hui a rough idea of the standing of Li Xin Ruan’s family.

About an hour later, the ox-cart finally reached the bottom of the great pit.

A silver stream fell from the sky, crashing into the center of the bottom and forming a huge, circular pool.