Maxwell Jing shook his head and sighed, "Why are you all so foolish?" Such a simple trick, and they fell for it—there’s really no sense of accomplishment!
In truth, this trap was indeed simple. All he had to do was provoke the two men until they recklessly charged forward, and then the transparent threads he’d tied in advance would come into play. He had scavenged those threads from a corpse last time, certain they’d be useful someday!
If it were only that, the two wouldn’t be suffering so miserably. The real reason for their agonized expressions was the needles on the ground—needles whose tips had been smeared, without mercy, with chili water and salt!
Seeing the two men collapse, a group of children cheered and jumped with joy. Maxwell Jing’s expression shifted slightly, and he decisively called out, "Go!"
Watching the children run away, the two burly men could do nothing but curse. Not only were their injuries from the needles on the ground, but the wounds on their feet were even worse—their cut feet were clearly ruined!
After the children disappeared, a figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alley, eyes fixed on the direction the children had gone, a look of satisfaction in his gaze.
He had been following these children for several days—in fact, he’d been trailing Maxwell Jing for several days. This child had sharp observation skills, a clever mind, and never acted recklessly. He met all the criteria!
After watching for days, he saw that although Maxwell Jing appeared to be just like the other children—eating when full, sleeping when tired, and searching for food when hungry—he never begged. He always stole or simply snatched what he needed!
It was clear that he must have come from a good family, for there was a stubborn pride in his bones. He refused to lower himself and beg for help. Though stealing and robbing weren’t exactly honorable, he survived by his own skills!
He noticed that before making a move, Maxwell Jing always observed the people on the street, figured out their personalities, and devised countermeasures. The two injured men were notorious for their bad tempers and impulsiveness; a little provocation and they lost all reason, making them easy to deal with!
Such a person is truly a talent! With just a bit of training, he’ll surely become a great helper to the Sanctuary Heir!
After watching for a while, the man walked in the direction the children had gone. As he passed the two burly men, he dealt with them swiftly and efficiently.
In the ruined temple outside the city, the little girl who had first responded to Maxwell Jing’s call nervously asked, "Brother Maxwell, I saw those two men bleeding a lot just now. Will they die?"
Another little boy had also seen the two men bleeding profusely and was equally afraid of having killed someone. He whispered, "That thread was really sharp. When I was tying it, even after wrapping it in several layers of rag, it still cut my hand…"
Maxwell Jing’s small face was stern as he looked at him, a trace of anger in his voice. "Then why didn’t you say anything?" He had only used what was available and hadn’t expected the thread to be so sharp. If people don’t harm me, I won’t harm them. Those two men had chased him through several streets but hadn’t hurt him. Had he known earlier, he would never have used something so dangerous!
"I..." The little boy shrank back, frightened by Maxwell Jing’s anger. "I was afraid Boss would think I was useless… that I couldn’t do anything right…"
Maxwell Jing paced irritably for a few steps. He didn’t believe the two men would die, but he knew their feet were likely ruined. What exactly had he picked up?
Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone collapsing. Maxwell Jing turned alertly, watching the newcomer with wary eyes. "Who are you?" He glanced at the people on the ground, saw they weren’t dead, and focused all his attention on the stranger.
It was a man dressed entirely in black, with only a pair of sharp, eagle-like eyes visible!
At that moment, those eyes stared straight at him, filled with both satisfaction and a hint of displeasure. In a cold voice, the man said, "Those who accomplish great things do not fuss over trifles. You shouldn’t be so agitated over two irrelevant people. And when facing a powerful enemy, don’t waste time worrying about these useless ones!" He was talking about the children on the ground. Having followed Maxwell Jing for days, he knew that without him, these kids wouldn’t have such an easy life. Yet the children were always foolishly causing Maxwell Jing all sorts of trouble!
Before Maxwell Jing could respond, the man added, "Remember! From now on, you only need to care about one person. Only him—not even yourself should be in your circle of concern. Do you understand?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Maxwell Jing collapsed softly to the ground. His last thought: he had encountered a formidable enemy!
Maxwell Jing awoke again in a large room, lavishly furnished—at least, it seemed lavish to him. He vaguely remembered living in a place like this before. Maybe he had…
His memories of the past were hazy, perhaps because he was still young, or maybe for other reasons.
He wasn’t alone in the room; there were other children about his age, both boys and girls—he counted more than twenty of them!
Maxwell Jing observed the others, realizing they must have been brought here just like he was. But what was the captors’ purpose? He didn’t think he had anything worth coveting.
The other children, waking one after another, were far less calm than he was. Seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, their eyes filled with fear and unease—some even burst into tears.
The noise made Maxwell Jing frown impatiently. Suddenly, he shouted, "Is anyone there? I’m hungry!"
A little boy beside him tugged at his sleeve, kindly advising, "Don’t be so loud. If you make them angry, we’ll be in trouble!"
Maxwell Jing glanced at him, shook off his hand, and ignored him, continuing to call out. He didn’t care about much—his hunger mattered most!
Besides, rather than waiting passively, it was better to see what their captors wanted!
After a while, someone actually brought food—but only for him!
Maxwell Jing had no intention of sharing with the other children. He ate alone, unconcerned for them. The lesson from the man in black was clear: he was seen as too soft-hearted, but in truth, that wasn’t the case at all.