Chapter 5: Enlightenment in the Sewer

A damp, oppressive atmosphere, a claustrophobic environment that unsettled the nerves.

This was the impression most people had of the sewers.

In fact, Lu Liang, who had only recently started working as a Scavenger, thought the same.

However, after entering the sewers this time, he realized things weren’t as simple as he had imagined.

When Lu Liang descended into the sewer branch where he stood, three people were already gathered at the entrance.

They seemed to be in the middle of an argument.

Because all three wore hoods that concealed their faces, Lu Liang couldn’t tell their genders.

But as he entered the sewer, he overheard one of them say:

“Hand it over!”

“Give me everything valuable you have on you!”

“Take off your clothes too!”

From the tone, it didn’t seem like just a simple quarrel—it looked like black-on-black robbery.

Black-on-black robbery wasn’t uncommon among Scavengers.

Why risk your life dealing with monsters and Magical Girls when you could get monster materials by robbing others?

Scavengers weren’t a united front; they were a group of shadowy workers skirting the edges of the law, often forming factions and alliances against each other.

So when Lu Liang saw this scene at the manhole, he wasn’t surprised.

He hesitated, looking up toward the manhole cover, wondering if he should sneak back up before these people noticed him and wait for them to finish before coming down again.

“Huh? Looking at me?”

Because Lu Liang had descended facing one of the three people, the one cornered and being extorted caught sight of his silhouette coming down.

He immediately sent Lu Liang a pleading look.

That person was bundled up tightly, wearing a hood that covered their entire face except for a pair of Fairy-Eyed—large, gentle, and pitiful-looking eyes.

Lu Liang stared into those eyes and thought, “They want me to help?”

Those Fairy-Eyes had definitely picked the wrong person.

Lu Liang wasn’t some paragon of justice or overflowing with a sense of morality, or else he wouldn’t be a Scavenger.

If he was in a good mood, maybe he’d lend a hand, but if someone wanted to drag him into trouble, he’d consider that his bad luck.

Lu Liang immediately made a fierce expression, silently warning the Fairy-Eyed not to look his way.

The Fairy-Eyed probably didn’t expect such a reaction and, feeling coldly rejected, those eyes dimmed considerably.

Surprisingly, though, the Fairy-Eyed didn’t expose him. Instead, they lowered their head, accepting their fate with a resigned posture.

Of course, just because the Fairy-Eyed didn’t point him out didn’t mean no one else noticed Lu Liang.

“Brother Owl, another one’s here!”

Noticing the Fairy-Eyed’s odd behavior, the other Scavengers turned and spotted Lu Liang’s figure.

“Little brother, you here to make some money too?”

The man called “Night Owl” approached Lu Liang, pressed down the half-open manhole cover above him, and slowly pulled it back into place until the entrance was fully sealed again.

His gaze was venomous and sharp, locking onto Lu Liang’s eyes, both threatening and provoking:

“Listen up, brother, this line of work isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. You gotta keep a low profile.”

He feigned kindness but harbored ill intentions, eyes flickering over Lu Liang’s body, searching for hidden money.

Whether Lu Liang resisted or not didn’t concern them—there were two of them, and Lu Liang looked thin and slight. No matter his skills, he wasn’t a match for both.

A little intimidation would probably be enough to make him hand over his cash quietly.

Lu Liang’s mind, however, was on which of them he should take down first if he had to defend himself.

Money was not something he would give up.

To Lu Liang, money was as precious as his own life. Except for his sister, anyone who tried to rob him would face his wrath.

After a moment’s observation, Lu Liang decided to deal with “Brother Owl” first.

Though the other man was bigger, he figured it was best to catch the leader first.

“You see, little brother, coming here alone isn’t safe. What if you lose your money? Better hand it over to us for safekeeping.”

“Brother Owl” said this with a smile.

“Hey, hey! Brother Owl’s talking to you, you hear?”

The younger henchman threatened with authority.

“Hey, hey, we’re all comrades here, don’t scare the kid. Let him keep his own stuff.”

“Brother Owl” patted his subordinate’s shoulder to calm him down but kept his eyes trained on Lu Liang.

It was the classic “good cop, bad cop” routine.

A newcomer to the sewers might be easily fooled by this act.

But although Lu Liang was new to this job, fighting was no stranger to him. Back in school, he was a delinquent who never lost a brawl and was even once recognized by a gang.

When he grew up and realized gangs demanded taxes and couldn’t help him get into Magical Girl School, he gave it all up.

The behavior of these two, therefore, didn’t intimidate him in the slightest.

Lu Liang nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll hand it over.”

He lowered his head, making a gesture as if reaching into his pocket.

When his hand neared the large kitchen knife hung conspicuously at his waist, both of the men’s expressions sharpened instantly.

This was the moment they were most cautious of him.

At the same time, they also relaxed their guard elsewhere, focusing their attention entirely on his hands.

This was a lesson Lu Liang learned after years of fighting.

Holding his breath, lowering his center of gravity, and slowing his hand movement, Lu Liang suddenly sprang into action, charging his foot toward “Brother Owl’s” crotch.

He delivered a heavy, powerful kick directly to the vulnerable spot.

His sudden attack caught everyone off guard.

“Brother Owl” barely had time to react before he felt himself launched backward, slamming hard into the wall.

He didn’t notice any other pain, though, because the agonizing ripping sensation in his groin overwhelmed all other senses.

“Ah… ah!”

The excruciating pain rendered “Brother Owl” completely weak. He clutched his lower body tightly, curling himself like a worm, moaning nonstop.

“Brother Owl!”

The younger henchman was shocked, feeling a phantom pain just from watching his boss suffer.

But this also made him realize that Lu Liang was no ordinary person.

Without wasting time, the henchman pulled out a steel pipe.

This blunt weapon was useless against monsters but was surprisingly effective for fighting people.

Lu Liang met the swing of the steel pipe with a blank expression, ready to counter.

…

The burning pain in “Brother Owl’s” groin lasted a long time, so intense that tears nearly fell from the big man’s eyes.

By the time he finally recovered from the agony, it was all over.

Lu Liang stood coldly before “Brother Owl,” staring him down.

The henchman lay collapsed in the nearby sewage, his life unknown.

“Brother Owl” opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words.

“Not dead. If you die, I gotta pay compensation,” Lu Liang said sternly, reading the man’s thoughts.

“Alright, little brother, you win.”

“Brother Owl” fell silent, relieved but shooting Lu Liang a glare full of hatred.

“You’re ruthless. Night Owl has underestimated you, running into a tough one.”

“We’ll meet again. Farewell.”

He cupped his hands and tried to walk past Lu Liang to leave with the henchman.

But Lu Liang cut him off with a single sentence:

“Stop. I haven’t let you go yet.”

“Brother Owl” froze and turned back, eyes fierce but silent.

“Hand over the money.”

Lu Liang pointed to Night Owl’s pocket.

Running into Night Owl today gave Lu Liang a new perspective.

He was no longer the earnest editor at the office but a Scavenger who had stepped into the dark Underground World.

From now on, he wouldn’t just encounter monsters but would deal more with people like Night Owl.

Getting robbed probably wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

In other words, since he was already working in the Underground World, why be polite?

Today they robbed him, tomorrow he’d rob them.

After all, it was black-on-black robbery. If they had money, they weren’t jerks.

Thus, Lu Liang had an epiphany in the sewers!

“Hand it over. Don’t make me have to find a single cent on you, or else face the consequences.”

“Fine, here you go.”

Though still angry, Night Owl chose to comply.

He tossed Lu Liang a wallet stuffed with cash—5,327.30 yuan in total.

Inside the wallet, along with the bills, was a Good Citizen Certificate, listing personal details such as name and place of origin.

The Good Citizen Certificate functioned like an ID card. Every citizen who paid taxes on time received one, granting access to various social benefits.

Even if caught by a Magical Girl, a Scavenger could show this certificate to have a good chance of being let off lightly.

No wonder Night Owl, who worked in the Underground World, carried such an ID openly.

Lu Liang had one too, but he didn’t carry his on him—his was a Troublemaker Certificate.

He noted down the identity information and home address on the Good Citizen Certificate, then tossed the evidence back to Night Owl:

“Night Owl, you wouldn’t want your family to know what happened today, would you?”

At those words, Night Owl trembled and nodded humiliatingly.

Two clear tears seeped out from beneath his black hood and trickled down his face.

“Enough, scram!”

Lu Liang waved his hand impatiently—he had bigger things to do.

After Night Owl and his companion left, the Fairy-Eyed looked timidly at Lu Liang, who was happily counting his money, and said gratefully:

“Thank you.”

Her voice was gentle and melodious, like a spring breeze or summer rain.

Lu Liang froze for a moment—he realized that the Fairy-Eyed was actually a girl!

Even in the sewers, Scavengers were competing? Girls too?

Are you even human? Is the Underground World competing with her too?

“What are you thanking me for? Don’t thank me.”

Lu Liang put away the money carefully into his pocket and snorted coldly.

“I’d feel embarrassed…”

He suddenly changed his expression, snarling fiercely:

“Robbery! Hand over all the money on you!”